Saturday 14th July, Chester, 1 mile

Because Chester Cathedral would not be open early enough for me to visit it and reach Nantwich in reasonable time on the same day, Simon and I visited the Cathedral on the previous afternoon. Walking into the City, we were soon overtaken by a trio of pinstriped bouncers and bevvies of permatanned go-getters among the crowds streaming towards the Roodee for the Chester Races.

Sadly we couldn't visit St Werberga's shrine because a wedding service was underway.  However, when I asked an officious usher to visit the shrine on my behalf afterwards and explained why - his attitude softened and he gave me a hug!

But the best things about Chester Cathedral are  its cloister and garden and on this sunny afternoon, we had them almost to ourselves. 

Leaving the Cathedral, we walked along the city wall which runs round one side, then dropped down to the Shropshire Canal  which runs directly behind.  Then we walked the couple of miles to Hoole Lane bridge, the nearest point to the home of my cousin Rodney and his wife Sue, who had not only offered us a bed for the night, but invited us to their family get-together and hog-roast.