After leaving the marina on Sunday, made it as far as Weedon and straight into the pub for dinner and to sample a pint of Hawkshead Lakeland Gold! May as well start as we mean to go on! It`s been a lovely sunny day today and have turned into the Northampton Arm of the Grand Union. Here we took two and a half hours to go through a flight of locks. Where are Ros and Dave when you need them! Hard work for just two crew.
Beer Log - Lakeland Gold - 4.4%- golden colour, flowery with a pleasant after-taste.
Made our way up the Northampton Arm of the Grand Union to join the River Nene. On leaving the outskirts of the town the river became very wide - more like a motorway than the canals we are used to. The locks were very different too and took some working out. It became evident that there weren`t many places where we could moor up, not even to stop for lunch. Eventually found somewhere to stop for the evening by a lock and decided to walk into the local village pub to have something to eat. When we got there the TV was on and they were showing the Chelsea-Liverpool game. Great we thought until we went to order our meal. Oh no, we don`t do food on Tuesdays, was the reply. Disaster! we were starving so we watched the game until half time and then went back to the boat to cook something. Deja Vous David and Ros! Had been sunny during the day but had a thunder storm over night.
Decided we were not keen on the Nene due to lack of moorings and facilities so decided to do an about turn and head back to the canals.
We have been without a signal for a couple of days but can now update our progress. After heading back up the Northampton arm to Gayton, coming back through 17 locks, we got a soaking at the last few so had to stop and change into dry clothes at Gayton. After a while Nigel suggested that as it had stopped raining we should continue to the next pub for the night. So we set off again, and yes, you`ve guessed it, before we got there it was raining again.!! Nice pub though. The next morning we headed north up the Grand Union and back passed where we had set off initially!! Weather much better now, if a bit windy, and after going through a tunnel over a mile long - very dark and drippy [the tunnel not Nigel!] we came out into the sunshine to arrive at Braunston on Saturday lunchtime.
Decided to stay another night at Braunston and just chill. Braunston is a very busy place and one of the main hubs of canal life. Whilst we were there a Willow Wren boat came through with about 14 students on the roof, waving their beer glasses and singing `I`ve got a brand new combine harvester` at the tops of their voices - they were certainly having fun!
12 4 09 - Hawkshead Lakeland Gold - 4.4% - golden colour, flowery with a pleasant after tasts at Crossroads, Weedon
14 4 09 - Black Sheep Best Bitter and London Pride - Cogenhoe
16 4 09 - The Whart, Bugbrooke - St Austell`s Tribute and Batemans XB - 3.8% - light, very drinkable ale
17 4 09 - The New Inn Buckby - Northampton Brewery`s Frog Island Best 3.8% a bit timid, pleasant enough to drink like Dave C drinks lager! Old Hookey, Hook Norton Brewery, lovely full flavoured bitter than runs Tribute Close 4.6%
18 4 09 - Daventry - Everards Gold 5% a really classy smooth beer, dangerously nice and easy to drink, highly recommended
Deuchars IPA 3.8% very pale beer but with a pleasant taste that keeps you interested to the bottom of the glass.
19 4 09 - Sharps Doombar 4% lovely! Adnams Best bitter - smells of Fullers but totally different flavour - a nice drinking bitter.
20 4 09 - Stopped at a pub that had just re-opened so a choice of Adnams or Admans - so I had both!
21 4 09 - stopped at an Everards pub, sampled Original 5.2% award willing ale - nothing special, then tried Tiger 4.2% - lacking in flavour.
22 4 09 - went to Spread Eagle and sampled own best bitter brewed by Coachouse Brewery - 4.2% very pleasant sweet beer.
23 4 09 - Hopwas believe it or not it was Sharp`s Doombar again.
24 4 09 - Black Sheep Best Bitter at Fradley junction
25 4 09 - Lichfield - Skinners [Tim, you won`t believe it, another Cornish beer] Honeytrap - 3.8% light refreshing golden ale, really nice.
Great Haywood - Exeter Bloodhound 4.2% dark, amber and sweet, Lancaster Amber 3.8% loads of flavour, High Duck 4.2% - poor man`s 6X, Shugborough Estate Ale 4.4% straight from the barrel in the Brewery - very nice.
Stone - Occles Red 4.7% and Hook Norton Jackpot - both lovely.
Stoke on Trent - Banks`s Best - easy drinking bitter.
At last we have some regional ales. At The Red Bull, Kidsgrove a Robinsons pub had Unicorn 4.2% - a nice bitter - good for a few pints. Then tried Double Hop 5% a full flavoured lovely pint - pity we don`t get this down south.
Thwaites Best Bitter 3.6% - the brewers dream - low alcohol by volume but full flavour.
Copper Dragon Skipton Brewery - Challenger IPA 4.4% fruity full bodied IPA - very nice.
Theakstons Best Bitter 3.8% well known good session ale.
At The Tunnel`s End had Daleside Brewery`s Blonde 3.9% a very light bitter with plenty of taste plus Empire`s .... Warrier 4.2% dark full taste bitter and Smile 3.8% very light.
At Riverhead Brewery had Butterly Bitter 3.8% very light but lots of flavour. Also March Haigh Special 4.6% full bloodied dark bitter.
At Slaithwaite, Copper Dragon Brewery Best Bitter 3.8% good malty flavoured light bitter.
Do you know in the beer guide Berkshire has 3 Breweries listed, Yorkshire has 40 and I have found 2 more without trying. So I have been spoilt for choice to say the least.
But from Huddersfield until Hebden Bridge there was nothing of note.
Elland Bridge on way up.
I sampled
Goose Eye Brewery, Chinnook 4.2% blond beer but pleasant flavour.
Abbeydale Moonshine 4.3%. plenty of fruity flavour but very morish.
Empire Brewery Pilgim 4.2% very pale, but Dave it couldn’t be larger as it was ful of a pleasant flavour.
