The Audlem Flight

 Friday 28th June 2024 in Audlem.

Our "peaceful mooring" was not so quiet overnight. Despite being in the middle of the countryside, where it is pitch black at night, the lights and sounds of the emergency services woke us up at 1:15am, along with the sound of voices and people running down the towpath with flashing torches.

The emergency vehicles were parked on the bridge, which you can just see in the distance in the photo below. Their powerful lights were shining all down the canal towards us. We never did find out what the emergency was and, by the time we left, all three boats behind us had already gone so there was no one to ask.

We love it when the cows come down to the water to drink and M loved the fact that the swan was watching her carefully.

The fifteen locks of the Audlem flight were ahead. MM almost vanished in the top lock - not because this is a downhill lock flight  but because the lock surrounds have not been mown and are heavily overgrown.

We have noticed all summer that locksides and towpaths have not been mown. If the locks are left like this they will rapidly deteriorate and will soon be invaded by brambles and trees, likewise the towpaths.We are not sure whether the lack of mowing is an environmental issue or whether it is down to funding cuts - the latter, we suspect.

No prizes for guessing the prevailing wind here!

Next to one of the locks, this gate beckoned you to follow the path through it - until you looked at the notice behind it!

The Audlem flight went extremely quickly, not least due to the great help from a "lock wheeler" from the boat coming down behind us, who kindly closed the gates as MM left each lock, which saved R having to close them himself. M went ahead and set each lock, almost all against us, so that the gates were open by the time that MM arrived.

We moored just below Lock 13, exactly where we moored for a week last year when our toilet broke.

We remembered the new tearoom, called "Number 11", in the middle of Audlem, and set off to find our reward for completing the flight in record time. Their cakes are amazing and HUGE!

The lovely lady owner remembered us from last year and gave us a warm welcome.

Audlem villagae is dominated by its imposing church, which sits in front of Audlem's own "Butter Cross", now a bus stop.

We will stay here until Sunday as we will not go into Overwater Marina until Monday and the marina is only two locks and two miles away.

Today: 2 miles, 13 locks and 2.3 hours.

Trip: 69 miles, 58 locks and 38.9 hours.