Hebden Bridge

A sunny sunny morning. Tilly wanted to be out and about, just a shame about the park filling up with people spoiling her fun.

Late morning we all headed into town to have a look around. I was on the hunt for some sock yarn for a commission, but sadly Hedben Bridge doesn’t have the indy dyed yarn I thought would be here.

Hebble End is still going with it’s artist and crafty shops. My friend Julia used to have a space here, but the floods that affected Hebden a few years ago made her leave Hebble End and work else where, she now runs a B&B in Hay on Wye. Most of the units were closed this morning, but out on the towpath was the Blacksmith boat, his wares along the towpath for all to buy.

One place we had to visit was Saker Bakery. The window was full of black Russian bread and a large bakers tray was stacked high with fat freshly baked hot cross buns, these ensured we went in to join the queue. Frank insisted on us buying half a dozen even though I wouldn’t be having any, he’d be able to take my share home with him, he’s thoughtful like that! A small Sour Dough Rye loaf was added to the shopping then we moved out past the constant queue.

I picked up some chestnut flour in the wholefood shop across the way. Frank bought a couple of books and Mick just enjoyed perusing. One thing was sure, Hebden was heaving! Back at the boat Tilly stayed in the pram cover watching everyone whilst I made some sausage rolls for us all.

A couple of boats came up the lock below, dropping the pound. One boat winded and then reversed past, almost bumping into us, but the cheery chap fended his boat off explained that he’s had his boat lengthened and he’s far from used to it yet. We later had a look and it’s almost been doubled in length. A cruiser with a noisy crew also came in to moor, they were enjoying the sunny afternoon.

A family found themselves a nice little spot alongside the canal to enjoy their fish and chips, right by the elsan and pumpout! A birthday party with bunting and much singing went on in the park as the recycling bins filled with empty bottles and cans. Tilly plucked up the courage to venture off the boat to join in.

A dash across the towpath and I was in amongst the sideways trees, one leap and I was in the safety of the big tree. Climbing high up I could keep an eye on everyone down in the park, some of them had balls, I was tempted to go and play too, but stayed up high instead. Some birdies chatted away to me the higher I got, soon I couldn’t see much outside,I couldn’t see my boat! She called for me, I could hear her so I called for her, but she couldn’t hear. Tom came out too, he never calls for me, but that doesn’t stop me calling for him.

I climbed down a bit and could just see them, both looking up into the tree, just not at me! Who else was up here? Then eventually she spotted me and her voice changed, ‘Come on we want to go out! Numpty Bum!’ The noisy man from the boat behind offered to climb up and get me, as if I’d go anywhere near him! All it took was some calculations and remembering to do the last bit backwards and I was down.

Fish and Chips all round at The Shoulder Of Mutton was very nice. Especially for me as I don’t think I’ve had them for a couple of years,my batter was gluten free, not as bubbled up as the normal ones, but very nice all the same. A pint followed at Calan’s Micropub, being able to sit outside a bonus on such a lovely evening.

0 locks, 0 miles, 0 yarn, 6 hot cross buns, 2 books, 9 sausage rolls, 1 lazy afternoon, 4 fish and chips with added aroma, 1 cat right up the tree, 1 hour to find her, 1 helpful chap, 3 portions of fish and chips, 1 portion of mushy peas left, who needs pre-masticated peas!

Lock 1 to Hebden Bridge Wharf, Rochdale Canal

A visit from Sharon started off the day. Sharon is an old flat mate of mine from York in the years just after school, she thought she wanted to be a nurse and I didn’t want to go on to further education so sold books and maps instead. We had a good year in our flat and have kept in touch since. Unfortunately last year I missed her 50th Birthday as we were busy celebrating Mick’s 60th, so it was lovely to be able to spend a couple of hours catching up this morning. It also gave me an excuse to do some baking, chocolate chip and almond biscuits, Yummy!

A crane was moving boats around on the hard standing across the way and three boats came past, all booked into Tuel Lane Lock at 11am. A chap from a cruiser in front tapped on the roof and said that he’d be coming up the locks with us at 1 pm. A busy day for the volunteers in Sowerby today.

