Category Archives: River Aire

Spaghetti Fork. 22nd October

Castleford to Sykehouse Junction, New Junction Canal

Yesterday was the start of Chippy panto rehearsals for Jack and The Beanstalk. I’d be wrong if I said I wasn’t missing working on it this year. I’d also have rather been at the meet and greet followed by read through and fit up followed by fish and chips at the Blue Boar then having stinging eye drops in my eyes yesterday. I’m hoping we get chance to go down to see the show but we need to combine it with other things in the south, otherwise it would be a very expensive theatre trip. I’m still in touch with many people and am getting the occasional sneak peek at what’s happening.

Rather than drawing things out or base coating bits of scenery, today we were going to find out what the health and safety problem was at Ferrybridge Flood Lock and hope for a mooring suitable for some jobs and some cat shore leave.

We got up and pushed straight over to the water point close to Bulholme Lock. With the tank filling we sat down for breakfast. Then the yellow water was pumped into a container for disposal later. Just as we were sorting this a boat came past heading for the lock. We’d have been able to share if they waited five minutes, but by the time we were sorted they had dropped down the lock and were on their way.

I was on key duty and filled the lock. Just above the top gates was a huge island of pennywort, it spanned the the width of the lock. Mick decided to take a run up, either to split it in two or to take it into the lock with Oleanna. As soon as the bow hit the island he cut the engine and she drifted into the lock with the weed surrounding her. As the lock emptied the weed drifted in front only to be picked up again on exiting the lock. Mick then managed to loose it by stopping to pick me up at the lock landing.

Going downstream there’s about an hours cruise before reaching Ferrybridge. Lots of trees and today lots of sunshine. One of those lovely autumn days to enjoy being on the back of a boat.

Just about the only thing that gives away the old Ferrybridge power station is the old wharf where the Tom Puddings were brought to be raised up to empty their cargo of coal. The building is now gone, but the wharf still exists. Pylons stretch off in all directions and stepped back from the river power is still generated. It’s a boring landscape now the cooling towers are gone, so there’s no point in taking photos anymore.

The last couple of bends and we could see we’d caught the boat ahead of us up. A boat came from the lock too. Then through Ferry Bridge we could see the amber light, self operation! The flood lock is operable.

We caught the boat ahead up just as he was about to negotiate climbing a ladder. I managed to stop him, suggesting that as there were two of us we’d work the lock. I climbed the ladder, then over the footbridge.

Maybe the health and safety issue is with the walkway on the top gates, as you’d need a very big stride to get onto them, the step being a good three foot. But that has been the case for goodness how long. The river level board showed green! Not long till the gates could just be left open. I knew there wasn’t a gate through the handrail to reach the panel, so climbed over it. Maybe I’d have been better walking to the far end of the lock and crossing the gates there, but that was a very long way round, these locks are big round here!

On our own now, the other boat not in a rush, we carried on heading eastwards. Fishermen lined the banks and nodded at us as we passed. Lots of boats around Bank Dole Junction, quite a few big ones too. We headed right, turning left will be left for next year, or maybe we’ll head to York direct from Goole, or via Pocklington?

Kellingley Colliery is getting more overgrown around the edges, only the occasional gap to see if anything is happening, nothing since March that we could make out.

Now we were back on the waterways with big skies, reaching from way over there to way over there! We’ve enjoyed trees, hills, rivers this year, but we alos like being back here with so much sky.

The M62 comes close then drifts away. Then it returns to be passed underneath just before Whitley Lock. Here a weed boat was busy collecting Pennywort. The fork lift prongs on the bow jab into islands of leafy green, then rise up. The down side of this is it’s a bit like eating spaghetti with a fork and not being allowed to twist the pasta onto the prongs, the tomato sauce making the pasta slip off. The chap scouped up the pennywort time and time again to deposit it on the bank. Whitley Lock seems to be a place where the weed congregates. Last year there was a closure for quite sometime whilst it was cleared, at least they seem to be trying to keep on top of it this year.

As we approached the lock he asked if he could come down the lock with us. Apparently yesterday above the lock had been choaked with the weed. So we lowered down to the next pound the weed boat shooting out of the lock in front of us, hunting down the next mass of weed to collect and deposit on the bank.

This is all such familiar water to us now. Past the CRT boat yard at Heck. Plenty of work boats in, one out on the bank getting a new lick of CRT Blue.

Then Pollington Lock, our last lock of the year! In Oleanna went, the lolly pop indicators raised and down she descended to the Goole level of the Aire and Calder. The Key of Power could be put back on the main key ring and have a rest.

The VHF radio blurted something out. We always have it on around here to listen in in case there are any freight boats about. It was hard to understand what was being said, Mick checked on boat movements into Goole, Exol Pride had come up Ocean Lock an hour and a half ago. Exol was heading for the New Junction and all the lift and swing bridges, then on to Rotherham. We’d almost certainly have missed her by the time we got there ourselves.

Now at every overhead power line there were notices on the bank on posts, at every culvert notices too. Back towards Christmas 2020 there was a breach on the Aire and Calder, a huge amount of water was lost, the level from this huge pound dropped and several sections of piling and bank slumped into the canal. There is currently a stoppage notice for piling works.

