Strolled into Sandbach.

Having had lunch, Keith and I strolled up to Sandbach. It is about a mile from Wheelock, but a pleasant walk and the sight of the town of Sandbach makes it worth the walk. Thank you to Ann off NB Oakfield, who told us it was worth the walk, she was right. Sandbach school on the main road is stunning. Sandbach School was founded as a free school in 1677 as a Parish Charity, but the present school was not occupied until 1849, also built were the Headmaster's House and the lodge.

George Gilbert Scott designed the exquisite buildings which form the façade of the present School. I could see it being a pleasure to go to school, when you see the amazing design of the building itself, its a far cry from the schools I went too.

Having walked into the town, you are greeted by a well kept roundabout first.

No I am not a roundabout geek honest, but it is pristine and the grass is cut to within an inch of its life.

There are some stunning timber framed buildings in Sandbach especially around the cobbled square.

The Black Bear Inn is one such building. Over the door it says it was built in 1643 AD and it is unique because it still has a thatched roof, the only one in to still do so in Sandbach. It is said that Dick Turpin stayed at the inn. The name came about because of the bear baiting in the town many moons ago.

If it were not for the modern signs, you could forget that you are in 2011. The cobbles in the square were reset in 2009, but they do set off the timber buildings.

We sat outside The Crown Inn and had a coffee and admired the sandstone obelisks or Saxon Crosses. It is believed that they date from the 8th or 9th Century, which is remarkable to think they have survived the test of time and vandalism.

There are some useful shops in the town, which we enjoyed strolling around. Sandbach seems to be surviving the present climate very well with very few shops closed down. Having seen everything we wanted to see, we walked back down the hill to the canal and were soon back onboard with rather tired feet. I then had to take a walk back into Wheelock to post a card, Paddy realised I was off out and so he made it quite clear that he would like a walk as well, so he came with me. Normally I offer him a stroll and he just lays in his bed, with an expression on his face which says are you mad. We were walking up the towpath when Ann and Keith off NB Oakfield came back from their shopping trip, so i had a quick natter to them both.

Paddy and I then had to dodge a Pen and her Cygnets which were on the towpath. Thankfully Paddy does not chase ducks or Swans so the Pen let us pass without incident.

So here we are almost at the end of another long and very busy day. I am now looking forward to putting my feet up for the evening. We have no TV again, so we will be watching a DVD if I can keep my eyes open long enough. Tomorrow we will be making another early start.

Chat soon xx.