We rolled up the covers and pushed off before 1, the Lockie heading down to give us our instructions. Tuel Lane Lock would be ready for us, they were dropping the 134,250 gallons of water which was flowing over the top of the lock gates and keeping the bywashes very busy.

We worked up Locks 1 and 2 with Summer Breeze, he went ahead whilst Frank and I were picked up. As we entered the tunnel a blast of horn announced our arrival to the lockies and we turned under the road and popped out into the light at the bottom of Tuel Lane Lock.

Here you put a rope, stern and bow, around risers to hold you steady, hopefully keeping us away from Summer Breeze as we didn’t want to crush it. Gates closed behind, ropes passed round, I took a deep breath (risers and me don’t go together) and the chaps way above started to gradually fill the lock.

In front is a sheer cliff of concrete that angles away just below the lock gates a bit like the bow of a nuclear submarine sitting waiting below the level of the canal. Tuel Lane is 19ft 8 inches deep, the deepest working lock in Britain. It replaced two locks which when the canal was derelict had a road built over one of them, so the new lock was built to bring boats back up the full level.

It takes some time to rise the near 6 meters, flicking your ropes up the risers. Keeping away from the cruiser meant I didn’t get many photos, Mick managed a few at the back.

A pause for lunch and then we were on our way, four more locks to do to get us to Hebden Bridge. Immediately the canal showed us it’s character, narrow hugging the valley sides and stone bridges similar to those on the Macclesfield, they just don’t quite curve inwards at the bottom.

Blue bells amongst the trees shone out in the sun light, geese sat on their nests, ducks taking their new offspring for swimming lessons and the odd butterfly darting through the warm air.

We passed several hire boats due back tomorrow and came across Nb Adagio a Carefree Cruising boat based up at Sowerby for the summer. The ladies weren’t too enamoured with the locks, they looked glad to be heading back to base. I then in turn was glad to have Frank with me, heavy gates and stiff paddles to lift.

There were plenty of people out on the towpath and it turned out they were doing a sponsored walk. 70 Wigan fans were walking 58 miles to Leeds. A fan had promised to walk the 58 miles if his team beat Aston Villa in January, if they beat them by three goals he’d do it backwards. There he was walking backwards, 40 miles already done the remainder they hoped to achieve in time for their next match in Leeds tomorrow.

Lock 8 was a b**ger. Empty when we arrived the near side gate opened easily, but trying to close it was impossible. With both Frank and myself heaving on the beam we succeeded only for it to open itself again by the time we’d walked to the other end to start filling it.

This second time Frank held it closed until I’d opened a paddle. With all the heaving and cursing under our breath I hadn’t noticed the big signs asking you to leave the lock empty, but a chap walking by pointed it out to us. If left full the lockside buildings get flooded. So we happily lifted the bottom paddles.

Under Princess Bridge and we were back where we’d moored Lillian for the Tour de France in 2014, we had a yellow boat so had to take her to watch the cycling. Frank had helped us up from Piccadilly Basin, the two of us walking most of the way from Manchester. So now the only locks he hasn’t done on the Rochdale are the Rochdale Nine, big brutes of locks. Unfortunately today the pound was quite low, so trying to pull in where we wanted to be wasn’t possible unless we wanted to put the gang plank out.

Across the way was a familiar face, Diana from the local IWA, she’d organised the moorings for the Tour de France. She and her husband suggested to try nearer the footbridge where the canal would be a touch deeper. We pulled up in front of the three boats that had come up the locks before us today, no wonder the level was down if everyone was staying in Hebden for the night.

Tilly was allowed to make her own mind up about Hebden. Too many people, that whistling man here too, but one very very big tree that had to be climbed. As Tilly worked on her climbing calculations I dug our yellow bicycle out and popped it in the window, not quite the same as when it was in Lillian’s porthole.

