"Let's go for a little walk"

Monday, 21 September 2009 18:15

"........Up to the lock of Tuel"

Do you recognise the tune? I name it in one!

So sorry - mad moment - it must be the prospect of the Rochdale Canal ahead!

On that subject we decided that it was a good idea to have a look at what was in store for us, so we walked up the towpath from where we are moored just before the Sowerby Bridge locks.

Short-term moorings from lock 1

Lock 1 and pound - the first on the Rochdale Canal

Just a quick bit of history for fellow canal history enthusiasts - Sowerby Bridge was an important river crossing during the Middle Ages. There was a pack horse trail along the Calder Valley bottom which was impassable by wheeled vehicles and almost impossible for horses to pass in some places.

1759 saw the River Calder Navigation extended from Wakefield to Dewsbury, then on to Brighouse and finally to Sowerby Bridge by 1770. The wharf and warehouses followed and the area around was gradually developed.

In 1791, plans for the Rochdale Canal were revived and the Trans-Pennine canal was opened in 1805. The wharf continued to expand, with new and rebuilt warehouses, until the railways caused a decline in cargo carrying.

Warehouse No. 2 was probably the first warehouse built, but this one is a rebuild and incorporates warehouse No.1

Restaurants now in warehouse No. 2

In those days cargo was transshipped from the longer 72 foot by 14 foot "Mersey Flats," carrying up to 90 tons on the Rochdale, onto the shorter Calder and Hebble "Yorkshire Keels" (57 foot by 14 foot, carrying 80 tons). These boats were also known as "West Country Boats", due to their dimensions being somewhat reduced for use on the West Ridings Waterways, compared to the larger boats used down on the Humber and Aire.

The Rochdale Canal was eventually closed in 1952. Restoration began about thirty years ago and thankfully, due mainly to The Rochdale Canal Society, most of the main line was protected. However, the canal ended rather ignominiously in a supermarket car park in Sowerby Bridge. The Calder and Hebble was only 500 yards away and a large road junction now severed the canal.

Road Junction in Tuel Lane

So, to connect the two waterways, British Waterways and partners spent £23 million rebuilding locks, bridges and tunnels. They built new structures too, including a tunnel under the road junction and a new lock to replace two that had been in-filled.

At lock 2 we caught up with Wide Boat Excalibur and decided to go on up, to watch them through Tuel lane Lock - the new lock with a drop of 20 feet. This is now the deepest lock on the system (Bath Deep Lock runs it a close second!)

WB Excalibur leaving lock 2

Tuel Lane Tunnel east portal

We continued up the towpath onto the main road through Sowerby Bridge, crossing this and walking up Tuel Lane, between the Wharf Inn and the Church. Tuel Lane lock is on the left a little way up the hill.

Tuel Lane Lock from Tuel Lane Bridge

We had a long chat with Lock Keeper Rob (he deserves a blog of his own later!). We watched him working and then go and tell WB Excalibur that they could proceed through the tunnel. All boats have to wait at the entrance of the tunnel, notify the Lock Keeper that they are coming through and await his instructions.

Notices on Tuel lane Tunnel

WB Excalibur arriving in the lock

We watched them rise gently under Rob's control

Note the water coming in on the left, so that the boat is held against the right hand side.

Saying 'goodbye' to Rob, 'see you in a couple of days,' we went on for a walk around the town and wharf.

For more information on the restoration see this link to Pennine Waterways.