Four hi-vis CRT staff walked towards us on the bank. Then a fence that really meant the towpath was closed, not one that you can manoeuvre to get round. Up ahead several work boats. New piling had gone in and a digger was back filling with earth and packing it down. One worker walked backwards with a remote controlled spikey roller. Skip boats of fresh earth were being brought from past Sykehouse Junction, no dredging silt from the canal, this back filling needed to be sturdy.

Our favourite spot at the junction was taken, so we turned onto the New Junction Canal to see what was available. One narrowboat at the far end, we pulled in just where the edging starts to flatten out and tied up. This would do us nicely.

Tilly you have four hours! Four!! Brilliant!!!!!! No eating your own body weight in rodents! Spoil sport!

After lunch I got the attachment of doom out. The rusty patches on the port side that I’d treated before Standedge needed cleaning off again. Then a coat of primer was applied. The boat ahead was being repainted by the looks of it. Tilly would now have to stay off boats and cat walks!

Mick put the mushroom vent top back on, only tightening it with his fingers, not wanting to put strain on the glued threaded bar. This will be fine. Then the interior cover went back on.

Then it was time to enjoy our evening as the sun set. Tilly zonked from so much friendly cover, now lounging on the sofa in front of the stove. Yarn was selected for the next pair of socks, they were cast on. What a lovely day and cruise.

4 locks, 16.5 miles of big skies, 0 red light, 1 lock on self operation! 2 locks shared, 1 full water tank, 1 clean pooh box, 1 empty yellow water tank, 1 right, 2 colds still clinging on, 1 grab rail with some paint on it, 4 hours of freedom, 3 little friends, 43 pounces, 2 trees, 1 slight patch of white, don’t know how that got there! 1 exhausted cat, 1 cosy Oleanna on our last night out on the cut.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/ZxiYHj3QcSKLyPwH7

The Brink Of Red. 22nd March

Above Lemonroyd Lock to above Birkwood Lock, Aire and Calder Navigation, Wakefield Branch

The plan started well. Get up have breakfast, sorry Tilly no shore leave. As we made ready to push off we noticed that the light at Lemonroyd Lock was amber, no longer red! Hopefully it had been fixed and we’d be free to head off down stream. We winded and returned to the water point.

A group of engineers huddled around a cabinet by the off side top gate of the lock. At least three C&RT vans could be seen. We walked down to see what was happening whilst Oleanna’s water tank filled. There was still a problem with the top gate, if we were narrow we’d be okay and we could operate the lock as normal. Phew we’d be able to escape!

When we were ready I walked up to the lock to get it going, Mick not wanting to untie until the top gates were open due to the amount of wind. This amount of wind would normally put us off cruising, but the chance to get moving somewhere, anywhere wasn’t to be missed. I called up to the chaps in the tower, they’d operate the lock for us.

I think it’s the first time I’ve been on a boat through Lemonroyd Lock. Have to say I think it looks much bigger from above than it does from inside it, but maybe that’s different when heading uphill. With the chaps in the tower, they could open the sluices all the way up straight away, from the pedestal it is phased and takes quite a while. It only took 4 minutes before the gates were open and we could be on our way. The river level board just on the brink of red!

By 14:30 a new stoppage notice had been issued for Lemonroyd Lock. It would remain closed until Monday whilst a new part was sourced. Thank you chaps for letting us through, we’d timed our escape well.

Sunshine, clouds skidding overhead, we made quick progress heading down stream. It felt good to be moving again.

The sad houses came into view (have a nosy around one of them), time to get ourselves ready to turn into the flow from the River Calder and the wind! Our zooming stopped, Mick cranked Oleanna’s engine up and swung the tiller over, she leant to one side, had our progress just been stopped totally? She then gradually straightened up to face the flow, slowly picking up pace we started to move again.

A widebeam came towards us, blimey it was blowy out there! Under several bridges each framing views. Past Fairies Hill Lock and on to Woodnook Lock which had been closed until last Friday. Key of power to turn and buttons to press we made our way up off the river, we’d be safe to rising levels for a while now we were back on the cut.

Our blowy journey towards Kings Road Lock was accompanied by a cyclist who rode back and forth back and forth along the track, the head wind not seeming to bother them. Pulling into the lock landing I spotted fishing rods sticking out from behind a widebeam. Frantic activity followed as two young lads fought to reel their lines in. This took quite some doing as they seemed to have caught items on the bed of the canal.

We’d been hoping to stop here for the day, safely off the river, moor on the offside so Tilly could explore safely, but what gaps there were certainly wouldn’t accommodate us, we’d have to continue.

At Birkwood Lock there was space on the mooring above. A lady was off loading groceries from her car and carrying them over to her boat on the off side. They’ve moored here for 18 years, loved it, but now it’s time to find somewhere on land to live. They’d been to see a council bungalow and noted their interest, just a shame there had also been over 200 other people interested. Hopefully they’ll find somewhere soon.

We pulled in, had a late lunch and let Tilly out to do her own catering!

We may stay put tomorrow as the wind will be stronger still. All the while we’re mindful that the river levels may come up again halting our progress.