7 locks, 19ft 8 inches, 5.5 miles, 1 school friend, 1 easter egg, 8 yum biscuits, 3 before us, 1 plastic to share with, 134,250 gallons, 2 lockies, 1 tunnel, 58 miles backwards, 0 pipe bridge, 0 winding hole, 1 not so sure cat, 1 cat not a woofer! 1 vat of chilli, 1 bottle of English bubbles, 1 new camera in action.

Sowerby Bridge

Tilly’s escape pod had been put together yesterday in readiness for this morning. She obliged by taking up residence, she so likes it in there. Just a shame that I zipped up the door with her inside and then we took her for a walk. Along the towpath, over the canal and up a very steep hill to the vets. Today was Tilly’s annual check up at her fourth vets since she’s lived with us.

Every year I make a phone call to a vet as close as possible to the canal to make an appointment for Tilly’s jabs. So far every vet hasn’t had a problem with us being nomads and a suitable appointment has been made. Last week after getting her sorted I tried to get a GP and nurse appointment for myself in Scarborough. I could have one in two weeks the other in three and a half. But trying to combine both together for the same day was impossible, I’d have to ring back in a weeks time! Cats have such an easy life.

A short wait , enough to catch our breath, before we saw the vet. Annual jab done followed by a good feel, heart listened to, weigh in, then the question about her teary eye. I was pleased that he checked it out, but the same suggestion came back as every year so far. She most probably had a virus or cat flu when she was young and this affected her tear duct. Today we got some extra information about it and all is fine.

Of course I’m a okay! I really don’t understand why someone in green, they always wear green, has to poke and prod me. But they have a beguiling quality to them so I let them look at my teeth and even put yellow snotty stuff in my eye. After a weigh in, why anyone would think I could possibly be over weight, I was allowed back into my escape pod, where I sat and waited for it to be zipped closed again.

The walk down hill was far easier especially as our pockets were considerably lighter having purchased worming tablets and flee medication for a year. Back at the boat Tilly was allowed 9 hours, a load of washing was put on and after a cup of tea I was just getting ready to do a days work when there was a tap on the roof! Who could that be?!

Outside stood our friend Frank. Yesterday we’d sent him a message as we were a touch concerned about him. We’ve been in Yorkshire for a couple of months and not had him visit us. An invite was given to him to join us to go up Tuel Lane Lock on Thursday and head up to Hebden Bridge. Told not to be late, he succeeded by being 24 hours early! Somewhere along the line we’d got our wires crossed. Never mind it’s lovely to see him.

Today I was going to get lots of work done, sketches that are almost overdue for panto then people could think about them over Easter and we could cruise before getting comments back. Some shopping was needed so the boys were sent out leaving me to start sketching. Another couple of hours were really needed, but at least I’ve made a start.

This evening we’ve been across the way to The Moorings for steaks and a burger. Very nice they were too, along with wine and pints of T.

0 locks, 0 miles, 1 cat in a box, 1 very close vets, 1 very steep hill, 1 years feline MOT, 1 man in green, 1 day of work postponed, 9 hours! 1 whistling man, 1 good friend, 24 hours early, 1 newspaper, Act 1 sketched, 2 steaks, 1 burger, 3 mice, 1 vole, 2 boys zizzing on the sofa.

Salterhebble Middle Lock to Lock 1, Rochdale Canal

As we made ready this morning a boat was coming down the middle lock of Salterhebble, I walked with windlass and spike to show our intentions, the gates were left open.

On Lillian this was the shortest lock we encountered. We came down it backwards without bow and stern fenders. Getting the stern past a closed bottom gate took a bit of doing, with tiller hard over we reckoned we had about an inch spare after the stern nav light. Oleanna’s length was chosen with this lock in mind, a foot shorter than Lillian, we should be fine.

Mick brought her in through one open gate, slowed her down, bow touching at the front. At this point there was a chance that we might have to lift a fender to sneak her in past the closed gate.

Would she slide in? Breath in! The stern fender looked like it was just over by an inch.

Then Mick pushed on the gate, it wasn’t quite fully closed. This gave us a few more inches.

She slid past no problem! Phew.

By this time there was someone saying ‘Hello’ to me, a Lockie who would be seeing us through Tuel Lane in a couple of days. With the gates closed we started to lift the ground paddles, keeping an eye on Oleanna as she rose. Now that was easier than we thought it would be, maybe we could have had her built three inches longer!

