Sunday: Aim today is to reach Harecastle and possibly make transit, but to guarantee passage we had to be there by 15:00 hours. Harecastle tunnels being long and single width is controlled by tunnel keepers who go off duty at this time of the year at 17:00hrs. To get there from Middlewich is 13 miles and 31 locks, most of the locks being between Wheelock and the summit with its junction with the Macclesfield Canal. From Wheelock, most of the locks are single twinned affairs, but we were saddened to see that so many of the pairs were now singled with the other either unserviceable or frankly derelict. Notwithstanding this, and delay from a single handed boater who we were able to pass with his help in a lock pair, and a fishing competition, 
we reached Harecastle tunnel north at 14:50 and were entering the tunnel at 15:10 for a 30 minute passage. My aim was to moor above the Stoke Top Lock somewhere and finding a pretty mooring after bridge 119 we stopped for the night.
Waiting at Harecastle Tunnel
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