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# Narrowboat Kingley Vale

## Sitemaps

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## Posts

- [Storm Bram sweeps through](https://nbkv.co.uk/storm-bram-sweeps-through/) - Storm Bram has been making itself felt throughout the day. In fact it started last night with heavy rain drumming on the roof, and by this morning the wind had got up and we were being bashed about. We were due a visit from Mike Carter to do a BSS exam, and while we waited
- [A snap decision to head out](https://nbkv.co.uk/a-snap-decision-to-head-out/) - It was quite nice this morning, and we started the day with a few jobs — including getting a load of washing done, filling the water tank with our two hosepipes, and emptying the loo. Adrian also did some work in his charity role. Then we headed out for a walk, going down Middlewood Way
- [Avoiding the rain](https://nbkv.co.uk/avoiding-the-rain/) - It was dry first thing, so we decided to go for a walk while the going was good. We headed up the canal to Higher Poynton, passing a moss-covered half mile stone on the way, with a full size mile stone further on. At Higher Poynton, there were lots of police vehicles on the bridge,
- [Recording at Ellesmere Port](https://nbkv.co.uk/recording-at-ellesmere-port/) - This morning we drove over to the National Waterways Museum at Ellesmere Port, which is less than an hour from here mostly on the M56. I’d arranged to do some recordings for the Christmas edition of my podcast, The Water Road, which will be out on Friday. As we were there a bit early, we
- [A visit from Waterways World](https://nbkv.co.uk/a-visit-from-waterways-world/) - We were up and about in good time this morning, as we had a visit from Mark Langley from Waterways World, and needed to have a little tidy up. Mark arrived about 9, and we decided to go out for a little cruise straight away because the weather wasn’t too bad. There was still a
- [Something of a palaver to fill the water tank](https://nbkv.co.uk/something-of-a-palaver-to-fill-the-water-tank/) - When we arrived at this marina on Tuesday we didn’t realise the nearest water tap was so far away, but reversing into the berth turns out to have been a bad idea from that point of view (although a good idea in terms of an actual view, and the plugging in of electric). By this
- [Trip to Manchester](https://nbkv.co.uk/trip-to-manchester/) - Another sunny day, and as Adrian had a call to do in the morning I went for a walk down the Middlewood Way towards Bollington, then across a field to the canal and back up the towpath. After lunch, we got in the car and drove to Cheadle Hulme for a visit to John Lewis
- [Moving into our winter base](https://nbkv.co.uk/moving-into-our-winter-base/) - A much better day today, with plenty of sunshine and much less of a wind. First thing, Phil, one of the carpenters, came over to fit shelves in the cupboard in the engine room. He’d made them yesterday and had been waiting for the varnish to dry. It’s a cupboard for odds and ends, such
- [Tackling the snagging list](https://nbkv.co.uk/tackling-the-snagging-list/) - The rain and the wind today meant we were very glad we’d come all the way back to Higher Poynton yesterday, because it would not have been a very nice cruise to do in this weather. We went into the yard to see Jam and Donna with our snagging list. To be honest, it wasn’t
- [We have fledged the nest!](https://nbkv.co.uk/we-have-fledged-the-nest/) - We woke to another very frosty morning — but the canal wasn’t frozen and there were signs it was going to be a nice day, so we decided it was the day to leave the basin. Fortunately, we saw Donna before we left so we could warn her, although our departure still came as a
- [Sorry, we still haven’t gone anywhere!](https://nbkv.co.uk/sorry-we-still-havent-gone-anywhere/) - There was a tremendous amount of rain overnight, and it was really heavy at times. The forecast for today was pretty bad too. As we hadn’t unpacked the car yesterday evening, we did that first thing while the water tank filled. We found places for the final things, many of which headed for longer term
