Here I am Rune
Distance 0.6 miles
Total 689 Locks 26 Tunnels
Running total mileage 1039.0 miles
Now I’m not sure that today’s tally of locks should be one
or three, I think I’ll go for number shown in the guide-book and go for three.
The confusion arises because it is a staircase of three locks but is in effect
just one lock down. It certainly was an impressive piece of engineering hewing
a canal through solid rock, as you pass through it is still possible to see the
tool marks on the walls of the canal, both in the lock and passing under
Chester city walls. However it is viewed it is still and impressive journey and
I can understand why Google Earth have got their ‘Street level’ camera to go
along the towpath. Since the towpath is now closed (and has been since 3rd
September) the attached photos show the only way that you can view this route
at the moment, by boat. As we passed through the locks there is a strange
optical illusion that isn’t really captured by the camera. In the centre lock
the towpaths on each side of the lock are sloped downhill so when you go into
the lock it gives the illusion that the front of the boat is raised and the
back of the boat is dropped. This can be a little unsettling when looking at
the boat in the lock and wondering why the back seems to be ‘down’, but iit is
all an illusion.
Tomorrow we intend to stay again in Chester and move on to
Ellesmere Port on Sunday.
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| The view from under the City Walls |
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| The triple Staircase |
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| A 'lost' optical illusion. (Look at the gunnels of RUNE where they are below the lockside towards the rear and above towards the front) |
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