With another boat waiting to come down we went straight into the top lock instead of filling with water in the intermediate pound. Here we had gongoozlers, the crew from the other boat and two more Lockies. The lady from the other boat alerted me to water spraying into the well deck from the top gates. Yes things would be getting wet, but it wasn’t really all that much concern, Mick nudged Oleanna a bit to avoid the pisser from the gate and she carried on up with no problem.

The two locks were over very quickly and with ease. There are often questions on facebook groups as to how long is the ideal boat, a go anywhere boat(apart from the 40 something foot lock on the middle levels). Lillian was 59ft 6inches plus fenders, her stern was a little bit squarer than Oleanna’s and her bow may have been a touch fatter. Removing her fenders we cruised her up to Ripon, did the Salterhebble and the Huddersfield Broad locks. All these were done with care, but were a touch tight, especially the one on the Huddersfield Broad! When we specked Oleanna she had to be able to cruise the northern canals so she was built at 58ft 6 inches. Her shape possibly also makes a difference, just that bit more curvy and slender in the right places. We had several inches to spare today with our fenders down. The plan worked, we just need to see if she’ll fit through Standedge Tunnel now.

We topped up with water and disposed of rubbish at the top. We wondered if the water pressure would have been better in the pound below, but we were patient and were out of the way for the other boat to go down. The trees looked very good here, but still they wouldn’t let me out!

A top up of diesel and a new gas bottle were required before we could settle for the day. The visitor moorings by the basin at Sowerby Bridge looked like we’d be able to fit on the end, but a lack of rings put us off. At the basin we swung into Shire Cruisers diesel point. This is where we’d left Lillian whilst we finished packing up the house to rent out, where we got a sofa bed delivered and where Houdini (our old cat) moved on board with us five years ago.

Refilled we reversed back out and winded. I’d spotted a space free below Lock 1 on the Rochdale Canal so we pulled in where the trees looked good, the river a safe distance away. Here will do us for a couple of days.

Mick headed to Halifax to pick up my new camera whilst I did some work. Whilst I wondered if I could use a sewage pumping station to base the main part of my set for Puss In Boots on, Tilly climbed trees and worried the local duck population. A good afternoon all round.

2 locks, 2.25 miles, 2 boats coming down, 4 inches spare, 1 breakfast up to standards, 1 left, 1 right, 1 wind, 1 camera, 1 very sexy pumping station, 5 friends, 4 trees, 0 wet paws, 2 geese sent flying.

Crowther Bridge16 to Salterhebble Middle Lock

Today we came through one section of the canal that was badly hit by the flooding on Boxing Day 2015. In front of us as we pushed off, Crowther Bridge looked new with gabions up either side presumably to help reinforce the bridge should there be another bad flood. Over the last few days we’ve noticed dried out silt on quite a bit of the towpath and around locks brought up by the flooding a few weeks ago.

The canal runs very close to the river and should the river swell it joins forces with the canal, pushing it along as well.

We were now starting to enter the valley, steep wooded banks with a blue haze of bluebells. Sadly my phone camera didn’t do them justice and maybe in a weeks time they will be even better. Wild Garlic is also starting to appear but it’s heady smell was nowhere to be smelt today.

A pause for a trip boat to clear Park Nook Lock and then it was our turn to ascend. Above a boat was moored on the lock landing. This was not someone being in the way, this was a boat that had been sunk and pumped out, all the contents piled up at the side of the towpath coated in mud. Such a sad sight. This next pound on Boxing Day was very much under water, the pub sign has a level marked on it about half way up, just about level with the next pound above Elland Lock.

Five years ago we met a chap at Salterhebble who was convinced that the shortest lock on this section wasn’t the middle lock at Salterhebble but a bit further down. We’d come down the top two locks backwards, winded and aimed to carry on down hill forwards. But this chap was convinced he’d see us reversing back to wind and do them in reverse. We think he must have meant Elland Lock was the shortest, it has a full walkway across the bottom gates where as most only have enough to stand on to operate the paddles.

