Ellesmere Port......

......and back!

Yesterday we cast off for the final short cruise to take us into Ellesmere Port, I was looking forward to this destination and at about 3½ miles we would do it in just under an hour, I lead off again along the wide open stretch past the water works and oil storage depot, not really worthy of a picture but at least the weather was dry if a little chilly so cruising was quite pleasant.

The second half of the trip we were joined by the busy noisy M53 which runs alongside the canal, passing over it twice as you approach Ellesmere Port.

Under the M53 once.

A little bit of canal side decoration just prior to arrival before passing beneath the motorway again.

And under the M53 for a second time.

 Arriving and looking for a mooring I was disappointed, there was space for one boat on what was described as a water point/visitor to the museum, signage was sparse and limited! I pulled in and Rod brested temporarily alongside me while we decided what to do, fortunately the boat taking up the other visitor mooring came along and said he was leaving, so after he had gone I reversed us back around a carcass of a plastic cruiser and into the now free berth.

Yesterday’s mooring:

 Once we had sorted ourselves out we went to look around, for £9:75 you could visit the National Waterways Museum, not my thing but great for those interested in canal history etc, this also allowed access through two locks and down into the lower basin, I’m not sure if there was an additional mooring charge because in the event we decided to stay where we were.

National Waterways Museum

We had a look around at the lower basin and the Manchester Ship Canal with the River Mersey beyond it, access to walk along was again very limited, anyway here are a few pictures.

Manchester Ship Canal

Lower Basin with Hotel on left.

Large swing bridge which gave access to the hotel by car, it would also give
access to boats wishing to go on to the Ship canal, 24 hours notice and other
requirements including a £200 fee meant I would not be braving this waterway.

A couple of large ships which appeared not to have moved in some time.

Lower basin with moorings for visitors, it did not appeal to me being
 surrounded by large blocks of flats and the hotel. 

Telfords light house, again access was not possible I took this picture through
the bars of a large padlocked pair of iron gates.

The Manchester Ship canal with the river Mersey beyond.

Having looked around I was left feeling it could have been made a whole lot more welcoming for visiting boaters, understandably few venture along this final section from Chester to Ellesmere Port, if ‘they’ want more visitors they need to improve signage, facilities and moorings, I was happy to agree with Rod that we just stay the one night.

This morning we tried again to walk along the Manchester Ship Canal in the other direction, but it just seemed like you couldn’t, maybe if we’d been in a car we might have found access further along but we gave up and around 12 o’clock we winded (turned around) and headed back to the village of Stoak and our previous mooring, where I feel much more content.

Passing beneath the M53 on our way back to a rural mooring.

Totals this post : 7 Miles