Subjects covered on the Geraghty zoom this morning included dayglow macaroons, coming in 14 seconds behind and contraband chilled medication. Don’t worry no names being mentioned here, just in case!
Part way through a boat started to slow more than normal as it passed us, from the azure blue I knew who it would be. NB That’s It would be our locking partner for the Wigan flight, the owners Brian and Jo come from York. I popped my head out of the hatch to say hello and make tentative plans for the boats to meet on Tuesday.
Being waved into the lock
Once the zoom was over we were ready to push off shortly after a Silsden Wide Beam had come past us. Not far to the top of the flight where we could see that the hire boat was on the water point and NB That’s It was just moving in to the lock. Thankfully they’d glanced behind them and spotted us, we were waved on.
Time to get into training for the Wigan flight, today would be a prelude. Seven locks, a third of Wigan. Jo said that there was a cruiser ahead of us, they’d not been able to share the locks with them as they were wider than a narrowboat. A volunteer had been seen walking down the flight, maybe setting the locks ahead of the cruiser.
Heading down the flight
Once the top lock was set emptying I walked ahead to fill the next lock, the cruiser visible in the lock below. Apparently the lady was a complete novice, so we didn’t want them to feel they were under pressure, so we took our time emptying the second lock and then walked down to the third.
Jo, Mick and Brian
Here a chap walking his dogs asked if we’d a spare windlass and he would go and set the lock ahead for us, what a nice man. He’d walk ahead help the lady on the cruiser, refill the lock for us and open the gates. We were starting to get into the swing of only opening one gate for the boats to exit making our work less at each lock. At Wigan if we have no volunteers this will help as one of us can already be setting the next lock down the flight.
There will be a few more photos like this in a couple of days
The volunteer walked back up the flight and offered to finish closing a gate for me. He then stood looking at his phone for five minutes before carrying on up the flight. Our volunteer was much more help. There was plenty to chat about with Brian and Jo, I suspect there will be plenty more on Tuesday. They pulled over stopping for lunch, but we wanted to carry on, getting a few more miles ticked off today. A rendez vous time for Tuesday was made, early!
Hmm, him again!
We soon passed the cruiser that had been ahead of us. Now seeing it up close it was familiar, it was the chap who’d stolen the lock off us in Blackburn! A pause at Botany Bay water point where we managed to avoid a day boat winding unintentionally.
Flag iris’s, Micklemas Daisies and Rhododendrons filled the banks with colour. This stretch always seems to take an age with lengths of moorings. The bottom of the canal a touch lumpy. We’ve been hearing on social media that the level here is down by a foot, well that is man’s speak for about 8 inches. This of course does mean the bottom is closer to the top than usual, hence the bumpyness.
We passed Frederick’s Ice Cream parlour. Yes I did say passed, next time! Outside was NB Burnt Oak who trade as Jubilee Fibres, spinning and dyeing yarns as they travel the waterways. I only found this out now whilst writing the blog, another next time!
Our chosen mooring before the Wigan flight is a stretch of armco just after bridge 61. On our previous stops here we’ve been on our own. Today however we joined four other boats. The first place we stopped at Tilly was allowed off the boat to explore, soon afterwards Mick noticed quite a few bees buzzing around the bathroom window, we’d found another bees nest.
Mouses
Thankfully Tilly wanted to come and tell me all about what was just down the bank, so she got whisked up and back onboard so we could move without confusing her. She still got to have a couple of hours shore leave before she decided it was dingding time.
A catch up phone call with the London Leckenbys was had. 60th birthdays to hear about along with Andrew catching covid, thankfully after 8 days he’s now testing negative and Josh his son is willing to be in the same room as him again.
7 locks, 10 miles, 1 locking partner, 1 swirling day boat, 1 wide beam, 1 handy man, 1 novice being shouted at, 2nd bees nest in a week, 1 brother on the mend.
We’d already decided on a slower start to the day, then we’d see where we got to on the mooring front as today had been ear marked as a work day for me. Setting off cruising we’d see what a large M on our Waterways Route map was like and if it was deep enough for us to get into the side. If not then we’d carry on to Johnson’s Hillock Locks, do the flight, then find a mooring.
We didn’t manage the earlyish start we’d planned and Mick really didn’t want another long day at the tiller and I really needed to get on with some work. So we had a cooked breakfast.
Not quite vegetarian
Mick had stocked up on suitable ingredients for breakfast including some gluten free black pudding and some sausages. However the pack of sausages, despite saying they’d be best before the 31st had expanded in the fridge and the cellophane lid looked like it was about to explode! The pack was opened, contents sniffed. They didn’t smell bad, but just the fact that they’d been gassing for several days wasn’t appealing, they sadly went in the bin! An almost vegetarian breakfast. A bit like those enjoyed when working at the SJT when a vegetarian breakfast with a portion of bacon were consumed at the Rendez Vous Cafe on a regular basis. It was still very tasty, but the sausages were missed.
Tilly had been allowed shore leave and thankfully hadn’t spotted all the tadpoles that surrounded Oleanna in the shade. Just how many of this mass will survive and grow into frogs? Never seen so many tadpoles in the canal.
Onwards. Mick tried pulling Oleanna into the bank before bridge 84, nowhere near deep enough, but through the bridge where the M was on our map proved better. Here there were no tadpoles just Canadian Geese creches. Mick at one point counted 20 goslings plopping into the water. This could be a noisy night!
Goose creche
With a small shopping list Mick cycled down to the next flight of locks and found a garage with a Spar shop. No newspaper but a few things to keep us going. I set about doing more sketches for panto.
Ideas on paper
I’ve now got six basic ideas of how the whole thing could look. The afternoon was spent scanning the sketches, removing parts of my drawings so that I can add other scenery without having to redraw the basic.