- [Now it’s Briar Rose’s turn to be handed over](https://nbkv.co.uk/now-its-briar-roses-turn-to-be-handed-over/) - Today we handed over our previous boat, Briar Rose, to her new owners — our good friends Helen and Andy Tidy. There’s a full report over on the BR blog. During our journey back north to Cheshire, we had a message from Donna and Braidbar saying that she and Jam, plus the owners of the
- [Adding touches to our new home](https://nbkv.co.uk/adding-touches-to-our-new-home/) - Much warmer today, but because of needing the car tomorrow for the Briar Rose handover, we still haven’t left the boat yard. However, we have been busy, doing things to make the boat more like home — including putting up pictures that we brought from our house. We’ve used Command Strips to fix all the
- [A very frosty morning](https://nbkv.co.uk/a-very-frosty-morning/) - We got on much better with the heating last night, and woke to an exceptionally frosty morning. The roof of the boat and the solar panels were very icy, and both the arm and the canal outside were frozen. We’d thought we’d head away from the yard for a couple of days, but the ice
- [Getting more stuff on board](https://nbkv.co.uk/getting-more-stuff-on-board/) - Today we needed to go back to Briar Rose to get another car load of stuff. It was very frosty first thing, with yesterday evenings rain all frozen in big blobs all over the boat. We left perhaps a bit later than planned, partly because we didn’t get up that early, and then we went
- [The long-awaited handover day](https://nbkv.co.uk/the-long-awaited-handover-day/) - Everyone seemed to think we’d be too excited to sleep, but in fact we slept really well at our hotel. This morning we had a hotel breakfast and then I went for a walk in the rain to get plenty of steps in early. We got to Braidbar at about 10.10 nd got our first
- [Out of the paint dock](https://nbkv.co.uk/out-of-the-paint-dock/) - Kingley Vale emerged from the paint dock yesterday, blinking into the Cheshire sunshine. Is she a green boat or a grey boat, do you think?
- [Finishing touches](https://nbkv.co.uk/finishing-touches/) - What will probably be the final set of photos from Braidbar have arrived, and things are really coming together. The dinette cushions and upholstery arrived today, and look great. The photos don’t really show how green the fabric is; even so, we’re thinking it might turn out to be even nice than what we’d originally
- [Nearly finished](https://nbkv.co.uk/nearly-finished/) - We made our latest visit to Braidbar today, but on the way we called in to Macclesfield to choose a new fabric for the dinette and blinds as the original choice is delayed. After a lot of discussion over the past few days, we settled on one that had been on our original shortlist. Once
- [Sign writing](https://nbkv.co.uk/sign-writing/) - Our sign writer, Andy Russell, has been at Braidbar for the past few days working on Kingley Vale. Last night he posted some photos on Facebook, so I thought I’d put them on here too. Needless to say, we’re delighted with how it all looks. We’d had quite a few discussion about the shading on
- [October Braidbar visit](https://nbkv.co.uk/october-braidbar-visit/) - We drove up to Braidbar this morning, to see the latest progress. The boat is in the paint shed, and is currently having several undercoats applied. We were able to talk to Johnny the painter about the colours of various bits of detail. I also had a look at the topcoats in the tins —
- [More progress](https://nbkv.co.uk/more-progress/) - A midweek photo update from Braidbar. In the galley, we now have appliances, including an oven, a fridge, a washer-dryer, and a little freezer. In the saloon, the tiles have been done behind the stove, and look great. We also have reading lights on the wall. In the shower room, there’s the start of a
- [In the paint dock](https://nbkv.co.uk/in-the-paint-dock/) - Hot on the heels of yesterday’s visit, a photo has arrived from Braidbar showing we’re now in the paint dock. This is really good news, because had there been no water issues we’d have been in a few weeks ago.
