Market Drayton

It is nearly time to shop again, so we started at 9am on the 3.6 mile/5 lock journey to the next town, Market Drayton. First task was the 5 closely-spaced Adderley locks. These were quickly and easily ascended as most of the locks were empty, having been set by a boat coming down. The locks were followed by the 3 miles of empty countryside taking us into Market Drayton where we moored at 11am.

As we had enough food for today we spent the afternoon looking at the town centre and locating the supermarket which we will visit tomorrow. Market Drayton looks an attractive place, but the centre indicates it has been badly hit by the recession. We estimate over 30% of all the premises are closed, some of those remaining being charity shops

On through the Shropshire countryside

The Audlem flight

After Hacks Green, the canal traverses the empty countryside in a more or less straight line with the only feature of note being the 15 Audlem locks and the outskirts of Audlem village. There is little else apart from the fields, woods and a few bridges.

We started early at 7:50 hoping to miss the rain. We failed, there were intermittant showers, some heavy throughout our 5.5 hour trip covering 5.3 miles and the 15 locks. We have moored at the bottom of the 5 Adderley locks which we will go through tomorrow. As I write this blog at 16:15 the weather has cleared up and it looks like being a pleasant evening.

Back to Telford and his abilities, it is worth noting that all the locks on this canal are ascending, Birmingham being higher than Nantwich. Despite the hills on the route Telford avoided any locally descending locks.

Protect and Survive - we visit a secret bunker

Nantwich (from yesterday)

The meal last night at the Black Lion in Nantwich was very good indeed with well cooked, good quality locally sourced tasty food washed down with a glass or two of local small brewery beers. Very enjoyable and well worth the wet trek into town.

This morning we set off in dry weather at 9am but it soon began to to rain. After 3 miles and 2 locks we stopped at 11am as we intended to visit the formerly secret nuclear bunker site at Hack Green. We did not go there until after lunch as the rain was too heavy for us to want to leave the boat.

Hack Green Nuclear Bunker

1970's switchboard with period furniture

Hack Green was one of the Regional Government Headquarters designed to enable the country to continue to be governed after a cold war nuclear attack and is now open to visitors. It consists of a windowless concrete single storey block with underground rooms from which a Government minister or senior civil servant and staff could communicate to central goverment and the local police, medical, and military authorities. It also included BBC facilities to enable information to be provided to the public.

Many of the rooms contained artifacts from the period such as 1970's communications and computer equipment much of which was powered up and looked like it could still be operational. It was amusing seeing screens and printers like Denise and I used 30 years ago. Other exhibits included nuclear bombs, civil defence documents and a significant amount of Russian material.

Also being shown was the banned BBC film of the 1960's, The War Game, which depicts in graphic detail the effects of a nuclear attack from the initial blast to the collapse of civil order as food begins to run out. All in all a very impressive and thought provoking experience, and I believe that Hack Green deserves to be much better known.

After returning to the boat we decided to stay put as the rain would have made travel uncomfortable. We have however had the engine running for much of the day to ensure our batteries stay well charged.

Nantwich

Spent the day in Nantwich. The town centre is attractive with a number of Elizabethan black and white buildings, mainly shops and pubs now. There are also old alms houses and Georgian buildings on the road from the mooring to the centre.

Its the best part of a mile walk into the town centre. We are making the return trip three times today. This morning we went shopping for groceries. Mr Morrison kindly obliged again. In the afternoon we went in to buy some books and look around the town museum which had a special exhibition on the local canal and the people who worked on it. All quite interesting.

This evening we will be eating out at a local pub, recommended by CAMRA and with a rather better than normal bar menu.

Our mooring is near the north end of the Nantwich Embankment which is itself at the north end of Thomas Telford's Birmingham and Liverpool Junction Canal, later merged with the Chester Canal to form the Shropshire Union. It was one of the last canals built before the railway age and like much of Telford's work is an impressive piece of engineering.

Other canals may meander around the contours, Telford built flat and straight. Constructed on a "cut and fill" basis, like modern motorways, inconvenient valleys are crossed by massive embankments created from the excavations of large cuttings through the hills. Locks are reduced to a minimum and are usually in flights which improves their efficiency of use and construction.