Late afternoon I needed to stretch my legs so headed off for a panto thinking walk. I crossed over the canal at the next bridge and climbed up the hill, hawthorn bushes surrounding me. Along the road I came across a Vegan cafe, diners enjoying the late afternoon sunshine on the terrace with great views across the valley. Then on the main road was a Farm Shop. If only we’d known! It was closed now and won’t open until we want to be on our way tomorrow. Next time!
Returning to the canal I had to walk past a smart houses front door, they obviously have to put up with such things but I could hear I was tripping infra-red alarms. Down the steep path back to the canal. A few more steps were required and a bit more thinking had me head on down into a field, crossing small wooden bridges and wading through tall grass filled with buttercups and Ladies Smock. Then back the even steeper hill back to Oleanna. I’d stretched my legs but not come up with enough solutions for panto.
Yum, click the photo for the recipe
Time to strip the roast chicken and make use of a couple of leeks that were sat at the bottom of the fridge. Chicken and leek macaroni cheese. This was very yummy for a fridge invented meal and will be made again.
Off not quite as early as planned, there was the yellow water tank to empty and the view to enjoy for just a short while longer before pushing off. We then got to enjoy the view this way and that for a while before the hawthorn blossom took over.
The Cross Keys
East Marton Double Bridge, The Cross Keys Pub high above sadly closed.
East Marton Double Bridge
Rolling hillocks of fields, all lumpy and bright green. The farmers were busy cutting the grass in the sunshine, up and down.
It took us a while to reach Greenberfield Locks which would take us up onto the summit pound of the Leeds Liverpool Canal. A chap was busy at the bottom lock, he waved us on as he opened the bottom gates for a big widebeam. He’d been helping his mate down the flight a single hander with the use of only one arm, so a true single hander.
The middle lock was emptied for us by a volunteer and then we were urged to catch up another narrowboat who was waiting in the top lock. These guys were out for a week from Skipton, they’d be going as far as Foulridge before returning.
We were now at the highest and wound our way round Barnoldswick, Barlick if you are local. No time today to head into town for a pork pie, we wanted diesel and gas.
Cobweb and Oleanna together
Pulling in at Lower Park Marina, Oleanna was stern to stern with NB Cobweb. We’d been hoping to meet somewhere, maybe share the Wigan flight. NB Cobweb is owned by Vicky and her husband David, years ago Vicky used to work front of house at the SJT in Scarborough. Earlier this year we’d just missed each other at Bramwith Lock, a comment on a post on facebook made me realise we knew each other. Sadly no-one was onboard today, their plans have changed so we won’t be sharing locks with them, maybe another time.
A fill up of diesel and a new bottle of gas and we were on the move again. We paused at Salterforth Bridge to dispose of rubbish and recycling. The Anchor pub here is also closed. Such a shame that these once thriving pubs are no more.
No longer the border
Now we discussed the border between Yorkshire and Lancashire. Two houses in Barlick flew rose flags of different colours. Was the sign further along the canal in the correct place? It was once upon a time, but today according to the OS map, we’d crossed the border below Greenberfield Locks.
Gongoozling on high
Approaching Foulridge memories came back of a conversation I’d had with my brother nine years ago, Jac his wife had just been diagnosed with breast cancer. Thankfully today Jac was busy celebrating her 60th birthday in London, maybe the festivities weren’t quite what they’d had in mind as Andrew tested positive for covid at the weekend. Happy Birthday Jac!
Waiting for the green light
Mick checked the times for Foulridge Tunnel. On the hour to ten past heading westwards, we’d be stopping for lunch then. One boat came through eastbound, then we pushed off as the lights turned green. The mile long tunnel was damp in places, we’re out of practice as I nearly missed the three air shafts or mysterons.
Now most definitely in Lancashire we pootled on to the visitor moorings. Here we settled in and debated whether it would be too breezy for a barbecue again. The asparagus wouldn’t last much longer.
Tilly burrowing her way through the grass
Tilly was a touch miffed with the amount of footfall until she found the wooded area with fantastic friendly cover. Here she kept herself very busy for a couple of hours, which required being called back to the boat. I got to do my mad cat woman performance to a passing crowd.
We decided to brave the breeze and set ourselves up in a line along the mooring for a barbecue. Maybe we should have stopped a touch further on where the bank was flatter. It was still a very pleasing evening sitting out as the sun fell behind the hill opposite our mooring, just a shame the asparagus went black almost as soon as it went on the grill! The pork and veg kebabs were very tasty.
3 locks, 10 miles, 1640 yrds of tunnel, 3 mysterons, 73.6 litres diesel, 13kg gas, 11 fronds of asparagus, 4 veg haloumi kebabs, 2 pork steaks, 1 jolly good wood, 1 near meeting, 60!!!
After a lovely long weekend of friends, food, theatre, oh and a birthday we needed to be on our way again, the alarm was set.
Brewery Swing Bridge, Skipton
The lovely man from the slow boat was walking his dog and insisted that he should help us through Brewery Swing Bridge where the key of power does the barriers but you have to push the bridge manually. Between us we managed to find a gap in the traffic and school children and ended up holding nobody up.
A line of Silsden maroon boats sat just past a vacant water point, we pulled in and topped up the tank. Then a wave to Robert and Margie (who weren’t looking at the time) and we were soon saying our farewells to Skipton, Gawflat Swing Bridge no longer requiring a C&RT person to operate it.
About three miles on the flat gave us more swing bridges, the last on this side of the summit. Swans sat enjoying the freshly cut grass. Were they making nests? Would a farmer carry on regardless or leave that corner of the field should eggs be laid? Geese preferred the longer grass around the fields, peeking up having a gander at us as we cruised past.
Approaching one swing bridge a hire boat was coming the other way, they’d got to the bottom of the locks and decided to leave them for their second narrowboat holiday, swing bridges would be enough for their first. At Highgate Swing Bridge two boats were getting ready to set off, they’d each found themselves a locking partner.
I walked up to help. One boat was a hire boat and it was their first broad lock, myself and the other lady explained how the locks worked and wound the ground paddles round and round and round. A shame I’d helped so much as we’d be on our own coming up and my arms were already exclaiming about this being the first of several locks today.