On a positive note, I only just took longer than Mick to eat tonight, so my teeth are settling down at last.

3 locks, 8.6 miles, 1 wind, 1 hand brake turn right, £399,995, 1 full water tank, 4 CRT vans, 0 required part, 1 blowy day, 3 hours shore leave, 1 friend at least, 6 courgette bacon and feta fritters, 2 git gaps, 1 hopefully sheltered mooring, 1 Mrs Tilly stamp of approval, I’ll let you have this one.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/yioQNTvdLeBRqH6J8

Will We Ever Escape?! 21st March

Above Lemonroyd, still!

Porridge for breakfast with added diddy fruit. Think it will be a few more days before a Full English is back on the menu. Tooth situation improving, I’m only on paracetamol now.

The light behind us was red and flashing this morning, levels on the river deemed too high still. Ahead we waited for news at Bank Newton, would the lock there reopen today? If so our plans would possibly change . From our current mooring if we headed up the River Aire into Leeds it would be 6.4 miles before we got off rivers. If we stick to our original plan of the Rochdale it would be 26.6 miles before no more river sections could scupper our cruise. As the morning progressed we started to get our heads into gear regarding heading into Leeds, currently there are no flood gates or locks closed that stand in our way.

A big blue widebeam came past, we’d seen it last year at the top of Greenberfield. They headed towards the lock, the red light still flashing. A while later Mick walked to the bins, had a chat with Ruth from NB Lily Rose, they are still in the marina awaiting delivery of a new fridge. He said we may be changing our plans and head to Leeds, but River Lock is currently only open three days a week, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursdays, so we’d have to wait for next week. As he walked back he checked the river level below the lock, almost amber, the widebeam was now below the lock heading downstream, a C&RT van pulled away, the flashing red light no longer flashing, just a steady RED!

A stoppage notice came through, Lemonroyd Lock has a ‘mechanical and electrical failure. Engineers will be on site morning of Friday 22nd March to investigate and rectify.’ BOO!!!

Then another regarding Bank Newton, ‘the navigation is now open.’ Hooray!

I wandered up to the shops a few easier items to eat required. On return notices were coming through about the flood locks on the Aire and Calder, all were open or user operable apart from Bank Dole, which is closed due to a silt build up at Beale Lock. We’d now be able to get up to Wakefield.

As usual this was followed by an update on the flood locks and gates on the Calder Hebble. All flood locks and gates were now open apart from Anchor Pit and Ledgard. We’d now be able to reach Mirfield!

Except Lemonroyd our nearest lock has a fault!

We hatched a plan, in the morning we’d wind, fill up with water and then wait for the lock to be mended, fingers crossed!

Today is the 21st March, #WorldDownSyndromeDay. The date for WDSD being the 21st day of the 3rd month, was selected to signify the uniqueness of the triplication (trisomy) of the 21st chromosome which causes Down syndrome and the day has been officially observed by the United Nations since 2012 to raise awareness. The ‘Lots of Socks’ campaign encourages you to wear your boldest, brightest, mismatched socks, so when people ask you about them you can tell them all you know about Down Syndrome. This years campaign is End The Stereotypes.

Not many people got to see our socks today, but that didn’t matter. In the words of Dark Horse Theatre Company, ‘we put a pair of odd socks on & celebrate the individuality and talent of people with Down Syndrome!‘ I certainly know some very talented actors.

0 locks, 0 miles, 1 broken lock, 10 flood locks/gates open, 2 closed ahead, 2 sad git courgettes, 4 odd socks, 1 widebeam, 1 set of unintelligible instructions, 1 favourite lodger booked in, ~~1 Mrs Tilly’s~~, NO!

Decisions. 20th March

Above Lemonroyd, still!

Still not a good nights sleep for me sadly. I don’t think my dental problems are over just yet. Things are better, I’m leaving things be for a few days in case it’s just the aftermath of having a wisdom tooth out. Shame I managed to stock up on my cereal whilst in Scarborough, but it’s too munchy to eat right now, porridge it is.

This morning it was raining. The river levels were down, amber light showing at the lock behind us, but it wouldn’t stay that way for long. There was a decision to make.

**All that friendly cover being trimmed**

We’re wanting to cross the Pennines via the Rochdale canal which is open. Woodnook Lock on the Wakefield Branch of the Aire and Calder reopened last Friday after a stoppage. However the next flood lock, Broadreach has been closed since the 10th March. The Aire and Calder followed by the Calder Hebble both have river stretches, all with flood locks or gates on them, quite a few of these are closed at the moment.

Today we could cruise for about three hours to above Kings Road Lock and moor there. One step closer to the next stretch of river, one ticked off. However, shops are further away than they are here and the only service available is a water point. We could carry on to Stanley Ferry, but it’s not as nice there for Tilly. Here we also have the advantage of transport should we want to go anywhere.

First decision made, it was raining, we’d stay put for the time being.

By the afternoon the light at the lock had turned red! We’d be staying now no choice.