Elland Brewery Crown Bitter 4.6% a dark bitter with a full rich flavour.
Stubbing Warf on way up
Hawkshead Brewery Brodies Prime 4.9% a dark ale full flavour rich darkroast.
Copper Dragon Golden Pippin 4.2%, a light coloured but full bitter fruit flavour very nice.
Todmorden the Golden Lion Pub.
Copper Dragon best bitter 3.8%. I think is a favourite a really nice tasting beer that you can really enjoy again, again, again, again and perhaps again. Lovely.
Stubbings warf on return
Copper dragon golden pippin again
Osset Real Ale revolution 4.6% a dark beer and a bit spicey. Not for me.
Elland Bridge on way back
Phoenix Brewery Wobbly Bob, a full dark beer but very drinkable I mean it would be easy to go back for one or two more. This shocked me when I realised it was 6%.
First Born 4.3% I wasn’t over impressed, OK.
Brassed Off 4.2% full amber colour and nice flavour
Another favourite, Elland Bridge Brewery Bargee . Pale but nice full bitter flavour.
Been a while for a visit to the beer log but due to different company our stops have been for the benefit of views , not beer but I have done my best. We will have to mourn the fact that we have left the Ale House of Yorkshire without testing but a small sample of their huge selection of beers. Lancashire, and we passed the Thwaites Brewery at Blackburn and soon found a Thwaites house, tried the best.”original” 3.6 abv a bit too timid, normal amber colour but lacking punch. Then tried the Wainwright’s 4.1 abv a pale bitter but loads of bitter flavour a really nice beer that runs copper dragon close. Cheshire Brewery, Robinsons, tried their special Nosey Parker 3.8 ABV amber colour, but a complete failure, best served under gas where flavour doesn’t matter.
Manchester Brewery J W Lees., tried the best, amber colour but lacking personality a good session beer. Then tried their J W Lees Premium bitter, I think it was 4.6abv, a totally different kettle of fish, rich amber colour and a distinctive rich full sweet taste. A really nice beer.
Danger warning for lager drinkers there is a change in the air and all that is pale and yellow is no longer a pint of long life chemicals. The brewers have come up with low abv beers that have real flavour. .
Left Braunston through lovely countryside [apart from going under the M6]. No locks at all for a long way so just chugging along. We passed the Wlillow Wren base where we first went on a narrowboat in 1975. Stopped for the night in a quite spot just north of Rugby by two pubs which used to be canalside, but now the canal runs at right angles to them. Continued the next day through a short tunnel then onto the Coventry canal at Hawkesbury junction where we went north again without stopping at Coventry - been there, done that. Then went through Nuneaton which was not exactly scenic - best to get through as soon as poss. Stopped in the countryside again just the other side. Lovely day again on Wednesday where we encountered a few locks and had a nice day. Came passed a wooded area with lovely bluebells called `Purley Park` - didn`t see Howard! Now moored up at a place called Polesworth.
After leaving Polesworth we continued north through Tamworth which was quite pleasant with nicely kept gardens backing onto the canal. At Fazeley junction continued on the Coventry canal and moored in the village of Hopwas. A very nice village with canalside pubs opposite each other. We moored about 50 yards away. Ros and David came to visit us on Friday and after a walk around the village we had lunch in the conveniently located hostelry The Tame Otter - very nice too! They then cruised on with us until Whittington from where they walked 3 and a half miles back to their car to head home! You will see from David`s message he was keen to go further!! We then carried on to Fradley junction where the Coventry Canal meets the Trent and Mersey. Quite a busy spot with lots of visitors. The next day we walked to the bus stop and caught a bus to Lichfield. Had a quick look around the cathedral and the city -if you can call it that, its hardly a town yet a city! Left there this morning and are now in Rugeley. Will investigate tomorrow. Good to hear Birmingham lost yesterday!!
Rugeley was a nice quiet little stop and Morrisons was right by the canal so we could stock up. We continued up the Trent and Mersey canal through lovely countryside to Shugborough and moored beside the Estate. The next morning we entered the grounds of Shugborough Hall for a visit round the house and estate. This was the home of Patrick Lichfield and a collection of his photographs were on display. He had some good contacts for weddings Tim! Very nice place and lovely grounds - turned out very warm and sunny. Stayed another night and then moved on towards Stone - lovely day again along Trent Valley which followed Cannock Chase. Stopped for a bit of sunbathing on the bank at lunchtime. Very nice too. That night moored at Stone - very pleasant town which has embraced it`s canal history. Wet morning as we moved on up the Trent Valley to Barleston but brightened up in the afternoon. Here, on Friday mornng, we visited the Wedgewood factory which was celebrating it`s 250th year today with a visit from Lord Wedgewood. Did the tour which was very interesting. Now in Stoke on Trent having passed right by the Britannia Stadium and navigated some very deep locks. Now moored in Black Prince`s Marina for a few nights as we make a quick trip home for the footie!
Been without a signal for a few days so it’s catch up time. Arrived back at the boat on Bank Holiday Monday at around 3pm after our train journey back to Stoke, via the scenic route due to engineering works. The next morning we set off again and continued through Stoke-on-Trent – not the most picturesque of places but passed all the old potteries with their shaped chimneys, some still producing and some disused and derelict. It was raining again and windy. On leaving Stoke and avoiding a few obstacles [i.e fridge floating in the canal] we came to Harecastle Tunnel which is narrow and one-way so you have to wait until the tunnel is clear and you are told by the very nice man that you can go through. Inside it is very low in places and you have to crouch down as you are navigating along. It is one and three quarter miles long and it takes forty minutes to get through. At the other end the canal is a redish/brown colour, apparently due to the local ironstone and looks it has been washed down from the hills in a storm, but is apparently always like it. We stopped here at Red Bull junction, just after turning off onto the Macclesfield Canal. Good BWB facilities here, so we took the opportunity to do some washing and visit the pub.