Such a photogenic signpost
Once we were up we pootled onwards to Eshton Road Lock, the two boats ahead now rising and what looked like another Silsden boat was pulled up on the lock landing, we might have found ourselves a locking partner.
Cloughs open
This is the first lock with cloughs as ground paddles, I asked the lady we’d be sharing with if she’d used them before. The answer came back that they had done this stretch several times before, we had experienced serial hirers with us. Helen and Joe turned out to be good locking partners.
The two boats ahead pulled in above Highlander Lock for the day leaving the way ahead clear for us. As we walked between locks some Ash trees were having a serious chop back, Mick was a little bit too far away from the bank to stop and collect a few rounds sadly.
The boys chatting
We now met a few boats coming down the locks everyone enjoying the wonderful sunshine. Mick and Joe chatted away at the stern and Helen and I chatted, when we could hear each other, at the locks.
What a wonderful day
So much green, yellow, white and blue. What a beautiful day to be boating and on such a beautiful canal.
Looking up Bank Newton
A lunch break was required by all, so both boats paused before starting our ascent of Bank Newton. Most of the lock flights on the Leeds Liverpool have restricted hours, nothing too restrictive, 10am to 5pm, last boat in at 4pm. This is to help conserve water so that hopefully the canal won’t have to close as it did last year.
Action shot of Helen
At the bottom of Bank Newton a Lockie was cutting the grass, he mentioned that there were two boats on their way down. As soon as Helen and Jo were in sight I started to set the first of the six locks. The newer of the cloughs seem to be the hardest to move, maybe tighter fitting below the water. Us both ladies in their 50’s we’d give the cloughs a go, but should they not want to move we’d leave them for a while before trying again, in some cases a while longer. No point in aggravating my back third week back on the boat!
The friendly volunteer
We made steady progress up the flight, passing a Silsden wide beam in one pound and a narrowboat in another, both gates requiring opening as they cruise with their fenders down! By the time we reached the halfway mark we picked up a friendly volunteer who headed on upwards to set the next locks for us.
So much green and blue
Now on our favourite pound, we followed the contour around the hill, fingers crossed there’d be space for us on the curley wurleys. Bingo one boat there, we pulled in to their stern, Helen and Joe pulled up in front. This is our favourite mooring on the network. A wide towpath, sheep in the fields below, a dry stone wall and fantastic views.
We’d been planning a barbecue but sadly there was just too much of a breeze to have made for a perfect evening. Instead we decided to have a drink sat out to soak up the view and give Tilly an extra hour of shore leave before we all came inside to eat. I so love it here. Next time we’ll try to stay for longer.
Tilly admiring the view
12 locks, 11 shared, 7.6 miles, 5 bridges, 0 held up! 1 pooh sucky lorry, 1 wave to Margie, 1 slightly pink boater, 31st sock for dementia.
Keighley Golf Club to Skipton 3 day Visitor Moorings
Presents
Another early start, but time to have tea in bed along with some birthday surprises. Presents and cards were opened. A new pair of jeans, a Boot Buddy and a limited edition print by Ant Savage. The boot buddy was from Tilly to assist when one treads in woofer deposits. If you haven’t come across Ant Savages work then they are worth a look, lino prints of bendy narrowboats among other subjects.
A bacon butty then we were on our way, pushing off just after a boat that had been moored behind us on the bridge landing for the night. Well that would have been the case except we very quickly made scraping noises, we were stuck on something. Reverse didn’t work, forwards neither, trying to push the stern out, nope! Persevering worked in the end.
The cow bridge
The pound to Skipton keeps you busy, lots of wonderful green views, with plenty of swing bridges. The chap on the boat ahead of us handed over the tiller to his wife and went ahead to open the bridge. Brilliant we’d got a boat to leapfrog the bridges with. Well that’s what we thought!
The bridge opened, the boat ahead gradually made it’s way through. We weren’t sure if the lady on board had seen us. She tried to pull over to the side, but it didn’t really work. The bridge closed behind us and the chap walked along the towpath to where his boat finally touched the bank for a second. We were still behind. Hmm not a leapfrog.
Swing Bridge after swing bridge
At the next bridge the chap hopped off again, but had serious problems moving the bridge, so I joined him, extra bum power required. Both boats came through. He explained that his wife has MS so her balance isn’t so good, possibly also her spacial awareness. This explained why she was finding it hard to pull into the side to let us leapfrog.
We pootled on behind, they clung to the towpath which we thought was a suggestion for us to pass, so Mick cranked Oleanna up a gear as we got closer to Silsden. The back gardens immaculate as ever. Here hire boats waited for the next set of guests to arrive, this is where we’d hired our first boat from together, the start of our journey to living afloat.
Not upgraded yet
Paul from Waterways Routes had asked us to make note if the towpath here had had an upgrade. His maps not only show moorings and services but also what type of towpath runs alongside the navigation. The next stretch had not been upgraded to cyclable, rough and bumpy, it would remain purple on the Waterway Routes maps, also no new moorings to report.
Birthday Boy
The next few swing bridges were opened, either by myself walking between them or we were now starting to meet other boats coming the other way and one heading towards Skipton. Maybe we’d now got a three boat leapfrog, even if one boat couldn’t leap over the others.
It’s getting busy now!
It turned out that the other boat we’d caught up with was a hire boat from Skipton and their handling skills were still being developed. Warehouse Swing Bridge was operated stopping and starting for us, then I hopped off to swing the little footbridge after I’d taken a photo of Oleanna going through Parson’s Bridge 186 to add to our collection.
Oleanna going through
Milking Hill Swing Bridge was being held open by a day boat. Just how many passengers are these little boats allowed? We counted fifteen!
A very pretty stretch
The woods here would have been spectacular a few weeks ago with a sea of bluebells. Shame we missed it.
How many to operate a swing bridge?!
