Leeds Liverpool Canal

After reaching Ripon, the Northern most point on the Yorkshire canals I retraced my route back through York and Selby to join the Aire and Calder navigation to make may way to Leeds and the longest canal in the country - the Leeds and Liverpool.  It's been over 20 years since I visited Leeds and I was pleasantly surprised at the waterside regeneration that has taken place in that time.  Some of the rundown warehousing has been renovated such as the building on the left which dates from the late 1700's while others have been replaced. The lock in the centre is river lock which joins the L&L canal to the river Aire.

2016 is the 200th anniversary of the completion of the L&L and I managed to time my arrival to join the start of the celebrations as the restored vintage boat Kennet, owned by the L&L canal society began an anniversary trip along the full canal length.  Development of the canal began much earlier in the mid 1700's at each end.  The monied merchants from Leeds & Bradford wanted a canal to bring limestone from the Craven dale to their cities and their Liverpool counterparts wanted to bring coal from Wigan into their city. Thus the sections from Leeds to Skipton and Liverpool to Wigan were completed first, beginning around 1766, and then the pennine crossing was completed when the two sections were joined on 22 Oct 1816.  This provided a coast to coast route from Liverpool to Hull via the existing navigable Yorkshire rivers.

After a week or so in Leeds I headed out to explore the canal.  The first few miles pass through some of the less pleasant areas of the city, Armley and Kirkstall  and boaters are advised not to stop overnight due to vandalism and theft.  A shame but sadly such black spots are a reflection of our society.  Thankfully, there is little of interest along this stretch other than Kirkstall Abbey which I chose to forego.   Once beyond Kirkstall the canal leaves the city and begins to meander through greener country with several pleasant little hamlets along the way.  I stopped overnight in Rodley, a pretty canal side town with plenty of green spaces.

Rodley

Beyond Rodley the canal continues its journey through the industrial section of the Aire valley passing through Shipley before reaching the impressive sight of the twin mills at Saltaire.  Sir Titus Salt who, having made his money from family owned mills in Bradford decided he would prefer a more rural location and built not only the two mills but an entire town in which to house his workforce.  The mill on the right is now and NHS facility while the one on the left contains shops and an art gallery specialising in local artist David Hockney - not one of my favourites.  The upper floor has no internal walls and remains the largest room in Europe.

Saltaire

One of the the three floors in Salts Mill in its heyday.

A few miles further and the canal reaches the famous Bingley 5 Rise locks.  There are basically, three lock configurations on the canal system.  The first is just a single lock with a gate at each end.  The second is a lock flight where several locks are built close together with only a short pound between each lock to climb larger hills. The third is a staircase lock which is a lock flight with out spaces between means that the top gate of one lock is the bottom gate of the one above. This allows the canal to be raised over a shorter distance.  Staircase locks must be carefully operated in a strict sequence as the water from each one is emptied into the one below thus to go up the flight the bottom lock must be empty and all the others full. Coming down the top lock must be full and all the others empty.  Thankfully, the locks are manned by a full time lock keeper to help boaters through without making a mess of it.

Bigley 5 rise lock

Once up the 5 rise, and the lesser know 3 rise locks, the canal leaves behind the industrial heritage and meanders through beautiful open countryside with views of the the distance hills as it makes its way to Skipton.

Skipton is a popular tourist location being the "Gateway to the Dales" and the small basin is busy with hire boats and trip boats from Pennine Cruisers.  Timing my arrival at half term increased the visitors but nevertheless I enjoyed my visit and revisited some old haunts as well as finding one I'd missed - Skipton Woods which offered a very peaceful walk through the autumn colours.

Only a short hop up the canal is Gargrave where I stocked up with coal as the temperature was beginning to drop in the evenings.  

Gargrave

I also met up once again with my old friends Mac and Helen Cook who picked me up and drove up to Malham for a days walking and bird spotting.  Unfortunately mist rather limited the bird spotting but didn't dampen a good day out with good friends.  Mac and I were Scout leaders together in my Harrogate days and we've only recently got back together.  It's a measure of a good friend that you can meet up after 20 years and continue as if it had only been 20 days.  And the mist lifted long enough to get a shot of them below Malham Cove.   

