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.