We had no problem back then and today we took it steady coming up and nudging away from the walkway as soon as we could.

Elland Bridge was next, another bridge that has been rebuilt. This carries on and spans both the canal and river, it cost £5 million to rebuild, it was the last section of the canal to reopen after the floods, the navigation reopening in 2017. New properties have flood walls built around them and one canal side property looks to have been built with high water levels in mind, just a shame it’s a bit of a big step to get in the front door!

Today we didn’t have problems with high water. Today we had problems with an expectant father. We came through the bridge to suddenly be set upon by a Cob. He did his best to bite through the chains holding the stern fender on, we were quite concerned that he’d injure himself on the prop. He simply wouldn’t stop. Mick put some more revs on, then a spurt which shook him loose. But this didn’t stop him as he came flying back for a second go at us! We were about to close the back doors when he eventually gave up. Looking back towards Elland Bridge there was his mate sat on a nest. Suspect he swam back to her all proud that he’d seen us off.

Woodside Mills and Longlees Locks are still both short, hunkered into the steep valley side. Plenty of trees have been cut back and many of them have had the tops capped off with what looks like pencils. I’ve tried hunting around on the internet to see what they are about, but I’ve only found someone else asking the same question.

There is a disc of ply wood that has been fixed to the top of the tree stumps and on this are what looks like lots of coloured pencils stuck on end. Most probably a project by someone as they are all quite considered keeping to certain colours on each stump. Sadly my phone camera didn’t do too well capturing them. The sooner we can get to Halifax for my new camera the better.

Salterhebble Bottom Lock sits behind a road bridge, a horse tunnel leads the towpath up to it. Here there is more breathing space, afforded by a guillotine gate. The key of power is required to operate this end of the lock, once turned a single button press is all that is required to get the lock to empty and the guillotine to raise. Well that’s what it says on the panel. The lock was empty so it took quite sometime for any signs of movement to happen, all the time I was wondering had I pressed the button hard enough or was there a fault. But no in the end the gate started to raise. Closing it you have to hold the button, swapping thumbs to avoid RSI as it takes forever.

We pulled in, we decided that the top two shortest locks could wait for tomorrow. Tilly got six hours of freedom and we settled down to some lunch followed by emptying the yellow water and some work for me. My Separate Doors 3 illustrations are finished, so they were scanned and uploaded to Dropbox. But with the internet being extremely slow here I’m not convinced I won’t have to do it again. The rest of the afternoon was spent finding images for Puss in Boots.

5 locks, 2.52 miles, 3 boats moving, 1 mardy cob, 1 risen boat, 4 bw sketches, 2 colour sketches, 265 references, 1 empty wee tank, 1 anchor still ready, 2 empty bottles of gas, 1 heel turned.

Hartley Bank Bridge to Bull Bridge, Mirfield

Opening the curtain on the porthole behind our bed this morning there was frost covering the towpath and field behind us, a magical view. However, when I opened the curtains on the bigger window at the foot of our bed, two Kingfishers were busy fishing. One view topping the other. This used to be a colliery!

As we had breakfast NB Rebellion passed us by. I wonder how many more leapfrogs we’ll do before our routes take us different ways over the Pennines. We pushed off late morning, soon leapfrogging Rebellion once more, they’d pulled up at Hartley Bridge. Here we considered pulling in to top up the water tank, but it being through a narrow archway at right angles to the cut where buoys marked an obstruction put us off, it could wait till we got to Mirfield.

The figure of Three Locks were up ahead. Yesterday Mick had asked on Canal World Forum if anyone knew which locks required a Hebble Spike, within minutes he had the answer, from this he put together an overlay for our Waterway Routes map. Now we know what to take up to the locks.

A large chunk of towpath had been dug out, possibly for an electric cable. Only one sign at the top, which laid on the floor, saying that the towpath was closed. Once clambered through we worked up the two locks, the last long ones that we could remember.

Bridges cross the canal, mostly redundant now from coal mines and mills. Their numbering a law unto themselves, 24, 40, 23, 39, 27, 20!

