This evening we are moored at the top of Wigan flight waiting to descend in the morning.  I think it will be an early start as the fearsome Wigan Flight is a flight of 21 double locks.  As they are also quite short (a maximum of 60 foot), like the rest of the Leeds Liverpool Canal it can be problematic going through with a 60 foot boat, especially if the gates are leaky as water floods into the back cabin if precautions are not taken!  The moorings near the top of the flight are a bit shallow so we can't get the boat into the side this evening and need to use a gang plank.  The dogs manage this quite well but are well able to jump to shore should they choose to do so.

Moored near the top of Wigan Flight.  Cant get into the side because it is too shallow!

Mooring pin covers that I crocheted after spotting something similar on a moored boat at Skipton.

Today has been a fairly easy day following two long days with early starts to get through Burnley and Blackburn as apparently they are no go areas for mooring.  Always unsure whether the horror stories have any substance but on balance prefer to abide by the received wisdom and avoid overnight stays.  However neither place seemed that bad so maybe not as black as has been painted.

Although we had two long days on Thursday and Friday we also had some easy more chilled days.  On Wednesday we visited Barnoldswick, known as Barlick by the locals, where we spent a couple of hours looking around the town, shopping and eating another lovely homemade pork pie and buying home made malt bread, delicious!!  We moored for the evening at Salterforth on the visitor moorings, right outside the Anchor pub, where we had good beer and a lovely meal.  We were the only boat on the visitor moorings overnight, no idea why.

One man and his dog at the services at the top of the very pretty Greenberfield Locks

Salterforth visitor mooring right outside the pub! no idea why no-one else moored here.

Thursday was a long day with the six locks of Barrowford Flight, and a very hot day.  Not helped by one of the pounds being so low we got stuck and had to go and run water down from the lock above.  Always a pain!!  Also almost got hit by a hire boat leaving a lock and apparently not knowing that you need to steer a boat.  Graham not happy as he couldn't move any further over as too shallow.  Before the locks we passed through Foulbridge Tunnel, where we had to wait for the traffic light signal before entering.  Jake managed to fall off the back of the boat just before the entrance and had to be rescued.  He has quite got the hang of swimming after the boat now instead of heading for the side.  This makes it easier to haul him back onboard.  Moored for the night at Hapton.  Not too bad but a busy towpath and several motorcycles along, not sure that they are strictly allowed!

Approaching Foulridge Tunnel

Waiting to go through Foulridge Tunnel

North portal Foulridge Tunnel

Poor Jake fell in!!

Don't take my picture I'm wet (haha!!)

Friday was another long day with another six locks, Blackburn Flight, seemed to be an easier day though in spite of having a very early start.  Leaving early helped to beat the heat of the day and at least it was cooler for the locks.  Moored at Riley Green overnight and had another pub meal.  Nice but a bit pricey for what it was.

Saturday was another early start and yet another flight of seven locks.  However met another boat at the top of the flight and shared locks.  A fairly short day as we stopped at the bottom of the locks, Johnson's Hill Flight.  Later in the afternoon walked back up the flight to the excellent Top Lock pub where we had a more reasonably priced meal.  I had the special curry that was by far the best curry I have ever eaten in a pub and would give several takeaway and Indian Restaurants a run for their money.  It was made by the manager to his own recipe and apparently the Top Lock are famous for their curries.

While moored at Johnson's Hill Flight we spotted the Piano Raft!  This guy is taking his unpowered raft, which has a piano on the back from Liverpool to London, via Leeds. Had a chat with him this morning as he was moored in one of the lock pounds when we walked the dogs.  Not sure how he will tackle the tidal Trent or indeed get up Foxton and down Watford locks as they are narrow beam locks and he is too wide.  Grahm is pretty sure we saw this at Burscough last year so there may be another photo of it in an earlier installment.  http://pianoraft.wordpress.com/  I have included a link to his blog for anyone interested.