At Bradley Swing Bridge we managed to become lead boat, others dropping behind or pulling in for lunch. The day boats from Skipton were now coming thick and fast along with the trip boats. Assistance was required at Snaygill Swing Bridge to get it moving. Maybe I’ve lost some umph, or have the bridges just become harder to move?
Now the uninterrupted length in to Skipton. We pulled in on the water point and filled up the tank very quickly as the pressure was so good. Where to moor up? Along this stretch where a high wall and a carpark are the view? Round past the Springs Branch where the footfall is heavy? Or further on? We opted for the more central position as it would be handier for a visitor to find us.
A late lunch was followed by Birthday Cake. Maybe the omitted milk would have made it slightly more moist, we’ll see the next time I make it. A message was sent of out location to Frank. This was soon followed by him calling. When were we meeting up? Today? NOt Thursday?!!! Blimey, good job I’d sent him the message when I did as he had a two hour drive from Scarborough on busy roads.
A few items were needed, mallet and spikes mostly, so we headed out to see what we could find. Boyes came up trumps with a mallet and Pennine Cruisers sold us two new shiny spikes. No suitable container for sawdust though or high ball glasses. We’ll carry on looking.
At 6pm Frank arrived, a hunt for a free parking space was successful and then we headed over to Bizzie Lizzie’s for fish and chips, followed by a drink in one of the many pubs.
Ooo! Skipton, why can’t we skip it!?!
0 locks, 8.9 miles, 12 bridges, 1 left open, 6 maybe held up, 1 brother positive, 1 very slow boat to Skipton, 2 boaters who’d forgotten how busy it can get, 5o many day boats, 2 many sailors hats, 1 rejected mooring, 1 Frank stirred into action, 1 full cooler box, 2 spikes, 1 mallet, 3 of each, 3 beers, 1 boy turned 65.
Pitter patter on the roof this morning, rain! No choice but to get moving though as we wanted to ascend Bingley this morning. Passages up and down the five and three rise happen twice a day with the assistance of Lock Keepers so arriving before 10am would be a good thing.
The first arched bridge
First we had Hirst Lock. These locks are a lot kinder when shared, but nobody else was on the move. The woods round these parts must have been spectacular a couple of weeks ago, a haze of bluebells, sadly now past their best. Maybe next time we’ll cruise the L&L in early May to catch them.
Dowley Gap Two Rise
A cat sat watching us as we arrived at Dowley Gap Two Rise. The top chamber required topping up and the bottom emptying. There was a lot of walking round to be done.
Now the weather was drying up and we pootled along to the bottom of Bingley. We wondered what this stretch looked like before the A650 and railway were hemmed in by the 1980’s looking stone walls and before the railway existed. Just after we’d pulled up joining three other boats a steam train came past, shooting it’s smoke high above the walls (from Carnforth, heading to York).
One boat was descending as I popped up to say Good Morning to the Lock Keeper. He was pleased we’d be making a second pair, pairs are easier in the locks. A chap from the hire boat we’d be sharing with asked if we’d be going up straight after the two lead boats, because theoretically they could have three pairs in the Three Rise at once. Well no you couldn’t as the following boat would have to steal the water from the boat ahead. So you need to leave a chamber in between uphill boats.
Leaking gates
It took Oleanna 22 minutes to rise up the Three Rise. The Lock Keeper setting ahead and a jolly volunteer keeping an eye on paddle winding. At Bingley you need to take note of what the Lock Keepers say, conserving water is one thing, but keeping your boat safe is another. It took a while for the chap from the hire boat to understand that you shouldn’t just open paddles, a close eye on bows and sterns were required before another two turns could be made.
The Five
The pound between the Three and Five seemed low, but there was just enough water to get us in line below the Five. The bottom lock was emptied for the lead boats then the Lock Keepers headed up the flight to get the upper chambers ready, each one filled ready to be emptied into the next one.
Sitting at the bottom of the five
Tilly sat in the window to admire the view, well the sideways view was of rather good looking trees!
I headed up to reset the bottom chamber, getting to walk up the side Barry (the renowned Lock Keeper) used to inhabit. The bywash at the bottom having moments of gushing water as chambers filled and over spilled above us. The lead boat was assisted up the staircase by the Lock Keeper whilst the lady volunteer assisted us. A pause at one point as the gates into the second chamber ahead hadn’t quite closed for us to empty the one in between. Water cascaded over the top of gates, the Lock Keeper ran round, the bywash below gushed again. We paused a while to let them get ahead of us.
Thankfully we’d recalled a Lockie a few years ago suggesting to have our cratch cover closed due to leaky gates, helping to deflect the water away from the welldeck. We know of one boat this year that has turned around due to so much water spraying over their tug deck, this was before they got to the Three and Five Rises.
Water gushing from their roof
Oleanna and the hire boat would enter each chamber far enough for the bottom gates to be closed and then nestle back towards the bottom gates. Despite this the roof of the hire boat was a third wet and water rushed down along the sides of the grab rail, nowhere for the water to drain other than right down to the stern, causing two waterfalls one each side of the stern bulkhead.
At Bingley there are four seasonal Lock Keepers (2 of which share a job). The Lockie chatted about the seasonal staff in Leeds and the difficulties they were having recruiting this year. From last year one chap has retired, another hasn’t returned due to ill health, the third one, well lets just say there are still people out there who don’t respect Lock Keepers as they should.
Out the top
As we reached the top chamber it was time to put waterproofs back on as the sky turned black, thankfully we didn’t get too wet before the swing bridge was swung for us to leave the top of the Five, fifty minutes after entering the bottom.
On the same contour as Skipton
We’d thought about filling with water, but the tap by the café was being used and the hire boat wanted to top up, we’d last til Skipton. Now to find a mooring, suitable for Tilly and in time for Mick to have another important phone call.
New improved bridge
Micklethwait Swing Bridge has had an upgrade since we last came through and had to call for assistance. A raised platform with a small pedestal with Open and Close buttons. Other bridges didn’t have such good sight lines so a quick walk from checking the road to the pedestal was needed before more traffic came.
