Full steam ahead

It was time to leave Leeds. I had several choices.  I could go down the Aire & calder, and accross to the Huddersfield cabals over to Manchester.  The shortest lock on the Huddersfield is 57'6" and Duck-n-Dive is 59'3", so this would need a bit of diagonal "squeezing"

http://www.penninewaterways.co.uk/calder/locks.htm

I don't think this is a good idea while I am by myself.

I could go down and around the Calder & Hebble, and hope that the Rochdale canal is open by the time I get there, although most people don't think that is going to happen much before Christmas.

No, I will turn around and head back to Lancashire, Kennet is on a recreation of the first ever crossing of the L&L 200 years ago, and I could join in with the flotilla at some point

Geoff Laycock had moored up next door with his steam powered narrowboat "Whistle down the Wind", so we arranged to share the trip up the locks.

So it was goodbye to Granary wharf

Back under the East Coast Main Line

And up the staircase locks.

 These seem much bigger when going uphill


The heron was still there as I approached Saltaire






 I passed through Saltaire, and stopped at the Fishermans for a couple of days.  This is a bit quiet, but I did have a superb steak earlier this evening

Abandon Ship

With the journey to Leeds it seems as though I have been on the boat for ages.  Now it was time to abandon the boat at Leeds for a few days.

Time for the annual trip down to the Hop farms.  The hop harvest this year is much better, the hop cones are full sized and the harvest is good.

More pictures of hops





 and no hops

From Worcester, it was straight back to the brewery to brew Green Manalishi, always a bit experimental Green hopped beer.


With the beer brewed, I then set off to Langdale for the Charity Folk Festival.  I had "persuaded" Chippy Paul to make something for the raffle and he made a carved wooden whisky flask, which was raffled off.

There was a great atmosphere outside as an impromptu Folk session developed

and the music continued inside later.

On the Sunday, the weather was superb, so I had a little wander up Stickle Tarn, Jakes Rake and Harrison Stickle.

 Again I found that I was fine uphill, but the downhill was painful.

After Langdale I was back to the boat briefly, then on the train to York to judge the beer of the North East.   The beers were a great improvement on the previous year, when everything was too cold.
After the competition we had a wander around some of the back streets south of the city and found some great unspoilt pubs, The Swan, The Old Ebor, The Golden Ball, and finally the Ackhorne.

No expensive hotels this year, just a 15 minute train back to Leeds.  I had had enough of the pale, hoppy beers and had something like Bank Top Dark mild on my mind, when I called into the Hop for a last pint.
  The Hop quote "At the heart of The Hop is Real Ale, a unique, traditional product and Britain's National Drink"
  "Can you recommend a dark beer?" I asked. "Guinness" came the reply from the idiotic barman!

Another trip to the Doctors, and the tear in my adducti-something-or-other isn't healing by itself, which is why I can't walk downhill.  So I am on the waiting list (having had this injury for over a year now!) for a "simple" operation to sort it out.  In the meantime no more climbing :-(

Giving a bird a lift...

Saltaire is well known for Salts mill, very tidy looking

But there are industrial units just next door that don't look like they are in quite the same state of repair.




Some places have been restored quite well though










Pretty soon I was back out in the countryside of the Aire valley.






The unicorn was looking a bit worse for wear




The next small staircase lock I had to operate myself.  This was a lot of running up and down!

I reached Rodley at dinnertime.  I had planned to get here by evening, so I was making better progress than I thought.  I stopped at the Railway for a "planning break".  I decided to go on as far as Kirkstall brewery.




When I got to the first set of Kirkstall locks, these were also CRT operated.  The canal guide said that these locks and the following set were shut at 16:30.  The CRT guy told me that it was not recommended to stop here overnight.  The locks would remain open as they knew I was on my way, and they recommended carrying on to Leeds.  I was closer to Leeds than I realised.

Many of the industrial building had been restored...








 ..but some were still in need of a little TLC.







Pretty soon I was at the last few locks down into Leeds.

then I was alongside the East Coast mainline, that I have travelled so often, looking down to the canal.  Now the view was reversed.

As I came towards lock 2, the Candlebar dominated the skyline

 At the lock, there was a woodpigeon drowning in the canal.  I fished it out and it sat on the roof, glaring at me.





and stayed there all the way to Granary Wharf.

I reversed neatly into "pole position" on granary wharf, next to the knitted boat.

Now I was moored at Leeds at the very spot I have sat so many times drinking coffee while waiting for trains.







Technically I am 100ft or so short, as I have not been through Lock 1 onto the River Aire, but I think it is close enough




Besides which it is thirsty work this boating!

Bingley to Saltaire, and no beer!

I left Skipton on a grey morning, though the forecast said sunny.  There are several boatyard at this side of Skipton, including one with a floating paint shed.

I called in at Snaygill for some diesel, and was charged £1.12 for red!  What a rip-off, it is only £1.14 for road diesel.  Note to keep tanks full next time I pass through Skipton.

I passed Kennet at Bradley, on its way to Leeds so it could do an anniversary Leeds to Liverpool journey.





I was in open countryside for a while









then pleasant woodland.

and some of the wildlife isn't very shy

Soon I arrived at Bingley Five Rise locks, and I shared the locks with nb Craycombe Companion, as the CRT lock keepers operated the locks.





Out of one lock...

..straight into the next










By now my Cumbrian flag was wetter than the Cumbrian Weather






and soon we were at the bottom of five locks










a short run of canal, then it was the Bingley three rise locks













and now it is only fifteen miles to Leeds.  It is hard to imagine that I have now travelled 112 miles from Liverpool in only four months!


  


Saltaire was a pleasant mooring next to a park.  Train back to Skipton, bus to Foulridge for the car, a quick bite to eat, then go and see the town.




Unfortunately, the pubs seem to all shut around 9:45, despite advertising open till late

A very strange town