Piano raft Kontiki

Piano raft Kontiki

Tomorrow is our 30th wedding anniversary and for a special treat I will be working the 21 locks of Wigan Flight!

This evening we are moored just outside a village called East Marton.  When we arrived there were no other boats moored here and we spent an enjoyable evening sitting out in the sun and enjoying the peace.  The views are beautiful!  We have got neighbors now though.  

This evenings mooring

We spent a few days in Skipton, arriving there on Wednesday and leaving on Saturday morning.  This was probably a day longer than we would have stayed, but it is such a lovely place we stayed the extra day.  Had a great few days exploring this very picturesque market town and the many excellent pubs.  We also had the best pork pie we had ever tasted.  Still warm when we bought it and it was delicious.  I've never had a warm pork pie before, it was so good we went back the next day for a bigger one.

Coming into Skipton

Trip boat on the Spring Arm, a canal built to carry quarried limestone

One of the crew on this trip boat got left behind and had to run to catch up.

On Saturday we travelled approximately 41/2 miles, with five swing bridges and three locks to Gargrave, where we stayed on Sunday.  Nice mooring but not great for the dogs as it is a busy mooring spot.  On Sunday there were three boats including us who all had two collies on board.  Slight mayhem ensued!

We left Gargrave this morning behind two other boats who had paired up to do the locks, 9 to be done today, but no swing bridges.  As we manouvered into the bottom lock and closed the gate another boat appeared so we waited and shared the whole lot.  This made life much easier.  Truly decided to be the star of the show today, she hopped off the boat as we came through one lock and sat down with a group of teenagers who were out canoeing.  Then she almost got left behind at a later lock, as Graham did not notice her sneak of the boat and went without her.  Because she was laying in long grass I only spotted her at the last minute, otherwise I think she had settled in to stay there.

Cottage at the bottom on Bank Newton lock flight

Looking up Bank Newton Locks

Sharing locks today made lighter work.

A wide beam approaching the lock we have just left.

Leaving the lock

Crossing in the pound

Top of the flight

Poor Truly nearly got left behind today, here she is enjoying tonight's mooring

Jake the naughty boy!!

  Tomorrow we are headed to Barnoldswick and beyond.

We had a lazy weekend moored up just beyond the troublesome swing bridge which is close to Shipley, where we walked for some shopping.  Several boats passed through with varying degrees of difficulty but the local boats clearly knew the techniques for getting through and managed easily.  One hire boat didn't manage it at all and reversed for what sounded like miles, presumably to a turning point and to go back the way they came.  Found some good dog walks over the weekend and in spite of the towpath being really busy had a good weekend.  Can't believe how busy the towpath is, loads of folk just out and about, cycling, jogging, dog walking and families just out doing whatever.  Thought everyone was too busy inside or in cars these days!  On Sunday our kettle sprung a leak, possibly as a result of being boiled dry a few days before.  Had to manage with a saucepan until Monday when we went into Shipley again and eventually managed to find one in Argos.

Weekend mooring near Shipley

Truly enjoying the sun

After stopping in Shipley for more shopping and a new kettle we eventually got underway travelling a grand total of four miles, six locks and four swing bridges.  All locks and bridges mostly behaved, although several locks had broken paddles, which makes for slow going.  We shared the two lock staircase with a hire boat called Milly Moo.  It was their first time out and only their first lock without an instructor.  However we worked slowly through and everything was good.  Although I lost my BW key at the locks and in spite of going back could not find it.  Luckily we have a spare.  The plan was to moor up at the bottom of Bingley 3 Rise flight, however on arrival the lock keeper talked us into going up and mooring in the pound between the 3 Rise and Bingley 5 Rise.  This was a good decision as the mooring spot was much better.  Shared the locks with Milly Moo again and thanks to the lock keeper had an easy trip up.  While we were mooring up one of the lock keepers told us that our keys had been picked up and he would return them to us the following day.  Brilliant news!  Had a wander up the flight, some lovely views up here.