The good views start
Cygnets, new houses, the views across to Keighley. A splash of serious colour from two rhododendron bushes in a garden made us hope that we’d timed our arrival along this stretch to perfection. Sadly we’re at least two weeks too early for the masses of rhododendrons to be in full flower. Maybe next time we come this way we’ll have to do it in early June!
More swing bridges, one operated by a hire boat, another by C&RT as they were in the middle of replacing the post it gets secured to.
The Piano Boat more a raft really
We passed the Piano Boat, a raft comprising of all sorts that the owner bow hauls along the L&L. A peek in through one of the bay windows revealed a drum kit.
So much lush green
We’d thought of mooring near Riddlesdon, but that was too close to roads for Tilly. Onwards to where we thought we’d moored before, but sadly we were too deep to pull in close enough to the bank. Onwards pulling in to try time after time, Mick’s arranged phone call getting closer and closer all the time.
JUMP!
Booths Swing Bridge has always been hard to secure in position. Today it had been left a few feet from where it should be, no chance of securing it. I tried to give it a push. Nothing! Was this the bridge our locking partners out from Leeds had mentioned that you needed to jump on the opposite corner to help get it moving. I jumped and tried again. Nothing! I enlisted Mick to come and do the jumping and sure enough this helped greatly to get it going, phew!
A short distance onwards we tried pulling in again. The depth not our friend, but this would do for the time being, for lunch and Mick’s phone call. Mick hopped off to bang spikes in.
Where were the bow spikes? I normally leave them sticking out from a spare pooh bucket. They weren’t there. Ohh! We both realised what must have happened. This morning I’d untied the bow and thrown the rope to Mick as the bow was quite a way from the bank. I’d then headed off to set the lock and Mick had been more occupied with the position of the bow rope so I wouldn’t have to stoop to get it, he’d forgotten to pick up the spikes and the good hammer. So if you are now the new owner of two spikes and a yellow hammer may they serve you well. Luckily we have spares, but will need to get replacement ones for when this happens again. Maybe a visit to a chandlers for Mick’s birthday is needed!
Tilly headed off to check on the golfers below as we had lunch and then Mick’s phone rang bang on time. Tomorrow is Mick’s birthday, he will now be of an age where he will receive his private pension. A small one he’d been getting for a few years had suddenly had a boost, he checked this with the person on the phone, the new amount was correct, what a lovely birthday bonus.
During the afternoon I watched Encanto, a Disney film set in Columbia. The settings pretty much spot on with my reference photos I’d collected. The music was very catchy, even Mick was tapping his toes.
Shhhh!
Then a spot of secret baking. A new recipe for a chocolate fudge cake from a book I got at Christmas. I omitted to add the 70ml of milk, and when I realised my mistake it was already starting to rise, so I let it be. Within ten minutes I could smell that it was cooking well and needed to be covered in foil as the top had caught! Was it the amount of sugar in it? Was it that our oven has decided to be a touch too hot? I’m sure it’ll be edible though, fingers crossed!
11 locks, 3 staircases, 11 bridges, 1 left open, 25 held up, 1 wet start, 2 shallow, 2 boaters jumping on bridges, 2 late for bluebells, 2 early for rhododendrons, -2 spikes, -1 mallet, 1 very dark chocolate cake!
The alarm wasn’t needed today as we’d been woken by glass bottles being showered into a recycling wagon. Up, dressed, cup of tea drunk whilst rolling up the covers. At 6am we could see that our locking partners were awake, then someone came and untied the bow rope. We sprung into action, well as much action as you can muster at that time in the morning! Their crew had already set Office Lock, I hopped off to lend a hand. Between the two boats we had six crew.
Locking partners
Libby and Karl have hired numerous times before and had been joined for the week by novices Mark and Sarah. It turned out that we had quite a bit in common, such as Scarborough, Windermere and boats of course.
The morning started off chilly, fleeces and jumpers required, but working the locks the layers gradually were removed. As we worked our way uphill numerous runners pounded the towpath. Ground paddles were stiff requiring repositioning of windlasses. Gates over grown with greenery and stiff. Oddy Two Rise the gates wouldn’t open fully, I think I remember that from last time. But with four people to work the locks we had most things covered and worked efficiently.
Cereal!
After Spring Garden Lock we had the a long pound to cruise, time for breakfast on the move. Tilly below deck was excited to be moving. They kept moving all those fantastic looking trees. Don’t they realise I’ve not had a challenging tree to climb for months! She shouted and shouted at me, so keeping hold of her I opened the stern doors so she could see that we were moving the outside! Tom was very busy!
We don’t have a key for that!
Then at Kirkstall Little Lock we ground to a halt. Here the locks are padlocked shut before 08:00 and after 15:00 daily. We’d arrived at 08:10 and the padlocks were still very much locked. From past experience one Lock Keeper has the job of unlocking this and the next two staircase locks, so they obviously start at one and work their way down. We waited, we could have had a more extensive breakfast, we waited.
At 9:00 Mick called C&RT and was on the phone to someone just as a blue van arrived. C&RT usually have seasonal Lock Keepers, but none had returned this year, so interviews are on going to find new people, leaving a couple of chaps to pick up the van and then unlock locks, then deal with work boats on the move and other things. The chap unlocked everything for us and said he’d try to get the other Lockie to set the staircases ahead for us.
Climbing up in the staircase
Forge Three Rise needed the bottom emptying and the top chamber topping up. The stonework on these locks is just wonderful. Curves between chambers. Spillways all engineered in. Bywashes, thankfully all running today, flowing with clean water. We worked our way up. Bottom gates leaking and spraying over the bows of both boats. Once the bottom gates were closed Mick and Karl moved the boats back to avoid the worst of the torrents.
