A pleasant day from our 48 hour mooring. Pat got her buttons and we visited the cheese shop and the bakers next door (in Northgate) in time to allow us a most satisfying lunch of crusty bread, Garstang Blue cheese with chutney and a cup of tea. Nothing like it. In the afternoon we did the wall walk. Not many places where you can do that. The Cathedral gardens have been developed with a family fun centre and falconry demonstrations from the cathedral falconer. Sheep were grazing on the lawn. Some of the roman remains are visible from the wall. I was interested as a boater in the weir gate on the river Dee.
It is supposed to be possible to have this opened at Spring tides to get access to the River from the tidal side, and hence from the canal via the Dee Locks. I know this has been done - Neil Arlidge (Tuesday Night Club) did it in nb Earnest, but it took a lot of organising. There is a push to try and get this regularised, perhaps even modernised with a proper lock, but no success as far as I know. Further on the wall runs above the race course - a good site to watch the races I suppose, and finally turning the corner over the railway and running alongside the rock cutting with the canal far below. There is a glimpse of the three lock staircase. Our moorings were quiet enough in the company of a hire boat and some continuous cruisers on the stretch between the ringroad bridge and the Lockkeeper pub. Gets a bit noisy at night.
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