A chilly trip to Newark

Having spent a week in Lincoln it was time to face the cold winter weather for the 20 mile leg of the tidal Trent up to Newark.  While tidal rivers are useful for covering a long distance quickly due to the lack of locks they also have a disadvantage in that one can't really stop once en route as you need to reach the detonation before the tide turns.  On the canals it's easy to pull over almost anywhere for a quick brew and a warm by the stove.

So yesterday I left Lincoln in the mid morning sunshine, once the frost had cleared, for the 10 mile cruise back up the Fossdyke Navigation to it's junction with the Trent at Torksey. Having already checked by phone I knew I could stop overnight by the lock ready for an early start at first light this morning.  Thankfully there was not a frost but was still only 4c as I entered the lock at 7:30 under an impressive sunrise.    

Despite early promise offering some good photo opportunities the sun didn't choose to put in much of an appearance during the 20 mile slog up to Cromwell Lock which marks the end of the tidal section.

Despite wrapping up well it was still a very long cold 4 hours on the tiller and I was very relieved to reach Cromwell Lock and take the opportunity to tie up for an hour while I warmed up.

I was tempted to stay overnight at Cromwell but decided to carry on the last 5 miles and one more lock to Newark.  Unfortunately the floating visitor mooring, in the background below, were full so I had to moor on the wall instead.  The moorings pontoon opposite has the advantage of floating as river levels change and also has electricity points which are a rare but welcome treat on the waterways. Hopefully one of them will move off and I can scoot across.   Sadly, two days on the tiller has not helped my cold so I now, if I can find a space on the pontoon, I'll stay here for a while and keep warm and dry till I'm feeling better.

Lincoln City

Following a quiet night at Torksey I enjoyed a gentle 10 mile trundle along the Fossdyke navigation  to Lincoln yesterday.  Looking back at Torksey lock the steam from the power station cooling towers dominate the morning sky.

The Fossdyke navigation, is one of the oldest manmade waterways, originally having been built by the Romans to connect the river Trent to the river Witham in Lincoln.  From Lincoln the Witham flows through Boston and into the Wash providing a valuable trade link to the North Sea. The Romans built their canals much like their roads - straight.

I'm currently moored on the outskirts of the City and tomorrow I will take the boat into the city, through the famous Glory Hole and moor up just beyond the main shopping centre.

Amongst other claims to fame Lincoln is the home of the military tank which were developed and built by  Wm Foster & Co.  This memorial stands proud on a city centre roundabout and it seemed appropriate to visit on Remembrance Day.

Today I tested my electric bike with a ride up the aptly names Steep Hill which leads up to the Cathedral and Castle. The bike did me proud an I was able to reach the summit still seated.

I shall have another trip up the hill while I'm here to visit the castle which is home to one of the original copies of the Magna Carta.  Original copy may seem an oxymoron but when the original was signed several copies were made my scribes and taken around the country, mainly to castles and cathedrals.  Lincoln is proud to have one the only four remaining.

Tidal Trent part 1

Yesterday I just had a short hop along to Keadby lock which provides access to the tidal Trent. Although only 10 miles the trip was interesting, not least for the rather impressive cloud formations.

The canal runs alongside a railway line which seems to have only two types of train.  The short, two carriage, local commuter trains and very long freight trains delivering fuel to Drax power station.  At one of the swing bridges there is a lovely example of a traditional gated level crossing and signal box.  The signal man has to swing the gates by hand.

The railway has one more surprise which is, I believe,  the only sliding rail bridge in the UK. The sliding section is on the right and, as the name suggests, it slides across the canal to complete the rail bridge.

Keadby did provide a splendid sunset.

After a quiet night at Keadby I headed onto the Trent at 8:30 for the 24 mile cruise down to Torksey.  I noticed that the forecast was much the same, 10c and sunny but didn't notice that the wind speed was gusting to 30 mph.  I arrived in Torksey around 4 hrs later and have just about got the feeling back in my ears.  The tidal Trent is very wide but not particularly picturesque so not too many photos.

You can tell it's a quiet day when a line of sheep rate as a photo opportunity.

And on arriving at Torksey lock the boater is greeted by the unusual sight of a collection of tea pots displayed on the lock gate.  This is an inner gate and is not usually used so the pots can rest undisturbed by passing boats.

Heading east towards the Trent

After a restful day watching the rain yesterday I left Ferrybridge on a gloriously sunny but chilly morning with clear blue skies.

After leaving Ferrybridge on the river Aire the route rejoins the Aire & Calder navigation for a long straight trip east across the country.  The Aire & Calder runs to Goole where it joins the river Ouse which in turn joins the Trent and eventually the Humber before flowing into the North Sea at Hull.  However, the river beyond Goole has a strong tidal flow which is too much for my little narrow boat. Unlike the main canals, which were built for narrow boats, these waterways are wide and straight - the motorways of water transport and were designed to let sea going vessels and large barges travel to the industrial heart of Yorkshire.  Like motorways they allow quicker travel but are rather boring.

Mr Bunbury felt very small compared to this converted Humber barge which is twice the width and almost twice the length.  Originally designed to carry large loads such as coal or grain.