Jeanie Deans and Molly Moo in the top lock of a 2 staircase.   Showing the gate paddle winding gear that is common on the Leeds and Liverpool.

Ground paddle winding gear.  These can be hard to shift!

Top of Bingley 5 Rise flight

View of the Damart factory from the top of the flight

View down Bingley 5 Rise

Jeanie Deans and Molly Moo moored at the bottom of Bingley 5 Rise

This morning was a bit of a late start as we had to wait for 6 boats to come down the flight before we could go up.  But when we eventually got underway it was another easy trip up.  The lock keepers are brilliant and really help out.  Filled up with water, emptied toilets and got rid of rubbish at the top.  Milly Moo carried on but we came across them shortly afterwards with a load of rope wrapped round their prop, stopped to lend a hand as they had limited tools to do the job.

About half a mile from the top of the flight we were held up because Micklethwaite swing bridge, which had been re-opened this morning after a 30 hour closure, had broken again.  The CRT guy who was there managed to open it and let us and another boat through.  Not sure whether it had to close down again after that though.

Micklethwaite swing bridge!!

We have found a good mooring for this evening and are not too far from Skipton now.  This is supposed to be an interesting and picturesque place so I expect we will moor there for a day or two to have a look around.

After  a lazy weekend in Castleford we left on Monday morning and headed to Leeds where we stayed for three nights.  Leeds is a lovely city and well worth a visit, whether by boat or otherwise.  There was no available mooring in Clarence Dock so we moored on a floating pontoon below the weir.  A really good quiet mooring and no-one else moored there so it was good for the dogs as well.  Good towpath walk so poor Jake didn't realise he was a dog in the city, which he hates, and he was perfectly happy.

While we were in Leeds we visited the armoury, which is a very well set out museum of the history of weaponry.  I was amazed at how small some guns are.

Display in the iron room, the exhibits are all above and viewed through a mirror

Men at Arms

Warhorse

Leeds market is also very impressive.  The indoor market is housed in a beautiful old building and the interior is all of decorative wrought iron.  Very stylish!  Had a haircut in a small place in the market for a tenner and the cut was at least as good as I normally pay a lot more for, so Graham is well pleased.

Leeds indoor market

Left Leeds on Thursday morning.  First lock was Leeds Lock, which is the last electric lock.  From now on  it's all winding and pushing, and I am told that the locks on the Leeds Liverpool Canal are heavy and akward, oh joy!

Heading out of Leeds

Leeds and Liverpool Canal

We knew that Thursday would be a long day as the advice is that boats need to get beyond Newlay Locks, a staircase of three where a lock keeper is on hand to help boats through.  This is a distance of only five miles but with 14 locks and four swing bridges.  All big heavy double gates and with three sets of staircase locks.  It took us 61/2 hours and we were both knackered by the time we stopped.  On top of all that I put the kettle on and then got involved in opening locks and forgot about the kettle.  A burnt kettle is not a good thing!  Managed to salvage it so we could have a cup of tea though.  A peaceful evening although we were moored with loads of other boats.  Saw an owl when we walked the dogs late evening.


Today should have been an easier day with a short journey of four miles and five locks.  Two sets of staircase locks a two and a three.  Still took us four and a half hours plus an hours stop to eat lunch and fill up with water.

In Dobson Lock

Huge gates in Dobson Lock

View down the side of Dobson Locks

Top of Dobson Locks

Dobson Locks

 Found a good area to moor and decided after a bit of a recce that we would go through the next swing bridge and moor up in a nice sunny spot for the weekend.  Big mistake!!  The swing bridge would not move.  At one point we had four blokes and two women shoving the bloody thing.  It would not budge!!  Eventually had to tie a rope on and reverse the boat and that shifted it.  Just got moored up and spotted two other boats approaching behind.  Went to lend a hand with the bridge but had to repeat the rope and reversing trick.  Ridiculous!!

The troublesome swing bridge

Hopefully we will have a chilled weekend before moving on towards Skipton on Monday.