Aire and Calder Navigation:Castleford

We stopped at Thorne yesterday with the intention of having a pub meal in the evening, but the nearby decent looking Canal Tavern only did lunchtime carvery on Sundays.  The same at another pub so we went to "Indian Spice" restaurant instead.  Clean and tidy with a tasty meal cooked to order, however they don't have an alcohol licence.  Bring your own.  Quite a windy night and I was having thoughts about how we might manage to get off the mooring as it meant turning the bows into wind.  I needn't have worried.  The bow thruster was up to the job.   Our first lock, Thorne Lock, was mechanised with a new control box installed last December according to the lockie who appeared when we were halfway through.  The Lock has an adjacent swing bridge (manual but the locking of the gates and the bridge securing handle all interlocked with the lock operation).   Bramwith lock is manual and we had the gift of a Volockie.  Thereafter is the long straight New Junction Canal with moveable bridge after moveable bridge and a lock.   We were now heading into the teeth of a bitterly cold wind again, worse than any mornings hitherto. The lock had a red light, so we were expecting a delay, but then it suddenly turned green and we had a straight in and down courtesy of the CRT lock-keeper.   Our plan suggested an overnight at the Went Aqueduct, but it was only 10:30, so we decided to go on the Castleford and get 2 days for the price of one.   Kellingly Colliery is closed now and a big cleanup is in operation which will take years I'm sure, but there is already a huge solar farm alongside the canal no doubt enjoying government subsidy, but we are too far north for great benefit.   Ferrybridge power station also looked closed and the river coal traffic long gone. Soon we reached our last lock and pleasant mooring.   An 8 hour day, but less pressure on us for the rest of the trip.