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A partial change of waterway
After a surprisingly quiet night moored outside the Bingley Arms at Horbury, we set off towards the end of the Calder and Hebble navigation. Today was much cloudier, but I was glad of the respite from the blazing sun.
The two Broad Cut Locks are at the end of the Horbury Cut. The River Calder continued beside the cut, occasionally visible through the trees. Once down the locks we were back on the river.
The river reminded us of the River Severn, except that the banks were lower. It was a lovely calm feeling as we cruised through this lovely section - only the wildlife to keep us company. I saw a Kingfisher at the bottom of Thornes Lock - my first on the Calder and Hebble Navigation.
 Tree lined River Calder
Thornes Flood Lock and Thornes Lock are on the edge of Wakefield. Thornes Lock has two chambers but only one is in use. The railway is never far away and the viaduct ahead at Belle Isle is also named "99 arches", however there are only 95, apparently!
 The castle-like structures declare, "I am important"!
In Wakefield, the Calder and Hebble Navigation takes a sharp right-hand turn into the Flood Lock. Ahead on the river are old warehouses, a boatyard, wharfs and in the distance Wakefield Cathedral.
 River towards Wakefield
If boaters want to stop to explore Wakefield, there are visitor moorings beyond the flood lock before Doncaster Bridge. The area has been developed as Wakefield's "Waterside" with new apartments. As there is building work still going on, we did not fancy stopping - anyway, we had not planned to!
So we came to the end of the Calder and Hebble at Fall Ings. Once, there was a large coal staithe here (built 1939, removed 2005) and it was very busy with boats collecting the coal from wagons to take to Goole and beyond, via the Aire and Calder Navigation.
 Modern day mooring replace the loading bays
Long before that, "Tom Pudding" floating containers would be loaded here and towed in a "train" of up to 16 containers or pans along the Aire and Calder. I wouldn't fancy meeting them on a windy day as the "snake" straggled across the canal! This Pathe video shot at Goole gives a good idea of what it all looked like!
We turned left into the basin above Fall Ings Lock and had to wait whilst a narrowboat came up. The crew were fussing about the difficult lock and very heavy gates. Mind you they could give us a few years!
 Waiting patiently
Fall Ings Lock is huge, long and wide; Epiphany was quite dwarfed in it! I floated around merrily, for once not worrying about the bows and how to get out of the lock! What a relief, we were now going to experience longer locks for a while!
 Down in Fall Ings Lock, but this doesn't do the size justice!
Below the lock we passed the Barnsley Canal entrance, .jpg) now well overgrown since the last boat used the entrance at Heath Lock in 1952. Coal at Barnsley had been the attraction, but failing collieries and rail and road saw to its demise.
Foundry Shoal rail viaduct and Broadreach Flood Lock herald the long straight cut that leads to Stanley Ferry. Either side of the cut there used to be coal shafts, workings and open cast mines.
We moored at Stanley Ferry in good time. There are plenty of excellent, well kept visitor moorings to choose from, all along the straight cut before the aqueduct.
 Moored at Stanley Ferry
Calder and Hebble Navigation, Horbury Bridge to Aire and Calder Navigation, Stanley Ferry
6.83 miles, 3 hours 4 minutes, 4 locks
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