Shropshire Union to Nantwich

After the excitements of the past week we are back to normal boating. We started moving at 9:00 and popped into Venetian Marine (popped means waiting half an hour for the wharf to become free!) to dump our old batteries and then cruised to Barbridge Junction where the Middlewich Branch joins the main Shropshire Union Canal which connects Birmingham to Chester.

There we waited for 3/4 hour for the water point to become free and we filled up. A passing boater told us that the Llangollen Canal had been closed that morning because of a major breach. If it is as serious as it appears many people will have their holidays disrupted and many locals will lose out during what should be the most lucrative part of the year as the Llangollen is Britains busiest and arguably most scenic canal.

After lunch at Barbridge Junction we travelled the 3 winding miles to moor on the Nantwich Embankment overlooking the town. We plan to stay here for a couple of nights as Nantwich seems an interesting place to explore.

Yet more rain - electrical problems finally fixed?

We were planning to spend the day moored as the weather forecast was pretty bad. However when we woke we checked the domestic power voltage - it was way down, the batteries had lost much of their charge overnight.

Our batteries are 3 years old. Canal boat domestic batteries lead a hard life being frequently cycled between full and say 50% or less charge. This is very different to the battery use in a car where it provides single bursts of power but spends most of its time being fully charged. Lead acid batteries do not react well to the boat environment and it is considered lucky if a battery bank lasts more than 3 years. So in a way it was reassuring to finally have a clear symptom of what was probably the underlying cause of all our recent difficulties.

So we set off as soon as we could at 8:00am in the pouring rain and made for the nearest large chandlery at Venetian Marine 7 miles and 1 lock down the canal. We arrived there at 10:45 and purchased and installed 4 new large batteries.

I checked the old ones individually with a voltmeter. 3 were good and 1 definitely faulty. Over last night the good batteries must have expended their power trying to charge up the faulty one. Under such circumstances it is not worthwhile just replacing the faulty battery as all the batteries have led the same life and so must be considered liable to fail at any time endangering both the alternator and the other batteries.

We were lucky to leave our mooring when we did as by the time we left the lock there were five boats behind us waiting to get through - perhaps an hours delay for the rearmost. The main problem is that the hire boats are in full use now, it being school holidays, and the usual turn around day is Saturday. So on canals near hire boat centres Sunday can be very busy.

Apart from the boats, the canal is a lonely place with little sign of habitation beyond an occasional farmhouse. The few roads one sees are minor with little traffic. The only link with the outside world is a major train line that crosses the canal near Venetian Marine.

We have moored near Venetian Marine and the railway line for the rest of the day and are running the engine to ensure the new batteries are fully charged.

A sunny day in Middlewich

Croxton Flash on the Trent & Mersey Canal near Middlewich

First of all an apology to Lion Salt Works. Looking on the net, I see that it may be in a bad condition now, but approval and finance has been given for it to be restored, and work starts this month.

Today was a special day as there has been no rain! We were very short of provisions so first thing in the morning we moved from our moorings 1.5 miles and 1 lock into Middlewich where we stocked up for the next 4-5 days.

After lunch we travelled up the 3 Middlewich locks to the junction with the Wardle Canal, surely the shortest identified canal in the country, which after 100 yards becomes the Middlewich Branch of the Shropshire Union. This part of the journey was very slow as there was a queue of 5 boats at one stage waiting to get through a lock.

After 2 miles down the Middlewich Branch we moored out in the country. Judging from the weather forecast I fear we may be here a while.

We are now on a very different type of canal to the ones in the Penines. Here the canals are very busy, with boats passing every few minutes. On the Penine canals we sometimes did not see another moving boat all day. The Cheshire scenery is pleasant farming land, but certainly not spectacular. Finally we are now on narrow canals, where the locks can only accommodate one boat.

Onwards into Cheshire

After the excitements of the past few days we are resuming are journey home. During a gap in the rain we set off from Anderton at 9:45. The route started off in the Northwich Community Woodlands where we had walked yesterday, but became less interesting.

We passed by the Lion Salt Works which our rather aged guidebook described as an old open pan salt works that was being restored and was well worth visiting. Sadly it is all fenced off with signs warning of dangerous buildings, a scene of complete dilapidation.

This section of canal culminated in the massive Brunner Mond (formerly ICI, now part of the Indian Tata group) soda ash works where salt is converted to sodium carbonate. The canal passes beneath a large number of pipes and gantries connecting the plant on both sides.

