Into the depths

 

Tuesday 16th.September.

Must say we found Hebden Bridge a little disappointing, OK for day trippers, all tea shops & kitsch knick-knacks, but obviously no-none stays for the evening as at least 3 restaurants have closed down.

 Really can't believe how fortunate we've been with the weather since we left over 2 weeks ago. Haven't had any rain  and only a little early, misty drizzle on a couple of mornings, amazing!  Today is a bright sunny day as we wave farewell to Heb & move off towards Sowerby Bridge.



We've booked passage through Tuel Lane lock, the deepest on the system at 20', for 3 pm so set off in good time. We're encountering  a few more boats now, mostly down to the Shire hire fleet and soon meet up with a single handed lad who we can share locks with. This saves a bit of time & effort & we arrive at Tuel at 1:30. Fortunately there's a slot, with our new companion at 2pm, so we sit in the sun till our turn.

 

 

Three locks brings us into the basin & we moor before 3pm. Pete gets the rods out again & I walk into the town, find a Belgian chocolate shop and book

 

 our belated Anniversary meal at the 'Moorings'.

 

We scrub up & enjoy a fab meal in the converted warehouse, would recommend to anyone.

 

 



Old age travellers to Hebden.

 

Monday 15th.September.

 

Wake up to a rather grey & drizzly day in Tod, although not exactly wet.

 

 It's a fairly short day with 10 locks. The water levels are better and there are a few more boats about, which is nice.

 

The sun comes out as we pass Stubbings Wharf

 

& arrive in the one time hippy town of Hebden Bridge and we walk into town for shopping, a coffee & to check out the restaurants. Item 3 proves disappointing so it's rain-check again.

 

This is a Fustian needle, used in the manufacture of corduroy.

 

I notice that in the park by our mooring there's a skate park, so as Pete tries to outwit some fish, I set out with the camera for some action shots, I always find kids most co-operative if not treated like aliens!

 

 

 

 



All downhill from here!

 

Sunday 14thSeptember.

It's our 35th.Wedding Anniversary today!

Not for us a relaxing lie-in or breakfast in bed surrounded by cards & gifts.

Oh No!  It's a 9am start on the descent towards home.

 

There's some pretty impressive scenery although it's a bit misty.

 

 

 

Can't beat the peace & quiet of the countryside!

 

We make some new friends in Gauxholme,

 

where, it appears, all the local children seem to be on a Sunday hike {here passing under the imposing railway bridge}

 

 

 

At 4pm, after 15 locks, we tie up for the night at Todmorden &  decide

to delay our Anniversary meal out till Hebden Bridge.

 

 



Summit up

 

Saturday 13th.September.

 Littleborough seems to harbour a closet llama herd ...  and rather inhospitable car parking arrangements!

 

 

Water is still in short supply, this is what the bottom of a canal looks like, it's not easy to move a 20 ton boat through that!

 

 

 

Climbing steadily into the Pennines, the countryside opens out {hawk hovering beneath the pylons}

 

 

 

& by mid afternoon we finally reach the summit pound & arrive in Yorkshire at lock 35.

Rochdale cowboys.

 

Friday 12th. September.

 

 

Bit overcast as we wave Slattocks farewell & chug towards Rochdale, again not a place to linger. The canal is still pretty shallow, dirty and the lock gear is in poor condition.
First we're greeted by the smell of bacon sarnies at one town lock, then the aroma of curry engulfs us at the next.... all most unfair!

 

 

 

After the dark, satanic & mostly derelict mills disappear behind us we get a glimpse of the moors & the feint hope that the dirty city is to be replaced by some Pennine vistas.

 

Clegg Hall, fronted by weavers' cottages. The multiple top floor windows are in the rooms where the looms were operated.

 

After a few more locks & 2 swing bridges, we arrive at Littleborough & Yippee! encounter the first boats we've seen since Manchester!  Lucky to get a mooring & one end is tied to a street sign but who cares! 

 

 

Quick trip to the Co-op then a bit of fishing & snapping ensues before dinner.

 

 



Wobbly legs!

 

Thursday 11th.September.

 

Can hardly walk after the stresses & strains of yesterday. Not a day I wish to repeat & quite honestly the Rochdale is not a canal I wish to revisit. We've not seen a boat since Manchester & I doubt we shall, if they have any sense!

 

 As we're 2 days in front of schedule we decide to sacrifice one & have a short day today so we only do 7 locks & finish outside a pub at Slattocks at 1:30.

 

 

 

Peter takes time to torment a few fish!

 

 

 

Handily there's also a Londis shop in the 24 hr.garage so we get a few groceries. It's curry night at the Hopwood Arms & for £14 total, we have 2x 2 course meals & 2 drinks, bargain & very tasty too.

 

 

 

Kelly gets a bag of pork scratchings!



Canal & River Trust earn their keep.

 

Wednesday 10th. September.

The sun shines on us as we leave New Islington marina at 8, knowing that we have 18 locks to negotiate with no little helpers. Ancoats lives up to it's reputation by revealing some dealers in Victoria Park. I'm amazed they were about so early, but they're too busy with their own nefarious activities to bother us!

 

 



We pass through Newton Heath, original home of Man Utd., another place we're warned not to linger in!

 

 

Our progress is now blighted by low water & soon we're scraping along on the bottom which also means picking up an assortment of rubbish, plastic bags, etc. around the prop. meaning boat won't go until we poke about to clear it. Call out CRT 3 times in the next few hours to run some water down, get us off the bottom & help us through the locks. All very slow, hot & arduous work.

 

 

After a nightmare day of 11 hours we stop, exhausted, at the Rose of Lancashire, Chadderton, eat something & collapse in front of the TV.



Sale into Manchester.

 

Tuesday 9th.September.

 

No, it's not incorrectly spelt! The Bridgewater canal travels, arrow straight through Sale, it's wide & we get  quite a wriggle on, for a change.

At 'Waters Meeting' {which isn't as scenic as it sounds} we leave the Bridgewater and move onto the Rochdale Canal, towards Manchester.

 

 Soon the Old Trafford stadium looms into view and the lock down to the MSC appears on the left along with glimpses of Salford Quays, under the Metro line.

 



 

 



 

After a water stop at Potato Wharf & a coffee at Castlefields basin we drop really lucky in meeting up with a fully crewed CRT inspection boat going all the way to New Islington marina {our preferred mooring for the night}

 

 

So I get out of locking up the 'Rochdale 9' & get to see Deansgate & the Gay Village at Canal Street.

 

Having been given the phone no. of the guy who looks after the marina we arrive at NI & are given a reasonably secure spot for the night with electric  hook-up for £2!

 

This area was called Ancoats & is reputedly a bit rough, the marina is in the middle of a building site so not pretty but we meet nothing but really friendly people.