Back to Bunbury.

We were getting ready to leave when another boat passed us. As there are several locks today it was good that we had another boat to share with otherwise it would have been hard work. We shared the locks with 'Sundancer' and we had a good chat on the boat and ashore so the time passed amiably.

As we approached Beeston Locks I saw the WWII oil storage tank area again and this time also saw the herd of deer that live there. They are captive breed I understand and the stag seemed to have  a many pointed set of antlers.

Deer on the Beeston Oil Storage tanks. I expect that the concrete wartime structure will be for the vent for the tank below.

In a previous blog I speculated as to what they were doing with them and on passing this time could see that they appear to be breaking up, at least some of the tanks as can be seen in the photograph.

Oil storage tank at Beeston having being exposed appears to have been broken up for scrap.

Just after the Oil Storage Tanks are the Beeston Locks. The first is a normal brick/stone lock but the second is a cast iron one. This was because of the sandy soil causing the original lock walls to fail. There is a warning at the lock stating that it is advised to have one boat only in the lock as the iron walls of the lock have bowed over the years and boats can get jammed in them. This causes a bottle neck as all the others can get two boats in. It wasn't helped with a hire boat looking like it was waiting to lock down as it was on the landing area, but was actually be cleaned!

Beeston Iron Lock showing the plates that were designed by Thomas Telford and similar to his Llangollen Canal Pontcysyllte aqueduct.

A little further on is the Wild Boar Hotel in the distance. This looks like a very old building but it appears that it was built by a John Taylor in 1886. He was a timber merchant from Warrington. Interestingly John and his brother Robert carried out the first recorded walk of Lands End to John O'Groats in 1871. It took the nine weeeks. There have been wings added on to the main building, especially when a Mrs Gadd bought to building to convert it to a 150 place girls school. It now has a first class restaurant and luxury accommodation.

Wild Boar Hotel, Beeston.

After Beeston Locks is Tilstone Lock and then the two lock staircase at the Anglo Welsh base. There were fewer boats tied up this time passing so the hire season must have picked up now. On the north face of the old stable block, see previous blog, there is a big ghost sign. These are old hand painted signs on buildings that have been left despite them now being redundant. This ghost sign was obviously painted once the Shropshire Union Canal Company had amalgamated with the rail company. The railway is close to the staircase lock so this may have been a transhipment point between the two forms of transport.

Ghost sign on the Stable Block gable, Bunbury.

Last night I bottled the Cheery Brandy that had been sitting for about ten days. I stoned the black cherries and was loath to throw them away. I had bought some chocolate and decided to sandwich some of them between it as the cherries will be like liqueur cherries. 

Back row, left to right; red currant jelly, blackcurrant vinegar, cherry brandy, elder flower cordial.

Middle row, left to right; cherry and apple jam, cherry brandy, cherry and apple jam, red currant jelly.

Cherry liqueur chocolate bar.