After then the scenery steadily improved as the ground became more hilly. Along the canal route are a number of flashes where land subsidence due to salt extraction has flooded areas adjacent to the canal. We stopped at one of these flashes just before lunch time as the clouds were looking ominous.

After the lunchtime rain eventually stopped at 14:40 we travelled a couple of miles down the canal before mooring for the night as the rain fell again and flashes of lightning illuminated the sky.

I was relieved to find that during the 3.5 hour journey our alternator more than generated sufficient power to replace that used over last night, so we should be OK .

Laundry today and a bit more worry

The area around Anderton Lift has a number of attractions for visiting boaters. There is a large country park created from old industrial workings with woods, and lakes overlooked by birdwatching hides. We spent a pleasant couple of hours this morning wandering and birdwatching - godwit, sandpipers and lapwings were seen as well as the normal water birds.

Denise and I are on our own now. Angela was picked up by friends yesterday evening after an enoyable brief but not uneventful visit.

Back to the events. I had thought that all our electrical problems were over. However it now appears that the reconditioned alternator supplied by Alvechurch (as they had no others available) has a lower charging voltage than the previous one and so I have some concerns whether it will provide sufficient power for our long term use. We can only try and see, but it is an ongoing worry.

This afternoon Denise took advantage of the laundry facilities supplied by BW at Anderton and cleared the bulk of our pile of dirty clothes. We should be OK now for the rest of our trip.

Apart from our various activities today, the weather precluded any further travel, so we are still at Anderton. Hopefully tomorrow will be drier and we can make further progress down the Trent & Mersey.

Problem fixed - Densie at Anderton Lift

Anderton Lift

Good news!!! Our electrics problem is fixed!! Hooray!!!

Back to the start, we needed to get to Alvechurch Boat Centre at Anderton asap as that is where we believed we could get expertise to fix our electrics problem preventing the domestic batteries from being charged. We left our mooring at Preston Brook at 8:10 and had reached the north end of the 2/3 mile Preston Brook tunnel at 08:20.

This tunnel is only wide enough for one boat and so there are fixed periods each hour for boats from either end to travel through the tunnel. Luckily we only had 10 minutes wait before our time slot started. Having gone through the tunnel in 15 minutes we were then faced with the very crooked, but shorter, Saltisford and Barnton tunnels. Again one way only. Saltisford tunnel was trimed in a similar way to Preston Brook whilst at Barnton tunnel you could see through to the far end and so could travel when the tunnel was clear of oncoming traffic.

By this time we had made the transition from the Bridgewater to the Trent & Mersey canal which we will be cruising for the next few days. Unlike the Bridgewater, the Trent & Mersey has locks and only caters for narrow boats.

We reached Anderton Marina at 11:30. The staff at Alvechurch were extremely helpful, and quickly diagnosed the problem as a faulty alternator. This was replaced and after confirming that we were now able to charge the domestic batteries we were able to leave soon after lunch.

We moored just outside the marina at the impressive Anderton Lift, a glorious piece of Victorian engineering which lifts boats between the Trent and Mersey canal and the River Weaver 50 feet below with a promise to ourselves that we will travel on it at some time and visit the River Weaver.

Chasing the answer - in the rain

Mike and Denise enjoying a trip down the Bridgewater

Today we had to get the boat electrics sorted. We left Dunham 8:40 and travelled through heavy rain interspersed by light rain for 3.5 hours until we arrived at Thorn Marine in Stockton Heath where we hoped to find someone to diagnose our domestic battery charging problems. The guy was there and agreed that the symptoms suggested we were not charging, but he was unable to propose a solution. Thorn suggested we try Alvechurch at Anderton who are Isuzu marine engine dealers,some 5 hours journey away.

While at Thorn we had our long awaited pumpout, so we are happy in that department for another 2 weeks.

A quick call to Alvechurch confirmed they could look at our boat, but we would be most unlikely to get there before they closed this evening. We therefore had the risk that we would have no power overnight with most uncomfortable consequences. Anyway, we had no choice but to move on.

The canal guide listed a boatyard, Claymoore Navigation at Preston Brook as having overnight moorings available, which we hoped would include access to mains power. Luckily they were able to help us. So we are now moored at their premises happily plugged in to the mains, and we should be able to reach Alvechurch tomorrow morning. We also took the opportunity to fill our diesel tank with 180 litres of fuel - enough to last another month or two.

