Downhill to Yorkshire

Today was fairly quiet. First thing we walked along what remains of the Rain Hall Rock Branch canal. This canal left the Leeds & Liverpool at Barnoldswick (Barlick to the locals apparently) and went for a mile or so into the hills where it was used as a linear quarry, limestone being taken from the rock face and loaded directly into the boats. My guess is that it has been closed for perhaps a 100 years, the quarry now being a heavily wooded ravine.

When we returned to the boat we cruised with Mulberry 5 miles and descended 3 locks, crossing the Yorkshire border. Beyond the locks this section of the canal snakes wildly as follows the contour around successive hills.

Cutting at East Marton

From our mooring at Nuttleber Dyke which we reached at lunchtime we can see across the upper Aire valley to the moorland hills beyond. We spent the sunny afternoon on the canal side drinking tea/coffee, eating cake, and birdwatching. Our "ticks" included good views of curlew, snipe, oystercatcher and pheasant.

Densie and Denise moored at Nuttleber Dyke