Bartimaeus

After Christine and Geoffrey had left we had a walk around the city walls, as Shane hadn’t done the whole route. It is impressive that it has been kept. The river having changed course over time and the Norman weir still being in place took his interest. The heron was interested in the flow of the Dee as well.

The next morning we were trying to decide about when was a good time to be moving on. While Shane thought about it, I decided this  was a good time to buy stamps, as there was a post office not far away. My map worked but it is easy to miss it in Chester. The trademark red oval sign is not allowed in the Tudor centre, a time before colour. The post boxes were still allowed to be red though so it must be a rule for buildings only.

We needed water and Shane was wanting to try to get the starter battery checked, hoping they now had their tester at the boatyard, so we headed towards Tattenhall marina again.The weather was sunny once more so as soon as we reached a mooring next to a field of bunnies, we stopped.

By the time we got to Tattenhall however, he had found the the diesel engine had not failed at any time. I assume he tested it as we went through the locks as well as the next day. I was too busy working them and chatting to the walkers enjoying the sunshine, to notice. An intermittent problem is always a hard thing to test or diagnose, but now it seemed even less worth checking. We just got water and skedaddled out of the marina.

We turned right out of the marina this time and made our way into the part of canal that we had covered with Bryn in November. We had had to hurry then to get through the locks before they closed and Shane had an Edinburgh appointment so we hadn’t any time for tourism, but there was no rush now.

We thought we should take in Beeston castle while we were nearby since we hadn’t taken the time to do it in November, but were disappointed to climb in the heat and find the cafe closed, but we could come back another time. In stead we went down and enjoyed a very fine lunch in the pub. We sat outside in the sun. I felt the name inappropriate. The food was good, the staff cheery, welcoming and polite and I was getting sunburnt. A second excursion to find a fender, also not time critical, but we were one down but it seemed good to get a space in case we dropped one some other time. We needed a hook to hang it off the side and they had none. At one time they did chandlery but not now. No matter, it was time for me to turn the other side of my face to the sun, and have a cool drink.

 I decided in the morning it was time to dig out the serious suncream. I had been putting a little on my face but  more was needed. The sun is always welcome though I wasn’t complaining.

We made it to the castle the next time, having brunched well, to find that the cafe was open. We could check that out later. We headed up to get the view. It was clear enough to see Liverpool cathedral we were told. If you turned round you could see Wales. There was some border fighting at some time. As well as a fine view out, the most recognisable feature is a well, the deepest well in England. 

During the civil war the narrow windows meant for arrows were widened for muskets. The English heritage museum  explained more of the castle history and ownership, before the monarch seized it a few hundred years earlier. The royalists held it until they had a day’s food left, then surrendered.

The castle included an earlier fortified bronze age settlement and continued to be used through to the Iron Age. A reconstruction of a Bronze Age roundhouse has been made using Bronze Age technology. We were very lucky that we arrived while it was open, a school group had been. The volunteer was happy to answer questions and explain the construction. He seemed to have all the time in the world. Even after closing up he talked some more and we walked down the hill with him, getting more historical information from an even earlier time, the arrival of the Beaker people.

Inside there were many reconstructed objects, pots, a fire pit, fishing traps a bed platform with furs, a seated wood plane and a loom.

We had been told of caves to see.  They weren’t palaeolithic caves dwellings. Sand has been taken for many purposes but the shape of these was intriguing. It is speculated that they housed horses, well hidden, and at the bottom of the hill, during the civil war. It now houses a rare species of bat.

We fitted in a visit to the Sandstone cafe too. Seating is all outdoors and this was a day to enjoy that. We could hear lots of birds. One noticeable call was identified as a nuthatch. I think that is the first time Merlin has picked that one out.