Middlewich + planning

Sunday 17 January 5 miles 
Jane, Tracey , Donna + Hilary

Snow had fallen over night, but it was beginning to melt at 9am. The pavements were wet and snowy but fortunately not too slippy. 

We met together at the junction of Eaton Drive and Hayhurst Avenue. We started on the Middlewich Branch of the Shropshire Union Canal and stayed on the canal towpath for most of the walk. We went under Booth Lane joining the Trent and Mersey Canal. It was still a bit snowy under foot and we were a bit careful going down the cobbles by the locks.  Continuing along past the Big Lock we left the path at the dump walking along the rivers Dane and Wheelock. The water was running quite fast but seemed to have gone down a little from earlier in the week when the River Wheelock was almost as high as the path off the Chester Road by the bridge.

On Coalpit Lane there was the usual puddle in the dip. There was not too much traffic along this road stretch. We went back on the canal towpath, and walked around to the Big Lock, we did repeat our steps through this section.

Having arrived at the Big Lock at about 11.45 we had to sit and wait as the pub didn't open until 12. There was a nice warm welcome as the fire was roaring away.
We all had a small roast dinner at the pub then we did our planning meeting.