Middlewich Branch has a hidden gem

Tuesday, 04 May 2010 18:12

John took a walk to find it

I suppose the world may have first become aware of this "gem" because of one of the founders of the Inland Waterways Association, Tom Rolt. He set out on a cruise on his narrowboat Cressy to escape the England of 1939, the rush of the motor car, growing towns and factory belts. The book he wrote, chronicling his epic 400 mile journey, is credited with the revival of interest in our inland waterways.

Even if hire boats speed by regardless of others and living history!

Now, modern narrowboaters emulate his travels, many for the same reason, over 70 years later! Nothing stands in the way of so called "progress", but as we travel I am continually reminded of the age of the Boatman which is still being lost. Sadly, in the years to come we may need more "Tom Rolts" to draw attention to the gradual deterioration of our wonderful asset and heritage.

So the "gem" that Tom Rolt found, and now we have found, is Church Minshull, near Nantwich and by the Middlewich Branch of the Shropshire Union Canal. Needless to say, "progress" has come to this small village too. A lady John met lamented the amount of traffic through the village and much of the commerce has disappeared.

Above: Village Farm buildings, now residences

Gone are the cordwainer, gamekeeper, bricklayer, weaver, tailor, butcher, shopkeeper, school, farms and post office: 1824 to 1999 in a nutshell, 175 years of "progress".

The church still remains, built in the early 1700s, so too some of the Tudor timbered buildings.

St Bartholomew's Church

Church Farm, reputedly the home of Elizabeth Minshull, the third wife of poet John Milton, is among the old properties clustered around the church.

Church Farm

The River Weaver passes through the village

After attending the Church service John walked back through the beautiful Bluebell Wood. The wood lived up to its name as you can see from the photo below.

Bluebell Wood

The view from our mooring is spectacular and despite the rain last night my lazy morning was enhanced whan I glanced out of the porthole to see this.