It’s a sunny and warm day today. We continued along the Bridgewater Canal, and stopped off at a chandlery to pick up some odds and ends: paint to match the blue color of the hull so we can touch up some of the scrapes, a new shorter chimney to replace the one that viciously attempted to dismantle a bridge the other day. We passed an old style narrowboat. A whole family would sleep, eat, cook, and live in the tiny cabin at the back so the rest of the boat could be used for cargo.

The kids would be expected to help manage the boat, either leading the horse or going ahead to get the lock gates set.

Cows.

We’ve taken a detour off the main line of the canal, up the Runcorn branch, and are moored up by the grounds of Norton Priory, which we plan to visit tomorrow. The canal is less used than the main branch, so in places weeds are growing on both sides.

This is the “Big Wood” at the priory. It’s actually quite small.