Thanks Claymoore for your help!!

Out of Manchester and into trouble

The morning started well with blue skies. After our experiences with the rain over the previous week we decided to buy some better wet weather gear and so we spent the morning shopping in Manchester. That largely successfully achieved we returned to the boat for lunch and then set off at 13:00 to fill up with water and to dump the rubbish we had accumulated over the past week.

This completed, we started off down the Bridgewater Canal towards Cheshire with Angela driving for the first few miles. After 2 hours I checked the voltages - oh!, um??? The domestic battery voltage was showing 13.3v - whilst charging I would expect it to be at least 14.2v. The engine battery voltage was fine at 14.7v. My guess was that the domestic battery alternator was failing to deliver any charge at all, on the other hand it could have been due to a failure of the domestic batteries which would be disastrous as almost everything depends on them - water pump, loo flush, lights, fridge etc.

There was little to do except to carry on cruising until we found a suitable mooring. One was found at 16:30 at Dunham, a small village out in the country. Turning off the engine and checking the voltages would confirm the nature of the problem. Relief all round - the domestic voltage remained steady at 13.3v, the alternator was simply having no effect. So we were OK for tonight, and a phone call to a local boatyard confirmed that they would be able to check the electrics tomorrow.

Back in Castlefield with Angela

Last night we moored offside from the towpath next to an office block as BW had recommended this for security. From the shouting at some early hour of the morning this seems to have been good advice.

Our plan for the morning was to travel down the Rochdale 9 locks to Castlefield Junction where the main central Manchester moorings can be found. But first we had to meet Denise's sister Angela who arrived by train from Doncaster to spend a few days with us. Once she was on board and had been presented with a windlass and a BW anti-vandal key to unlock the lock gate paddles we could start. The journey itself has been described before - see Blog entry for Thursday 4th June. Again we were impressed by the quantity of water flowing down the canal, over the lock gates, and in places covering the towpath.

John and Joan from Rebecca helped us through the final lock and we arrived after a faster journey than expected at 1:10 at Castlefield where we refilled with water and then moored at one of the last vacant spaces near Rebecca.

After a quick lunch we visited Sainsburys for a monster shop to feed the three of us for the next 4 days.

Manchester again - in the rain

The weather forecast was for heavy rain all day, and we had a journey of 20 locks and 7 miles to complete as we had booked a slot for the "Rochdale 19" locks through which passage is only permitted with British Waterways supervision.

As we had to be at the starting point for BW supervision - lock 65 - by 8:30am, we got up before 6:00am with the aid of an alarm clock (first time on our boat!) and started the 3 mile journey to lock 65 at 6:30. We arrived at 8:00, a reasonable time as we also had a lock and a lift bridge to negotiate. Fortunately there was no rain despite the forecast.

The BW guy arrived early at 8:15 and we set off immediately he had removed the chains from the lock gates. The journey was not easy as there was plenty of rubbish in the canal and some locks only had one working paddle which made emptying the lock rather slow. Also, there was considerable water flowing down the canal, many of the lock gates were overflowing and the by-washes which take excess water from above a lock into the pound below were flowing in torrents. We were however greatly aided by BW who preset all bar one of the locks leaving the gates open for us to drive straight in.

By 12:00 the rain had started, it continued for the rest of the journey. Our wet weather gear is OK for light use but not really suitable for persistant heavy rain so we were starting to get wet. BW staff helped us through the final 3 locks as the flow of water down the canal was flooding the pounds which they needed to drain by opening up the locks. We moored at 14:15 just below the final lock in the middle of Manchester and quickly changed our wet clothes and put on the boat's central heating.

Overall the journey was not as bad as expected. The rubbish was disappointing but we only had to stop twice to remove plastic bags and a length of fishing line. The few locals around seemed friendly. BW were helpful. However this is a stretch of canal to drive through to the other end, there is little of interest to delay a boater and few places where one would wish to stop.

Maintenance Day

Today we are staying at Chadderton awaiting our slot tomorrow morning to go down the Rochdale 19. As the weather was OK, we spent some of the time on boat care. So I will use this chance to explain the regular housekeeping and maintenance jobs needed on a narrowboat.

