39_Shebdon to Norbury Junction

Friday 15th March

We had arrived at Shebdon Aquaduct on Monday 11th March completely unaware that Storm Gareth was on its way. The wind picked up that evening and Pat checked all of the ropes and attached a springer to the bow. Here we were trapped until Friday, however on Thursday, still too windy to cruise we decided to take the car down to Norbury Junction and we trudged back the 3.5 miles in the wind.  

So Friday dawned cloudy, overcast but remains cold and still a bit on the windy side.  We make our way through another deep cutting. This time Grub Street Cutting with its unusual double arched bridge containing a small telegraph pole.  At one time the canal had a telegraph line running along its bank and the strengthening arch was used as a convenient sitting point for the short telegraph pole.  The cutting is another example of Thomas Telfords engineering,  in a bid to build his canal as straight as possible with as few locks as possible to allow working boats as little delay as possible as they attempt to combat the growing competition from the railways in the mid 1830's when this canal was opened.  

We moored up at Norbury Juction where we stayed for the next week to catch up with our friends again before heading south.