I spent the next few days exploring what I consider to be the best part of the L&L and possibly the prettiest stretch of the whole canal system.  The canal climbs through a further 12 locks before reaching the summit level and after passing through Foulridge tunnel begins its descent into Lancashire with good views of Pendle hill before reaching the industrial areas of Burnley where I turned around to make my way back to Skipton where I'd arranged to leave the boat while I visit my brother on the Isle of Man.

On the return trip the weather brightened and I was treated to some stunning scenery and birdlife.  The canal passes through the unusual, possibly unique, double bridge near East Marton. The road dipped to reach the original bridge and so a second arch was built on top to raise the bridge to the road level.

Whilst I enjoy almost every day on the canals (Wigan flight being an exception) every now and then I find a spot where I could happily stay forever if I could.  I have a few favourites but this is currently no 1.  

So after another belated update I'll now take a little shore leave on the Isle of Man before returning to the canals in a couple of weeks.

Yorkshire

Sorry it's been a while since I last wrote - I really must make an effort.  After leaving Lincoln I continued up the tidal Trent to Keadby where I left the river to join the South Yorkshire navigations.  Entry to Keadby lock was interesting as the tide was running at around 5 mph which made for an interesting turn across the flow to get into the lock.  Thankfully in this modern era I found some videos on YouTube which showed me the correct approach and I managed to slot Mr Bunbury into the lock on the first attempt.

Shortly after the lock I met the unique sliding rail bridge.  Not a great shot but the large metal item on the left carries the rail track and slides back to allow boats to pass.  Quite an impressive piece of engineering.

Keadby Sliding Rail Bridge

The Yorkshire navigations are a little different from the southern canals as they were designed with the wider and taller coal barges in mind.  These tended to carry around 600 tons are were around 20 ft wide and up to 200ft long carrying a stacked load several feet high.  These requires higher bridges which would be difficult to build and thus the majority of bridges either lift, or swing aside to allow the taller loads through as shown in the next two photos. The majority are now hydraulically operated but still interrupt your journey as you need to stop to open and close each one.

Typical Lift Bridge

Typical Swing Bridge

I spent a couple of days navigating the rivers and canals until I reached Selby where the canal meets the tidal river Ouse.  I needed to navigate this river to reach York but had to wait a few days for the right tide.  Basically I need to leave on a rising tide which will help me up the river to York.  There are of course two high tides daily but as they were around 5am and 5pm this would involve me either leaving or arriving in the dark - neither of which appealed to me as I did not know the river.  

So with a few days in Selby to fill I visited the abbey which is and impressive if slightly odd building. It is very impressive from the front but has some odd architectural quirks.

Selby Abbey

It is famed for one wobbly arch - the others are nicely curved arches but this one went a little pear shaped. 

Having explored all Selby had to offer I picked up a car for a couple of days to tour some of my old haunts in the dales.  I had a trip to How Stein Gorge which is a deep narrow gorge cut into the stone by the stream over many years.  I used to visit here with my father as a child and it's probably 40+ years since my last visit.  Amazingly after all that time it was still recognisable and I spend an enjoyable afternoon exploring and crossing on the many narrow bridges.

The next day I called in to see an old work mate Bob & his wife Bernadette who moved to farm in the North Yorkshire Moors and run a pair of holiday cottages and a small caravan site near Thorton-le-Dale.  Slightly scary selfie of Bob & I with one of the cottages in the background.  If anyone would like a break in the the Yorkshire moors I would recommend Summer Tree Farm.

After returning the hire car I was treated to a stunning rainbow over Selby lock before heading out onto the Ouse for the trip up to York which proved much less daunting that I had been led to expect.

The river passes the impressive home of the Archbishop of York and on reaching the city I headed for the moorings just above Lendal Bridge.

After a week in York I made my way up the rivers Ouse and Ure through Broroughbridge to Ripon where I met up with Mac and Helen Cook - two of my closest friends from my Scouting days in Harrogate.  

Annoyingly Mac hasn't aged in the 20 odd years since I left Harrogate - I hope I look that good at 73.  

Having reached Ripon, the northern most point of the Yorkshire network I spent the last few days retracing my route back through Selby to rejoin the river Aire and am now moored up in Castleford ready to make my way up to Leeds tomorrow to join the Leeds Liverpool canal.  