The Macclesfield canal is quite narrow and shallow at the edges with very narrow bridges but very pretty and goes through some very rural countryside. It skirts the Peak District and t first winds its way around a large fell known as ‘The Cloud’. Very windy here with lovely views and large viaducts. We moored at it’s foot before attempting the 12 locks at Bosley the next morning rising 118 feet. However, before we could finish them the rain came suddenly and we had to make a quick dash for the wet gear. We passed through Macclesfield and passed several huge mills, one of which being the Hovis mill. At the top of the Macclesfield canal, we turned onto the Peak Forest Canal which is even narrower and very quiet with spectacular views over the Peaks – the canal is very high up but surprising sheltered with lots of lift and swing bridges so we had to keep hopping off to open them. We are now in Bugsworth Basin, a very historic place and one of the biggest inland ports long ago.
We left the basin and although it is a nice place to stay the wind whistled through there with an icy edge. We made our way back up the arm of the Peak Forest Canal to Marple junction where we then descended a series of 17 locks. These were the most difficult we had encountered so far, being very stiff to open and very deep. It was also very difficult getting from one to the next as there was a side pool hitting the boat between each one which threw us off course and coupled with the very strong wind got us into some very tricky situations. It’s not all plain sailing you know and often hard work!! Having negotiated all these locks we then found there was nowhere suitable to stop for miles so ended up not mooring up for the night until about 9pm at Stalybridge on the Huddersfield Narrow canal – another very windy place where you could hardly stand up at times. Still, we were starting to climb the Pennines.
The next day we continued our climb to Uppermills on our way to the Standedge tunnel – passage through which has to be booked with British Waterways several days in advance and you have to have a BW pilot on board. The ascent entailed another 16 locks [one underneath a pilon!] on another cold and very windy day. We only met two other boats – one that had just been through the tunnel and said it was quite an experience and another that had to turn back as their boat was too wide to go through one of the locks! Uppermills is on the edge of Saddleworth Moor and very high up. Here we visited the museum and of course the pub for a well deserved meal.
Friday morning arrived – tunnel day. We had to get up early and had a knock on the boat from BW to let us know we could proceed up the 9 locks remaining until we reached the tunnel – 645 ft above sea level. It was the worst morning you could imagine and the rain was lashing down – however, if you are booked for the tunnel, you have to get on with it! We arrived to be met by two BW guys who then had to measure the width, draught and height of our boat to ensure it would go through the narrow and very low tunnel. They also fitted additional lights on board [together with a fire extinguisher] so we would be able to see our way through the tunnel. It is the highest, longest and deepest tunnel in Britain – over 3.25 miles long and takes about 2.5 hours to get through - also very cold at 10 degrees. Nigel was equipped with hard hat, life jacket and high viz jacket. Nigel steered?? and nudged our way through, whilst the pilot – a real Yorkshire lad – gave advice. This was very difficult as they could not stand up because the tunnel is so low so had to crouch and steer. He kept hitting his head on the roof of the tunnel – hence the hard hat. We also had to have one of the BW guys follow us through in the adjacent disused railway tunnel by van, checking on our progress at safety shafts along the way. It was quite an adventure but we arrived through safely, only minor scratches on the boat! Now hopefully we can have a rest before beginning the decent down the other side.
This is my first full contribution to the diary, I have added to Sue’s text in the past but I guess it is now my turn. Following the tunnel experience on Friday15th, we stayed in Marsden for two days. In that time we found a Pub (Heaven on Earth) actually it is called The Riverhead Brewery, it brews it’s own beer on site. There beer selection available was amazing, 10 casks beer at that time. Of course I had to sample some (see beer log) and then we thought we’d have some lunch. So we moved to the food area upstairs. . The food was excellent and plentiful, we were both stuffed. The quality and presentation, exceptional. The kitchen is open to view, five staff working fastidiously. A real find, so if you happen to be this way, search it out - it really is worth the trouble.
The weather has turned pretty naff, driving rain and wind so we caught the train to Manchester. We were there the day Usain Bolt broke the 150 sprint, but we didn’t see It - we were lost and sheltering in The Arndale Centre.
Monday, (I will warn you now, was the worst day we have ever had on a boat), we were leaving Marsden. So up we got and I head off to prepare the lock (not raining yet), the lock is Padlocked, I try my BW key, nope it will not fit, so I return to the boat, advise Sue not to rush as I will walk back to the Tunnel to get a BW guy to unlock the padlock. Off I trot, 10 minutes later, I’m at the BW office, but no one there, so I sit at picnic table and wait. A white van turned up after 5 or so minutes and the guy agrees to give me lift back and unlock the gate, excellent. So we are off, lock filled, lock emptied, gate opened, out Sue comes with the barge. “Nige, the bridge is a bit low, Nige the barge won’t go under, sure enough the front of the barge catches the bridge, all stop. I jump on and try to do my macho best to push the barge under, but that’s not good enough!!! I summon Sue from the rear of the boat and we managed to squeeze the boat under our weight at the front with just a minor abrasion to the boat. We are off, I had been warned by the nice BW man that when we get to lock 40, we must prepare 39 first or the house by the lock gets flooded, I followed the instruction and all was OK. At Lock, 39, I opened the paddles, not another thought, I looked down to see the tow path disappear, Christ! I ran down, the tow path was a flood, the next lock was engulfed, water was going over the lock gate, round the side down the path every where, it was a foot deep. Luckily there were no dog walkers about. And no houses to flood, but it was a bit unusual. We carried on, got to lock 32, it is raining now, the lock is locked again, Sue gets on the ‘phone to BW and after 15 or so minutes, white van turns up and the gate is unlocked and off we go. The weather deteriorated, strong winds and driving rain returned. I am filling a lock happily in my own world, when “Nige!!!!”, I turn round and Sue has decided, sod the weather it’s time for a swim!!! She had tried to get on the boat, wind took charge, blew the boat away, so there she was, only the canal to stand in and she did. Poor Sue, it was not a nice day, I rushed back obviously making lots of comforting noises but she was inconsolable and very wet!!