The first job today was to re-varnish our rear doors. These are wood panel and are exposed to the weather. Failure to varnish causes water to get into the cracks which stains the woodwork, and so a re-varnish every 6 months is recommended.

The next maintenance task was to touch up the paintwork. As we travel down the canal the paintwork is continually damaged when the boat rubs against the canal side, for example in locks or when mooring. Further damage can be caused by protruding branches rubbing down the boat side. Of course another cause of damage is knocks from other boats, though this is fortunately fairly rare.

If the paintwork isn't repaired rust can set in. This is not a major problem unless it is left for years as the boat's hull is nearly half an inch thick. However it does look unsightly and so Denise likes to rub down, prime and repaint affected areas from time to time.

Another task was to clean the interior. Jobs accomplished include the standard sweeping and wiping the floor and cleaning the bathroom. We also took the opportunity to remove and clean the top "hopper" windows.

Every morning I check the engine. This always involves checking that there are no unexpected liquid deposits under the engine. Other checks made from time to time are to the oil and water levels, and to ensure that the pieces of rubber preventing various pipework from chafing haven't moved. Normally nothing needs to be done as a result of the checks, marine diesel engines are simple and rugged. However they do need more attention than the average car engine receives.

The final daily activity worth mentioning is the weed hatch check. As we travel down the canal the propeller is liable to pick up detritus from the water and wrap it around the propeller shaft. Reeds and water plants are frequently picked up and cause little harm. Rubbish presents are much greater problem. Plastic bags are common; these cause vibration and do need to be removed without too much delay.

Other things can be much worse. One particularly bad example is for a sprung mattress to be wrapped around the propeller. Other occasional occurrences are car tyres, rope, electrical cable, and various items of clothing. At the worst something like this can halt the boat and possibly damage the engine or gearbox. So far, touch wood, we haven't met anything worse than a small length of carpet.

To enable rubbish to be removed, a weed hatch is provided which permits access to the propller from the rear deck. To return to the main theme of today's entry, one daily task is to open up this hatch and feel around the propeller and its shaft to ensure nothing has been picked up.

Water Water Everywhere

View from in a lock - water overflowing from above

Today started badly - it was pouring with rain. But we had to move. And we had concerns about water (for us, not the canal).

Rebecca needed to get to the next good mooring, a pub called the Rose of Lancaster, by this evening as she was booked in tomorrow for the trip down the Rochdale 19 - a flight of 19 locks that takes the canal into the centre of Manchester. The Rochdale 19 is only open to 2 boats travelling each way each day, these 2 boats being supported and shadowed by British Waterways staff. This restriction is applied because of concerns about security in this section of canal, especially if a boat gets stuck because of the amount of rubbish.

Unfortunately by the time we booked the second slot for tomorrow had already been taken so we will need to wait until Friday.

The water problem arose because it appeared there were no water taps between Littleborough and Manchester centre and it is possible that our supplies would not last that long. Fortunately contact with BW confirmed that a kindly resident of a canal side cottage at Slattocks allows passing boaters to fill up from his tap. Which we did.

Back to the journey - we set off after watering-up at 10:00am by which time the rain had eased greatly with just an occasional shower. The journey of 1.5 miles and 10 locks was enlivened by the amount of water flowing down the canal. At most of the locks water was overflowing the gates in torrents, which made opening the gates difficult and required care by the boat steersman in the locks to ensure that the back of the boat did not get swamped.

We arrived at the Rose of Lancaster mooring at Chadderton (Oldham), where the Manchester conurbation starts, at 12:15 by which time the rain had stopped completely and there was intermittant sunshine.

Slattocks

Densie and Rebecca at Slattocks

That's where we are now, a small village just south of Rochdale. We set off from Littleborough at 9:15 and travelled the 3 lock-free miles into the outskirts of Rochdale through 2 swing bridges. Rochdalers do not love their canal - it is very dirty with a lot of floating rubbish. After a further uninteresting 4 miles and 5 locks we arrived at Slattocks where we intend to spend the night. It is rather noisy as the main road through the village is right next to our mooring but the next mooring opportunity is 10 locks further on. We can leave that until tomorrow.

I must say something good about the area - we still have a pleasing view of the moors in the distance, topped by a windfarm.