- [Floating again](https://nbkv.co.uk/floating-again-2/) - We have been up to Braidbar today, and the best news is that water levels on the Macc have improved and all boats are floating again. That means that all being well, Kingley Vale should be moved into the paint dock next week. Inside, there have been some big changes. The galley worktops have been
- [Floored](https://nbkv.co.uk/floored/) - The weekly photos from Braidbar have arrived, and one big change is that we now have a floor. The bit that’s visible is in a cupboard (and will soon be under an appliance), because the rest has already been covered up! In the galley, the worktops were templated this week so it won’t be long
- [Floating again](https://nbkv.co.uk/floating-again/) - More photos have arrived from Braidbar, and Kingley Vale has been pushed over into the middle of the arm, so is floating again — the only boat not at least partially on the bottom. This means it’s easier for work inside to continue. Inside, the electrics are coming on, and we now have the start
- [On the bottom](https://nbkv.co.uk/on-the-bottom/) - We made a visit to Braidbar today, unsure as to what we’d fine as the water levels on the Macclesfield Canal are way down. Our boat was sitting on the bottom at the stern, but not as grounded as the one in the paint dock, which is completely aground. It means that boat can’t come
- [Batteries installed](https://nbkv.co.uk/batteries-installed/) - More photos from Braidbar today, and the major development is that the battery bank has been installed. Normally the big battery bank for a Hybrid Marine system would go across the back of the boat, but while that works for a semi-trad it doesn’t work for a trad. And as we didn’t want to lose
- [We have an engine!](https://nbkv.co.uk/we-have-an-engine/) - We paid another visit to Braidbar today to see progress — and there’s been plenty. Perhaps the biggest change is that the engine room now has an engine in it. It’s a Beta 43, and you can see the Hybrid Marine electric motor on the far end. There’s also the framework around the engine which
- [Latest photos](https://nbkv.co.uk/latest-photos/) - We’ve had more photos through from Braidbar showing the build. Some were from last week and some today. The huge plastic trays which will hold our batteries have arrived, and been put under the bed. In the shower room, the basin unit has been built, and now even has a basin. And there’s a lined
- [July Braidbar visit](https://nbkv.co.uk/july-braidbar-visit/) - Another visit to Braidbar today to see how Kingley Vale is progressing, and make a few more decisions. The lining out with painted panels, shadow gap oak tongue and groove, and oak panels is pretty much complete, and there are some bulkheads going up. This is the cabin. The shower room now has a panel
- [Progress update](https://nbkv.co.uk/progress-update/) - It’s been a while since we last had photos from Braidbar because of holidays, but we’ve had some today and quite a lot has been done. All the first fix has happened, and lining out has been almost completed. We even have some bulkheads. And the water tank has been delivered today, and is currently
- [Lining out has started](https://nbkv.co.uk/lining-out-has-started/) - We were only up at Braidbar on Monday, but a lot seems to have happened since then. We’ve been sent the end-of-week photos, which show that we have ceilings, tongue and groove on the cabin sides at the back, and painted panels towards the bow. There’s also the start of tongue and groove on the
- [First fix wiring](https://nbkv.co.uk/first-fix-wiring/) - We drove up to Braidbar from Leicester today, for another visit. When we arrived, Kingley Vale was on one side of the arm, and we could see that we now have portholes and mushroom vents. The portholes are only fixed temporarily, as they’ll come out again when the boat goes into the paint dock. We
- [Insulated!](https://nbkv.co.uk/insulated/) - Photos have arrived from Braidbar. The spray foam insulation has been done, and the excess has been cut back to expose the battens again. The bit that isn’t spray foamed is the skin tanks at the stern, which help cool the engine. We know the cutting back is a really messy and pretty unpleasant job,
- [Braidbar progress visit](https://nbkv.co.uk/braidbar-progress-visit/) - We were up and out in the car in good time this morning, and driving up to Braidbar to see how work was getting on. The shell now has a floor and battens, and lots of holes have been cut for things such as vents, shoreline, sink waste, shower pump, and mushroom vents. The next
- [Fitout has begun](https://nbkv.co.uk/fitout-has-begun/) - It’s just over a week since Kingley Vale went in the water, and work has started on the fitout. This is the sort of thing we’ll never see again (hopefully!), so we’re grateful to Braidbar for sending photos. So far we have paving slab ballast and the battens are going in. What’s also nice is
