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.