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Agree there are some good options in Stone, just sad that the iconic (for me at least) Star Inn had no actual beer and didn’t seem to bothered about it. So keen to get the choice right straight away in Penkridge.

Always a couple of good choices even in the winter when it is quieter, generally 5 or so in the summer. Stonehouse brewery in nearby Oswestry and Salopian in nearby Shrewsbury feature regularly as do some stalwarts from Greene King. gabble

Anyone care to recommend where to eat and drink in Penkridge? It has been a while since we stopped there. Real ale is important, something the Star Inn at Stone failed to understand today (they didn’t have any). gabble

Great to hear, thanks for updating us and for influencing the outcome. Hope to get there myself soon gabble

Well done Haggis - my hero

Attempted to stop at the Barbridge Inn today, but most of the moorings taken by the same continuous moorers that have been there over winter, the couple of “available” spaces already taken by actual passing trade. Not sure if the pub has decided to let some/all of the moorings on a permanent basis - their choice I guess but disappointing if so and limiting to trade especially as for some reason CRT have barricaded the towpath under the bridge so you can’t easily walk from the towpath side either, so a double whammy for minimising passing boater trade to the pub.

Will be great to have it open again, particularly if they can clear the constant-moorers from mooring outside and actually pick up the passing trade over the season and boater-regulars over the winter. We’ll pass by later in the week so will stop and report back if there is a space.

I couldn’t see any mention of the White Lion at Llynclys so thought it worth a mention now we can get to Crickheath on the Monty. It is about 20mins walk along the road from Crickheath winding hole (current limit of navigation) - initially a very quiet lane, then a quiet B road with pavement most of the way. The pub itself is obviously “refurbished” in the sense of inappropriate wallpaper and (un)funny amusing pictures, but still retains a sense of order. You can buy a pint at the bar and drink it with friendly-ish locals, and you can sit and eat really very good sensibly priced food. Good atmosphere. They had HPA and Butty Bach on hand pull, both from Wye Valley and both really good. The new section of the Monty from Gronwyn bridge was longer than I anticipated. For those with many chimneys and things, beware of the last few bridges, and particularly the wedged-not-quite-open swing bridge. gabble

So just to report back. Started in the Lord Combermere. Good menu and good food. Could have done without the sesame seeds on my pie, but food all good. Good range of real ale, I took the Timothy Taylors Landlord which was fine but had a bit of a co2 tang. All in all for somewhere proud to be a free house, it felt a bit generic gastro pub. Friendly and busy enough though. Then called in the Shroppie fly on the way back to the boat. Taylors Landlord again, so I had to have one to compare. Definitely better this time, less of the co2 tang. A couple of other ales on as well. Nice atmosphere. People drinking, chatting and having fun. No food available. Plenty of boats moored at the bottom of the locks and in the shroppie fly pound. gabble

Anyone with up to date knowledge of the current status of the Audlem pubs? Things seem to change almost monthly in Audlem. Looking for good food and real ale… gabble

Tollemache arms is generic food pub 10 minute walk along the road from top of Bunbury locks. Best moorings further along towards the next bridge though. Robinsons beers.

The Shady Oak by bridge 109 is open again and better than I ever remember it - food and beer.

Update from the Nantwich news

Excellent, many thanks

So the big question…. What does the sign on the gate say currently?

Nicknorman’s advice matches my experience. A marginal glowplug or resistance in the wiring can in turn make voltage marginal for starting. Take off the 2 wires on the glowplug (undo small nut), make sure you know which order it all goes back in, including insulating washer. Clean up the ring terminals on the end of the wires with fine sandpaper. May make enough difference, failing that new glowplug. Make sure the nut is properly tight afterwards. gabble

Both options are very special - personal favourites. And about as different from each other as you can get. Flip a coin, you won’t be disappointed. gabble

I have no experience of the Eberspacher, but on my ancient Mikuni diesel heater, if I had those symptoms (and I knew voltage on the batteries to be good) I’d be sticking a new glow plug in it. Lots of white smoke suggests unburned fuel collecting in places like the exhaust which then when it eventually fires it turns in burned fuel - hence all the smoke. If voltage is marginal, have you tried starting it with the engine running?