Under my Bridge, the first P just starting to fade a touch now. The Lockie met us part way, there had been something jammed in a gate paddle on Newlay Three Rise, he’d managed to sort it but didn’t want us to use that paddle as we rose. The last of the locks for us today.
First swing
Now the start of the swing bridges. Rose Mill Swing Bridge was nice and easy doing just what it should. NB Burnsall headed onwards to Bridge 218, Moss Swing Bridge! We have history with this bridge, back in 2014 it had expanded in the heat and wouldn’t open, a tractor was sent to assist. Today a tractor wouldn’t be needed as the bridge has been replaced and is causing somewhat of a consternation on the Leeds Liverpool Canal and the local area. It also seems to have had a name change to Aire Dale Mills Swing Bridge! However everyone is still calling it Moss Swing Bridge.
Here’s a list of articles if you fancy reading them
Not owned by C&RT, it is privately owned by Rodley Bridge Company (Emergency phone number 08000114074 you may need this number one day!)
Here we go!
Mick had had to pause to clear the prop, but as he arrived Mark and Sarah were at the bridge along with a chap who has been employed to assist boaters in the correct operation of the bridge. Sarah filmed and I took photos.
Instructions
There is a large sign with instructions, the first four stages you need to follow are on the control console. First you unlock the cabinet, not unusual for those of us used to the Stainforth and Keadby Canal swing bridges. Inside you follow the steps to set the barriers in motion by pushing buttons. Once they are lowered you then have to remove the bridge key and insert it into the Bridge Wedge release handle lock rotating it clockwise. Then you move the locking lever to release the bridge, this is a 90degree bent metal rod. I’m not sure how you Ensure the handle is fully retracted and pins fully withdrawn.
It seems that you have to keep hold of the lever for a while as you start to turn the wheel which removed the wedges. You then keep turning the wheel for around about 70 turns until it will move no more.
Walk across the bridge to the other side. Here you lift the tail lock catch (because we all know what one of those is!) and rotate clockwise to sit on the holding bracket. This is another 90degree bent bit of rod.
Then you turn the wheel at this end of the bridge to swing it. I don’t know how many turns this takes. Some people say 100. Mark looked relieved when it was finally open and he could have a rest before reversing the whole procedure. If you forget to return the tail lock catch to where it had been at the start then you won’t be going anywhere, neither will be the vehicles wanting to cross the bridge.
Once you’ve wound the wheel back to relocate the wedges you then return the big fat key to the control console, press buttons and hope that they don’t flash at you.
The chap employed to assist boaters seems to be well known by the locals. He is there from 8am to 3pm when he takes the protruding handles away with him. He will only be on site for a few more weeks when apparently some new handles will be attached, or you’ll have to turn the wheels as you do on the River Nene locks!
Mark was keen to operate the bridge today even though he’d had a go yesterday. From putting his C&RT key into the lock and removing it it was just over 10 minutes. I was very relieved it wasn’t me trying to work out what the instructions meant and turning and turning the wheels. It will be just about impossible for single handers to operate the bridge, the instructions say that the bridge operator to remain in position throughout navigation movements, so you can’t move your boat anyway!
Not all the bridges on the Leeds Liverpool are easy, some are buggers, but this bridge (designed to withstand lorries going to a building site) is plain ridiculous! During morning hours when the bridge is most likely to be operated by boaters heading into Leeds the home owners will be wanting to head to work. Whether it’s 67 or 72 properties in the new development that is a lot of potential cars wanting to cross the bridge. I see horns being sounded. Should an ambulance or fire engine be required in the development it takes time to turn those wheels. The cardiovascular exercise to operate it is well breath taking. I think it is likely to put some people off cruising the Leeds Liverpool.
Verdict. Ridiculous!
Rodley Swing Bridge opened with smiles
Anyway. Mark and Sarah went ahead to open the lovely Rodley Swing Bridge then I took my turn at Owl Swing Bridge. Here we parted ways as we were looking for a mooring and they were wanting to get close to Saltaire to have a look round tomorrow. Thank you for your company this morning and especially to Mark for working the stupid bridge.
Happy boaters
We carried on to where the green fields stretch out below Calverley. It took a while for us to be happy not being quite into the side.
Out into the countryside
A sausage roll day!!! 6 hours!!! Brilliant!!! I made sure I did my rolling on the towpath so it knew it was mine, all mine. We didn’t see her for ages at a time, but the Dreamie container will require a refill soon.
Don’t you come home until you’ve had a bath!
Bolognaise sauce is bubbling away on the stove and I suspect we won’t be late to bed this evening. Another earlyish start tomorrow.
12 locks, 3 staircases, 6.8 miles, 4 swing bridges, 5 held up, 6am push off, 2 more Scarborians, 2 more lodgers booked, the most stupidest bridge ever, 6 hours, 1 dusty greypooped cat.
Mick was on an earlyish train returning to Scarborough. The usual photo from York arrived showing cruisers and a narrowboat moored on the River Ouse by the Museum Gardens. He was returning to the house to finish off hoovering and making it ready for our next lodger.
I got on with finding more reference photos for panto. Some of the buildings in Colombia are just soo colourful they almost certainly have to be used.
I walked into the city with the aim of trying to find a new plastic jug for our cat litter cover. We use moistened wooden cat litter as cover in our separating/compost toilet, the old jug has developed a crack on the bottom, so leaks when you add water, not so good for the shelf it sits on.
Down a back street near the station
Sadly Wilkos didn’t have anything thin enough. Maybe Yorkshire Trading or Boyes will come up trumps when we get to Skipton.
I can look after everything from in here!
Tilly was left in charge with an early ding ding, she was told not to expect this from now on! A train took me to Sheffield, no boats on the River Aire through Wakefield today.
Then it was the 218 bus out through Sheffield to the Peak District. As soon as we hit the countryside the driver kicked up the speed, whizzing the scenery past. Great views.