- [Launch day](https://nbkv.co.uk/launch-day/) - What an exciting day today! We were up early and drove up to Braidbar Boats. Once we knew the shell was on its way from Tim Tyler’s yard, we went up to the North Cheshire Cruising Club, where she would be put in the water. The lane up to Braidbar isn’t big enough to get
- [The shell is finished](https://nbkv.co.uk/the-shell-is-finished/) - We’ve made another visit to Tim Tyler’s workshop, to see the finished Kingley Vale. Tim contacted us yesterday to say they’d be starting to paint the boat today, so if we wanted to see it in bare metal, this morning was the time to go. She looks fantastic! There is some fantastic detailing, such as
- [Visiting Kingley Vale in the metal](https://nbkv.co.uk/visiting-kingley-vale-in-the-metal/) - Today we drove up to Stoke-on-Trent to visit Tim Tyler’s workshop to see Kingley Vale. Quite a bit has happened since Tim sent the photos last week: the cabin is on and the roof is there; there’s a stem post, guard irons, and rubbing strakes. At the stern, there are cants, dollies, and the rudder
- [The steelwork has begun!](https://nbkv.co.uk/the-steelwork-has-begun/) - Tim Tyler has started building the shell of Kingley Vale, and has sent some photos showing the progress so far. It’s extraordinary how much work has been done in just a few days. We’ll be going up to Stoke next week to see the shell for ourselves.
- [Decisions made and still to come](https://nbkv.co.uk/decisions-made-and-still-to-come/) - This will be a text-heavy post, I’m afraid, as without a boat in existence there’s not much to take a photo of. But I thought it was worth noting some of the things we’ve already decided on. In some cases we’ve opted to go the same as our current boat, Briar Rose, and some are
- [Kingley Vale: The story so far](https://nbkv.co.uk/kingley-vale-the-story-so-far/) - Welcome to the Kingley Vale blog! Yes, we’re having a new boat, so there will be a new blog. This process actually began a long time go. We’ve been planning on having a new boat at some point for many years, and you really do need to start planning these things early. It was November
- [Lots of visitors and Macc’s first boat trip](https://nbkv.co.uk/lots-of-visitors-and-maccs-first-boat-trip/) - There was frost forming on the grass when I took Macc out at 5am, another new sensation for him. Later in the morning, my sister and my two nieces came to visit us. Well, they came to meet Macc really, although it was also their first time seeing the new boat. They have a new
- [More confident — and testing boundaries](https://nbkv.co.uk/more-confident-and-testing-boundaries/) - I took Macc out for his late night toilet break at about 11 last night, and he didn’t particularly want to go to bed. He went in his crate, I put the blanket over the top, and gradually turned the lights off. He whimpered for a little while but then settled. We were up at
- [Macc’s first night](https://nbkv.co.uk/maccs-first-night/) - Apologies that this is going to be more of a puppy blog than a boating one, at least for the next few days! Macc’s breeder told us yesterday that the puppies were sleeping through the night from about 11pm to 5am. So he went out for his late toilet break at gone 10.30 last night,
- [A new member of the family](https://nbkv.co.uk/a-new-member-of-the-family/) - Today we went to collect Macc, our new Border Terrier puppy. We’d driven down to Essex yesterday,min horrendous rain and spray, and stayed overnight in a hotel. We were at the breeder’s house at 9.30 — Macc was the first to leave the litter. Adrian did all the paperwork, then it was time for Macc
- [Chester, Arrowe Park, and Islay](https://nbkv.co.uk/chester-arrowe-park-and-islay/) - We went across to Chester today to see my dad, but the visit turned out slightly differently from what was planned. The main reason for going was because I have swapped his internet and phone provider, so needed to install a new router. But he’d hurt his hand last night and on changing the dressing
- [Getting sorted](https://nbkv.co.uk/getting-sorted/) - We got back to the bot last night after our holiday, so today we had a list of things to do — most importantly going to Tesco to get food as the cupboards and fridge were bare. We’ve also done washing and filled the water tank, and I’ve managed to get a rather wet walk
- [Back home](https://nbkv.co.uk/back-home/) - After a couple of weeks away in Canada, we are back home on the boat. It was great to be able to monitor everything while we were away, and to get the boat warmed up remotely too. And being only 20 minutes drive from Manchester Airport helped too!
