One boat had passed a good while ago and another had gone up the peak forest. Another boat was a bit miffed as they were just getting ready when we passed. As it happened all the locks were the wrong way anyway.
Just waiting for the top lock to fill.
Posset Bridge at Lock 4 has the towpath tunnel for the horse and one for the boatman to get back on the boat.
Helen exiting the Posset Bridge, Lock 4 on the Marple flight. It is said that it was called Posset Bridge as Samuel Oldknow, one of the main promoters of the Peak Forest Canal, offered the navvies a posset of ale each if they filled it on time, and they did.
Helen entering Lock 9 with Samual Oldknow's Warehouse
After the first lock Helen took over the driving and I did the lock wheeling.
At the bottom lock. We left our mooring at 0930 and arrived at the bottom of 16 locks at 1155, a very good 2 hr 25 mins. That is with only one boat coming up and only a couple of the locks were full.
Marple rail viaduct is a hundred feet high and was completed in 1800. It still looks as good as new and is very busy with commuter trains.
Next to the viaduct is the canal aqueduct with no barrier on the off side. Not quite like the Llangollen but quite lovely in its own right. Pearson's Canal Guide intimates that boatmen were in the habit of burying their dead horses at the foot of the aqueduct to save them having to carry them far! The trees certainly seem to have grown to a good size.
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