Chatsworth House
What felt like a detour had us turn onto parkland with sheep and their lambs roaming freely. The immaculate grass stretched on for miles the branches on the trees all neatly starting at the same level. Below the view across to Chatsworth House. It appeared I was on a bus trip around the grounds. A group of visitors crowded round the bus, two thirds wanting to head to Sheffield!
‘HONK YOUR HORNS!’
Onwards to Bakewell where the last official day of school was being celebrated by students stood on the roundabout encouraging drivers to beep their horns. A very noisy place!
I swapped buses and a short ride onwards I hoped off in Rowsley. The Level Centre tucked down below the road, I’d be heading tomorrow. The Grouse and Claret my home for the night provided me with a meal and a glass of wine before I headed out to explore the village.
Hunters Chicken and a glass of house white
This didn’t take long. I spotted the disused railway viaduct, visited the big graveyard around the small church. Then a walk around Caudwells Mill. Sadly not much to see on an evening, but a pleasant walk none the less.
Then I cast on my next sock. Well my cousin had requested a pair and I asked if she’d be willing to wait a little while if I didn’t get chance to knit them in April. I’ve nearly got all the sock shots back so I’ll start to add them to my Sockathon page in the menu above when I get chance. I’ll be knitting more socks for Dementia UK as and when I have time to use up the donated yarn, I just have to figure out how is best to do it as the Justgiving page will close at some point.
0 locks, 3 trains, 2 buses, 1 Tilly in charge, 1 stately home, 1 pub, 1 small village, 1 house clean and tidy, 3 beds made up, 1 designer ready for a days observing.
Castleford Visitor Moorings to Clarence Dock/Potato Wharf/Leeds Dock what ever you want to call it!
Grey but not wet thank goodness, just chilly! Brrrrr!!!
Our plan to fill and empty at the services was thwarted as three boats were moored in the way, maybe they’d just finished filling and emptying, one chap stuck his head out to ask if we needed water, he’d move back if we did. We’d already decided to carry on and do the necessaries further on. The flood lock was closed and a boat had just come through, NB Tumbleweed who used to write a blog. Hellos were exchanged.
Passing boats
The downstream panel took forever for the Lock Ready light to illuminate. Maybe because the lock is just vast it took it’s time. It took so long that I even removed my key and started again to see if that would help. Eventually the light illuminated, I lifted the sluices, Water Level light came on, gates open, Hooray!
Another boat was waiting to come through from the other end, so it made sense for the chap to use his key. The level board at this end of the lock looked to be on the cusp of amber, would yesterdays rain raise the level anymore and would we have problems with closed flood gates?
Steps to accommodate all size of boats
The right navigation was chosen rather than the left and we headed on towards Leeds, I wish I’d brought my gloves out the back it was that chilly. Lemonroyd Lock soon appeared with it’s downstream lock landing built for all sizes of boats. Full as expected, I waited to get the thumbs up from Mick that he’d tied Oleanna up before I lifted the sluices to empty it.
Huge!
Lemonroyd Lock replaced two locks and is just so vast, Oleanna always look so mini. A gongoozling family arrived, they live on the Ashby and have helped many a boat through locks before (can’t have been on the Ashby). The chap wondered why I wasn’t using a windlass, I showed him the panel of buttons, can you imagine the pressure on normal gate paddles! I enlisted their help in opening the gates, pressing another button. Mick pulled onto the water point for a delayed top up of fresh water and an empty of yellow water, making use of the elsan.
Tilly thought it looked quite nice here, but we still had further to go, even though we were both cold already and both of us were quietly wishing we could stop.
A gravel barge sat moored up a short distance on, is this where they come to empty their holds? Piles of fresh aggregate suggest so, but there wasn’t any sign of any means of offloading it.
At Woodlesford Lock a lady recognised us as being in the Jonathan Wilson facebook group. As soon as she mentioned her boat name NB Freedom I recognised them, we’ve seen them around here before and down on the Thames. NB Ecky Thump also familiar from Blue Water Marina last year.
Thwaite Mill well worth a visit
At Fishpond Lock we had a tern diving for fish as I emptied the lock, it remained hungry. Thwaite Mill visitor mooring was available, slightly overgrown.
So very sad
Knostrop Lock next. By the top gates there were bunches of flowers marking a memorial to a 14 year old lad, who on the Easter weekend had jumped into the lock to swim, shortly after a gravel barge had been through. He disappeared from view, thought to have been caught in a current created by the barge. All very sad.
Signs at the lock reminded boaters of the limited opening hours at River Lock up onto the Leeds Liverpool Canal. The levels drop at Granary Wharf leaving boats sat on the bottom, so for the time being the lock is only opened for two hours a day between 1 and 3pm. The signs suggested there is space for three boats below the lock, we’ll have to look at these when we go through, we were hoping to stop sooner.
Wibbly wobbly
The service and mooring pontoon have a build up of silt below them making the deck rippled. We’d not be mooring there unless we really had to.
Two hire boats came towards us, a new company to us The Boat Co North. Mick was later to meet a single hander from the USA, he helped him through his first push button lock. Hope he managed to get to Woodlesford today.
At Leeds Lock I opened and closed gates, lifted paddles as Mick tried to hold Oleanna still in the now short lock. If you are coming down this lock, keep away from the top gates as you may get caught on some wood jutting out. As Oleanna finished her ascent I walked up to peer over the wall into Clarence Dock to see if there’d be room for us. Bingo there was!
Time to breath in in locks
In the last few days we’ve heard that the visitor moorings here had long since gone, others have stayed but not known what the time limit was. Time to check for ourselves. The old signs are just visible, then a new bright blue sign declared the pontoon to be Visitor Mooring 2 days. Brilliant and an Oleanna sized gap waiting for us. Add to that an electric post still with a small amount of credit left.
On previous visits here we’d been able to buy electric cards I think to the value of £5 from the C&RT office across the river. Sensible size for two days and available to purchase when the office was open. These cards are unique to Leeds Dock/Clarence Dock what ever you call it. However now you have to order them £10 credit and get them posted out to you at an extra £2.95! For a bit of card the size of a credit card! Not very user friendly, the sooner C&RT install meters that you can log onto and pay for what you use anywhere on the network the better. But that won’t be for sometime as it would cost money and that is short at the moment. So we remain grateful to a previous boater who left some credit on a post.