- [Crumpets and packing](https://nbkv.co.uk/crumpets-and-packing/) - We headed out this morning to drop something off at Braidbar, going up Middlewood Way and back via the towpath. But when we got to Bridge 16 we decided to divert over the bridge and up the hill, then along the track and the road to Pott Shrigley. There’s a cafe in an unusual building
- [Getting things done](https://nbkv.co.uk/getting-things-done/) - Another dreary and rainy day, but it is January so what do we expect? This morning we walked up to Braidbar so I could record an interview with Jam for a podcast episode. Adrian caught up with Donna while I was doing that. On the way there we saw a few boats on the move,
- [Quarry Bank Mill](https://nbkv.co.uk/quarry-bank-mill/) - Another dreary and drizzly day, so we thought we’d go out for the morning. Some of our local National Trust places are closed for winter cleaning etc, but Quarry Bank Mill was open, so we decided to go there; it’s about 20 minutes drive away. We arrived a bit before the visitor reception was open,
- [Walking back from Poynton](https://nbkv.co.uk/walking-back-from-poynton/) - Adrian had a few things to do in Poynton this morning, including getting a haircut, so I went down with him in the car so I could walk back — really just for a change of scenery. Poynton has a nice town centre with plenty of shops and cafes, but the main street, Park Lane,
- [Quiet day](https://nbkv.co.uk/quiet-day/) - It rained an awful lot overnight and today was just grey and dull. We started with chores, putting some washing on and filling the water tank. The little tool we bought at the weekend for opening the filler cap works really well and is more attractive than the red plastic thing we had before. While
- [Puppy prep](https://nbkv.co.uk/puppy-prep/) - A grey and overcast day today, and we needed to go and do a food shop. Just along from Tesco at Handforth Dean is a Pets at Home, so we went to buy a few things including items we need for the long journey from Essex to the boat in a month’s time. This is
- [Meeting Macc — and a look round Heybridge Basin](https://nbkv.co.uk/meeting-macc-and-a-look-round-heybridge-basin/) - After breakfast in our hotel room we drove from Cambridge down to the Essex coast, where we had an appointment to see a litter of puppies so we could choose one. We were deliberately early so we could have a look at a waterway we’ll never get to — the Chelmer and Blackwater Navigation which
- [Back to the marina, then off to Cambridge](https://nbkv.co.uk/back-to-the-marina-then-off-to-cambridge/) - We set off after breakfast to do the mile back to the marina, in nice sunny conditions with very little breeze which makes getting into our space a bit easier. Once secured and plugged in, we packed a bag, got in the car, and headed south towards Cambridge. We broke the journey at Mercia Marina
- [Turning around and filling up](https://nbkv.co.uk/turning-around-and-filling-up/) - It was really nice waking up and not being in a marina! After breakfast I went back to Braidbar as the problem of the not-getting-very-hot radiator had moved to the saloon. We were clearly chasing an air pocket round the system, but it hadn’t yet made its way to the header tank. Jam came to
- [Temporary escape from the marina](https://nbkv.co.uk/temporary-escape-from-the-marina/) - Adrian had an appointment in Macclesfield fairly early this morning, so was up and out by 8.30. I changed the bed and got the bedding on to wash and dry, and then headed out for a walk. En route, Adrian called to say it had gone well, and meant he could cancel another appointment tomorrow.
