Back to Chester.

It seemed to rain all night but when we got ready to leave it stopped and the trip back to Chester was carried out in dry weather. We only passed two moving boats today and only one moored boat not on a permanent mooring so it is a very quiet stretch of canal. Near to Ellesmere Port motorways cross the canal several times and run alongside it too. It was a relief to move away into the countryside. However the skyline is full of oil refinery chimneys and cracking towers for a lot longer.

Old and meets new. The original canal bridge next to the motorway crossing and a sculpture too.

As we were about half way, passing Stoak, I thought I heard the whistle on the kettle sounding. As Helen was inside doing the ironing I thought she had taken pity on me and made a cup of coffee. It kept going so I was then wondering what she was doing instead of turning it off. The noise changed and got louder and as I looked round I saw this very low aircraft coming past.

It is an Airbus A300-600 wide bodied jet! It's offical name is a Super Transporter  but is better known as a Beluga for obvious reasons. Airbus planes are made of components made in several countries and assembled in France. originally the parts were brought by ship and road and then by Boeing Aircraft. This was thought of as bad to use competitors planes so they designed there own to carry the parts, including fuselages too. The Airbus wings are fabricated in Boughton near Chester and the plane was obviously landing at Hawarden Airfield to pick up some more to transport to Toulouse.

We arrived back at Tower Wharf in Chester and found a berth opposite Taylor's Yard which seemed to be the last available. After lunch we went into the City to look round the Grosvenor Museum. On the way in we saw this doorway. It had two doors in the porch and was for use of sedan chairs so the occupant could dismount under cover. I had never seen one like it before.

Sedan House porch on Nuns Road, Chester.

Holderness moored at Tower Wharf opposite Taylor's Yard, Chester.

The Grosvenor Museum had a very good collection of Roman Artifacts and some very fine Silverware. Chester was an assay city for along time and the silver was beautiful. It also was linked with an old house that had been turned into a museum to with the rooms done up at various stages of history. Whilst we were in the museum it was raining but after a few hours when we had finished it wasn't so we managed to stay dry again.

The Old Rectory on St. Mary's Hill, Chester.

Chester is alone in having the two story shopping streets known as the rows. They originated in the 1200's but really developed in the Georgian era.

Helen is standing by Bonewaldersthorn's Tower at the NW corner of the City Walls. It overlooked the original wharf but when the river moved away the Water Tower was constructed out into the river and connected by a rampart so as to be able to protect the quay. Eventually the river continued moving away and left the Water Tower high and dry. The Water Tower can be seen in the background.