We turned right

Faced with the choice between turning left at Middlewich for the thrills of the Anderton boat lift or right for the heavy lockwheeling up the 31 locks of Heartbreak Hill, guess what - we turned right.
We decided that with other things coming up in our schedule it could only be a brief trip down the lift and onto the River Weaver. Also weighing on our minds was the fact that Star's engine has played up a bit this trip and we didn't want to find ourselves stuck down on a river with few facilities if something serious should happen.
And, to cap it all, we decided that some things are best left for tomorrow. After all we have got narrowboat Harry coming along back at base. We need to do some exploring in that.
So we set off southwards towards the climb up out of Cheshire on the Trent & Mersey. We've been down this way before but it's still a stretch of canal whose pleasures are easy to overlook. Once out of the remains of the great salt industry that gave the 'wiches' their names it becomes a deep, gently winding canal through affable scenery and the locks - at least to begin with - are just a pleasant interlude on cruising.
But then they speed up! We stopped for water at Wheelock whose moorings are a sort of base camp for those about to attack the climb, or those recovering from the descent. Since the moorings were full we pressed on for a lock or two. And ended up doing another ten.
Wde're now moored at Hassall Green with the nearby M6 a steady background hum. The "17th century haunted" Romping Donkey seemed a potential refreshment halt but when we got there we discovered only boarded up windows and doors. Yet another country pub bites the dust.
Tomorrow 16 more locks beckon plus, internet willing, a break for the German GP.