Up ahead of us on the Leeds Liverpool there have been a couple of closures, Greenberfield and Bank Newton. Greenberfield reopened today and the towpath telegraph suggests Bank Newton will open before the weekend. To go this way we’d still have the River Aire to cope with, but once up River Lock into Granary Wharf we’d be free from flood locks and rising levels. We went that way last year, it’s our favourite canal, but we’d really hoped to cross via the Rochdale. This decision has been differed for the time being.

A day of Tilly finally going out, Mick trying to understand the instructions on how to program the voltage sensitive relay switch he’s bought for the Nebolink (still unfathomable) and me knitting. My latest sock frogged back and altered a touch so the secret message would be clearer, it also means the knitting of it and it’s partner should be quicker.

Mid afternoon, we couldn’t wait any longer, we had to finish off Traitors Australia Season 2. Not quite the outcome we’d been hoping for, but maybe better than we could have imagined when starting on the first episode. Thank you Adam for helping feed our addiction. We now just have to go cold turkey and start watching all the other things that have been recording on the PVR.

0 locks, 0 miles, 1 load of translated mumbo jumbo, 1 amber turned to flashing red, 1 fair weather cat, 1st chiff chaff, 1 frogged sock, 1 trimmed towpath, 1 heel turned, 1 lazy day, 1 tasty tuna macaroni cheese. No you are not having another Mrs Tilly stamp of approval for here!

It Just Came Off In My Hand! 14th March

Above Lemonroyd Lock

Time to pack some socks up. We wouldn’t be going anywhere today as the lock light was flashing red, the river had come up overnight. It may not have rained here very much but up stream on the Pennines it certainly had, down at Castleford the level had risen higher than when we’d been there.

Mick wanted to tinker in the engine bay. The new batteries are not doing quite what he’d expected, one charges more than the other. So whilst I did sock things he took the engine board up. Power was turned off for a while. I took photos of a couple of pairs of socks, then they were labelled and packed up. Postage paid, address labels printed and attached when the power came back on. I just needed to find a post box now.

Maybe we’d go for a walk and shop after lunch.

Since having the new batteries, when we are stationary we’ve been running the engine whilst running the dishwasher, this gives the batteries a top up whilst the dishes wash and gives us hot water for showers. It’s been working quite well and a massive difference to last year when no matter how long we’d cruised during the day we’d need to give our depleted battery bank an extra charge before 8pm to have enough power to see us through the night. None of that now.

Mick appeared from the engine bay. We had a problem. In his hand was a pipe/connector this was from where the engine connects to the calorifier. We once had a problem with this connection on the Thames. It’s position is where Mick finds himself sitting to do things in the engine bay. Today he’d noticed it was leaking, so he had a go at tightening it with a spanner. Instead of tightening it came off in his hand!

Now we can’t run the engine, now we can’t move, now our water reserves are getting low (we should have topped the tank up to the top the other day rather than being eager for breakfast!). Add to this the lack of sunshine, solar being the only means to charge our batteries without the engine. Economy mode engaged and a phone call to RCR.

Stephanie called him back, Mick sent photos, a new part would need to be ordered then an engineer would come out to fit it, hopefully it would be that simple. However something had sheered off so there may have to be some drilling involved too. Oleanna’s W.O.C. number was required so the correct part could be ordered. Mick pointed out that we would run out of battery power without the engine, there was talk of hiring a generator should we need one.

After lunch I headed off to do some shopping and post socks. We are half way along one side of a triangle to the nearest shops, the rail line making a direct route impossible. I walked up towards Woodlesford then up the main road, past the Co-op and on to Lidl. A top up shop of essentials, a bigger shop could happen another day, after all I’m still hobbling.

Back at Oleanna Mick was still waiting for RCR to call back. They didn’t. Electric saving measures were implemented although we did allow ourselves to watch the first episode of Traitors Australia Season 2 (you are a bad influence Adam!).

The last few days I’ve had a bit of niggling tooth ache. For years I ignored such pain quite successfully, my relationship with my teeth wasn’t good for many years. Today the pain increased. Paracetamol was doing nothing. Thankfully Paracetamol and Codeine gave me a few hours of relief, something would need to be done. Was it a tooth that is on the cards for a crown? Could I get to Birmingham to my dentist tomorrow morning? Was there somewhere in Leeds I could go?

Oh what a day!

0 locks, 0 miles, 0 engine running, 1 gas boiler, 0 showers, 1 hour TV, 1st sock of pair 11 finished, 1 broken bit,1 painful tooth, 3 miles walked, 1 camera suggestion.

Arriba Arepas. 13th March

Above Lemonroyd Lock

So where is all that rain that was meant to fall overnight? Have to say it looked like it would fall more on the western side of the country than over the Leeds area. Just have to hope it’s not landing on the Calder catchment area of the Pennines or we could be waiting for flood gates to reopen. Instead of the rain we got wind.

At the moment we are awaiting Woodnook Lock reopening. But further upstream there are four flood gates currently closed, meaning that we’d only be able to get as far as Stanley Ferry where the first one will block our way.

