Apperley Bridge

Salt's Mill at Saltaire

The time has come for a longer journey, looking back I am surprised at how short a distance we have travelled in the past week - 24 miles, 19 locks and 30 swing bridges. However we are now leaving the scenic areas though today's run was certainly pleasant made more so by the sunny weather.

Our first stop after passing through Saltaire again was at Shipley to visit a convenient supermarket - it was an Aldi so I could only buy the essentials plus a few European sliced meats. Shipley had a good number of mills and victorian factories, though those we saw by the canal had mostly been sensitively converted to offices, shops, and flats. I only noticed 1 derelict mill. It was amusing to see a hotel, obviously new, which had been built to vaguely resemble the converted factory/mill buildings in the vicinity.

Densie descends the Field 3 rise staircase locks

Beyond Shipley the countryside became much more attractive as the canal followed the Aire around a wooded hill. In this section there were 2 further staircase locks, one of 3 rises, and the other of 2. Another point of interest was identified by a couple of workmen who kindly helped Denise with a recalcitrant swing bridge. The adjacent sewage works, where they were constructing a Visitors Centre, is one of the largest in Europe.

One of the largest sewage works in Europe

We moored at Apperley Bridge at 14:30close to the boatyard where we hope to get the boat serviced tomorrow.