Mr B

Church View Primary Care Centre by M & S in Nantwich is home to the three doctors surgeries in Nantwich. Nantwich Health Centre Surgery and Tudor Surgery are on the first floor and Kiltearn Surgery on the top floor. There are no other surgeries in the town itself. Nantwich mooring could be busy this week because of the Nantwich Show.

Came down the flight this morning with MHS (OP). In the top lock at 7.30am and leaving the last Poolstock Lock at 12.30pm. One off each boat setting alternate locks. Kept going all the time other than to clear the prop in the junction pound, where the water level was low. In fact pounds were getting lower as we descended the last four or five locks on the flight. Not certain these locks are much more challenging than some others we have been through on our trip to Leeds and back, it’s just there are some many. Saw no CRT personnel today, although did see two with clipboards when we went up five weeks ago, one was measuring a lock with a tape. Let’s hope their notes turn actions. Barry

Hello MHS Have sent you a PM. Barry

Anyone know where you can leave a car overnight in the Johnson's Hillock Locks/Botany Bay area. My sister-in-law is on a short visit to the UK and is hoping to come and find us on the L & L. Barry

Found this on the C&RT stoppages - I wonder how long it will take? From Date: 19th March 2014 at 14:30 To Date: until further notice Type: Navigation Closure Reason: Repair Notice updates: 24/03/2014 @ 14:55 The Canal remains closed at this location Due to a blown cill, Repairs are underway. A further update will be issued 7th April 2014 Description: A stoppage to through navigation is required as an issue has been identified with the tailgate cill at Blackburn Lock 55. Our team is in the process of de-watering the affected section to carry out investigation works. An update will be issued on Monday 24 March 2014 We are planning to go to Leeds soon we thought the Wigan flight would be a problem! Mr B

A question What is the 'Padlock Key' that is required to operate. Bridge 1, Junction Bridge and Lock 1? (This is from the Navigation notes for the Rufford Branch on the Boaters Guide for the Leeds and Liverpool Canal) I have A BW key (Watermate Key) and the Handcuff Key. Do I need yet another Key? Barry

Tiller Girl, Thanks for the Goole maps directions. I can see exactly the place you suggest. I certainly looks wide enough even for my poor winding skills! Tacet, That appears to be the end of a slip way, and has a wide beam boat opposite is that correct? MrB

Thank you all for your replies. I have been looking on Google maps. It is quite difficult to identify any winding hole on the Rufford branch with any certainty. Can any of you give a more precise location say google earth co-ordinates for those near Tarleton. Cloudinspector, Would the winding hole you mention be by the moorings near Town End Swing Bridge and the industrial units? MrB.

Hi all, We are planning a trip up the Rufford Branch. Canalplan suggests that we can wind at one of several places, Tarleton boat yard, Bank bridge winding hole, Rufford Old Hall winding hole or Fettlers Wharf. The only place that can be seen from Google Earth is the Fettlers Wharf entrance! My copy of Nicholson's shows a winding hole after Bridge 7 near to Rufford Old Hall but none any further towards Tarleton. The Boaters Guide on Waterscape does not show any winding on the Rufford Branch The boat is 57ft long and I do not want to go onto the river to wind (no confidence to do that). Can any of you comfirm the Canalplan winding or the lack of winding as the Boaters Guide suggests. Thanks MrB

Your discussion makes interesting reading, particularly as you both know the locality. I think we have concluded it was a local name for a bridge, despite being named in the formal setting of an inquest. We’re obviously never going to know exactly where it was. You are quite right the only known facts are that he left No 8 Thwaites Arcade Blackburn to catch the 6.30pm train to Langho on 21st December and he was found dead in the canal 19 days later and no evidence of foul play. Today we have read another report about the inquest in a different newspaper which says he was found ‘about 400yds on the Rishton side of Facit Bridge, Rishton’, but I don’t think an ‘a’ or ‘e’ is going to make a great deal of difference! Not sure how well he would have known a route home, as research today implies he had only very recently moved to Langho from Lower Darwen, so he may even have been making his way back into Blackburn using the towpath as a guide. It was only about 3 days after new moon, so it would have been very dark. The weather wasn’t icy but it was windy. Thanks Marian

Thank you for all these replies. The link however was us researching in 2005. We are now revisiting this research to see if we can get any further. The ‘long shot’ was hoping some local canal person might have knowledge of Fecit Bridge. The list of bridges between 1843 and 1936 is very useful and adds further weight to our thought it is a local name. George ex nb Alton has given us hope we might still find which bridge it is. Think we will have to go to Rishton and find some local with historic knowledge. Many thanks, Marian

We know this is a real ‘long shot’ but does anyone know which bridge in or near Rishton is/was known as Fecit Bridge? The question has arisen during family research and our quest to find out exactly where my great grandfather’s body was found. He went missing on his way home from work 21st December 1922 and his body was found in the canal on 9th January 1923. The inquest report in the Blackburn Times states: ‘P.S. Tait said .... a body of a man had been seen in the canal about 100 yards from Fecit Bridge on the Rishton side’. Having looked at old and present day maps of the area a Fecit Bridge is not named, so just wondering if anyone knows of a canal bridge that is /was known as Fecit Bridge somewhere along the Rishton stretch of the canal. The bridge can only be between Church and the outskirts of Blackburn. Marian, Wife of Mr B

We have certainly made use of the advice given in response to our original post – thank you. We’ve made it to Marple and well beyond! Particularly want to thank Denise and Bill NB Indulgence and their friend Maisie, without their help we would not have got up the Rochdale 9. Yesterday we went from Piccadilly Village to the bottom of the Marple flight, 9 hours cruising. Amazingly only one boat came passed in the opposite direction and that was 10 minutes before we moored up for the night, where is everybody? Looking forward to getting home now. Marian & Barry

We just want to put on record how grateful we are to Claymoore Boats for all their help over the last week. We turned up at their base early last Wednesday morning just as the news of how bad the T&M breach was, was starting to filter through. Despite trying to sort their boats out on the cut they made us feel so welcome and without hesitation offered a mooring for our boat, so we could get home for a hospital appointment. Thank you Claymoore Boats. Marian and Barry

Thank you for your time and effort in giving such comprehensive answers.We now have far more knowledge about how to tackle this part of our journey, and what challenges we might face. With regard to the Rochdale 9 C&RT told us on Monday 'we will be endevouring to have an increased presence of volunteer lock keepers available on this stretch and our water controllers will be available to ensure water levels are optimum'. Will keep you posted! Marian & Barry