Sunday, September 03, 2000
Manchester to Todmorden Trip Report Part 1
As usual we spend our summer break just wandering around the canals. Two
years ago we went to London and back from Manchester, last summer due to
Brendan only being 8 weeks old we took a nice easy trip to Llangollen and
back. This summer we also decided to take the easy way out and just cruise
the limits of our Bridgewater license for the six weeks. Ok, so travelling
up and then back down Heartbreak Hill in three days isn't taking it all that
easy, but it beats some trips we've done.
We wandered around, up the Middlewich branch and back, and by mid-August we
headed back to our mooring in Castlefield for a few days of refurbishment,
including a new CofC. While relaxing with a copy of a canal magazine, we
read an advert for a mooring on the Rochdale. It offered everything we
wanted, residential mooring, individual power points, telephone line
available, and the gorgeous scenery of the Rochdale. So, we drove up, saw
the mooring, loved it, and decided on the 19th of August to move from the
Bridgewater to the Rochdale. Only 20 miles by the map, but with one teeny
problem. Only 20 miles and 2 years by canal. There was only one thing for
it, if we were to get there before it was time to go back to work on
September 4th......
Cross the Pennines by boat. In 11 days, with a crew of two plus baby.
Could we do it? Should we? Did I want my head examined?
Yes to all three.
So, on Wednesday morning, August 23, fresh CoC in hand we left our moorings
in Castlefield for the last time. At 6am. We weren't really _too_ eager,
just keen. The sun was just rising above the white bridge across the canal
as we set off along the trail to Todmorden.
We arrived at the Barton aqueduct before the bridge was open, as we waited
for it to move another narrowboat arrived behind us, 'Ere' be Bliss from
Bristol. As the driver was single-handing and hadn't been up through Wigan
before, he was pleased to get an offer of travelling together as far as we
could. That turned out to be all the way to Skipton. We were lucky to have
met up with someone with plenty of boating experience, a willingness to work
hard and not stop early. And so we left Barton, travelled along familiar
territory through Worsley until we reached the Plank Lane bridge which
marked new territory for both boats. We bought a short term BW license from
the bridge keeper and passed onto BW waters just before he took his lunch
break. Next stop the Poolstock locks, with the first of virtually thousands
of meetings with handcuff locks. I now hate handcuff locks. Even more than
the little sprogs that make handcuff locks necessary.
Wigan was a pleasant surprise. BW has some excellent staff that man the
Wigan flight, helpful and friendly. Even though we didn't begin the flight
till after 1pm, they escorted us as far as they could, until it was time for
them to stop for the day. I hate to think how much slower it would have
been without the lock keepers there, as we didn't have a key for the top
gate paddles. I can understand why BW has the top paddles locked, the flow
from some of those gates is ferocious and could be terrible if the lock crew
doesn't pay attention. We never bothered to book a meeting to be
'inspected' for our skill in handling locks, as we weren't sure we'd be
anywhere convenient for them to tell them 48 hours in advance.
It took what seemed forever to finally reach the summit of the Wigan flight,
but it was worth the work. The flight is well-kept, and clean, and compares
well to any other urban locks we've experienced. And once you reach the
top, the L&L canal is full of surprises, all of them good.
Our first day started at 6am and ended at 9pm. We travelled from
Castlefield to just short of Botany Bay, 14 hours of travelling after
allowing for a lunch break. Miles travelled approximately 29 Locks worked
25 Tea consumed by the gallon, but not a pint in sight!
It was the longest day we were to put in during the entire trip, but worth
it. If you haven't travelled along the Leeds and Liverpool canal, you are
missing some of the best scenery available. We weren't to see anything
better until we reached the Rochdale than what the L&L offered for miles on
end.
--
-Mike, Su and Brendan
nb 'Cu£tural Confu$ion'
years ago we went to London and back from Manchester, last summer due to
Brendan only being 8 weeks old we took a nice easy trip to Llangollen and
back. This summer we also decided to take the easy way out and just cruise
the limits of our Bridgewater license for the six weeks. Ok, so travelling
up and then back down Heartbreak Hill in three days isn't taking it all that
easy, but it beats some trips we've done.
We wandered around, up the Middlewich branch and back, and by mid-August we
headed back to our mooring in Castlefield for a few days of refurbishment,
including a new CofC. While relaxing with a copy of a canal magazine, we
read an advert for a mooring on the Rochdale. It offered everything we
wanted, residential mooring, individual power points, telephone line
available, and the gorgeous scenery of the Rochdale. So, we drove up, saw
the mooring, loved it, and decided on the 19th of August to move from the
Bridgewater to the Rochdale. Only 20 miles by the map, but with one teeny
problem. Only 20 miles and 2 years by canal. There was only one thing for
it, if we were to get there before it was time to go back to work on
September 4th......
Cross the Pennines by boat. In 11 days, with a crew of two plus baby.
Could we do it? Should we? Did I want my head examined?
Yes to all three.
So, on Wednesday morning, August 23, fresh CoC in hand we left our moorings
in Castlefield for the last time. At 6am. We weren't really _too_ eager,
just keen. The sun was just rising above the white bridge across the canal
as we set off along the trail to Todmorden.
We arrived at the Barton aqueduct before the bridge was open, as we waited
for it to move another narrowboat arrived behind us, 'Ere' be Bliss from
Bristol. As the driver was single-handing and hadn't been up through Wigan
before, he was pleased to get an offer of travelling together as far as we
could. That turned out to be all the way to Skipton. We were lucky to have
met up with someone with plenty of boating experience, a willingness to work
hard and not stop early. And so we left Barton, travelled along familiar
territory through Worsley until we reached the Plank Lane bridge which
marked new territory for both boats. We bought a short term BW license from
the bridge keeper and passed onto BW waters just before he took his lunch
break. Next stop the Poolstock locks, with the first of virtually thousands
of meetings with handcuff locks. I now hate handcuff locks. Even more than
the little sprogs that make handcuff locks necessary.
Wigan was a pleasant surprise. BW has some excellent staff that man the
Wigan flight, helpful and friendly. Even though we didn't begin the flight
till after 1pm, they escorted us as far as they could, until it was time for
them to stop for the day. I hate to think how much slower it would have
been without the lock keepers there, as we didn't have a key for the top
gate paddles. I can understand why BW has the top paddles locked, the flow
from some of those gates is ferocious and could be terrible if the lock crew
doesn't pay attention. We never bothered to book a meeting to be
'inspected' for our skill in handling locks, as we weren't sure we'd be
anywhere convenient for them to tell them 48 hours in advance.
It took what seemed forever to finally reach the summit of the Wigan flight,
but it was worth the work. The flight is well-kept, and clean, and compares
well to any other urban locks we've experienced. And once you reach the
top, the L&L canal is full of surprises, all of them good.
Our first day started at 6am and ended at 9pm. We travelled from
Castlefield to just short of Botany Bay, 14 hours of travelling after
allowing for a lunch break. Miles travelled approximately 29 Locks worked
25 Tea consumed by the gallon, but not a pint in sight!
It was the longest day we were to put in during the entire trip, but worth
it. If you haven't travelled along the Leeds and Liverpool canal, you are
missing some of the best scenery available. We weren't to see anything
better until we reached the Rochdale than what the L&L offered for miles on
end.
--
-Mike, Su and Brendan
nb 'Cu£tural Confu$ion'