A pottering kind of day for us. Mick got round to going through the items on The Shed shelves and the contents of the Nicholson’s shelf. I’d offered to do it, but wouldn’t know what he’d be wanting to keep. The aim was to be able to put the tool box back on the shelf as originally planned seven years ago. A couple of tupperware boxes were used to keep bits and bobs in, which now can live happily behind or alongside the tool box. We now have space on the Nicholson’s shelf for one of the guides, although these very rarely come out now, they only get read when we are on completely new water.

Tilly came and went. The blowy outside not much to her liking, but the ‘Thank you for coming home’ Dreamies were!

I made some Arepas for lunch, corn cakes which are easy to make once you have the right flour. These were mentioned in panto last year, so I’d been wanting to make some. Back in the house I’ve had a couple of goes, todays recipe was possibly the best one I’ve tried, less sticky than the others. I also made some coleslaw to go in them with a slice of feta cheese that needed eating up. Very nice and a nice change. I’ll add them to the recipe section.

I spent much of the day knitting Pair 11 of my sockathon. The pair I’d started yesterday sadly the yarn, which is yummy, was just too busy for what I was wanting to create, so it was frogged and I’ve started on a pair to match pair 10, well similar. I really must take photos of the finished socks I have in my box and get them in the post.

0 locks, 0 miles, 2 passing boats, 1 blowy day, 1 shed sorted, 1 sock frogged, 0.75 of next sock knitted, 4 arepas, 24 Dreamies, 1 cat not loosing weight! 1 fire just on tick over, 1 galley sink plug needing replacement.

Woooops! 12th March

Castleford Visitor Mooring to HS2 proposed bridge above Lemonroyd Lock

As we had a cuppa in bed we checked the levels, last night the flashing red lights at either end of the cut had returned to amber. It was of course raining again. We reckoned that the red light had gone on when the level here had reached 1.5m, it was currently 1.38m. More rain is forecast for the coming days, flood gates are still closed along the Calder Hebble and Woodnook Lock isn’t due to reopen until Friday afternoon. We could stay put, or make a dash for it to Lemonroyd. This would have the advantage of us not having to listen to the permanent moorers generators every evening up to midnight. The main question was how long would it be before the level rose again and inhibited us from making the move?

In the summer we quite often get up and get going before we’ve had breakfast so as to avoid the hottest part of the day, today we decided that we’d get up and get going to hopefully beat the river coming back up, after all Lemonroyd was only an hour and a half away.

**Number on keys Brian, but out of view**

Mick pulled Oleanna in at the services mooring to dispose of rubbish and contents from our wee tank at the elsan. I headed over to the flood lock to get it ready. The key of power turned in the panel, I could see the sluices from the river in the old lock close, then raised the sluices to empty the lock. I imagined this would take a while to do as it’s such a huge expanse of a lock. I walked up to the other end and checked the level board. About six inches into the amber, we were go.

**Waterproof case for Waterway Routes phone**

Once Oleanna was in the lock, I lifted the paddles to fill it to river level. Gosh it hardly took any time at all before the Water Level light came on, the cut must be just about the same height at the moment. Once closed up I headed to the lock landing where Mick was bringing Oleanna in to pick me up.

This morning I’d opted for anti-slip trainers rather than walking boots. I trust these trainers on wet wood more than the boots. But the little slope down to the steps of the lock landing was muddy, no amount of anti-slip would help here. My feet slid from in front of me, my bottom landing on the thankfully soft ground, my body weight headed for the steps and then the river! I managed to reach out and grab the wooden railing and stop my sliding progress and the possibility of my life jacket being used for it’s purpose. Oh well I knew I shouldn’t have washed my coat and padded trousers!

On up stream, heading towards Leeds. The wide River Aire brown, the occasional blackthorn bush sprouting it’s flowers, other buds starting to open up on trees. Ducks and geese took to the air. It may be muddy out here, but nature is starting to bring spring in.

The big steps below Lemonroyd Lock came into view. I stepped off, took the up and down route rather than risk another muddy slide, up to the lock. Before pressing any buttons I waited for Mick to signal that Oleanna was ready, bow line tied as well as centre. Lemonroyd Lock is 14ft 9″ deep and very long, there’s a lot of water to get rid of when emptying it so it’s best to be safely tied up. I made note of the level board, similar amount of amber showing as there had been at Castleford.

Mick passed a rope round a cable at the far end of the lock. Thumbs up I could press the Open Sluice button. Only one sluice is currently working and the force of water coming from it was colossal. It took time to rise, Oleanna just bobbing about a bit at the far end of the lock.

A pause to fill with water then we moved on to find ourselves enough depth by the bank to moor up. By the time we’d put covers up, jotted down our location, removed muddy clothing it was just gone midday. Breakfast or lunch time? Lunch.

Tilly spent much of the afternoon exploring whilst Mick finished moving the ropes back to where they should be, a new soft shackle required for the centre lines. Must remember to buy more when in Braunston next.

Time to get the red nose out and cable tied onto the bow fender ready for Friday.

The next lot of Sockathon yarn was wound into a cake. However after knitting a few inches, the combination of colours wasn’t working how I wanted it. The main yarn having too much variety to show off another colour. Tomorow I’ll revisit the yarn drawer and see what else I can come up with.

