What has Australia got to do with narrowboats?

Wednesday, 22 July 2009 20:14

Shopping on the Leeds and Liverpool Canal

John woke with a bad back this morning, so we took a while to get going. Our first stop was to be White Bear Marina for oil and filters - why does the engine service come around so quickly!

On our way I spotted this blocked up bit on Arley Bridge 64 - was it a store for stop planks?

We passed Nb Cedar (Braidbar boat) at Addlington

They asked "are you the Bloggers". "Yes" we replied, "keep up the good work". It is always so nice to meet complete strangers who read our blog! We do have a number of readers who are Braidbar Boat owners - maybe the word has got around!

We moored at White Bear Marina on the towpath side as their visitor wharf is off-limits as it is "unsafe". John bought the requisites. Their diesel is sold at 0%, 60% or 100%. Work that one out! At the boatyard a little further on, at Rawlinson Bridge (71), it is 59/105pence per litre.

Looking back at the marina we saw our first sunken boat of the day

Leaving Greater Manchester we were once again in Lancashire as we passed under Chorley Road Bridge (72A). Chorley was our next stop, for provisions. We moored just after Crosse Hall Bridges (76 and 76a). A lane leads up from Bridge 76 to a main road, turning left and then right at the roundabout, I walked down to Morrisons. A bit of an hike - particularly on the way back, as by the time I got to the hill up from Morrisons I was flagging a little!

I got back to Epiphany for a welcome cuppa and then we set off again. The next shopping experience is the link with Australia. Botany Bay is a shopping complex near the M61 outside Chorley. The other Botany Bay is where James Cook landed HMS Endeavour in Australia - thus beginning the Penal Colony and European occupation of Sydney. Why this complex is named thus I really don't know!

There are good moorings here, but it is very noisy with the M61 so near

At Knowley Bridge 79 we found our second sunken boat. Since coming up the Wigan flight we have seen three of these - why are they just left to rot?

At £3.99 entrance we decided to give Botany Bay a miss, as we did when we were here with our friends, John and Carolyn, 6 years ago! In fact, if we remember correctly, we winded at the winding hole to return to Silsden from whence we had hired the boat. Does that stir "the little grey cells," J and C?

Our mooring for the night is at the bottom of Johnson's Hill Locks

I was too tired to even contemplate climbing the 7 locks and John's back needed a rest before we tackle them! Beside the bottom lock is the Walton Summit Branch - originally part of the Southern section of the Lancaster Canal. Don't the houses on the off side look "posh"!

There is a warning notice, as the branch is not navigable - shame

Sennicar Lane Bridge 61 to Johnson's Hill Bottom Lock - 3 hours 18 minutes, 8.48 miles, 0 locks