We soon reached where a branch heads off to Dewsbury and the main canal heads to the left up Thornhill Double Locks. This is where five years ago we managed to knock Lillian’s rudder out of it’s cup, a nice man from Hebden Bridge came with a dry suit and it was forced back to where it should be.

Both locks are short, Lillian was a foot longer than Oleanna, so we should be fine, especially going uphill, but it’s still a tight squeeze. Mick kept her to the centre of the locks a few feet spare at the stern.

We pulled in to refuel ourselves where there were rings. There used to be a pub here, when we first came through we’d thought of stopping for an evening meal but the surroundings and the lack of glass in the pub windows put us off somewhat. Today things are a touch different, the area still is one we’d think twice about staying in overnight , but the pub has had some work done to it and has transformed itself into a school!

Not an outside to stop in they said, so why had they tied it up? They’d been moving it long enough, it was about time they stopped. But no. They had some dingding and then pushed it away. I thought it looked quite good myself, but was told there was a better one to be caught later on.

More oddly numbered bridges an 8 sneaking in between 33 and 31. At one disused railway bridge we slowed down as some divers were inspecting it. High vis clad chaps clung to the metal work as we passed underneath, hope it passed it’s inspection.

We joined the river once again only to rise above it at Greenwood Lock. Having spent too much time in the south of late these locks were hard work. The water pressure against the paddles makes it seriously hard to get any of them moving, a chink will gradually fill the chamber bring up the water and reducing the pressure, enabling you to lift paddles higher. Some of the locks fool you into thinking you’ve gained extra strength all of a sudden, only for you to realise you could carry on turning your windlass for days and it would still have no effect other than to make you look foolish.

A lady truck driver came to have a nosy. She was about to head out onto the M62 and was so so jealous of us. I think she may start saving up for a slower pace of life.

Two swans sat on their nests, very close together, will there be ructions in weeks to come when the eggs hatch?

Turning back out onto the river again, skirting the weir boom masses of Canadian Geese protested at us. How we have not missed that noise! Amongst all the bandaged chins there was one goose who looked out of place, resembling a Greylag but not quite. I think it might have been an African Goose, but sadly my phone camera isn’t too sharp whilst zooming.

Shipley Bridge Lock was soon with us, one paddle working to empty it, then a struggle to fill. This is where we witnessed a hire boat loose their spike in one of the ground paddles. These are open below and should you let go of your spike it will disappear out of sight. Cheap or homemade spikes would float, but if you’ve forked out for a posh hard wood one, you will never see it again. I think that is why that paddle simply wouldn’t work today.

We pulled over to the charity boats thinking the water point was there, but we needed to nudge up a bit further to the service block. Mirfield was our chosen destination for today, we’ve not stopped here before as the moorings have always been full. The first stretch was bordered by a tall cat proof fence. Not suitable, if Tilly got over it by means of a nearby tree, she might never get back. We continued. Right by a road, but it had trees! Not suitable. On further to the last moorings, by a road, a bridge and Lidl, a good wall to climb! We pulled in, this would be good for us but all shore leave for Tilly was cancelled.

7 locks, 2 flood locks, 6.05 miles, 1 missing towpath, 2 soft southern hands returning to northern calloused hands, 1 juddering paddle, 1owy little finger, 0 pub, 1 school, 1 very sulky cat, 2 nests, 1 outsider, 1 vet appointment, 2 cheese twists, 1 pack of Dreamies as an advance, 1 happy Mick, 1st homemade tagliatelle, yum.

Hartley Bank Bridge

Our mooring was chosen to give us good access to a footpath that would take us up to Horbury. The path skirts a property that has high mesh fences and signs of cute dogs, we waved and smiled as we walked past the cameras in view. To cross the river we walked over an old railway bridge and soon we reached the railway lines cut deep into a cliff, one way Wakefield the other Manchester. A steep path gained us a lot of height up to the town, turning round the views of lush green fields stretched away with Emley Moor transmitter breaking the horizon.

