Wheelock.

On leaving Rhode Heath we were entering our first lock and I could hear squeaking. I looked around and found these delightful fluffy bundles snuggled up on the sheltered ledge of the disused duplicate lock. We managed to do the 14 locks to arrive down to moor at Wheelock.

  

This is the bottom lock of Malkins Bank, sometimes referred to by the old working boaters as ‘Heartbreak Hill’. Having moored on the straight stretch below the lock we put our feet up with a hot drink and heavy rain set in. How lucky was that?

Here we are at Wheelock and the facilities and information boards were good. Wouldn’t it be nice if only all villages were as boater friendly. There are two pubs, an Italian Restaurant  and useful little shop too, but without the Post Office that was once there.

The next day we walked up into Sandbach to get the address of the PO there so we could receive some post. On the way we saw this lovely old Leyland bus which was in very good nick.

While we were waiting we thought we would have a day out to Crewe where we picked up a few things in the market. This is the old Cheese Market, cheese must have been very popular in these parts judging by the size of the building! It is now an indoor market with a wide variety of stalls.