Over the top to Littleborough

On the Rochdale summit pound

The BW guy arrived early to open lock 33 and we and Rebecca started off at 8:45. With BW assistance we made good progress and were soon at lock 36 - the start of the summit pound. This must be the most attractive section of the Rochdale canal with the moorland coming down to the canal bank. The grass is looking green rather than an olive straw colour and the hills less bleak than a few miles back.

All too quickly we reached lock 37, the start of the long drop towards Manchester. By this time we had passed from Yorkshire to Lancashire. The scenary had also changed. The valley was much wider and more fertile with farmland going up the hills. Some of the buildings in the appropriately named village of Summit were built from red-bricks rather than the dark grey millstone grit found on the Yorkshire side. Unfiortunately overall a much less attractive vista.

11 more locks took us to Littleborough. This section of the trip was delayed because of shortage of water below lock 41 requiring BW to flush water through to ensure we did not run aground. Passage through this and the provious lock also took extra time as earth movements had reduced the width of the locks preventing us taking both boats through together.

We have now moored in Littleborough where we have shopped for the next 4 days in a friendly butchers and the local Coop. We were hoping that Littleborough would provide similar attractions to the Yorkshire canal towns such as Hebden Bridge and Sowerby Bridge. Unfortunately not - so I expect to be moving on again in the morning.

Ready for the top

Densie and Rebecca above lock 29

Rebecca and Densie above lock 31

Tomorrow we need to be ready at Lock 33 for 9:00 to be allowed over the Rochdale canal summit. This section is locked (ie padlocks and keys) normally and is only unlocked by British Waterways for a short time each day to permit a maximum of 2 boats to make the journey to lock 44. All this is necessary because of the great shortage of water coming off the hills to replenish the top level.

So today we and Rebecca made the 1 mile journey from Walsden to lock 33. This is a beautiful section of canal where the moorland almost comes down to the canal side. A few farmhouses and desirable residences scattered on the hill side add to the interest.

A walk in the hills

Denise looking at Manchester

We havent moved the boat today. The mooring has proved quiet and the boat has remained afloat.

We went out for a 7.5 mile walk up to reservoirs in the hills 600 feet above the canal. From the vantage point of the reservoir dam we could see Manchester 17 miles away and the hazy outline of Fiddler's Ferry power station at 30 miles. Further away we could see the vague shape of hills which could only have been in Wales.

I believe the reservoirs are used to supply water for the canal - they were very low. On our way back we passed the summit lock we will be going through on Monday. The pounds in that section were also very low - hence British Waterways limitation to 2 boats (ie one lockful) each way each day.

Into the hills

Rochdale Canal above Todmorden

We shopped in Todmorden in the morning. Basic provisions at Morrisons, and a selection of local cheeses at an excellent stall in the market. However Todmorden had little attraction really and so after lunch we and Rebecca set off further up the Rochdale Canal.

We are now leaving the steep Calder valley and are approaching the moorlands. We still see the grey grit-stone villages and mills, but these are now surrounded by the treeless hills. A scenery that appears bleaker than the hills we saw on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal 4 weeks ago.

After some attempts elsewhere we have found suitable moorings in the village of Walsden after a journey of 3.5 hours during which we covered 1.5 miles and 9 locks. Finding moorings on this section of the canal is not easy. The canal bank is often shallow, or if not shallow there are large blocks of st0ne just under the water surface.

Also, there is at least one lock every quarter of a mile or so. The canal between locks (known as the pound) rises and falls several inches as the locks at either end are filled and emptied. So, although the boat may be nicely floating at one time, a few minutes later it could be aground leaning at a worrying angle. Hopefully this mooring wont have such problems.

Todmorden

Sadly we had to leave Hebden Bridge today as we are booked to travel over the summit on Monday. Due to lack of water British Waterways are only allowing 2 boats a day each way over the summit, and there was a 1.5 week waiting list for places, so we cannot afford to miss our slot.

The first task however was yet another pumpout. Although we had one last week, there is a problem in that there are no pumpout facilities between Hebden Bridge and the other side of Manchester. We therefore had to make sure we have plenty of spare capacity otherwise.......