First thing today was find a birthday card for a very important man who turns 80 tomorrow and get it in the post. This done we were exactly where we wanted to be, outside St Peter and St Leonard Church. This is not your normal run of the mill parish church, that one was knocked down to make way for this one, the foundation stone being laid in February 1790.

Why had we made a special visit? John Carr was a renowned English Georgian architect who designed and paid for the church to be built. He was famous for his bridges (Ouse Bridge in York, Ferry Bridge) buildings such as Harewood House, Newark Town Hall and plenty more. He became Lord Mayor of York in 1770 and 1785, where he founded an architectural practice that through the years ended up with my Grandfather and Father as partners, long after John Carr had passed away needless to say. So I had an interest to come and see the church as John is almost family.

Carr was born in Horbury and never forgot the town, returning to build the church
“as a memorial to his skill and bounty.” The original cost was £8000 with a further £2000 for the bells and organ, between £5 and £10 million today. He passed away in 1807 at the age of 84 leaving a small fortune of £150,000 or £93 million today (shame he didn’t leave any for my Dad!). In the 1950’s when repairs where taking place at St Peter’s a vault was found under the floor of vestry, this is where John Carr and members of his family are interred.

We arrived just as midday Mass was starting. Taking seats quickly on the far side of the church from the service we sat and respectfully listened, having chance to look around. The church was light despite the number of windows and reminded me of the ballroom in Newark, with it’s elaborate royal icing decoration.

After the service several people came over to welcome us. We apologised for only having come to look round the church. Despite having a strong link to John Carr, we didn’t manage to get an offer to view the crypt where he is buried. There is an open day in a weeks time, but we want to be further on by then. The vicar came and had a chat too, we had after all swelled the congregation to 11!

John Carr was unacquainted with certain principles of engineering and he omitted supporting arches from the lower part of the steeple. This meant 100 years later the steeple was in danger of collapse and large steel girders had to be inserted. A large heavy stone ball used to sit on top of the spire, but gravitation became too much for it during a storm and it came crashing down through the church roof.

Carr Lodge sits a short distance away from the church. Built in 1770’s for John Bayldon it is a Grade 2 listed house. It was passed on to John Carr the lawyer, nephew of John Carr the architect and is surrounded by large gardens which are now a park. Sadly the house has been empty for some years and is boarded up awaiting a new purpose.

With a pork pie from one of the butchers we returned to Oleanna. The old railway bridge had to lead somewhere and in the afternoon Mick did some digging around on the internet. The lush fields that surround us, was until the 60’s, Hartley Bank Colliery. Two pit heads reached for the sky and numerous buildings covered the land where the cows now graze. The railway led to sidings and on to the main tracks, there was also a wharf for transporting the coal by water.

Who would have thought we were sat where so much industry and dirt had once been.

0 locks, 0 miles, 3 miles walked, 1 cliff climbed, 1 Sir 80, 1 church, 2 saints, 0 communion, 1 very pretty church, 2 many boarded up windows, 1 pork pie, 2 smiling boaters on CCTV, 1 house built on the flood plane, 2 pit heads, 5 whole hours, 4 muddy paws, 3 friends, 1 long snooze on the cards thank you.

Fall Ing Lock to Hartley Bank Bridge 32

The camera Mick bought me for my 50th is having to be retired. It has been having great difficulty in functioning for a while now, it is only capable of focusing at a specific point and that is very unhelpful whilst cruising along. By the time I’ve found where it will focus, what I want to capture is long gone even at 3mph! So for the last week or so I’ve just been using my phone, which makes me slightly nervous near water, especially as it’s not covered on our insurance.

So today we walked to Currys to see if they had the same camera. They had the identical one with a silver top. Great except the one that is all black is £30 cheaper and that money can be used to buy protection for it, so the next time I kill my camera, in about 22 months time I’ll be able to get it mended or replaced. I will kill it, it’s guaranteed, most days it takes 100 photos, I work a camera hard. I will however be buying myself a bumbag for it to go in, Bridget used to have one and I think it’s worth investing in one, hoping my new camera might last another couple of months before I kill it.