- [Tea in Bollington](https://nbkv.co.uk/tea-in-bollington/) - Another day when it didn’t rain nearly as much as was forecast. We set out for our walk this morning while it was dry and headed south on Middlewood Way. When we got to the bridge which links to canal Bridge 25 we decided we might as well carry on to Bollington and have some
- [Thawing, and a dash to Chester](https://nbkv.co.uk/thawing-and-a-dash-to-chester/) - Much less cold today, and as the weather was better than expected we headed out for a walk first. We went up Middlewood Way to Higher Poynton, and then out onto the towpath. While some of the ice had melted there was still some left and along at the winding hole a couple of geese
- [A change in the weather](https://nbkv.co.uk/a-change-in-the-weather/) - Yesterday was beautiful with frost and sunshine; today has been wet and windy. First task of the day was a trip to Tesco because the fridge was empty and we had no veg of any description left! We went early(ish) to try to beat the crowds. When we got back, Adrian unpacked the bags while
- [Frosty](https://nbkv.co.uk/frosty/) - A very heavy frost this morning, covering everything in white and freezing the bits of marina which had melted. It meant the boat was crunching in the ice again. But it was a lovely sunny day, so I thought I’d head uphill for my walk, because all the muddy fields would likely be frozen solid.
- [Missing the storm](https://nbkv.co.uk/missing-the-storm/) - We’re too far north to have experienced the worst of Storm Goretti. Even so, when I looked outside before I went to bed last night, I was surprised to see a covering of snow; but it turned to rain during the night, and by this morning most of it had washed away — or been
- [Beating the weather](https://nbkv.co.uk/beating-the-weather/) - Today’s weather forecast wasn’t good, so as it wasn’t raining this morning I thought I’d get my walk and my steps done first. I didn’t have a plan of where to go but fancied somewhere a little different. I headed north on the towpath, and when I got to the aqueduct I went down the
- [Topping up](https://nbkv.co.uk/topping-up/) - There was a lot of rain overnight, so by this morning all the snow had been washed away. Although parts of the marina and the canal also looked clear, lots of it still had ice under the water — as demonstrated by the duck above, who is not in fact walking on water. Adrian has
- [A bit of a thaw](https://nbkv.co.uk/a-bit-of-a-thaw/) - There had been another covering of snow overnight, but it didn’t seem so cold. We had a meeting at Braidbar to catch up on a few things and highlight a couple more snagging items that have come to light — nothing big, but things we want to get sorted. So we walked there via Middlewood
- [Proper snow](https://nbkv.co.uk/proper-snow/) - It snowed on and off yesterday evening and was very cold again, so by this morning everything looked very pretty. The ice on the marina had a layer of snow over it. Adrian had some work to do so I headed out for a walk. The frozen and snowy canal also looked lovely in the
- [A cold but sunny walk](https://nbkv.co.uk/a-cold-but-sunny-walk/) - We timed our walk right today, because although it was very cold it was beautifully bright; just after we got back it snowed. We followed the lane the marina is on up the hill away from the canal, then crossed a field onto a farm track via a protected stile. There’s a rather nice farm
- [Dunham Massey lights](https://nbkv.co.uk/dunham-massey-lights/) - There was a very hard frost this morning, which froze the marina and meant there was a crunching noise as we moved about the boat. The main boat job for the day was to get some diesel. I did two trips with the jerry can, so added 40 litres to the tank. This afternoon, we
- [We’ve had snow!](https://nbkv.co.uk/weve-had-snow/) - Well, it was a kind of snow. More like ice crystals or hailstones really — similar to polystyrene balls! And it was only a dusting. The big job of the day was a trip to Tesco for a decent stock up. The store was the quietest we’ve seen it, which was good. When we got
- [New Year’s Day](https://nbkv.co.uk/new-years-day/) - Happy New Year! We did manage to stay awake until midnight, and there seemed to be lots of fireworks around. Then it rained overnight, which meant it wasn’t frosty this morning. We went out for a walk after breakfast, to get our steps done while it was clear. We walked down the towpath to Bridge
- [Back after a few days away](https://nbkv.co.uk/back-after-a-few-days-away/) - We’ve been down south seeing Adrian’s family for a few days, which has been lovely. We stayed with his aunt and uncle in Kent, and saw his cousin and her family. One of the cats likes to get as close as possible to your face. Then yesterday we stopped off at Helen and Andy’s for
