We enjoyed being moored in the Great Northern Basin but ....

It was time to move on. We were returning down the Erewash Canal paired up with Gill and Geoff on narrowboat Petroc.

In Langley Bridge Lock

First, we had to wind in a tight space, as all the visitor moorings were taken and the winding area is tight when this is so! This meant that we just put our front end onto the old Nottingham Canal so can claim another "head of navigation"!

We were careful as we went under Anchor Bridge (27), as this was where Gill had problems getting through when they came up. It is a low bridge - which apparently has been raised 6 inches once, but we were OK. It was not until later in one of the locks we realised that we sit a bit lower in the water than Petroc!

Anchor Bridge behind us

Some of the bridges below the locks are narrow, brick arches - only room for one boat to go through. This one, at Shipley Lock, was full of gongoozlers; it can be quite off-putting to be watched if things are a little tricky! The bywashes below the bridges were running fast today as there is now plenty of water.

Petroc leaving Shipley Lock, watched closely!

The bi-centenary plaque on the bridge below Gallows Inn Lock bears a well known name for those of us who were boating in the 1970s. 1779 to 1979, what a lot of changes this canal must have seen in 200 years!

Bi-centenary plaque

Now, I do not often have a real moan but today I am going to! We have decided that a large percentage of the anglers (or fisherman if you prefer) on this canal are either blind, ignorant or just plain "B" minded. They appear to have no knowledge of the Waterways Code. There is a specific section for anglers, cyclists, powered craft and unpowered craft. They take no notice of the very clear signs at lock landings and insist on fishing there, or even right under the bridges at the tail of locks.

BW sign, present on all lock landings above and below the locks

As we try to be considerate and avoid lines and keep nets, it can be most galling when they become verbally abusive or try to tell us how to navigate. The canals were built for navigation and we pay a much larger amount for our licence! Grrr .....

And another thing .....

You can see that the the other notices are: no cycling (at locks), no dog poo and no swimming. Only the latter prohibition was adhered to - but maybe if the weather was hot that too might be ignored.

Just to make even more steam come out of our ears, we saw this hurtling towards us on the towpath between Hallam Fields Lock and Stanton Lock.

Motorcycle on towpath

No wonder he hid his face as the notice along here has a variation!

Multiple signs

No mooring (a short lock landing), no fishing, no dog poo, no swimming and no motor cycles

We have moored above Pastures Lock - it is very nice here, despite the proximity of the railway and the M1 it is quite quiet! Below the lock is where we lost our satellite dish on the way up, so John may go fishing himself when we go down the lock tomorrow!

Cromford Canal: Great Northern Basin to Erewash Canal: above Pasture Lock

4 hours 17 minutes, 6.69 miles, 10 locks

The Northern section

The Northern section of the Nottingham Canal has been culverted, built on and in-filled. For the history of this canal go to either our blog - clickety click or a more comprehensive read is The Lenton Times - clickety click

Below is the Nottingham Canal seen from Langley Bridge, as it joins the Cromford Canal at the Great Northern Basin

Canal, now moorings

It is possible to walk the line of the old canal from Langley Bridge to Wollaton, a short walk (blue line) and back from Shipley Lock on the Erewash or a longer walk down to Cotmanhay (blue and red line). The map (albeit damaged) shows the two walks

Nottingham Canal storyboard map

Gill and I walked the blue route yesterday and here are some photos I took along the way.

In-filled canal (Anchor Rd) from Langley Mill Bridge

We came to a bridge over the old line. This road leads to a bridge 26 over the Erewash, but as you can see, the arch is full of undergrowth in the old canal

Brick accommodation bridge from south west

We walked south from this bridge and the old canal becomes a wet ditch, which gradually opens out until it is obviously a "cut", but much overgrown.

Canal bed full of bullrushes

A little further on there is a newly constructed  weir and the undergrowth has been trampled down, clearly showing water. Not much was flowing down the weir though!

Geoff and Gill's dog, Barnaby, investigates!

We came to another swing bridge, which was not in such good condition as the one here in the Great Northern Basin. It appears to lead to a farm track, but with a little imagination it was easy to see what the canal could look like if it was still in use.

Swing bridge ahead

Looking north from the swing bridge

Disappointingly, the canal is soon culverted under a minor road and beyond this it is in-filled again, with a path on the old line. I am reliably informed by Geoff, who walked the red route today,that there are some more small sections still in water

The line of the canal continues

View back north towards the swing bridge; only a narrowboat missing!

Gill and I turned down the road towards the Erewash Canal at this point and crossed over the River Erewash, at what must have been a wharf at one time. There are some old warehouse-like buildings here and some modern buildings being built among them.

Timber framed warehouse (note the "mod cons"!)

Warehouse and river

We found ourselves back at Shipley Lock, so we had come a fair way. It was a pleasant walk back along the towpath, via Eastwood Lock and thence back to Langley Mill Bridge. Then we were back at the lock up to the Great Northern Basin.

Looks who's here!

Geoff and Gill on narrowboat Petroc have followed us up the Erewash Canal, so we are both here in the Great Northern Basin. They had some interesting experiences on their journey up - clickety click

Petroc and Epiphany in close proximity!

Epiphany is looking a lot smarter. John has spent the last two days painting. Now with a wash down at least one side (of Epiphany: ed.) looks "good", until we get on the move again!

The ECPDA have a working party here in the basin today. They really care for this basin and the Cromford Canal restoration. Howard, the Chairman of the ECDPA, is very knowledgeable and has told us a lot of the history.

Today, they were painting the Nottingham Canal Swing Bridge and I just had to take a photo of it open. So I broke off from my "work" washing Epiphany down and walked over the lock gates for this:

Swing Bridge open

Beside the lock on the "island" between the Cromford and the Nottingham Canals are a couple of plaques. We have a lot to thank the local people and the ECPDA for creating this little haven.

Re-opening plaque

This mileage plaque has one fact missing - the mileage to Birmingham!

Mileage plaque

This afternoon, Gill and I are going for a wander down the old Nottingham Canal, so I hope to have some more photos to put up soon!