Shropshire Union Canal:Audlem Top Lock

Raining this morning and still cold.   About 2-1/2 hours motoring to the top of Tyrley with scarcely sight of any other boats moving until we started down the flight. However we did have sight of kingfishers - a pair - in the cutting before.   One was just keeping pace with the front of the boat zipping from perch to perch and them suddenly a quick dart to the water and the bird had a fish which he immediately took back to the nest way back.  On the flight, all went to plan for the first 3 locks, then an upcoming boater had the last but one lock set against us while yet still only just in the bottom lock and slow with it.    This then held up a boat coming down behind us.   All unnecessary as we could easily have passed in the pound below.    Tyrley Locks seem to be mostly in a rock cutting which continues as a cutting well beyond the bottom lock.    I was contemplating why our forefathers had deemed it necessary rather than start the locks further back and not have to dig som much out.   Then we came to the high embankment before Market Drayton and the penny dropped.    They must have worked out how much spoil they needed for the embankment.   The rock would no doubt also have been used to good purpose.    We stopped in Market Drayton opposite Talbot Wharf for some last minute shopping.  Then on to the top of Audlem flight.   We came upon it rather suddenly in a shallow cutting overshadowed by trees but otherwise allmost deserted.  Pizza night!