Paired up down the Erewash Canal

Sunday, 05 September 2010 15:44

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