Enough, I bet you think that was it, not so. We can’t stop because this canal is so shallow you can’t get to the edge. Sue changes and we push on to Slaithwaite, where there are BW moorings. The weather continues to get worse, but after much effort we arrive at Slaithwaite, go through a very unusual guillotine lock and head for Town, “Nige, that bridge is very low!! I don’t think we will get under”, sure enough with Sue and me on the front, still 2. inches to lose. Sue moves all the boxes of clothes forward in the hope that the weight will lower the front - not enough!! (it is still pouring) and we can’t go forward. I start to think about dismantling the front of the boat, off comes the cover. Then I see some passers by, “help, we’re stuck, do you mind climbing on board, your weight might just be enough to get us under the bridge” “are you sure?” I assured them I thought it would work and they agreed, so we reversed up the canal and two friendly locals jumped on. “never been on one of these” they come through the boat and join me at the front, all extra weight helps!!! Only one can actually get in the front due to everything else we now have stashed up there, but the other guy leans as far forward as he can and sure enough we clear the bridge by half an inch, Hurray!!!!
Sue, edges us forward, and we get through the first bridge. Would you believe it the same idiot has built another one just as low!!!. Our new passengers are happy to stay on board and we negotiate the second bridge. Yes, we have made it, thank you very much and do you know where we can get a decent meal? Recommendation received and our sincere thanks passed on to our local saviours. So we moor up, freshen up and off to the recommended establishment. Excellent, Sunderland v Portsmouth on the tele…off to the bar to order food only to be told – “No food in the evenings”!! How do I break this to Sue!! We ended up trying all the other pubs in town – in the rain – and none of them served food. The last resort was an Indian restaurant which was o k – at least it was warm and dry. The end of a terrible day!!!.
We left Slaithwaite and continued on to Huddersfield where we stayed 3 nights. To be fair we needed the rest. The Huddersfield narrow canal was the hardest Canal we have done and was not helped by the weather conditions and the fact that it was very shallow. The Tunnel was great but the rest, whilst being in beautiful settings, a lot of the time was arduous with very few other boats around. In Huddersfield, we joined the Canal folk at a very friendly mooring. It was nice to be amongst other boaters again. So we chilled out in pleasant surroundings and company.
Sat 23rd We headed down the Huddersfield Broad canal, a short stretch with plenty of water, double locks and much easier travelling. We then joined the Calder and Hebble Navigation. We were a bit concerned about this, as it is a bit like the Kennet & Avon as the River joins and leaves at regular intervals which means on wet days there can be a lot of flow. But all worries were unfounded as it is a lovely quiet and wide stretch to navigate. The locks are unique and use a special thing called a spike, (it cost a tenner!) and was really a hardwood cricket bat type thing which you have to push in the lock mechanism and use it as a leaver to work the gears and raise the paddles. Gripping stuff!! Whilst I was messing up my first go with this tool, we met some other boaters on Milly, Molly Mandy. We got chatting to them and they offered us the use of their mooring at Brighouse for the night. Very nice of them and we had quiet night there, once we had got in from the night club! When we arrived it was like a Yates’s. We had a drink, then the lights went down, the volume went up and the lights started rotating – lots of young people arrived and so we thought it must be time to leave.
Sunday 24th to Elland
As we left Brighouse (does this remind you of a Brass band and Terry Wogan!!) we bumped into a lad we had befriended at Huddersfield and he recommended a mooring and Pub called the Barge & Barrel at Elland. It was a nice sunny day and we arrived quite early in the afternoon and went and sampled a couple of beers and went back in the evening for a couple more. They had 12 cask beers available!!! Had a good afternoon here with Nick and his family and friends, who recommended we should spend some time at Hebden Bridge. Elland is like many of the villages up here, they have ghosts of their industrial past, buildings are all of the local grey stone, there are many impressive old mills either now refurbished as apartments, used for other business or dormant - very few are actually working mills.
We moved on the next day towards Sowerby Bridge. Nick and his mates had left early to retrieve another of the Huddersfield boaters (Steve) at Brighouse and tow him back to Huddersfield as his engine had blown up in a lock. So we continued up the Calder & Hebble to Sowerby Bridge. Here we joined the Rochdale Canal where there is a marina and Shire Cruisers, a hire boat fleet. Here there are 3 locks, the third of which is the deepest lock in Europe and is operated by Roger the jolly lock keeper. Going through locks is probably the most difficult operation and the hirers of the Shire Cruisers boats have to go through 3 first off! Not an easy task if you are new to boating. On one of the hire boats in front of us had on board about 6 children, 2 mums and gran and grandad. We were just leaving the second lock when the guy from Shire Cruisers appeared with a first aid kit to re-affix gran’s fingers - there was a lot of blood !!! The 3rd lock is huge and you get instruction from Roger who thought he had the best job in Calderdale. It all went very smoothly and Roger recommended another fine Ale house at Hebden Bridge, so off we go..
Tuesday 26th onto Hebden Bridge
This was a quick cruise and we hooked up with a couple on a Shire Cruiser and shared the work load through the few locks. The day started wet but improved as it went on. Hebden Bridge (centre of the Pennines) is a pleasant stone built town in the meeting point of three valleys. It is a tourist centre, with a hippie population offering alternative living ideas. We spent the evening in Roger the Lock keeper’s recommended pub which was excellent. Huge selection of real ale and cider with superb food as well.
Wednesday 27th
Wet day improving as it went on as we headed off towards Todmorden which is as far as we wanted to go and we had good intelligence from other boaters that the moorings in the basin in centre of Town were good and the Pub 20 yards away had a big screen TV so that we could watch the European final. So that was our objective. The journey was pleasant along the side of a tree lined valley passing a few hippie communes and the odd mill. As we moved nearer to Todmorden the hills become more barren and steeper. Saw Man U get a football lesson and guess what - it was steak night, so it would have been impolite not to have joined in!