Approaching Lobb Mill Lock on the Rochdale canal

We then set off with Rebecca to travel the 5 miles and 10 locks to Todmorden. Although there was some rain the journey was made enjoyable by the scenery as we continue to cruise up Calderdale. The attractive woodland is made more interesting by the succession of grey stone mill hamlets overlooked by the tall chimneys of their mills situated close to the canal.

The Great Wall of Tod

We are now moored in Todmorden, a somewhat austere and isolated Victorian industrial town. Our moorings are opposite the "Great Wall of Tod", a massive brick retaining wall protecting the canal and supporting the railway line which follows the route of the canal. It is said the some 4 million bricks were used in its construction.

A walk from Hebden Bridge

Hebden Bridge from Heptonstall footpath

Day 2 of our stay - we went for a 6.5 mile walk up the wooded, narrow and deep valley of the HebdenWater to Gibson's mill. This was originally a woollen mill that had been turned into a Victorian entertainments centre and recently rescued from dereliction by the National Trust. We then returned via Heptonstall, an interesting old weavers' village with steep cobbled streets on the hill above Hebden Bridge.

We visit the Brontes

This is the first of our two day break in Hebden Bridge. The town itself is an unusual place, very different from the ex-mill towns we have visited in the area. Of course it is an ex-mill town, but one that has re-invented itself as a diverse cultural, artistic and alternative lifestyle centre with many apparently successful niche shops in an attractive pedestrianised town centre. To exemplify the alternative side of things I read in last weekend's Guardian of a 1970's Womens Liberation Commune movement with branches in Islington, Oxford and Hebden Bridge.

"Eee - it were real bread....."

This morning we set off on a bus ride over the moors to Haworth, the home of the Bronte family. The steep cobbled Main Street will be very familiar to those who remember the famous Hovis advertisements. The Bronte Parsonage was both fascinating and moving showing the Parsonage rooms as they would have looked in the early to mid 19th centuary with much original furniture, artifacts and documents from the family. Perhaps foremost of these was the sofa on which Emily Bronte died.

We had seen that a film crew was at work in the area near our mooring earlier in the morning. When we returned to the boat after our bus trip we talked to the location manager for the film crew who explained that they were shooting a 6-part comedy series called Gemma's Game to be shown on BBC3 early next year. If you watch episode 5 you may see Densie.

Densie does the big one

Rob the lock keeper at Tuel Lane

Tuel Lane lock - view from Densie

The highlight of today was our passage through the mighty Tuel Lane lock, at 19feet 8.5 inches, the deepest lock on the English canal system. Because of its size and the danger to inexperienced boaters caused by the tremendous flows of water as it fills and empties, the lock is operated by a lock-keeper. This is normally Rob, an extremely friendly and helpful guy, who is obviously proud of his lock and also of the delightful garden he has created alongside.

To the details since the last blog....

First job in the morning was to take the washing to the launderette where a service wash was completed for us in 2 hours. After returning to the boat we set off with Rebecca up the Rochdale canal. After a couple of small locks came the Tuel Lane lock. The canal then left Sowerby Bridge and and carried on up the Calder valley. This continues to provide delightful wooded scenery though as the hills get higher more open countryside is seen. The Calder itself which earlier was large enough for commercial barges is now little more than a stream alongside the canal.

Entering Hebdon Bridge

We have now moored at Hebdon Bridge where we plan to spend a couple of days.

Sowerby Bridge

Sowerby Bridge Canal Basin

We haven't moved today. The plan was to stop at Sowerby Bridge to do our urgently needed laundry. Unfortunately the launderette isn't open on Sundays so we will have to wait til Monday morning.

Sowerby Bridge is an interesting old town. Like so many others in this area it was based on the mills of which many remain, albeit converted into apartments and offices. It was also a major canal port arising from its position at the junction of the Calder & Hebble and Rochdale canals. The Rochdale canal catered for vessels of upto 72feet in length whereas the Calder & Hebble canal was restricted to 58 foot boats. Cargoes being transported from Lancashire into Yorkshire therefore needed to be transshipped. The canal basin remains, with the surrounding warehouses renovated for office and leisure use.

As at Brighouse where we stayed on Friday, there is a paradoxical mix of rather run-down shops and at least 5 smart restaurants. We were tempted to try the Indonesian restaurant but have decided instead to visit a promising looking modern British restaurant in the old canal basin area.

