Downhill to Yorkshire

Now I was at the highest point of the canal, there was only downhill to go.  I have now gone further towards Leeds than I have been before.  Through Barnoldswick, and down Greenberfield locks, it is quite a change to be going down locks instead of up, plus the scenery in these remote areas is stunning.

  I passed under the double arched bridge at East Marton,








and then the canal became quite secluded under the trees







When I got to Bank Newton I met one of the lock keepers, who I had last met in the beer garden at the Butchers a couple of weeks ago.  Small World.



Once down Bank Newton flight it was a perfect day travelling past Gargrave



Yes, the sun does shine in Yorkshire

Five more locks passing Gargrave

And then I was at lock 30, the last lock before Skipton










Somebody had carved into the lock gates at lock 30

I don't really get that.


I now found one of the quirks of the Yorkshire section of the canal, swing bridges.  The controls for the bridge are on the opposite side to the towpath.  The problem is, as I was on my own, I moor the boat up, cross the bridge and open it, then I can't get back to the boat.  First solution, moor on the non towpath side.  This entails leaping off the boat into a bank full of nettles and brambles.  It worked, but not good.
Just entering skipton, I pushed the bridge open with a pole, then sailed the boat through, backed the boat up to the bridge and, eventually managed to pull the bridge closed.  All of this time there was a car waiting, pipping the horn.  If you are in such a hurry GET OUT OF THE CAR AND HELP ME PUSH THE BRIDGE SHUT!

For the electric bridges in Skipton, I managed to enlist a passer by who was more than happy to press buttons fopr me as I sailed past.

Finally moored up in Skipton, I found a new micro bar that was quite interesting, with a couple of nice dark beers.








The roses over here are a funny colour though

Over the top

The last SIBA meeting I missed because the train I took broke down.  This time I would take no chances, I would go by boat.  I headed off to Burnley in reasonable sunshine and moored up just before Gannow Tunnel and walked across the road to Moorhouses.

 After the meeting, I set off through Burnley toward Barrowford in sunshine.  I was enjoying the journey so much, I completely lost track of the time.  Before I knew it, I was at the bottom lock of the Barrowford flight.  This is not a safe place to stop, and it was six O'clock.  Sunset was at 8:05, so I had 2 hours to do seven locks, what could go wrong!

When I reached lock 48 none of the ground paddles were working, and only one gate paddle, do the Unicorn got a good wash!




 When I arrived at lock 47, the wash coming from the side pinned me to the side of the lock entrance.  Eventually I managed to scrape into the lock.  I left the boat in the lock and walked up the remaining locks to find that whoever had gone before had left the paddles open.  No wonder there was a lot of water coming down.  I finally got into lock 45, the top lock at 8:00, just as the sun set.  by the time I got out of the lock, it was dark.  September seems to catch me out for how quickly it gets dark.  I moored up just out of the lock, at the water point - I assumed that nobody would be sailing here in the dark for water.
I was exhausted by this final lock flight, and walked over the field to have a couple of quite necessary pints in the Bridge.

The following morning, it was a short sail up to Foulridge tunnel and I timed it right so I was waiting at the red lights just long enough to put the kettle on.

Through the tunnel and I moored up at Foulridge wharf to get the bus back to Blackburn for the car

Then it was over to the Brewery for a pint of Marshmallow Unicorn, and to cask some.









The Navvygator, our 1816 porter commemorating the 200th year of the Leeds Liverpool Canal has arrived

Back to the plan

All the canal festivals were over now, so I decided it was time to continue my plan to do the whole Leeds Liverpool canal.

So, off I went, back up Johnson Locks., 47 Miles from Liverpool, 80 to go to Leeds.

 Back through the now familiar Blackburn flight, past Rishton, and Clayton, I decided to stop the night just after Fosters swing bridge, with a nice view over the Ribble Valley.

Unicorn on tour!

The White Boat

 It was Botany Bay canal festival, so I headed back to the Boatyard

Passing Simsons Fold, Eendracht was back at Kiers mooring, looking great in the water, but in need of some paint.

I got back to the boatyard just in time to see Steve Mayors boat arriving for craning in

then we went up to bring Eendricht down to the boatyard for the festival.

 

  Kier let me drive the boat down Johnsons locks, what a superb boat!

Then we went back up the locks to help Peter, Stacey amd Jayne bring some more boats down

Passing some good looking boats on the way

 When I returned from brewing on the Saturday, there was an impromptu barbecue on the back of Eendricht


a superb evening

 and in the morning I noticed a Unicorn had appeared on the front of mine!

Sunday, it was time to go boating.
A picturesque canal-side looking scene...

 ..but not quite what it seems

 

This is what we call the White Boat, two canoes, some scaffolding, an outboard and a park bench - great fun!

Back to the boatyard, and I cooked some random curries in style!












And that's what I call a cheeseboard!

Float like a battleship...

I hitched a lift on nb Good Times down to Mill Hill for a bit of a carnival they were having.

Part of this was some mad guy who had built a boat out of the rubbish collected out of the canal

 I must say that it did look like rubbish fished out of the canal

 and it needed CRT volunteers to tow it back out of the canal

I called in at Lincoln to sort out some wiring problems on a narrowboat.

 

 This is what happens when things get added at random over the years

and this is what wiring should look like!

Back at Botany Boatyard, Kiers boat was going back in the water

 This is a 100 year old boat, with a 100 year old engine, a genuine Dutch Barge

 I takes two cranes working in tandem to lift the boat in

and then it is floating

The bows look huge when side by side with a standard narrowboat,

 So, once the engine is started, we have to take it for a sail

 Happiness is getting your 100 year old boat back in the water!

 

 We stopped at Cowling bridge for a pint

 and what goes with a pint? Backsticks Cheese!

 There is plenty of room on the roof for passengers

 And then back to Botany

Back at the pub, somebody brought in some wildlife!