Thursday 28th trip to the Summit of the Rochdale Canal.
We decided that it was more sensible for us to catch the train to Littleborough at the summit and walk back rather than work the numerous locks only to have to work them the next day to return. So that’s what we did - a 20 minute train ride followed by a 2 hour walk back stopping off at Grandma Pollard’s fish bar for a chip buttie. I really spoil Sue sometimes. The scenery was really superb and well worth the walk. When we got back to the boat we set off immediately back to Stubbings Wharf for another excellent meal and more beer. The next day we had a nice cruise on a beautiful day back to Sowerby. Sowerby is another of the villages that has rediscovered it’s past and has refurbished the basin and made it the focal point of the village, very nice too.
Sowerby to Elland Bridge.
Got up early as the boat was due it’s 250 hr cruising service. Opened up the engine compartment and although I do daily checks, something was amiss. The fuel filter was not where it should have been but was swinging freely on the fuel line. Hmmmm so quick check to find the 2 missing bolts and fix it. Then the service, oil everywhere but all done in the end. Another beautiful day cruising down tree lined valleys back to Elland Bridge. Moored bang outside the pub and sampled the ales. Wobbly Bob 6% ABV see beer log.
Didn’t even see the FA cup final - bad luck Dave, I’m sure Everton will be there again…..
Sunday 31st, Elland Bridge to Ledgard Bridge on the Calder and Hebble.
Wow what a day scorcher!!! We have cruised to a new venue through 15 locks. We met up with a local family on their boat returning to their boatyard and shared the work with them, so it was nice and easy. Sue was more than a bit perturbed due to many of the locks only just being big enough for our boat but all was Ok. We are now on a mooring recommended by our new acquaintances and dinner is ready now so that’s it for now.
We set off on Monday morning along the last bit of the Calder and Hebble. It was a lovely sunny day but soon became very hot indeed and at one point during the afternoon we recorded a temperature of 40 degrees on the top of the boat!! I really think you could have fried an egg on the top although didn’t try. As we went on, the navigation got wider and wider until we reached Wakefield and it became the Aire and Calder. Here the locks also became bigger and bigger as the navigation is used by very large commercial barges although we didn’t see any. We moored at another recommended spot at Stanley Ferry which was a really nice stretch with lots of other boaters moored up, mostly residential. We had hardly seen any other boats during the day as there does not seem to be many others actually cruising this navigation. It had been such a hot day with the full sun on us all day – a bit much really - so we decided to stay a couple of nights until it cooled a bit. Here we got a taste of things to come, as a massive tug came steaming past pushing along a huge … well ship really! You wouldn’t want to get in his way – made us look very insignificant!
On Wednesday we continued east before branching off towards Leeds. The navigation had become even wider and at the junction we met a huge commercial barge coming out of a lock towards us. We gave way of course, cowering at the side of the canal until he had gone past with a grin and a wave! Fortunately for us he was leaving the lock so it was only a small wave ha ha!!!
Leeds and Skipton
We continued west towards Leeds along the last part of the Aire and Calder where we went through the last of the huge locks – you could probably fit about fifteen narrowboats in them instead of the usual two. The good thing about them however, is that they are operated just by pressing buttons so no manual labour involved – you just feel lost in such a big lock and there are no other boats around, so we’re just billy no mates apart from the party of school children who came to watch us go through.
We entered Leeds and went right through the centre where there is much new development going on to make the most of the canal area. They have already built a new basin for visitor mooring which is very smart. We continued on through where the locks we encountered were back to normal size and all manual. Lots of them are staircase locks with lock keepers looking after them so you have to reach them by a certain time or else you cannot get through. We also saw the ‘towpath Police’. Real Police officers on trial motorbikes, whose job it is solely to patrol the towpath between Leeds and Rodley – nice to know they are making it safe. The biggest staircase is at Bingley called the Bingley 5-rise. 60 foot rise in 5 stair case locks - quite impressive.
Breakdown
There are 54 [ish] swing bridges along the Leeds and Liverpool canal so you have to keep getting off to open them and they are opened in a variety of ways – some you have to stop the traffic and put down barriers, some completely opened by pushing buttons and some you have to unlock and push with many being quite stiff and hard to open. As we were going along we noticed that the engine didn’t sound right so stopped to have a look and discovered two bolts had sheered off. This meant we couldn’t continue and had to call out the canal version of the AA. We had to wait while an engineer was found. Within an hour or two and nice chap [the boss of a hire fleet from Skipton] came out and fixed the engine and we were on our way again but meant that we didn’t reach Skipton until the next day. We stayed a couple of days in Skipton which is a really lovely place – quite like a seaside town with little cobbled winding streets, although in Yorkshire! Gargrave, just a few miles on from Skipton [where we are now] is the furthest north you can go on the canal system so it’s all downhill from now on!
Sue says that my audience are not interested in the detail (keep it brief), but I think I know you better. Leaving Skipton we meandered through the dales and glorious farming country, some stunning views and seemingly always accompanied by the distinct call of the curlew. There were two series of locks and I managed to make an arse of myself at the first. It was those hire boat types again, Sue was in charge of the tiller moving out of lock 2 and a hire boat surged out of lock 3. She commented to the lock keeper “which way is he going”?, the keeper had it sussed “straight at you I think”!! There was a whurr of diesel engine as it was shoved in reverse and Sue went wide to avoid collision. Now I have recorded this as justification of distraction. Sue entered my lock and I let the water out, but it never got level and the gate would not open. I looked at the pound from which the water was coming and that was about 2 foot down, not good, then the keeper arrives and winds down a paddle that the hire crew had failed to close and I had not noticed. This meant that the water had been flowing through the lock draining the pound. I felt a bit of a twit!! But the keeper was generous and didn’t reproach me. The locks were to be closed the next day for maintenance so I probably helped.
