The Summit of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal

Friday, 31 July 2009 09:50

Foulridge and beyond

Foulridge marks the summit of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal; the locks from now on will take us down towards Leeds. We are now 487½ feet above sea level!

But Foulridge Tunnel comes first. It was designed by Robert Whitworth, canal engineer and took 5 years to complete costing over £20,000.

It is “one way working,” as there is not room for two narrowboats. There is no towpath and the boats had to be “legged” through. The men lay on the bows and walked the boats through, meeting the horses that had been walked over the top.

In 1880 a Legger died and this put an end to the practice. A steam tug was introduced which was replaced by diesel boats in 1937. The tunnel was then controlled by Tunnel Keepers using a telephone and the traffic lights were introduced in 1963 on a time switch.

Foulridge tunnel lights were against us so we pulled in to the side to wait for the green light.

Red for stop

Green for go

No amber to tell you to get ready! As we crept forward I could see that the tunnel was clear and there were no lagging boats.

It was still wet, as the tunnel itself is very wet – not only through the ventilation shafts but through the brickwork. When we looked up we could see stalactites forming.  I began to imagine that in 50 years or so the stoppage notices would read - “Foulridge Tunnel, Leeds and Liverpool Canal, for a week, to remove stalactites blocking navigation”! Then I had a vision of a BW working boat with a man at the front hammering them all down. Was that a dream or a nightmare?

Once we were through the tunnel, we moored almost immediately for a cuppa and a short walk into Foulridge.

Epiphany moored at Foulridge

At Foulridge village is 'The Hole In The Wall' (not the gang from Butch Cassidy – the rain theme again “Rain drops keep falling on my head...”) but the pub.

The Hole In The Wall pub

It has a story to tell

Whether this is true or not, when we went to the pub in 2001 they had the legend well and truly advertised!

Cottages in Foulridge

Foulridge was once a hat making village and has weavers cottages surrounding the village green.

Foulridge Wharf was built in 1815

The wharf once bustled with boats loading and unloading limestone from Craven. It was burned with coal in the lime kilns, producing lime which was used locally. There were also cargoes of raw cotton from North America for weaving in the Lancashire mills.

We decided to move on a bit as we wanted a country mooring, and the internet signal was non-existent at our mooring in Foulridge!

Looking back at the wharf and sani-station

Four bridges later we found a lovely mooring – even in the pouring rain! We are just beyond Hatter's Bridge (150). However the internet signal is still bad! I will get this up sometime though!

Leeds and Liverpool Canal, Swinden Aqueduct to Hatter's Bridge 150 – 4 hours 11 minutes, 3.8 miles, 7 locks