A Visit with Keith and Molly.

Tuesday 10th June, 2014 at Scholar Green
At 4:00am, as M had predicted, the dawn chorus was fabulous. The embankment on which we were moored crosses a deeply wooded valley on both sides, with big mature trees all around. It was also a beautiful sunny morning, and M put our shoes outside to dry, stuffed with newspaper, as they were still wet from yesterday's walk.

We have friends who live here in Congleton. We became friendly with Keith and Molly as, like us, they are "regulars" at Christine's "Hope Farm" in the Lake District. They came to visit us on MM last year as we passed by Congleton, but we have never been to their house. M was especially interested in seeing their garden, as we know they are keen gardeners.
We walked the half mile down the towpath to Congleton Railway Station where they were waiting for us in their car. They were looking very smart, as usual, so we were glad that we had made an effort to put on "proper" clothes - mind you, it felt a bit strange after our normal slightly scruffy boating attire!

It was lovely to see them and their garden was quite stunning. All credit to them for having created it from scratch (although they have been there for fifty years). Every way you walked it had different aspects, always fascinating and an endless variety of plantings.

M was in her element discussing not only all the plants but where they had come from and how they had been nurtured.
We noticed that from the front of their house you could see the "Cloud" in the distance (just to the left of the telegraph pole in the centre of the photo) - how different the weather was today!

We had coffee in their lovely home before going out to lunch at a pub called the "Legs of Man". It was one of six coaching inns built by the Isle of Man Steamship company in the 19th century on the road from London to Liverpool. Each coaching house was called the Legs of Man and enabled passengers to rest, drink and eat on their long journey to the Isle of Man.

On the way back to Congleton, we stopped off at the celebrated half-timbered Little Moreton Hall, dating from 15th century. Mr Pearson's Guide Book describes it as "Top heavy, with leaning walls and sagging roofs, it seems like some vast, unstable doll's house".

It is closed on Tuesdays, but we were able to view the outside from the grounds. It really is remarkable and we will make a point of visiting it when it is open as we pass again next year on our way up north.
We said cheerio to Keith and Molly at the railway station, promising to see them again as we are passing, or perhaps at Hope Farm. We set off down the towpath; about halfway the heavens opened and there was a very heavy thunder shower. Luckily bridge 73 came to our rescue and we sheltered under it until the rain passed; happily chatting to some locals, who were doing the same.
R wanted to push on a bit further this afternoon, so we set off again once we were back on MM and photographed Bridge 73 as we passed under it.

We'd planned to go as far as the chain swing Bridge No. 90, but found such an enticing mooring by bridge 86 that we immediately stopped. It was deep in the countryside with lovely views and just a few cows for company.

No sound but birdsong and the odd "moo" from our neighbours.
Another lovely sunset and cloudscape made the evening complete. A super day all round!

Today: 4 miles, 0 locks and 1.6 hours.
Trip: 81 miles, 40 locks and 51.5 hours.