Over the Pennines

We reached the Ashton Canal before lunch to discover that the flight of locks was closed due to a lock paddle issue similar to the problem on the Marple flight; the difference here being that the broken paddle needed to be taken to a local workshop for repair and no one would commit to a completion time.  There was already two boats in front of us waiting so we decided to spend the night in a local marina and continue the journey the next day.

Straight down the flight next day, into Manchester and the beginning of the Rochdale Canal.  The Rochdale Canal was not an enjoyable trip. It’s short of water, extremely dirty and full of rubbish  and to complete the journey to the summit, on top of the Pennines to Yorkshire, is the matter of thirty two miles and ninety two locks.

The rubbish in the canal caused us considerable delays as the prop became fouled 6 times and one of the prop blades was damaged resulting in a slight bend to its tip.

This was the sixth fouling, Ken was beginning to feel p***ed off.

It took us 3 days to reach the summit pound.  The bank of our first choice of mooring was covered in bird droppings which clogged up our shoes and was a good foot above the bow, Ken stepped down to secure the rope, lost his footing and fell between the boat and the bank.  Fortunately there was no one else around as he needed to stand on the stern to undress before jumping into the shower.

Bugger!!
 

Guess what? We decided to move to a new mooring by passing through the highest double lock in England and mooring at 601ft above sea level on the summit pound.

Summit Pound Mooring

Highest Double Lock in England

The journey down the Rochdale canal to its junction with the Calder & Hebble River provided stunning views and interesting towns as we passed by Gauxholme, Todmorden, Hebden Bridge, Halifax and Sowerby Bridge. Much more enjoyable than the trip up.

Gauxholme Mooring

Gauxholme Mooring

Todmorden

 

 

Great Wall of Tod



Situated in the town of Todmorden this massive blue brick retaining wall which rises directly from the canal to support the adjoining railway line.  An estimated 4 million bricks were used to create this plain unbuttressed feature.

 

 

Hebden Bridge showing one of the many old mill  chimneys

Hebden Bridge

 

Hebden Bridge another chimney

 

Hebden Bridge on a sunny Saturday

 

Our mooring at Hebden Bridge

 

Basket maker next to our mooring at Hebden Bridge

  Next came the town of Sowerby Bridge with England's deepest canal lock with a rise of 19ft 6ins. Fortunately this lock is manned and all the work is done for us.  Out onto the river Calder and Hebble.

 

Tuel Deep Lock at Sowerby Bridge.
 

 

Onto the Calder and Hebble River
 

 Next Halifax, Dewsbury, Wakefield and then onto Leeds, it's river all the way - see you in Leeds.