Me too. I enquired to Craftmaster last July and their response was “We are currently experiencing issues with supply and it is currently unavailable”. I guess they still are… I subsequently purchased this https://boatsheen.com/best-brazilian-carnauba-boat-wax/ which I have been pleased with, but probably any good Carnauba wax will be similar.

I have a similar lock. As Tony says there will be different keys so you’ll need one for your specific lock. According to 2 key cutting places I have tried it is a non-standard blank (and a very good quality lock). They have each managed to modify a standard blank to fit it, but these never feel as smooth as an original key. I did track down a source of blanks - but not cheap and you’d need this cutting to suit the lock. https://timage.co.uk/marine/key-blank-for-3476-3484-3797-3448-4062-locks.html gabble

My choice for first night would be just above Willeymoor lock. The pub there has great beer (sometimes even gluten free) and good gluten free menu choices which is approved by my daughter who is Coeliac. It is an old fashioned family run place and worth a look in. The Llangollen is one of those canals where there are plenty of good moorings even when busy (perhaps with the exception of some of the honeypot spots like Ellesmere). I’d encourage not planning too much, take each day as it comes and figure out where to go and stop based on the weather and energy levels. There are some great mooring spots to be found out in the countryside away from other boats. As others have said, the locks can end up with queues, especially Grindley Brook but that is all part of the experience. Llangollen itself is worth an explore if you have the time, one of the nicest places to moor in the town without really knowing you are moored in a town. Timings wise it is definitely the case that going ‘uphill’ is slower due to the flow. Really noticeable through bridges and narrow sections and especially the tunnels and aqueducts. Bear in mind those coming downhill will be moving faster and take longer to stop. Lots of rural country, so shopping can be a challenge. Ellesmere has a Tesco at the end of the arm which is very handy. Chirk has good shops, independent butchers etc. Other known good pubs for gluten free food include the Narrowboat Inn at Whittington (also a bit of a blast from the past but in a different way to the Willeymoor) and the Horse and Jockey at Grindley Brook which has an excellent gluten free menu.

The Willeymoor is a special place for me. Properly family owned and run, different generations on duty most nights and a nice atmosphere and cosy. All the eccentricities that go with that. Beer is generally excellent, multiple real ales well kept, more so in summer. Food is pub rather than gastro pub but fairly priced and welcomed after a day on the canal. There aren’t many places left like this.

It was a bit chaotic earlier in the year when we visited. We’d booked NWM1 but ended up straddling NWM2 as well as there was a (needless) floating boom thing adrift in the way. Tied it up as best we could. Any of the berths would have been fine. Nice audience at the hotel as we did a neat pirouette in the basin after leaving the lock. That was after waiting 45 minutes for a demonstration boat to vacate the lock it was moored in ahead of a lock demo. Pretty quiet all in all. A surprisingly peaceful mooring. The whole site seemed a bit unloved really, sunken boats, lack of maintenance. Bit of a shame. But nice to moor amongst the history. As previously mentioned there is a door out into the real world via a BWB key at the top level past the old cottages. If going out onto the ship canal, remember the swing bridge needs booking with the council. There is a (non obvious) water point on the side of the building at the top of the locks. The visitor centre seems happy enough for crewe to wander through with lock keys to get to the lock, no other way… gabble

Hi all, We’ll soon be heading along the Leigh Branch and up the Wigan locks onto the Leeds Liverpool. Interested to get mooring recommendations, particularly from anyone who has stayed at or around Dover Lock recently. I was thinking of stopping there and getting an early start through Poolstock and up to the Wigan locks, but wondered if it had deteriorated since the pub closed. Anywhere else nearby? Pehaps by Scotsman flash? Alternatively, at the wigan junction the consensus seems to be to go down at least one lock to moor. The pictures on google maps look a bit grim - recent first hand accounts? gabble

Have a look at https://www.venetianhireboats.co.uk/ - pretty much exactly what you are after. Really well maintained boats, just 3 operate from the base so well looked after. gabble