I therefore turned south onto the New Junction canal which runs down to Doncaster but after only a few miles turned east once again onto the Stainforth and Keadby canal.  Whilst still quite wide this was beginning to look more like a traditional canal.

After a long day at the helm covering 20 miles, 5 locks and several lift or swing bridges I stopped for the night at the little town of Thorne.  This is only 10 m miles from Keadby where it joins the tidal Trent.  I can have a gentle day tomorrow cruising up to Keadby before tasing through the lock onto the Trent on a rising tide at around 8am on Friday.  The rising tide should give me a gentle push southwards to Torksey where I will leave the Trent for a few days to explore the Fossdyke navigation and Lincoln city.

Farewell Leeds

After a couple of weeks in Leeds it's time to move off and begin the journey southward towards the midlands before the winter stoppages or rivers going into flood delay me.  Today was just a gentle 10 mile cruise down the river Aire to Ferrybridge in the late Autumn sunshine.  The river was looking particularly pretty as the sun picked out the turning leaves.

Passing beneath the east coast mainline with the A1 flyover in the distance.

The approach to Ferrybridge is dominated by the power station of the same name. Coal was originally delivered by barge and the building by the riverside is the dock where it was all unloaded.

The original Ferry Bridge, replaced by the A1 flyover and more recently the A1M flyover.

Tomorrow looks like a wet day so I'll probably stay put and then later in the week make my way across to Keadby to join the tidal river Trent for a rapid run down to Newark.

Once again heading back to Leeds

It's been a while since I posted but I've not been up to much as the weather has been a bit wet and windy. Spent the last 2 weeks moored up at Apperley Bridge on the L&L and having a few trips out on my new electric bike which I'm really enjoying.  I was planning to continue up to Skipton for a few weeks but decided that single handed boating on the L&L it's just too much hard work.  The locks are quite heavy but the real problem is the many swing bridges which are mostly operated from the off side of the canal making it very difficult on your own.  I've decided instead to head back down the canal to Leeds where I'll spend the next month or two moving between Leeds basin and various moorings on the Aire & Calder Navigation.  After Christmas I'll begin the journey back down the river Trent to the midlands before the winter stoppages block me.

Today I had a short 4 mile cruise in the afternoon sunshine from Apperley Bridge to Rodley where I'll spend the night.

 
In the morning I'll make the trip down to Leeds city centre where I'll moor up for a while.

Back on the Leeds Liverpool Canal

After an few weeks around Leeds I've headed back onto the Leeds Liverpool canal where I'll spend the next few months.  After much uming and ahing I decided to take the plunge and buy an electric bike. After much research I decided on a Cube model with the Bosch motor and would certainly recommend it.  The saddle was a bit thin for my mature posterior so I added a Brooks leather saddle which I'm currently trying to break in. The bike is great and makes light work of riding uphill. For anyone who knows the area I rode it up Hollins Hill, a 2 mile steady climb with ease.

While in Leeds I visited the original M&S stall which is still open in the Kirkstall Market.  Couldn't find anything for a penny despite the sign.

Had a bad day moving in the strong wind which pushed the boat against a lock gate smashing a window.

Surprising how difficult it is to replace one of these quickly.  Replacing just the glass would take several days as it needs to be toughened glass and this has to be cut to size and then treated to toughen it.  Laminated was too thick. Called the original manufacturer who could not supply a replacement for at least 3 weeks.  Finally found another manufacturer in Newark who had replacement windows in stock but these were silver and had a different ratio between the upper and lower panes.  I decided to buy two and replace both sides to have matching windows.  Thankfully my brother had the day off work so drove me to Newark and back and helped me replace the window.

Having returned to the Leeds & Liverpool canal I made my way up to Apperley Bridge where I'll spend a week or two and am enjoying exploring the local area on my new bike which certainly helps my old knees up the hills.

One of the local cycle tracks was more suitable for a 4x4 - I spent a happy hour afterwards cleaning my bike.

Back in Leeds

So after spending a couple of months on the Leeds Liverpool canal around Skipton and catching up with my recently single brother I'm on the move again.  Spent the last few days retracing my steps back down the L&L to Leeds where I arrived today. I'be already covered this route in my earlier entries so not a lot to add.  Skipton is still a lovely market town with a good range of shops and reasonable transport links, although sadly the bus service to Harrogate no longer runs as it was not cost effective.

Skipton Basin

Waiting to decent the famous Bingley 5 rise staircase lock

I was puzzled for a while by the offset white mark on the bridges along the L&L.  The penny finally dropped and I realised that, as the bridge includes the towpath, the centre of the arch is not actually the centre of the canal and it is this that the mark indicates. No doubt a useful navigation aid for the wider boats for which the L&L was designed. 

My cruising plan for the next month is to make my way back to the midlands via the river Trent.