We deliberated for a while, I need a camera very soon for work to take model photos. instead of paying the extra £30 I have opted to get an all black one delivered to another store where we can pick it up in a few days time.

A top up shop from Sainsburys on our way back to keep us going until we get to Brighouse where we can moor outside for a bigger stock up. We chose to walk via The Hepworth, they are having a garden laid out in front of the building which I’m sure will be very nice once completed.

The footbridge crosses the river just above a weir. Here a group of boats moor tied together. In the recent floods two Land and Water work boats got swept over the weir and capsized below it, they took quite a bit to get out. Today they are gone but a small narrowboat rests on the bottom below the weir, a sad sight and it looks like someone has had a fire on board too. Yet the plastic junk man suspended above the moored boats still sticks his tongue out at those who walk by.

After lunch we pushed off, the sun was out making Wakefield look like a class holiday destination as we pulled back out onto the river. We passed Double Two, a shirt factory where I used to paint scenery for the John Godber Theatre Company. Don’t ask, it didn’t really make sense to either Graham (the carpenter) or I at the time, we just went along with it.

Soon we reached Thornes Lock. As I walked up to open it up I realised that we’d be needing our Hebble Spike. Mick had a good routle through the lockers at the back and pulled it out. Many of the Calder Hebble Locks require a spike to operate them. ‘Give me a lever and a fulcrum…’ the spike is the lever and quite a long one at that, the method of operation is quite clunky, but it soon came back to me.

As Mick brought Oleanna into the lock a narrowboat appeared from behind, we waved them to join us. From memory there should be enough room for us to share for a while yet. The locks get shorter and shorter as you go uphill. Our old boat Lillian managed them coming down hill, but being over long you have to do them diagonally, infact we had to do the top two backwards which afforded us a few more inches with her bow over the cill. Oleanna was built with these locks in mind, she is a foot shorter than Lillian, we may still have to lift fenders on the shortest locks.

NB Blue Moon was crewed by a couple and their son. It was their first solo cruise without their parents, very chatty they were too. Nice to be sharing locks again. I worked the Hebbel spike and both boats rose in the lock. They went ahead to get Broad Cut Low Lock ready.

As we got close, there were strange maneuvers going on. NB Blue Moon was being moored up on the pontoon below the lock, when we got within ear shot they shouted that the lock was broken. So we pulled in behind them on the pontoon. Two boats were sat in the lock heading uphill. The lock was having similar problems to those we’d had at Bank Dole, it simply wouldn’t fill. Here however there is a short pound above it which will gradually drain away whilst you hope the levels will equalise. They had called C&RT and a chap was on his way.

Chatting to pass the time the chap from NB Blue Moon, said he’d recently been to look at a boat on the Peak Forest, he’d handed over a deposit to be able to take it for a test run. The engine ran badly and he pulled out from buying the boat, the vendor refused to hand back the deposit. He’d looked the chap up on line and seen that he’d been done for fraud. Mick and I smiled, ‘There’s a lot of it about!’.

Once the chap from C&RT had turned up, he lifted paddles, forced them down, flushed water through and the bubbling below lessened. The lock started to fill, one boats pram cover still up just missing the wide walkway on the bottom gates. With three of us on a gate beam we eventually managed to get it to open. Two boats up, now it was our turn.

This seemed to take longer and in the mean time NB Rebellion arrived behind us. Mrs Rebellion came up all ready to work the lock only to find us waiting for it to fill. This did mean we could find out which way they would be heading and would we keep playing leapfrog for the next few weeks. They will be heading a different way to us soon.

Eventually the levels equalled and we could carry on. NB Blue Moon stopped by The Navigation for the day and we were left to carry on by ourselves. We wanted to get a touch further today. No obvious moorings, but the depth was good, out came the mooring pins and we settled for the rest of the day whilst the cows paddled and Tilly explored.

3 locks, 2 flood locks, 4.28 miles, 1 reluctant to fill, 1 empty wee tank, £30 for a silver top! 1 spike, 1 C&RT chap, 1 pram cover up, 1 (ours) pram cover down, 1 foldable canoe, 2.5 hours of muddy paw freedom.