The journey was "very interesting" (Mike who was driving) or "really hard work" (Denise who was working the locks) as we travelled down the 9 wide locks on the bottom of the Rochdale Canal that cover the mile between Ducie Street and Castlefield. The first lock took both our efforts to open the gate as the water was flowing over both top and bottom sets of gates. Once we got through this lock the canal descended below an office block where we met our first underground lock.
The construction of the supports for the office block had involved considerable shortening of the gate arms which were in any case difficult to access. So, a windlass operated chain and pulley system had been provided to enable the gates to be opened and closed (with considerable effort).
Each successive lock provided further challenges. For example Denise was unable to get to one lock as it was completely isolated below a high wall. A helpful local then showed her where a conveniently positioned piece of masonry enables boaters to climb over the wall down to the lock.
The canal passes through a fascinating mixture of old victorian factories and warehouses converted into flats, offices, bars etc and some striking modern buildings.
A typical view is shown below. the amount of water overflowing the top gate can also be seen.
During the afternoon we walked around the city centre and were both very impressed by what we saw. There is an attractive mix of new and old buildings, the streets are crowded with people, but in general the road traffic is light and so crossing even major roads is easy. There are a large number of up-market shops, bars, restaurants, and hotels.
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