At the third of the next locks, we received a cry of help as we passed. A boater called George (from Liverpool) and his wife were stuck as they had broken down and had been stuck for a few days and had also run out of water. Would I tow them? Of course! We roped the boats up side by side and I became captain of a widebeam. I negotiated 2 locks with the attached craft and we continued to a mooring at Barnoldswick. He was extremely grateful as we waived farewell.
We overnighted further on at Barnoldwick - a very pleasant mooring. Next day, more beautiful scenery and then a tunnel with traffic lights and another hire boat!!! We arrived at the Tunnel entrance - 2 big green lights, so we entered. In the dark ahead of me I could make out 2 craft, so I pottered on. Suddenly there was a crash in front and I was right up the back of the boat in front, so I found neutral and waited. They pulled away and I started off again, they crashed into the wall of the Tunnel again and I stopped again. They then went slowly, I mean slowly - my tick over was too fast and I had to keep stopping or I would have rammed them. Then something happened. Someone else took charge and he sped off in a cloud of smoke. This had all taken some time and it was not by any means a narrow tunnel. As I approached the end, I heard a horn, so I blasted mine, when I got out, I was confronted by another hire boater claiming I must have gone through a red light as their end was green and had been for a while [there would appear to be a time limit on going through]. I said nothing!! It transpired that the boat we were following was a hire boat with obviously an inexperienced crew!!!!
We ended up at a great mooring at a place called Barrowford where we spent 3 days in all, 2 above the locks and one at the bottom. The field opposite was full of shaggy sheep when we arrived but next day the Alan shearer’s arrived - you should have heard the sheep complain, but it was good to watch the shearing being done on an extremely warm day.
At this point we left Yorkshire - a really nice County, especially if you are a beer drinker and well worth another visit at sometime.
Next came 2 Lancashire Towns, Burnley (Premiership) and Blackburn. We are now part of a convoy of four as we have teamed up with three boats from Ripon. Really nice people who know this stretch. The 2 afore mentioned Towns have been known to present problems with unruly kids, so we undertook to set off early to avoid them. Well I got up early. All went well enough, but the state of the canal in these places is appalling, its not the navigation itself, it is just the rubbish in it – we even passed two complete armchairs floating in the water. Still we ended up at another superb mooring with fantastic views. Next day we said goodbye to the others just as it started to rain and headed for the next lot of locks which we navigated in pouring conditions. Then the next day came the challenge of the 21 Wigan Locks. We shared the locks with a couple with a brand new boat and all went well. The boat was probably worth £90K and I [Sue] was scared stiff of knocking his boat as we navigated between the locks, but he didn’t seem to mind sharing the expensive paint work with us – he bumped us if anything and I don’t think I bumped him once. It is a contact sport and his approach was really refreshing. We spent the night at Astley, our final night on the Leeds and Liverpool. Tomorrow Manchester and the Bridgewater canal. ”
We set off early as we wanted to get through Manchester without stopping as we didn’t expect it to be very welcoming. The Bridgewater is nice and deep, has no locks and is very straight in places which is unusual, as canals tend to wind round hills and other obstacles. We came through Worsley which turned out to be very pleasant, tree lined and had some very old, grand buildings and ochre coloured water from the iron ore. Then we headed deeper into Manchester passing a moored boat from Burghfield on the way and then to the Barton Swing Aquaduct which took us over and high above the Manchester Ship Canal - quite impressive as can be seen from the photos. This led to two and a half miles of fairly wide but dead straight canal which was pretty boring but took us past the Trafford Centre. We then came to a junction where we turned south instead of continuing past Old Trafford and the centre of Manchester. This took us along another completely straight stretch for over five miles through Stretford and Sale and was again surprisingly pleasant, passing a Theatre and Arts Centre. We were soon out into open countryside again and stopped for a couple of days in Lymm – a very pretty village with cobbled streets and a real gathering point for local boaters. We have now moved down to the end of the Bridgewater canal to Preston Brook which now becomes the Trent and Mersey – not the part we have previously covered. We are at a boatyard as we thought we may have a bit of a gas leak in the bow and they are going to check it out for us. This however means we cannot cook anything or boil the kettle for a cuppa! Never mind – the pub’s not far away!
Two lads from the boatyard spent over an hour on the gas system and found a small leak which they were able to fix. When we went to pay their boss for their time and for the overnight mooring, he wouldn’t take anything! We were amazed – there can’t be many places where they wouldn’t charge – so we gave the lads some beer money instead. We were on our way again on another very hot day. We went through three minor tunnels and then found ourselves at the famous Anderton Boat Lift. [There are salt mines all around this area and some of the salt works are still operational and dominate the landscape].
We stopped here for a while to watch the lift in operation. It was sweltering hot by this time and busy with the many visitors who come to see the lift. There is a large glass topped barge that takes visitors down in the lift to the River Weaver 50 feet below and back up again. We could have taken our own boat down in the lift for free, but we didn’t want to go down on the River Weaver so we just watched it in action instead. There are two water-filled tanks that are used to counterbalance each other, powered by steam – a quite impressive bit of engineering considering it was built in 1875. Now they are electrically operated and work independently of each other.
We continued down the Trent and Mersey, through Northwich and then on to Middlewich which was very nice. Here it became quite busy with several boats waiting to go through the locks. It was again very hot and we turned off here onto the Middlewich arm of the Shropshire Union, through lovely countryside to the junction of the Shropshire Union where we turned south and then passed the junction with the Llangollen canal [which we have done before]. After the hot day we decided that refreshments were in order so walked about a mile and a half to the local historic pub marked on our canal guide, only to find it closed down a couple of years ago!! Plan B again then! The next day we found ourselves at Audlem, a very nice little village with a canalside pub called the Shroppie Fly where the bar was built to look like a narrowboat as can be seen from the photo – and it was still in business and open! Very nice too.
