A meeting of the ways

Saturday, 17 October 2009 09:31

To Ducie Street Junction

So what comes after Anthony's Lock? Fortunately, we carried on to Ducie Street Junction and missed the fire on Friday which has closed the Rochdale Canal for the moment.

The Coalpit 3 locks are next (78, 79 and 80), passing through Miles Platting. Although it is in Manchester, this area is pretty, with Victoria Mill Park and Royle Basin. Victoria Mill has been restored, but the mill at Butler Road Lock (81) is derelict.

Some scenes from Coalpit Middle Lock: the crane in between the buildings of Victoria Mill, Victoria Mill from the lock and two chatty helmsmen who had to shout over the waterfall from the top gates!

The pound below was flooded and the geese enjoyed a paddle; let's hope the children from the playground are well supervised. Paul and Dot had a laugh in the bottom lock - note the steps up to the paddle gear.

The derelict Mill in Royle Basin

Butler Lane Lock and Royle Bridge (86), built with millennium money

Like a number of the Rochdale Locks there was only one set of bottom paddles, so Dot thought she would speed things up with a few turns of a "virtual" ratchet!

We were now well into the centre of Manchester, but there were still some interesting sights!

Union Street bridge (88) and makers sign

Royal Mill

This was once known as the Old Mill or Redhill Street Mill and was built in 1799, the tallest iron framed building of its time. At one time 1500 workers laboured 69 hours a week for a wage of about 11 shillings. (Who is grumbling now about their hours and pay?!).

It was good to know that we were being "watched"

So we came to Kitty Footbridge (88A) and our penultimate lock of the day

BW guys were "structure inspecting" with their little electronic gizmos and stopped for a "rest"!

Paul did get a little help with the lock though!

Leech Street Bridge below the lock is a bit of a problem!

Lock 83 has been "landscaped", but was locked, so we waited for the BW chaps to catch up and unlock the top gates.

Just below the lock was the junction with the Ashton Canal at Ducie Junction. We moored up just prior to this, opposite an empty Merchants Wharf.

We spent the next day there, quite secure, as there are very obvious security guards wandering around. We took a trip to Lancaster to see Craig and left Carolyn and Derek and Dot to look after the boats!

Rochdale Canal, Irk Aqueduct to Ducie Street Bridge - 6 hours 35 minutes, 7.04 miles, 20 locks