- [A figure of eight walk](https://nbkv.co.uk/a-figure-of-eight-walk/) - Another nice sunny day, but still cold. Adrian had a hair cut booked in town, so while he went off to Poynton I started filling the water tank. We were down to just below a third full, and it took over an hour to fill. I also changed the bedding. After lunch we went for
- [Boxing Day](https://nbkv.co.uk/boxing-day/) - With nothing particularly planned for today we were in no rush to get up, but once we did we got some washing on and went for a walk while the dryer did its thing. We went north on Middlewood Way, where there had been a frost. We walked to beyond Higher Poynton and took the
- [Family Christmas in Chester](https://nbkv.co.uk/family-christmas-in-chester/) - Well two families really. My sister and her best friend both have elderly relatives, including our father and my brother-in-law’s mother, so for the past couple of years they’ve done Christmas is their church hall. Anyone who hasn’t got anywhere else to go is also welcome, and as we were fairly nearby this year, we
- [Merry Christmas](https://nbkv.co.uk/merry-christmas/)
- [Christmas Eve Eve](https://nbkv.co.uk/christmas-eve-eve/) - First job of the day was to try to tie us more securely to the jetty here in the marina. It’s only about half the length of the boat so we’re having to use the centre line, and since our neighbours have been out, our stern has been drifting well away from the side. I
- [Christmas Eve at Lyme Park](https://nbkv.co.uk/christmas-eve-at-lyme-park/) - A nice bright Christmas Eve, so we headed out in good time and drove to Lyme Park, the National Trust property. Given that it’s so close to here, it’s surprising that it’s about a half hour drive — but you have to go a long way round to the entrance. We parked and headed up
- [Buxton by train](https://nbkv.co.uk/buxton-by-train/) - As the weather was better than expected, we decided to take a trip to Buxton. We walked up the Middlewood Way to Middlewood Station; it’s about 40 minutes walk. From there the train takes about half an hour to get to Buxton, passing sections of the Peak Forest Canal at Furness Vale and Whaley Bridge.
- [Busy doing not much](https://nbkv.co.uk/busy-doing-not-much/) - Another dry day, and in fact the forecast for the next few days has improved too. With nothing particular to do we didn’t get up very early, but by mid morning needed to get out for a walk. We headed down Middlewood Way, meeting some Christmassy horses on the way. We walked as far as
- [Bollington again, but this time on foot](https://nbkv.co.uk/bollington-again-but-this-time-on-foot/) - Adrian had a couple of appointments in Macclesfield today and the first one was likely to take up most of the morning. As it was a lovely day, I decided I’d walk to Bollington to take sunny photos for a potential magazine article. We set off at similar times, Adrian in the car and me
- [Into the marina again](https://nbkv.co.uk/into-the-marina-again/) - A much nicer day today, which made a change after two days of rain. We set off a bit before 10, and travelled on electric propulsion as we knew we’d soon be plugging into the mains. We got several more comments about the quietness! It’s fairly slow going because there are quite a few moored
- [Back to Bollington](https://nbkv.co.uk/back-to-bollington/) - The mooring in Macclesfield was fine. Last night it rained heavily and blew a gale again, so much so that we had to keep turning up the tv because it was being drowned out by the noise of the rain on the roof. This morning, though, it was calm and dry so we thought we
- [Red sky in the morning means getting rained on](https://nbkv.co.uk/red-sky-in-the-morning-means-getting-rained-on/) - When I took the shower room porthole bung out this morning there was a strange pink glow outside, so I had to see what was going on through a non-frosted window. From the galley I could see the sky was bright red. Red sky in the morning is a shepherd’s warning — and the forecasts
- [Up to White Nancy, then on through Macclesfield](https://nbkv.co.uk/up-to-white-nancy-then-on-through-macclesfield/) - A much better day today, although it would have been difficult to be worse! After breakfast we headed out to walk up the hill to White Nancy, a folly on the top of Kerridge Hill which was built in 1817 to commemorate the Battle of Waterloo. We went along the towpath to the next bridge,
- [Exploring Bollington in the rain](https://nbkv.co.uk/exploring-bollington-in-the-rain/) - As forecast, the rain started in the early hours and hasn’t really stopped all day. Some of the rain gauges in the area show from 27mm to 37mm in the past 24 hours. Looking out of the porthole this morning it was difficult to tell which side was the canal and which was the towpath.