2 locks, 4.4 miles, 1 right, 1 very muddy bum, 5 hours! 1 shackle, 1 red nose, 10th pair complete, 11th hmmm, 1 GP appointment almost missed, 1 GP appointment cancelled! 1 vat of bolognaise on the stove, Traitors USA Season 1 complete, now what to watch? 0 generators, 1 Mrs Tilly stamp of approval.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/LnCwky9uhg4zAhN39

Albion Picture Houses. 11th March

Castleford Cut Visitor Moorings

Tilly climbed trees whilst we enjoyed a cooked breakfast. Hash browns from the freezer rather than homemade, Mick’s are nice they just take a bit of doing.

The EA Gauge was starting to come back down today, slowly. Mick had a walk up to the lock this morning and the river was still in the red, a red flashing light to go with it another at the opposite end of the cut. We’d not be moving until the level returned to below 1.5m, so not likely to be today.

For the last month I’ve been looking at new cameras on line. I’m wanting to replace my old one as the lens shutter sticks, therefore the lens can be quite filthy affecting the photos I take, plus it’s been mended twice! A compact, fits in your pocket, reasonable zoom, good megapixels kind of camera. Well it’s proving difficult find under £400! It’s as if no-one wants them anymore because phone cameras are so good now. Well except if you spot a Kingfisher at 90 paces you want to zoom in and not end up with a pointillist image. Also I’ve got used to using the camera to zoom in on locks ahead to see what is happening, a phone isn’t capable of that. So I’ve started to look at second hand cameras, CEX had a few I wanted to look at in Castleford so we headed off for a walk into town.

Well the Sony Cybershot has a great zoom but the whole thing is far too big to have in your pocket or bumbag whilst working locks. Crossing some lock gates I’d end up getting trapped! So sadly no luck today. We also tried Cash Convertors another local shop, still no luck. The hunt continues.

A top up shop at Morrisons, not the biggest store and lacked some of our usual basic items, but fresh fruit and veg were stocked up on.

The walk back took us along Albion Street. A busy road. Here stood two buildings that had to have been cinemas, their facades giving away their early 1900’s age. The first moving picture was shown in 1905 by a touring company in the Queens Hall, a couple of years later films were a regular event. By 1911 another two venues were showing films and in 1912 four new cinemas were opened in the town which the year before had a population of just over 23,000.

The Albion Picture House sits on the corner of Wilson and Albion Streets. Quite a simple building but the shape giving away it’s history. By 1913 the Crown Picture Palace had opened up in Glasshoughton, it’s owner was in dispute with the central Castleford cinema owners as they were threatening to boycott anyone supplying him with films. It was forced to close only to open again in 1916, but burnt down in 1923.

The Albion was rebuilt further along the road in 1927. It was converted to triple screens in 1975 and in February 1987 it showed it’s last film leaving Castlefield with no cinemas. Both buildings look like they have seen other lives, but now they look dormant, pretty much like most of the rest of the town centre.

Castlefield was greatly affected by the closure of the coal mines in the area. In 1984 the Wakefield area of Yorkshire had 15 collieries, by the end of the 1980’s only 4 remained. Frickley/South Elmsall and Sharlston closed in1993, Prince of Wales 2002 and finally Kellingley in 2015. Today the town looks dead, did it ever recover from the closures or has it been on a downward trend since the 1980’s? A stretch of houses along the south bank of the River Aire were all boarded up, due for demolition, part of the refurbishment of the area into part of the ‘riverside destination’. It’ll be nice to have gardens and pathways along the river. Hope it breaths new life into the area.

Thankfully Queens Mill is still open, Yorkshire Craft Beers, a tea room and the flour mill, the worlds largest stoneground flour mill. Along side it is Millenium Bridge, curving over the weir across the River Aire, joining both banks. Today there was quite a lot of water flowing over it.

River levels are still on the way down, but more rain is forecast overnight. The mooring here isn’t bad, but the evening and night time running of gennies from the permanent moorers across the way is really quite annoying. If we can we’ll move on in the morning.

0 locks, 0 miles, 1 dry day, 0 suitable cameras, 5 bananas, 6 apples, 2kg potatoes, 2 cinemas on one street, 15 to 0, 21:30, midnight another! 2 boaters 1 cat hoping for levels to drop by morning.

Castleford Locks. 10th March

Castleford Visitor Moorings

It started to rain last night and was still going for it this morning. Not torrential rain, but as the land is totally soaked right now the rivers were going to rise quickly. Here at Castleford Cut we are protected by the flood lock out onto the junction of the Rivers Aire and Calder. Last night we’d considered moving up to above Lemonroyd Lock where there is a nice mooring both we and Tilly like, but the rain this morning put us off. Currently we’re not in a rush so why get wet. Others including NB Nee Nah were off early, their aim to head to Leeds to await Woodnook Locks reopening at the end of the week. We decided to wait for the rain to stop, weather apps were checked, maybe early afternoon.

The Geraghty zoom this morning included conversations on fitted wardrobes and levelling up funding, diesel on boats in London, cat flaps and Masquerade by Kit Williams.

