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.