After passing Market Drayton we came to a series of 5 locks at about 2.30pm but after the first couple, we met a queue as apparently a tree had come down over the canal halting all progress. We found out that there was an even bigger queue of about 20 boats waiting to come down the locks. They had been waiting since 8.30 that morning for BW to come and deal with the tree and they were a bit cheesed off to say the least. We eventually got underway again passing through deep cuttings where it was very narrow and extremely difficult to pass when meeting another boat. It was still very hot and when we arrived at Norbury Junction on Sunday there were tourists galore - the world and his wife had come out to enjoy this pretty little canalside spot, almost in the middle of nowhere. We stayed here a couple of days enjoying the sunshine.
Some of you will know that I [Sue] was given a Silverstone Thrill for my birthday so we popped home from Wolverhampton on the train for a few days so that I could go to Silverstone to drive a Ferrari 360 F1 Modena. Wow!! What a car! They actually let me loose on the real track [with a instructor of course]. FThey encourage you get the most out of it and let you go as fast as you can down Hangar Straight. I don’t know how fast it was but it was quick!! It was a bit strange going from travelling at only 4 miles per hour for three months to about 130. I made the mistake of asking Nigel to video it on my camera - you can hear the car roar past but… yes, you’ve guessed it, all you can see is a nice shot of the ground! Anyway, I had a great time and would love to have another go sometime. Thanks to all my family who bought me the voucher – it was brilliant.
Came back to the boat on Saturday and continued down the last bit of the ‘Shroppie’, onto the Staffordshire and Worcestershire canal, which was again very pleasant, winding through countryside with nice little locks which are well maintained and easy to open. We are now in Stourport where we have negotiated a series of basins and locks and are now moored on the River Severn ready to go down to Worcester tomorrow.
Not a lot you can say, it is a nice River with big locks but nowhere near the scale of the Calder and Hebble. It does cause a few more issues because of the flow. It is slow but it sort of catches you out. We approached the canal entrance at Worcester coming down stream. It is a double lock with a nice big sign post telling you where it is. What is really required is a fast approach and a hand brake turn. I [Nigel] waited my time to turn, and as I’m waiting, a women with a sixty foot narrow boat emerged from the lock like James Bond, full-throttle - her husband is on the jetty and she is going like hell in the night straight at him. I don’t know the outcome as I started my turn across the flow. Now I aimed at the gate but the stern drifted on the flow. I corrected the front but the bit I was stood on was still getting pushed round: More speed needed, yep but no, now I am going to ram the wall. There is only one gate open, why?? Eventually without too much damage to boat or wall we enter the lock. At this point I am not really Mr Cool, and as we survey our surrounds we have an audience of about 6 council workers, one of whom was working the lock. They have all stopped and are just looking at our boat, not any applause or even a word – we couldn’t work out why they were there. It transpires they were Tarmacing the path beside the lock and were stuck until we passed through as the lock gate arm was stopping them from laying or rolling. It was absolutely pouring and they were not the happiest souls.
The next day we headed along the Birmingham and Worcester canal to Stoke Prior where we stopped to pluck up the energy for tackle the Tardebigge locks the next day. This is a series of 36 single locks climbing up one after the other. It took us nearly all day as well as going through 2 smallish tunnels. The next day another long tunnel to Kings Norton junction where we then turned off onto the Stratford canal which winds round south of Birmingham. The next morning we set off to do Lapworth locks in the sunshine, only 18 in the flight this time! This took us to Kingswood junction where there were many onlookers enjoying the sun and ice creams from a friendly chap with a straw boater and his ice cream cart. We were now back on the Grand Union canal heading east. On Monday David met us at the top of the Hatton flight to give us a helping hand down the 22 double locks! The weather was again lovely and sunny and we were down the locks in about three hours and ready for a visit to the Cape pub at the bottom in Warwick.
We spent a couple of days on the Saltisford Arm in Warwick, a secluded little arm run by a Trust and we made the most of the facilities and their laundry where I spent FOUR HOURS!!! catching up on the washing – we were getting pretty desparate and running out of clothes to wear!
We set off again in an easterly direction as we were heading to Market Harborough to meet Ros and David for their week on their timeshare narrowboat. We went into the first double lock we came to with another boat. It makes life much easier if there is another boat in the lock and the extra crew member of the other boat helps to speed proceedings up considerably. There are several locks on this stretch so we spent the day going through locks together and soon got to know Perry and Margaret. Perry was wearing a CAMRA t-shirt from 1997 and informed us he was a life member. He was a very relaxed dude and a more typical CAMRA member you will not find! He would be very at home helping to run your local beer festival. They were very friendly and we went through the locks at a ‘Perry Pace’ but we were grateful as this was at least quicker than doing them by ourselves.
The next day we arrived back at Braunston where we had passed through near the beginning of our journey. We decided to have a part fitted to the engine which would avoid the breakdown we had in Yorkshire when some of the prop shaft bolts sheared off. So we stopped off at one of the boatyards and they were able to fit it almost straight away. When we left the boatyard, we had to go straight into a lock. There was another boat just going in so we asked them if they wouldn’t mind waiting for us so we could go up together. They were happy with this arrangement but I had to wait until the boat coming down, came out of the lock and passed our boat before I could push off from the side. Just as I pushed off into the centre of the canal towards the lock, another boat appeared from nowhere, heading straight for the lock. I shouted to them that I was just going in the lock with the other boat and the woman standing on the front of the boat said “Oh no you’re not, we are”. I informed her in no uncertain terms, that as Nigel was already up at the lock to prepare it, we were going in. They didn’t like it and banged the back of our boat! They seemed to think that they could just head towards a lock and expect to go straight in ahead of waiting boats when they hadn’t even got a crew member off to help prepare it! Thankfully we didn’t see them again.
