Approaching Audlem.

7 locks, 5 Miles Now moored above lock 3 Audlem locks.

While checking up on some details for the blog it is interesting to note that even though we are travelling on the Shropshire Union canal we are not actually in Shropshire. We were actually in Staffordshire until somewhere midway between Gnosall and Market Drayton. Except for a 3 mile stretch around Little Soudley we have only been in Shropshire for about 6 miles in the vicinity of Market Drayton. Approaching Audlem we have now crossed another county line into Cheshire which is where we stay until we cross the English Welsh border.

After that little geography lesson, last night we had a lot of rain which thankfully had stopped by the time we set off this morning about 8.30. We seemed to be the only boat heading North as we reached the Adderley flight. The locks were all in our favour and by the time we reached the third lock we met South bound boats making the cross over between locks a lot easier.

At lock 1 of the Audlem flight we met a BW lengthsman who had come to check and adjust a side sluice to allow more water to pass through. Other than a sighting of a Kingfisher in flight it was a pretty uneventful cruise. As the weather was improving we again travelled further than originally planned. We have plenty of time up our sleeves before picking up our friends on the 18th so we can pick and choose whether to move and how far.

1386 locks, 2004 miles, 45 Tunnels, 42 swing bridges and 19 lift bridges since Nov 2006