We pottered away the morning. Mick started to look at the river levels, hmmm, going up as we’d thought they would. There had been a notice this morning saying that Ledgard Flood Gates on the Calder Hebble were closed due to rising water levels. This is some way upstream but the waters would soon arrive here.

A walk to look at the level board at the flood lock. Waterproofs were donned and a slippy walk was made until we reached the tarmac and the road that weaves it’s way round to the A656. Down the footpath and back at the cut. Here we could see the normally amber light was now red and flashing at us. The flood lock closed. We crossed the lock gates and walked down to see how high the water was.

The level board has a very long red length, suggesting the river can rise very high. Today the river was sitting at about 2 inches into the red, we’d not be going anywhere today! At this end of the lock there are three lights each facing a different direction, all of these were amber, navigation possible to get off the river section and into the safety of the cut.

We crossed over the top gates, stood and wondered just why the flood lock here was such an odd shape. A little further on was a clue, a channel which is possibly used to fill the lock now but it showed obvious signs of it having been a lock in the past. Gate recesses and metal work from where gates used to be attached. A look at our Waterway Routes map confirmed that it had been a lock. I’d also spotted that there was another old lock shown on the map. Maybe the course of the cut had changed through the centuries, very likely.

On our return to Oleanna we took a slight detour and spotted the old lock which used to connect the River Aire below the weir to the cut. Had this been to bring goods up from the river to avoid navigational difficulties down stream? Time to do a bit of history hunting.

Old maps showed that there had been the smaller lock from the river that we’d seen today, but they also showed Castleford Cut. Hunting round I found a very good article on a Castleford History blog A lot to read, but worth it if you are interested. Here’s a quick precis.

**Waterway Routes showing two old locks**

In the C17th the textile industry was on the rise in the West Riding. Goods were imported and exported via York, packhorse boats sailing up and down the River Ouse which connected with packhorse routes across Yorkshire. In the 1620’s permission was sought in parliament to build short cuts to avoid weirs on the Rivers Aire and Calder. But opposition from York Corporation meant the bills were rejected. By 1698 royal ascent was received for the plans, meaning Castleford would become an important place during the canal boom years, the village growing into a town.

The original cut came off the river where we’d spotted the old lock. From here is continued in a straight line, through where the dry dock is and then down back onto the river behind The Griffin Pub on the big S bend, this meant bypassing the weir. Much of this old route has now been built over so no evidence is visible other than the dry dock. On the map below this route is shown by the blue line. This was possibly the shortest/cheapest route and opened in 1699. Castleford now became a key point for the collection of toles with wool, cloth, grain and coal passing through.

**1699 Blue, 1774 Purple, 1831 to Present day Orange**

The amount of traffic built up during the C18th, the capacity of the locks on the Aire and Calder were becoming an impediment. In 1774 an act of parliament was passed for a series of improvements. The awkward angle of Castleford Dam Lock was one problem the silt build up here another. So another cut was cut, shown above in purple. It came out from the current dry dock at 90 degrees then another turn to the east before dropping down to the river at Middle Lock, the ruins of which we’d spotted very close to our mooring. This all opened in 1775, but really wasn’t an ideal solution.

Trade was good, a weighing station was built in 1819. At this time Castleford also became a place where passengers would arrive by coach from Leeds and join boats heading for Goole and Hull. The Packet Boat steps are still visible below Castleford Bridge on the Aire. But in 1834 the opening of the Leeds Selby railway saw passengers move to the rails and then climb onboard boats in Selby to head down stream on the River Ouse. AS passengers reduced in number freight increased and further improvements were considered to the navigation.

**The ruins of Middle Lock back down onto the Aire**

In 1819 John Rennie surveyed the navigation and commented on it’s bad design and how the old lock was in a bad state of repair. George Leather did a survey in 1824 finding that depth of the cut was seriously bad, less than 5ft in places (not just a problem today!), the tight turns frequently caused damage to the boats. Where the lock met the river and the next half mile downstream was prone to silting. Various suggestions were made, Rennie added a suggestion of a new flood lock north of the current one. Then Thomas Telford was brought in, 1827, straightening of the River Calder was added into the mix and he agreed on much of what Leather had proposed. Works started in 1829 and by 1831 the north and south cuts had been joined and the navigation became what we have today stretching to Bulholme Lock where it re-joins the river, bypassing the weir, meanders and silt (route shown in orange).

The river levels have continued to rise through the afternoon and evening 1.66m by the time we went to bed. Tilly climbed trees, I knitted and Mick found things to do avoiding sorting out the remaining contents of The Shed.

0 locks, 0 miles, 2 old locks found, 2 bacon butties, 1 abandoned pushchair, 2 inches in the red, 1 soggy day, 21:10 generator turned off, 1 still going at bed time, 1/3 sock knitted, 6 sausages and roasted veg,1 boat trapped, 2 flashing red lights.

Empty Horizon. 9th March

Whitley Lock to Castleford Visitor Moorings

The bow and stern ropes got their turn in the washing machine this morning, then we pushed over to the water point below the lock. These big key of power Yorkshire locks have traffic lights, nearly always on amber for self operation. If there is a lockie on duty then you get red and green lights too, but along this stretch this is a rare occurrence.

