After Bingley, what next?

Tuesday, 18 August 2009 09:35

This is what!

Scourer Bridge and pub

This bridge is just before the Dowley Gap staircase of two locks. It was a little difficult to get onto the lock landing as there was a BW work boat moored on the last bollard. The hire boat had to pull in to the side behind the BW boat as there was not enough room for them on the lock landing.

BW boat in the way

This sort of lock gear is used on all the Bingley locks and here at Dowley

The ground paddle is wound with a handle and the gate paddles are the same as on the Rufford Branch and the Glasson Branch on the Lancaster Canal. The Lock Keeper was working a boat up as we arrived.

We waited as a wide beam came up the locks

The middle gate of the staircase was rather overgrown with vegetation

Our final lock of the day and our final swing bridge of the day just before it

It was a little awkward as Hirst lock was empty. John opened Hirst Mill SB for us and then went on to set the lock. Unfortunately there is barely room for one boat on the lock landing and definitely no room for two. I went through and John tied our bows to the last bollard. There was a bypass that pulled me over to the off side so the hire boat was able to come in on my left as I was diagonal across the canal!

It was not made any easier by a fisherman who had left his two lines out in this space and my stern was right where he was! He was busy looking for his mobile which he had dropped in the canal before the SB and finally came to pull in his lines just before they snagged my prop. Hmmm....

Once through there was another fisherman on the lock landing below, making it hard to pick up crew. Grrrr....

So we continued on to Saltaire to moor on the Visitor Moorings there. After a cuppa and a bit of a rest we decided to have a wander to look at the Mill - it was too late to go in. As we passed the sign at the moorings we read this -

Sign

Welcome? Huh! We were rather surprised to say the least - it does seem rather strange and we were definitely not risking being charged £5/hour for an overnight stay. So back to Epiphany we went and moved on further down the canal.

Saltaire empty VMs

There was nowhere to moor by the towpath, as some of the edge was shallow and every so often there were huge rocks at the edge under the water. Part of me wondered if they had been put there deliberately to stop 14 day moorers - they seemed to be strategically placed!

No matter, we found the offside VMs at Salts Wharf, Shipley, just after bridge 207E and managed to moor despite the boat there running his engine in gear! Saltaire is still in walking distance as is Asda in Shipley! We can stay here for 7 days - but won't be!

Leeds and Liverpool Canal, East Riddlesden to Salt Wharf Shipley - 4 hours 59 minutes, 5.65 miles, 11 locks