We awoke to wall to wall sunshine. After a leisurely breakfast we set off for Weston Point, Runcorn which is the most northerly point on the Weaver navigation, where it junctions with the Manchester Ship Canal. We were initially moving beautiful countryside but by late morning Stanlow Oil Refinery began to appear on our starboard side. The scale of the refinery was jaw dropping and really interesting. I know it was a bank holiday weekend, but whilst we saw hundreds of miles of pipes and containers, not once did we see a human being!
We eventually turned a corner to find Marsh Lock in front of us. This lets traffic on and off the Manchester Ship Canal and these days is unmanned and rarely used. However it was open, with C&RT staff buzzing around. We popped over and had a word with them to be told they were expecting a boat through (but they hadnt been told in which direction!) and we were welcome to stop and watch. We moored up, got the camera out, and were royally rewarded by the Historic Weaver Flat "Severn" locking through making its way to Manchester.
We remained at Marsh Lock for lunch and set off once more the short distance to Weston Point. The navigation finishes at a low bridge denying boats access to the old dock area. Access to the docks is prohibited.... but this was a bank holiday with not a soul in sight.... so we moored up and went a walk.
The old 'port' area is dominated by a forlorn and bizarrely out of place boarded up church. Christ Church was built in 1841 by the waterway owners and was declared redundant in 1995. It is now part of the Eddie Stobart owned port area - but Eddie cant do anything with it as its grade II listed.
The old dock facilities were fascinating - and mouldering - but new warehouses are also on the site. All with doors open and full of stored items and not a soul around. One warehouse was full with pallet upon pallet of bird feed. We laughed that if we had had a lorry we could have carried off the world's largest Pigeon Pellet heist in history!
After a very interesting wander, we made our way back to our overnight moorings at Hall O Th Hey Farm, now sadly joined by three other narrowboats.
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| Initially beautiful countryside..... |
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| gives way to oil refinery..... |
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| and hundreds of miles of pipes....but all interesting! |
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| Weaver flat 'Severn' arriving at Marsh Lock |
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| Only one gate at either end of the lock now works.... worrying for the future. |
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| 'Severn' locking through into the Ship Canal |
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The forlorn Christ Church, Weston Point
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| Weston Point - Mooring strictly prohibited! |
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| Topping up with water on the way back. |
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| No clouds, no wind |
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