Escape to the Country.

There were eight boats leaving Liverpool this morning and predictably there were some who were ready for the off at 0700. We left the berth at 0850 to get to the lock and still had to wait to get into the first lock. It was quite cool this morning.

As we were waiting for the lock we were by these engravings in the dock side. It seems that there is plenty of water below us, 25 ft, and we are 2 ft 6 inches.

We were locking up with 'Simply Bliss Two' and had a good chat as we went up. Once through the two locks and clear of the Pier Head area we passed through the West Waterloo Dock and could see the Waterloo Dock Warehouse. It was built in 1868 as a grain warehouse and was the first to use mechanical equipment to move it about. This happened at the same time that the rectangular dock was split into East and West Dock. There were other warehouses but this is the only one that was saved and has been converted to flats. Waterloo Docks closed in 1988.

Waterloo Dock Grain Warehouse. (Middle building).

The Dock has been partly filled in a little further through Trafalgar Dock and a channel just wide enough maintained for the canal link. The rough fill seemed to have plovers and oyster catches nesting on it.

Oyster Catches on the filled in Trafalgar Dock Cutting.

Stanley Dock Bascule Bridge. To raise it the counter balance was filled with water until it lifted. We fit under with no trouble. The Tobacco Warehouse is just to the right. 

Great Howard Street Bridge. This is where the wide open spaces of the dock complex are exchanged for the narrow confines of the canal system. It almost looks like a mouse hole into the dock wall. It also seemed to provide a  jet effect for the wind and it stayed with us until we got to the top of the locks and turned on to the canal proper.

Under Great Howard Street Bridge waiting at the first of the four locks.

This is just part of a very long brick built wall with regular doorways in it. They are all bricked up now and what ever was behind the wall was been demolished and a modern light industrial estate has been built. I wonder what need such access to the canal. They don't seem ideal size doorways for transfer of goods but I suppose that they would have taken wheel barrows. I will do a bit of digging and see if I can fine out what was there  previously.

Not a very good photograph of a coot standing on one leg. I have always wondered why water birds seem to be happy in the water, even when it is freezing cold! How ever many of them seem to stand on one leg when out of the water! This must mean that they are trying to keep one of them warm. Is this because when exposed to the air the wet feet cool down quickly with a breeze? Answers on a postcard please.