This year is the 200th anniversary of the Leeds Liverpool canal and I shall be attending a celebratory event hosted by the Canal and River Trust on Friday evening.     

Leicester, Nottingham, Newark and Lincoln

The past week or so has seen me making my way north from Market Harborough along the river Soar through Leicester and Loughborough to join the mighty river Trent and continue up to Newark before entering the tidal section for 20 miles and turning off onto the Fossdyke Navigation to visit the city of Lincoln for the first time.

As the Leicester Line of the Grand Union canal get closer to Leicester it merges occasionally with the river Soar until just before the city when the canal ends and the river is thereafter navigable to it's junction with the Soar.  The route up to Leicester is largely tree lined and passes through open countryside very similar to the Nene.

The approach to Leicester is signalled by an impressively large weir which I stayed well clear of as I approached the last lock before reaching the city.  I was a little concerned when I notices a group of young lads around the lock as Leicester has a poor reputation within the boating world and indeed the city has provided a couple of secure moorings to encourage boats to stop.  Thankfully my fears were misplaced and the lads were only too happy to help with the lock.

The approach into Leicester from the south is pleasant with a couple of impressive bridges.

I spent the next morning exploring the city with it's cathedral and large market.  While I had not had any problems overnight the mooring was a little noisy due to a busy road nearby and I decided to move off in the afternoon to find a quieter spot.

The journey out of Leicester was not pleasant as the two locks I passed through were strewn with empty beer cans and fast food packages and one had a large group of men just sitting drinking. Whilst they did not bother me it is a shame that the canals are becoming the gathering places for anti-social behaviour.  However, once through that short section the river once again opened up to wide country vistas and I moored up for the night in a lovely peaceful spot.

The following day I continued a few more miles to Loughborough where the old canal basin has been enhanced with good visitors moorings very handy for the town centre. 

After Loughborough the river continues to wend it way northwards until it joins the river Trent which I then followed to Nottingham before heading on to the lovely market town of Newark. The approach by river is impressive and the view dominated by the castle. Unfortunately little is left of the castle beyond the riverside wall but there are pleasant gardens to stroll through.  The town itself retains its large market square and many old building which give it an air of history.

I left Newark the next afternoon and moored up above Cromwell lock, the beginning of the tidal Trent, to await the high tide the following morning and thus head down the river with the flow rather than against it.  The river was becoming noticeably wider by this point.

The trip down the Trent to Torksey was uneventful and with a wide river passing oncoming boats is much easier.

I arrived in Lincoln on Saturday and have spent couple of enjoyable days exploring the city.  There is a significant climb up the aptly names street "Steep Hill" to the cathedral and castle.  I did not visit the cathedral as they were charging a £10 entrance fee and I refuse to pay to enter any church.

The moorings are very handy for the city and make an ideal base for exploring.

Down the Foxton Flight and onto waters new

Yesterday I continued along the Leicester Arm of the GU canal though the 10 lock Foxton flight which is made up of two sets of 5 staircase locks.  Staircase locks are connected so that the bottom gate of one lock is the top gate of the next one.  This allows the locks to descend a steep hill in a short space. It also requires a little more care as each lock has colour coded paddles which must be opened in the correct order to avoid flooding the lock below. There is a simple if slightly ominous mantra: Red before white you'll be alright, white before red you'll wish you were dead.  

Arriving in the top lock you do get the feeling that you are on top of the world. The flight is quite a tourist attraction so if you make a mess it will be witnessed.

After descending the flight I took a detour along along a short arm to Market Harborough.  The basin at the end of the canal offers comfortable moorings with electric hook up which allowed me to give the batteries a good overnight charge. 

The town also has a Sainsbury's where I stocked up the fridge this morning before retracing my route to Foxton and then heading through bridge 65 onto the main Leicester Arm. Having not travelled beyond Foxton before this was the start of new water for me and the rest of my trip North and through the Yorkshire waterways will all be new waterways which I'm looking forward to.

After leaving Foxton the canal meanders through largely open countryside for 18 miles until it reaches Leicester.  The first few miles passes through wooded cuttings giving it the feel of a narrow river. 