The remainder of panto was read, notes taken. Tilly was slightly stroppy as there’d be no shore leave here. We remained very cold until Mick had lit the stove and the interior of the boat started to warm up. It was only two days ago we were sitting without jumpers in the evening, today we’d really needed thermals and just adding another jumper this evening really wasn’t going to cut the mustard!
Click photo for recipe
Crispy Lemon Chicken tonight. A new favourite.
5 locks, 1 flood lock, 10.1 miles, 3 hire boats, 1 ex-blogger, 1 JW boat, 1 hungry Tern, 1 bored cat, 1 full water tank, 1 empty wee tank, £1.20 credit, 1 stove lit, 0 knights having a wee.
Dressed appropriately for the forecast we pushed off around 9:30am leaving the baritone sheep with their lambs. I walked up to Pollington Lock with the key of power, a narrowboat had just come into view. Would they be heading for the lock or water point? The lock was full so whilst it emptied we worked out that the following boat was planning on a day filling up their water tank from the extremely slow tap.
Pollington Lock, smartly kept
Button pushing was easy compared to having to press and hold the buttons last summer on the Nene and Great Ouse. We were very quickly and on our way again.
Great Heck
The train app came out as we approached Great Heck, would the train get there before us? Well three came past, each one vying or the photo opportunity from the canal.
Plenty of C&RT blue boats were in at the maintenance wharf, a cheery wave came from inside a wheelhouse. As we came towards Whitley Lock we could see someone in blue with a life jacket, a banner/flag wafting in the breeze, there was a volunteer on duty, no need to drop me off. The chap was knowledgeable about his lock and by the portside ladder would be nice and calm for our ascent as the lock fills sideways further back.
Not a photo of Eggborough, well it isn’t there anymore !
The first gap in the sky. If you’d not lived round these parts or travelled on the motorways here you’d not notice what is no longer here. Eggborough Power Station no longer towers above the village of it’s name. It used to generate enough power for 2 million homes between 1967 and 2018 when it closed. In 2020 demolition works were started. Initially it was going to be replaced by a gas power plant, but with the rising costs of gas this did not happen.
Solar instead of coal
Now the long flat towards Knottingley. The site of Kellingley Colliery is now mostly filled with a solar farm. Areas still have mounds of slag and rubble, new buildings are rising on the far side. Sadly the sign I’ve taken photos of over the years has now gone, soon there will only be the concrete wharfs let to suggest there was mining on the site.
By now the brolly was in use, we were getting quite damp. A mooring for an early lunch would do us. Several boats were moored around the junction with Bank Dole Cut, but it looked like we’d need to dig out our mooring spikes and get wetter still. We carried on, passing the flour mill, the towpath garden.
Then another gap in the sky! Not one cooling tower left at Ferrybridge Power Station! I thought they were going to keep three of them, but not one in sight. Available bollards pulled us over to moor, ropes tied off to them rather than the boat as they were soo far away. The drone from a canalside factory stopped bang on 12:30 giving us a half hour of peace and quiet. Tilly surveyed the area from the dinette windows, This will do nicely please! Except we’d not gone far enough today.
Ferrybridge flood lock was in operation, would there be much of a difference in height. Not really. Mick gradually moved Oleanna along the long lock as I walked from one end to the other, lifted the sluices the level light illuminated and I could open the gates. Thank goodness you don’t have to wait for these locks to go through all it’s motions (which at times do nothing on the Trent Locks). Just a long ladder to climb down to get back onboard.
The long river stretch, which once made me soo excited to be soo close to Ferrybridge Power Station. I really had thought that three of the towers were going to be left. I shouted out my disgust to those who blew the great dumpy towers up. Now set back from the river stand grey buildings with spindly tall overcast chimneys that produce the power.
On 28 July 2019, the first of Ferrybridge’s cooling towers was demolished, followed by a further four on 13 October. The main boiler house, bunker bay and two chimney stacks were demolished in August 2021. The original plan of generating power with gas was no longer, so the final three cooling towers came down on 17 March 2022. The skyline of my childhood blown up forever. Now they produce energy from waste in their boring grey square buildings!
Rain came back, so did the brolly as we cruised up the river.
Bulholme Lock was full, all the key powered locks automatically fill themselves when no one is looking. As I pressed the buttons for it to fill I did wonder where the water comes from. Standing above a lock you normally get a flow of water heading for the sluices, but here the water remained calm. It must come from the far end of the extended lock, under the side.
Towpath Tilly
Plenty of places to choose to moor. We pulled in where the bank is low and the bollards in useable distance. The boat moored in front, a chap we’ve come across a few times, NB Borderlines which has the coat of arms of York on the side. Tilly was given three hours shore leave, she took two and a half before we decided the doors should close for the day. Our dripping coats were hung up in front of the stove which Mick lit. We then had to open most windows and the hatch before we over heated, maybe next time it’s a touch chilly we’ll just dig out an extra jumper.
I spent a couple of hours on a second read of my panto script taking notes as I went. Still a few more pages to go, then research and logistics will start. Just how to materialise a coach on Chipping Nortons little stage and what should it look like?!
The chicken stock brought from Scarborough was still quite icy in the middle! But I persevered and made us a mushroom and chicken risotto.
NB Ivy
When we left Goole we’d heard that our friend Lisa is selling her boat, NB Ivy, that was moored across from where we were. A heart breaking sale for Lisa. If you are interested here are the details. I hope she finds a caring new owner for NB Ivy soon.
3 locks, 1 flood lock, 14.4 miles, 1 volunteer, 1 soggy day, 2 wet boaters, 2 good looking moorings, 1 person after my job! 1 stove lit, 2 mafting boaters, 1 content cat.