- [New waters to Bollington](https://nbkv.co.uk/new-waters-to-bollington/) - Not a very nice day weather wise, but by the time we set off at about 10 it had stopped raining and we managed to do most of the journey in the dry. There was a strong gusty wind though, with was a bit unpleasant. The first part of canal we did the other day
- [Another familiar mile](https://nbkv.co.uk/another-familiar-mile/) - With Adrian away, I had a bit of single-handing to do this morning. First stop was The Trading Post for diesel, a distance of one tiny day boat! We filled the tank, and the gauge seems to have been pretty accurate, with 107 litres taken on. The next short hop was to the water point,
- [Return to Higher Poynton](https://nbkv.co.uk/return-to-higher-poynton/) - The rain started sometime over night and was quite heavy at times this morning. By the time we were ready to set off it was little more than drizzle, but fairly gloomy with it. We untied (which meant kneeling down to get the hooks out of the piling) and turned under the junction bridge; one
- [A little trip to Marple](https://nbkv.co.uk/a-little-trip-to-marple/) - It was forecast to be a nice day today, so we’d already decided we’d take a trip to Marple. We set off about 9.15 and while it was sunny there was still quite a chilly wind. We started off an electric propulsion while we went past all the moored boats, then changed to diesel in
- [Our first lunch guests on board](https://nbkv.co.uk/our-first-lunch-guests-on-board/) - A much nicer day today with even a bit of sunshine! First thing, we walked down Middlewood Way back to Lyme View, so that we could collect a parcel that had been delivered just after we left on Monday. It was a clock that’s now been put up on the bulkhead by the front doors.

## Pages

- [About us](https://nbkv.co.uk/about-us/) - We had our first boating holiday in the late 90s, on a plastic boat on the Thames. Oxford Tobago was steered with a wheel, from a position at the front of the boat. It also had a large sunroof which slid back. However, we quickly realised we'd rather have been on a narrowboat, so our
- [Podcast](https://nbkv.co.uk/podcast/) - Have a listen to our podcast, produced as we travel the canals and rivers of England and Wales. The Water Road is available on major platforms including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Amazon Music. It’s also on Audible, Deezer, and smaller platforms such as Pocket Casts, OverCast, Castro, GoodPods, and PodChaser. Please follow or subscribe, so
- [Blog roll](https://nbkv.co.uk/blog-roll/)
- [Contact](https://nbkv.co.uk/contact/)

## Categories

- [Uncategorized](https://nbkv.co.uk/category/uncategorized/)
- [Build](https://nbkv.co.uk/category/build/)
- [Travel](https://nbkv.co.uk/category/travel/)

## Tags

- [Higher Poynton](https://nbkv.co.uk/tag/higher-poynton/)
- [Lyme View](https://nbkv.co.uk/tag/lyme-view/)
- [Marple](https://nbkv.co.uk/tag/marple/)
- [Bollington](https://nbkv.co.uk/tag/bollington/)
- [Gurnett Aqueduct](https://nbkv.co.uk/tag/gurnett-aqueduct/)
- [Macclesfield](https://nbkv.co.uk/tag/macclesfield/)