We gradually made our way to Market Harborough arriving on Sunday afternoon, after descending the famous Foxton Staircase locks. Nigel struggled to work the locks amongst the many tourists who had come out to watch on the warm, sunny afternoon. There were people everywhere - they seemed to like sitting on the arms of the lock gates just as he needed to open them!
Ros, Dave, Ros’s brother Dave and Emma arrived on cue after visiting Sainsbury’s as Ros had left all the cold food supplies at home in the fridge!
We spent nearly four very enjoyable days with them [it was nice to have their company again] before they had to turn back at the top of the Oxford canal.
We continued south down the Oxford canal, passing through the quaint village of Cropredy where they hold their famous folk festival in a couple of week's time, then through Banbury which took us through the middle of the shopping centre to Lower Heyford where we are currently. We will be soon heading down the Thames to Reading.
After completing the last part of the Oxford canal, we joined the River Thames at Oxford on Tuesday. We have never been on the Thames before and we found the signposting pretty poor and our guide book not very clear but we found our way onto the river in the end and were in fact going in the right direction as we were not sure at first. After buying our Environment Agency licence at the first lock we travelled down through Abingdon, passing a variety of craft on the way, from tiny little hire boats to big 'gin palaces'. We decided to moor just after Clifton Hampden lock but when we got there, we couldn't find anywhere to moor so we did a quick 'u'ie' , went back through the lock [much to the lock keeper's bewilderment] and moored for the night in a safe spot just above the lock.
We continued on Wednesday morning through familiar places such as Shillingford, Wallngford and Goring where we decided to moor just after the lock. It is strange being in Goring as we are used to travelling through by car but not by boat! An interesting trip - you could see the money growing on the trees in some of the superb properties backing on to the Thames. We passed a Mock Castle - a huge building flying the Japanese flag!!!
Tomorrow we will be passing through Reading and the Oracle, onto the Kennet and Avon. This will seem even stranger!
As we turned onto the Kennet and Avon, we soon noticed the force of the flow and had to adjust our revs accordingly. We headed for town and soon found ourselves passing the Bel and Dragon and through the bridge by the back of the Pru and the Forbury. It was pouring with rain so we moored up for lunch and when the rain stopped we were joined by some of Nigel’s old colleagues from the Pru who all scrambled aboard to have a look round [or along] our boat – got a bit crowded but we stayed afloat! We then carried on under Duke Street bridge and, after pressing the magic button, the canal traffic lights turned to green and we headed through the Oracle, past the newly delivered beach and waving children. No chance for shopping though as you are not allowed to stop. We went under the bridge and through the other side were faced with a weir flowing towards us and a lock to the left with a very short landing stage that you have to tie up to quickly before the weir forces you out of control, and then prepare the lock. We then headed through Reading and Southcote negotiating some tricky locks on the way, and on to Burghfield, passed the Cunning Man and on to Theale. We went through the swing bridge and for once we were the ones holding up the traffic instead of being held up ourselves as we have done whilst driving through many times and cursing those damn boats! We moored for the night but couldn’t go home to do the washing as planned as there was nobody at home and we remembered we didn’t have a key to get in! ….. to our own home! After a day at home, we re-stocked our wardrobe and were joined by Ros and David for a few days. It was very strange to be going through familiar territory but seeing it from the canal and not from the road. We spent a night in Newbury and the next one in Hungerford. After a wet morning on Wednesday we arrived in Devizes. The sun came out and the whole town was invaded by a swarm of flying ants – they were everywhere! Unfortunately Ros and Dave had run out of time and they had to leave us. Their help through the locks was very welcome and of course we enjoyed having the pleasure of their company.
Thursday was a complete washout. It didn’t stop raining all day so there was only one thing for it …. go on the tour of the Wadworth brewery which is just by the canal. This was very enjoyable and of course finished with a visit to the bar, where we were able to sample six of their beers!
The next day we were up early and braced ourselves to tackle the famous Caen flight of locks – only 29 [double] locks in the space of 2 ¼ miles!!!! After doing the first six on our own, we paired up with another boat which made it a bit easier. Luckily it was a nice day and we got through in about six hours altogether. However, we wanted to get to Bradford-on-Avon that night to catch a train home the next day for the first footie game of the season, so we didn’t even stop for lunch. We finally arrived in Bradford at about 8.30pm. It had certainly been a long and tiring day.
After a quick dash home, we arrived back ready to explore Bradford-on-Avon. We found that we were moored right behind the Tithe Barn in its beautiful surroundings on the edge of the park by the River. The town is really pretty with its Cotswold stone buildings and cobbled streets. It was a lovely day and it seemed the world and his wife had come out to enjoy the sunshine – there was a constant stream of people walking past the boat along the towpath. However, we had to move on and headed west to a lovely spot in the countryside where the canal crossed the River Avon by aquaduct. Here we met up with two other boats who we have got to know along the way as we have bumped into them [not literally] several times since the Oxford canal. We spent the evening sitting on the bank in the sunshine with them, whilst sipping something cool.
On Monday we arrived in Bath – somewhere we have not been for a long time. We will spend some time here before heading back east towards home.
Having spent a lovely day in Bath on Tuesday, we are now heading back home along the Kennet and Avon.
We have had some lovely weather, especially Wednesday when we travelled from Crofton to Hungerford. Today, we have moved on to Newbury. Tomorrow, Friday, will be the last day of our trip and we should arrive back in Aldermaston to moor at the marina. We have really enjoyed our adventure and can't believe it's over already! Where have the last 5 months gone??
We had to make one more journey from Aldermaston to Newbury to take the boat to dry dock to have it's bottom blacked!! What is a ten minute journey by car, took us nearly all day by boat on a chilly bank holiday weekend. We left it for the week at the boatyard and returned to bring it back on Saturday - a much nicer, sunny day and the journey didn't take so long due to the flow downstream and the fact that we were emptying the locks going down - this is much quicker than filling them going up.
Pause is now safely back in her mooring where she will spend the winter until we can go out again next spring.