Boat date: 27082019
Canal:Trent & Mersey
Location: Middlewood & Longport Wharf

Bunkered £68 of diesel at Longport wharf. Their pump out machine was bust so crossing of legs is in order.

The 1.5 mile long Harecastle Tunnel running 640ft below Harefield Hill was engineered by Telford and opened in the late 1820's. The first tunnel under that hill was designed by Brindley but is now shut as it has subsided and is no longer navigable. It takes about 40 mins to sail through. I rigged extra side lights so I could see the tunnel sides more clearly and they proved very helpful. Once in the tunnel the doors are shut behind you and huge powerful fans are switched on to provide ventilation. It's quite spooky. In places the roof of the tunnel is more or less at head height so it pays to be attentive. I've heard that one poor soul wasn't and paid with his life and his family were sitting up front and didn't know he'd gone till the boat chugged out the other end of the tunnel.

Out into daylight again and squiggled and wiggled our way onto the Macclesfield canal and moored up just after the stop lock where some gardening was required to get the lock gate open.