Leeds to Skipton

After spending a week in Leeds it was time to move on and along the Leeds Liverpool canal to the countryside.  The first leg of the journey passes through 12 locks over 10 miles as the canal climbs out of Leeds through Armley and Kirkstall.  These are not the best areas and boaters are advised to reach Rodley before stopping overnight.   As it was a long leg I collared Dave on his day off to come and help.  We left his car at Apperley Bridge, a few miles beyond Rodley and caught the train back to Leeds to get the boat. Thankfully the weather was dry and even reasonably warm given the poor start to August and we spent a pleasant day cruising up to Apperley Bridge.

The first of many small staircases

Moored above Apperley Bridge locks 

After spending a couple of wet days at Apperley Bridge I moved on through Shipley to Saltaire - the town famously built by Titus Salt to house the workforce of his large mills.

Salt Mills - Saltaire

Just beyond the mills the canal returns to tree lined countryside and offers a quiet mooring spot.

Today I faced the famous Bingley 5 rise locks, and the less well known 3 rise which bring the canal up onto the valley side where it then meanders along the contour line for around 14 miles to Skipton. While the locks are manned and therefore easier, the stretch from Bingley to Skipton has 16 swing bridges each of which needs to be opened to let the boat through and then closed afterwards. Remembering this from my last trip over the L&L I decided to once again enlist Dave's help along with an old friend of ours Piet van Anraad.  Unfortunately Piet is disabled following a fall and it seemed only fair to let Dave steer so yours truly ended up operating the locks and swing bridges.  Still a very good trip which would have taken me two days on my own and involved a fair amount of acrobatics as most of the bridges operate from the non-towpath side which makes operating them single handed quite tricky.

Approaching Bingley 5 Rise

Almost there Lock 4 of 5  think

View from one of the many swing bridges

And finally moored up in Skipton where we retired to Bizzie Lizzie's for a well earned plate of fish and chips

South Yorkshire Navigations

Having made it up the Trent I was pleased to be back on flat water above Keadby lock at the start of the South Yorkshire Navigations. My route over the next few days took a gentle zig zag along the Keadby canal then up the New junction canal to join the Aire and Calder navigation.  From there it is a fairly straight run through Ferry Bridge to Castleford.  The waterways split at Castleford with the Aire and Calder continuing Northwest to Leeds where it joins the Leeds Liverpool canal which forms the most northerly cross pennine route.  The Calder and Hebble heads navigation Southwest past Wakefield to join the Rochdale and Huddersfield Canals which offer the two alternative cross pennine routes to Manchester.

It is immediately apparent  that these waterways are designed not for narrow boats but much larger, masted vessels carrying cargo from the busy docks at Hull to and from the industrial centres.  Gone are the tiny hump back bridges that I often have to duck under and instead are sing bridges or large lift bridges like the one below.

Hydraulic Lift Bridge

The navigations are generally wider than the canals and are largely navigable rivers which have been "canalised" by the addition of locks and weirs to control water levels.

Ferry Bridge

This a typical Barge from Aire and Calder.  Much wider and longer than my narrow boat and the large cream area ahead of the small cabin would originally have been an open hold designed to carry bulk loads such as coal, gravel or grain. Now converted to a substantial home.

After all that wide open countryside the canal side warehouses reappear as we approach Leeds.  I'm pleased to see that rather than being knocked down many of these have been given a new lease of life as flats or offices.

On reaching Leeds I went through the first lock of the Leeds Liverpool canal to moor up in the basin at Granary Wharf behind the railway station which has been my wet and windy home for the past week.  Tomorrow I plan to move up the L&L to Apperley bridge on my way to Skipton. 

River Trent Day 2

What a difference a day makes.  After spending a pleasant few hours cruising down the tidal Trent to Torksey I stopped overnight before completing the longer leg to Keadby.  As I woke to grey skies, strong winds and drizzle I knew a cold damp day lay ahead.  Setting off at 9:00 the wind was in my face an the tide was still rising so progress was slow for the first hour.  After about an hour I noticed the tide had turned and was now slowly ebbing allowing me to reach a dizzy 6 mph over ground.

There is little to see on this stretch as it largely meanders through open country.  The only large town on route is Gainsborough which retains many of it's large quays designed for much larger vessels that use to carry cargo here from Hull. 

The strong wind was blowing agains the ebbing river causing a 2 ft swell with small breaking waves. Not conditions the boat is designed for but she pushed through them with ease.  After a further 3 hrs of cold dull grey drizzle the M180 bridge appeared which meant that Keadby was only 3 miles away.

I have only made the turn into Keadby once before and was very chuffed to have managed it with out any problems.  It is quite tricky as you are trying to turn into a narrow lock entrance while the river tide is ebbing at around 3 mph.  This means you need to approach from downstream and gently ease across the current which lessens as you approach the entrance.  There are also some strange eddies caused my shallow mudbanks which build up around the entrance.   This a video of me doing it properly last time.  It's quite tricky balancing power and rudder against the tide and wind.  This time I got it wrong and hit the wall beneath the lock sign head on at around the 15 sec point in this clip.  No damage to the boat but the sudden stop was enough to eject some crockery and glassware from their cupboard.  Nothing a dustpan and brush couldn't tidy. 

Having put the big river behind me I'm now safely on the South Yorkshire Navigations.