Passing through the woods and a couple of goats enjoying the sun I arrived in Chorley within an hour, which was a perfect opportunity to call in on Sarah, Mike & Liberty and check out the new home.
Having spent a couple of very pleasant hours in Chorley having been kindly picked up, provided with a fantastic breakfast and dropped off back at the canal, I was flying along at a good pace. Heading past Bottany Bay and under the M61, I spotted a pub name which was a good take on the various canal-themed names I'd seen so far and a tree which had managed to grow itself round the 200-year old milestone.
The canal then swung to the east at Walton Branch Summit which had been meant to link up with the Lancaster Canal but was never completed.
Next up was Johnson's Hillock Locks which lifted the canal by another 60 feet or so and in the lunchtime sun was very popular with man and beast alike.
Levelling out at the Top Lock pub, which seemed to be doing a roaring bank holiday trade, this was another part of the canal that was very popular for mooring boats.
There was a nice mix up here of good views across open fields and welcome bursts of shade from the trees lining the waterside. A couple of dogs were taking the opportunity to cool off and I noticed that the cows round here don't know their history - I'll explain this when I eventually get to Colne.
The next motorway up was the M65, highways agency take note this is a much better look for a bridge over the canal rather than the usual bland concrete efforts.
It was probably the warmest part of the day by now and these sheep had my sympathy in their warm coats, seeking shelter from the sun.
It was soon time for my second pit-stop of the day at the Boatyard Inn, a very nice modern pub but slightly clueless barstaff.
Soon afterwards, I crossed the "border" and was treated to a few family outings on the water.
Heading into Blackburn, the trees slowly gave way more urban backdrops with terraces, factories and mills taking over.
A rather curious thing happened next. As I stopped to take this photo, the tape I was listening to stopped and I switched over to the radio to listen to the play-off final just as Wade Elliott gave Burnley the lead.
Although not the most prosperous town, Blackburn had made a decent effort with the canal with plenty of signs, a good quality tow-path and this interesting sculpture - though it was immediately followed by one of the worst concrete bridges I have seen thus far.
I was nearing the end of the days work as the canal twisted through the town and I seemed to be the only person on the canal without a bottle of booze in my hand. The final two landmarks were the Thwaites brewery and the welcome sight of the train station.
Total mileage for the day was 15, which takes the total to 57. Next up is Thursday, the weather outlook is good and hopefully a big push onwards can be made.
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