As we tied up to fill with water Mick pointed out that there was no amber light, in fact there was no light at all! Had a bulb gone, or was there something more serious wrong with the lock? It had been working yesterday as a boat had come down and one gone up. Once the tank was filling I walked up to see what was what.

Key in the panel, I turned it clockwise. No lights, the sluice that keeps the lock full when not in operation was up, normal, but usually on turning the key any open sluices close, then a light illuminates saying the lock is ready. Nothing happened. I pressed a few buttons. At the top there is a fault light, even this wasn’t illuminated but I looked for the ‘instructions below’. Only instructions on how to use the lock in normal situations and the emergency phone number, good job the fault light wasn’t lit! I went to remove my key, a good original BWB key, it was trapped and wouldn’t turn. I called Mick, he’d call C&RT and let them know.

Float and other keys were removed from the one that was now trapped. I walked to check if the light at the other end of the lock was lit. NO, nothing. I returned to Oleanna to discus what to do and await a person in blue. Except as I got nearer to the boat the traffic light came on, amber! There must be power. Back up to the panel, my key would release now. I tried the buttons, the lock would empty and then the gates would open. I called Mick, he then called C&RT to stand them down. It must have been a power cut, thinking about it later the hand dryer in the toilet hadn’t worked either, power cut.

Up the lock, Mick fishing out one of the biggest fat fenders we’ve come across. The god of the Yorkshire waterways was being a touch too generous. We could think of instances when such a large fender would come in handy, but just where do you keep something SO huge? The roof? We left it on the bank, I suspect the original owner will pick it up when it’s spotted.

Passing under the M62 I waved in case our friend JG was passing overhead. When ever we see him he asks about Whitley Lock, maybe one day we’ll coincide with him there. A mile further on we pulled in at Whitley Bridge, tucking in on the end of the moorings. Our planned cruise still had another three hours and it was just about lunchtime.

A mile down the road there is a shop, a visit was required for a Saturday newspaper and some alternative cat food. Since moving back onboard Tilly has decided that pink poultry food isn’t to her liking and after a week I was getting concerned that she had taken my comments about being an extra 100grams heavier this year to heart. Fortunately the shop also sold pink fishy flavours, our first attempt at getting her to eat before trying blue or any other coloured cat food.

The sky line here is very different from when we first cruised these waters no Eggborough Power Station that used to dominate the horizon. The old site of Kellingley Colliery sits abandoned, a few diggers but nothing much happening.

Old big boats take up the offside moorings at Bank Dole Junction. The lock here is closed due to a build up of silt down on the River Aire. We turned left heading to another landmark of my youth, Ferrybridge, all cooling towers now stolen from view.

The visitor moorings were filled with various cruisers that seem to have taken up root with their possessions’, across the way a narrowboat looked like it was settling for the day. I hopped off to operate the lock (a fall of a foot currently), while Mick chatted to the other boat who had just decided that there would be nicer places to moor further on. The two boats sharing the long flood lock.

We’d just left the lock when a lady appeared behind us, key of power in the panel and pressing buttons here there and everywhere. The gates reopened behind us, a boat must be coming down stream. We slowed our progress when we saw it coming at quite a lick under Ferry Bridge. I’m glad we’ve done the tidal Thames as the wake this boat left was nearly on a par with that from an Uber boat.

**John Carr’s** **Ferry Bridge from under the A162 road bridge**

With no cooling towers to marvel at the landscape of the River Aire is now bland, brown and bland. No curves to catch the light, maybe one day someone will come up with a new purpose for cooling towers and we’ll start building them again. The last three towers had originally been kept for a future gas-fired power station, but were demolished 17th March 2022.

NB Nee Nah was quite a distance ahead, only visible every now and then on the meandering river. Cold was starting to set in, inside the cabin would be nice and toasty, Tilly oblivious to the efforts we go through to find her interesting outsides to tie up. Round the last bend of the river we could see Bulholme Lock, there sat NB Nee Nah and another narrowboat, their crew already emptying the lock. Would all three boats fit? We hung back in case, also not wanting to barge in ahead of the first boat. They waved us in.

The three boats tucked in with room to spare and rose up the lock. Would there be enough room for us all to moor? Mick offered to breast up with the original boat should the need arise. Two spaces were visible, we headed to near the coal shoot, NB Nee Nah opting for the first space near the lock. The last boat came past just after we’d moored. Plenty of git gaps! Hope they found somewhere.

Too late for Tilly shore leave. A batch of shortcrust pastry was made up and left to rest in the fridge for an hour. A leftover roast chicken, tarragon and feta pie (minus the leeks) was made accompanied by jacket potatoes. Very nice it was too.

3 locks, 10.8 miles, 1 wind, 1 left, 1 full tank of water, 4 clean ropes, 12 pouches 1+ fishy pink food, 1 bowl devoured, 1st sock of 10th pair finished, 1 big pie, 2 jackets, 1 big river section done, 15.5 fingers and 4 paws crossed for not too much rain in the coming days, 23:45 when the genny across the way stopped!

Narrowboat Oleanna

Travels of Narrowboat Oleanna