After the heat and the rain of the previous two days, today was ideal boating weather, dry and sunny without excessive heat. After shopping first thing for supplies for the next four days in Brighouse we set off with Rebecca up the Calder & Hebble reaching Sowerby Bridge at 6 pm after travelling 7 miles and 10 locks.

The journey was very hard work because of the locks. Getting into each lock was not easy as Rebecca is 60 foot long, rather longer than the locks were designed to handle. The procedure for each lock was for Rebecca to enter first on one side of the lock. Rebecca was too long for the lock gate to be closed behind her. So, the opposite bottom lock gate was closed and Rebecca moved sideways behind it. We could then drive Densie into the vacated space and with luck the lock gate could be closed behind us. If this was not possible the two boats had to be taken through the locks separately.

Having got the boats into the lock, filling the lock often required major effort. Here the infamous Calder spikes came into use. It is inserted into a slot in a wheel and used to lever the wheel around to turn a gear wheel which engages with a rack and so raises the paddle gate. However great physical force is normally required to move the spike, in some cases the combined efforts of two sweaty wives (of course the men were driving the boats).

Despite the hard work this was a really enjoyable journey. The hills are getting higher and the Calder valley sides are closing in as the canal ascends through woodland and past renovated and not so renovated victorian industrial buildings.

After the sun, the rain......

In the morning, the weather looked reasonable so we set off with our latest companions, John and Joan on Rebecca who we had previously seen in Manchester and then met in Leeds. They are planning to go over the Penines at the same time using the same route as us - the Rochdale Canal. As both the Calder and Rochdale locks are wide, accomodating 2 boats, it makes sense for us to travel together.

We were making good progress but by mid morning the rain had started, light and intermittant at first but increasingly continuous and heavy. Our "waterproof" clothes were proving less than perfect and by late morning we agreed to stop until the weather improved. We were lucky in finding the ideal dry spot to shelter - right underneath the M62 - a little noisy but otherwise perfect.

Densie and Rebecca sheltering from the rain

After lunch the weather eventually improved and we decided to make a run for moorings rather more suitable for an overnight stay. Fortunately all went well and we are moored in Brighouse (anyone remember the Brighouse and Rastrick Brass Band and Floral Dance, Number 2 in the charts in 1977!) right next to Sainsburys. And the sun is shining!!

Phew - wot a scorcher!

As rain is forecast for tomorrow, and we dont travel in the rain, we decided to travel as far as possible today. So we set off at 8:15 and moved continuously for 7.5 hours just stopping for lunch mooring at Sheply on the outskirts of Mirfield.

This seems to be a part of the country many people cant really place - we are in West Yorkshire, north of Sheffield and south of Leeds with the main town being Wakefield. Traditionally the area's main industries were coal and wool though both have virtually disappeared now.

On the Calder through Wakefield

We are still on the Calder, though at Wakefield we moved from the Aire & Calder Navigation to the Calder & Hebble Navigation which will take us into the Penines. The riverbank is lined with the pink flowers of Himalayan Balsam which, although undoubtedly a pernicious weed, is very beautiful.

A cutting near Dewsbury

The scenery has been attractive as the wide river flows through wooded countryside and skirts the major towns. There is little evidence of the heavy industry for which the canal was built. The landscape is begining to get hilly, a feature which will dominate our journey for the next couple of weeks.

As elsewhere in the country the weather has been sunny and hot. On the back of a canal boat with the only shade being our wide brimmed hats, the heat does get oppressive and is accentuated, as at the seaside, by the reflection from the water. The narrowboat itself, being made of metal, can get too hot to touch which keeps the interior very warm. Fortunately now in the evening there is a cooling breeze which makes things much more pleasant.

Up hill again - Densie goes up the Calder

Oil tanker at Castleford

We set off from Castleford relatively late - nearly 10:00am after chatting to other boaters moored at Castleford, and watching a large (compared to us) oil tanker pass by on its way to a terminal near Leeds.

On the Calder

Our route took us on to the Calder, still for the time being part of the Aire & Calder Navigation, and up a couple of locks. We are on our way home - these are the first locks we have ascended in two and a half weeks. The canal remains wide and the locks large, though both are smaller than the Aire.

We moored at Stanley Ferry not far from Wakefield just before 13:00. Densie needed another pump-out and as the weather now feels too hot for comfortable cruising we have decided to stay here for the night.