Having had a few long days to get the familiar sections behind me I now intend to travel in shorter hops to enjoy the new scenery and explore the towns and villages on route.  Today I only covered a few miles before mooring up in an isolated spot where I'm now enjoying the peace and quiet.

 The forecast for tomorrow morning is heavy rain so I may well stay here for second night.

Heading Up North at Last

Firstly apologies for the lack of a blog for the past couple of months but now it's back.

Last Spring I planned to head North and cross the Leeds Liverpool canal but plans changed - as they do.  However, Yorkshire is back on the radar and after spending a couple of weeks in Milton Keynes I am now on my way up the country.  Yesterday was a long slog up the Grand Union main line from Milton Keynes to Bugbrooke.  I had planned to stop at Stoke Bruerne but unfortunately there was no room due to a festival this week.  On route I past a tiny pea green narrow boat called the Owl & the Pussy cat before stopping for the night at Bugbrooke Wharf where I decided to eat in the pub rather than cook.

As the forecast was suggesting 25c today I made a fairly early start in the hope of getting through the 7 heavy locks on the Buckby Flight before it got too hot.  Sadly I failed and even worse did not manage to meet a boat to share the wide locks which made even more work.  On the bright side the views were lovely and a gentle breeze eased the mid-day heat.

For this trip I've decided to come up through the Eastern route which saws me turning off the Grand Union main line at Buckby and onto the Leicester Line.  This is a narrow canal which I prefer due to the narrow locks designed to fit one narrow boat and are thus much lighter and quicker to operate. After a few miles I met the first of the locks, a flight of 7 at Watford Gap.  Unfortunately, having seen few boats in the morning, I discovered it was because they were all on this route and I joined the end of a line of 8 bots waiting to go up.

After a little over an hour, spent happily chatting with fellow boaters I reached the front of the queue and made my way up the pretty flight aided by volunteer lock keepers.

Once up the flight I carried on for a couple more miles, through Crick tunnel to the village from which it takes it's name.  I'm now moored up near Crick marina for the night.

Down the Nene to Peterborough.

After leaving Northampton I spent a week trundling gently down the Nene to Peterborough. The river passes mainly through open countryside passing only a few towns and villages along the way.  It's about a 4 day trip with my usual overnight stops at Wellingborough, Oundle, Elton and always calling into Ferry Meadows before the final few miles to Peterborough.  I've done the stretch from Oundle to Peterborough a few times and have stop at various small villages along the way such as Fotheringhay with it's impressive church, Wansford and Wansford Station home the the Nene valley railway with a lovely little cafe.  The upper reach is less well served with villages although there are several pleasant mooring in the middle of nowhere.

After leaving Northampton I planned a longish day to reach Wellingborough which has a Tesco near the embankment moorings. Although handy for supplies the mooring is overshadowed by a large riverside flour mill which runs 24 hrs a day. While not too noisy it does generate an annoying background hum and also completely blocks the TV signal.  

Many of the river locks were originally built as sluices to control water levels to power riverside mills and while very few are still working many of the original mill buildings are still there - often now converted to hotels. 

The following day I moved on to a peaceful mooring just beyond Titchmarsh which offered by contrast only birdsong to lull one to sleep.  Although the birds idea of morning is rather earlier than mine.  

Treated to a beautiful sunset I slept well here.

Following a peaceful night I continued on to Oundle marina where I filled up with fuel and finalised arrangement for blacking the boat in late July.  It was as ever a pleasure to catch up with Jacqui and Mark who manage the marina and who I am pleased to count as friends to boot. 

Beyond Oundle the river continues to meander through wide open country vistas although progress is slow as you meander around a sweeping loop of river covering 3 miles to reach a point only 1 mile from the beginning of the bend as the crow flies.  

After stopping overnight at Elton I then continued to Wansford station to have lunch in the cafe before heading on to Ferry Meadows for the weekend.  Treated to another stunning sunset I settled here for a few days before heading the last few miles to Peterborough to restock the fridge.

I now plan to stay in the area for the next few weeks before moving back to Oundle by 20 July to put the boat in for blacking.  While that is undertaken I'll avail myself of my eldest son's hospitality for a few nights before packing up my tent and heading to Cambridge Folk Festival where I'll meet up with Paul and Debbie for a touch of culture and possibly the odd flagon of ale.