Littleborough to Sowerby Bridge
Trip Start
Apr 29, 2009
1
17
34
Trip End
Oct 01, 2009
Sowerby bridge, United Kingdom
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Took turns with Autumn Haze to use the water tap and elsan point at Littleborough before heading for the summit. Spectacular views and glorious sunny weather. Lock 40 is only wide enough for one boat so Gabriel went in first. We were near the top when a BW man came along and said there are two boats coming down in lock 39. The logical thing would be for one boat to come out of 39 and go into 40, while Gabriel waited in 39 for Autumn Haze. When Autumn Haze comes up out of 40, the other boat can go in. But no the man from BW gets Gabriel out of 39, and close it and empties it, so that Autumn haze can come up. Now we have four boats all in the same pound with one less lock full of water. When We tried to move Gabriel from the lock bollards we were stuck. Some pushing and shoving got us off alright.
The mooring at the Summit was lovely. It was only spoilt by a family of Canada Geese who took a dislike to Hugo and the male flew at him hissing. He didn't go out again! J went for a walk up in the hills and saw wheatear and curlew. Then we both wandered round the village and found two pubs, a closed down post office, now a house, also a closed down methodist church, also now a house. The trains go through a tunnel here so we don't hear them.
Tue 16th June
Hugo too scared to go out, even though the geese had gone. Despite sunshine, the boat was in the shade and covered with dew. We set off through lock 37 and along the summit pound with no difficulties. However, the next pound was dry, with boats at odd angles. The man from BW filled it V E R Y S L O W L Y. At lock 35 the notice said leave it empty, but the top gates were leaking very badly, so all that water was going to waste. At the next lock, 34, the water was coming over the gates like a weir! Below this lock would have been a good mooring. We continued on the below lock 31, where there was a meadow for Hugo, but the railway was close by, and he ran in every time a train came past. James went for another walk up and up to a reservoir, and saw curlew, twite and a green sandpiper. When he came back down near lock 34, the pound below still had good water. Later another boat came up the locks into our pound, and the level dropped a little so we had to loosen the ropes and moor further out. We went for a meal at the Cross Keys in Walsden, and had turkish style kebabs, which were excellent. We are now in Yorkshire!
Wed 17th June
We started early as rain was forecast. Boats were aground outside the Cross Keys, so we had to fill the pound. Poor maintenance on this stretch - some gates leaking badly, some paddle gear not working. Some locks like weirs. They have spent a lot of money on some silly square bollards that have too much friction for the ropes to run smoothly.
Gauxholme locks 24-22 were flooding the towpath, and the rain had started by then, so we got very wet. The Great Wall of Tod was very impressive. This is a massive railway embankment alongside the canal. Library lock has a guillotine bottom gate due to the proximity of the road. We used the elsan point and then went down one more lock where Margaret and Rex Wright (BCF) were waiting on Amy Em. Margaret invited us in but we were too soaking wet. We went round later when we had dried off, and we went to the Golden Lion with them for a Grand Yorkshire Pudding!
Thu 18th June
Sunny but breezy. Autumn Haze left early as they have an early appointment with the Huddersfield Canal. J went to the walk-in centre for reassurance about a lump in the right armpit - apparently not serious. Then to the market and Morrisons. J went the gents in Morrisons, and a man held the door open for him, with some comment about teaching kids to respect older people!!! We saw Margaret and Rex leaving via the guillotine lock. After a short lunch we moved off through lovely wooded scenery Every possible mooring place was taken up by permanent moorers - permit holders only. Finally we moored by Stubbing Wharf where we had a huge plate of fish and chips. As we came out of the pub we met some walkers who were looking at our banner. They are from St John's Halifax, and would like to get involved if BCF did something in the area. They also told us that Charlotte Sykes had died and her funeral was today. Very sad. In the night we had to moor further out with a mud weight, because Gabriel was scraping on the bottom.
Fri 19th June
Left Stubbing Wharf and descended three locks to the facilities at Hebden Bridge. Water tap very slow. We moored on the other side by the park. We discovered that the mill at Hardcastke Crags was closed on Fridays, so instead we explored Hebden Bridge, a very pleasant little town. Upmarket though, with delicatessens and expensive restaurants. Some light rain in the afternoon. In the evening we met some yellow-jacketed "Street Angels" from the Baptist and Catholic churches working together amongst the young people. They also said if BCF did anything in the area they would be keen to be involved. There was lots of shouting in the park in the night.
Sat 20th June
A hire boat opposite called Lady Julia looked about to set off, so we hurriedly got organised and caught them up at the first lock. They were just out for the day with twelve people on board to celebrate an anniversary. We shared Mayroyd Mill lock with them, and then we discovered that Falling Royd Bridge marked in Nicholson Guide is actually Falling Royd Tunnel, with a bend in it, so we needed our tunnel light. We shared Broadbottom and Brearly Upper locks, and then found that Edward Kilner lock 5 could only take one boat. We went first as the other would turn before the next lock. This next pound was very shallow, and we met three separate boats coming the other way, one of which was a wide-beam Dutch barge which left us stranded for a while. Then came Tuel lane lock, the deepest canal lock in the country. It was actually very easy. We moored below lock 1 at Sowerby Bridge. Done the Rochdale Canal. We went to Lidl and Tesco, and Alan Sykes came with our post in the evening. Despite his recent loss he still has a sense of humour, which I remembered from the time they helped us out two years ago. He is thinking of going to Perth for Christmas to stay with one of their daughters.
Sun 21st June
Midsummer! Sunny with some cloud. We went to St Pauls, the Methodist church in Sowerby Bridge where we had a warm welcome. The message was about trusting in the Lord and not worrying. Mostly modern songs with a keyboard. Back in the Basin we met Tagula Blue again, who was too long for the Calder and Hebble and too high for the Huddersfield, so they had to go back on the Rochdale to Manchester. We moved on to Salterhebble and used the facilities. The visitor moorings there were too close to the sewage works for our liking, so we moved on. The third lock there has a guillotine gate. We then went through Woodside Mills lock, with no mishap this time. Last time J fell in and ended up in hospital. We moored at Cromwell Bottom, which was very peaceful.
