UK Canals - Journey reports

Arrival:Salthouse Dock Liverpool

Yesterday we met Sid Mason, the Canal & River Trust go to guy for the Liverpool Link.  He said that we could go early along with three other boats presently moored at Litherland. It is only an hour 20 minutes from the top of the Stanley Lock Flight where the link properly begins.  So we set off at 7:30 along with the others and arrived just in time to see the three boats leaving Liverpool coming up the locks, so we were able, two of us, to use some of that water.  We had been advised in the paperwork that all facilities are now user operated but there was a host of volunteers to help on this flight, but the rest needed operating by ourselves.   All went well and we were moored up by 11:00.

Litherland

Bridge 9 is restricted during rush hour, so at the threshold of 9:30 we were ready.  The bridge is single line controlled by traffic lights, not the usual flashing reds.  Key in, turn on, press button and it reacted immediately and swiftly.  Pat had some trouble with weedy prop, but got the boat going and we were through.  Round the corner the wind seemed to have concentrated all the surface weed at the bend so the whole surface was covered.  Getting up a bit of speed in anticipation we got through, but slowing massively.   Actually, the prop wash was manageable with occasional reverse bursts to clear it and part of the problem is possibly weed build up on the bow.  Stopping at Bridge 6 (Netherton) gave an opportunity to see if this would clear, but again, getting the stern near the bank is not helpful.   However, from here on in there was much no more weed than one could expect anywhere and we cruised along in normal fashion.  So in summary, the real problem is from the end of Maghull to just around the corner after bridge 9.

Plenty of moorings at Litherland.   This could be a really attractive site, but the Canada geese give it no chance.  At least it is locked and secure and had the huge advantage of a large Tesco store on the other side of the fence.   CRT’s Sid Mason called this afternoon and we four boats now moored here can go down at 9:30 tomorrow.  Excellent!

Handcocks Bridge No 9

It was decided that it would be very helpful if we could “bank” our day ahead and turn it into an earlier arrival at Salthouse Dock.  Canal & River Trust was contacted and by chance our booked pontoon was being vacated on the 25th, so for payment of the additional daily charge all sorted.   Given that we want to spend a night at Litherland (hoping moorings are available) for in depth shopping and pumpout it was necessary to arrive at Bridge 9 tonight for transit tomorrow.   In the event, it only took us 40 minutes more than our daily planned cruising time of 6 hours.   We have entered swingbridge territory so not long after leaving Parbold we encountered our first.  It has obviously been upgraded since our last visit.  It look a little bit of hunting to find the operating pedestal as it is just a tiny flat plate with a keyhole and two buttons set at and angle on top of a thin black steel post.  If approaching from behind, because of the angle, the flat plate is invisible.   The next had a much larger stainless cabinet, again towpath side and easy to spot from the canal approach.  The same pattern followed, easy to spot.  Bridge 16 however got me big time.  There was the familiar stainless cabinet with the keyhole and two buttons.  Key in, press “Open” and keep pressed.  Lights flashed, noises, barriers down, bridge seen to lift off the wedges - then nothing.   I waited, finger on button, nothing.   I recycled the bridge.  Barriers up.  Started again- nothing.   Then I saw the little LED lit in the centre which was labelled “bridge released” and under it “Push gently to open bridge”.   I felt such an idiot and nobody said a dickybird watching all this!   Bridge 12 was under repair but no delay as it was worked by the workmen.  But from then on the canal has become very weedy as the photos show, so progress was very slow.   Fortunately there was a bit of clear bank to tie up to and there is a row of bollards on approach to the bridge 9.

The Canal and River Trust website really tries to extol the virtues of the canals for everybody, not just boaters, but there is a boating section. If you drill down you will find a paragraph about rubbish disposal in which it states there are hundreds of sites available around the system for rubbish disposal and recycling.   Leaving Leigh we wanted to dispose of some and the first site we came to was not at Wigan (sort of expected) but at Moss Bridge.  This photo is it.    It is hidden in a depression in the ground behind some bushes, so mostly invisible from the canal. The next opportunity is at Litherland.  So that’s just 2 sites out of the hundreds described.

Parbold

We got here in the end, only 30 minutes late on our 6 hours a day scheme.  However it was an eventful day’s cruise.   First of all we had an EFATO.  Aviation speak for an engine failure after takeoff.   We had only been going for about 5 minutes and just up to cruising revs when the engine started slowing to nearly stopping all together.  Dropping the throttle to idle got tick-over power back enough to head for the bank and tie up.   This sounded to me like a fuel starvation, possibly the fuel filter.   Examination of a small drainage from the agglomeration showed no sludge or water, so next was to fit a new fuel filter.  That is a quick job, but then the system has to be bled of air.  It took me ages to find the manual fuel pump lever but once that was done all well again.

Next we got to the first lock (Leigh Branch No 2) and got the boat inside before realising that there was no water in the next pound.  So set off to find some.  Got to lock 1 and opened a couple of paddles to let some down.  The lengthsman appeared shortly after and helped, so with just enough water Pat was able to get the boat into the next lock.   Both locks leak badly and indeed there is an official notice plate screwed to the lock beam to the effect that one must use all paddles because of leakage.   We subsequently found that all the Wigan Locks leak to some degree or other so open all paddles is the order of the day.

All this, as you can imagine slowed us down a bit, but thereafter lucky lock timings recovered some time.

Today was driving fine rain to start then sunny and warm to finish.  Loads of walkers out.

Dover Bridge

Rain forecast all day, though at the start it was dry until about 8:30.  By then we had travelled through the periphery of Althrincham and through Sale, turned left at Waters Meeting, past the massive Kellogg’s Plant and just about reached the Barton Swing Aqueduct.

Very little other traffic moving and with good water we made excellent progress, amply exceeding our daily target and leaving the Bridgewater Canal at Leigh.  We are now on the Leigh Branch of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal.  We decided to push on a bit today slightly beyond our self accounted time in order to clear Plank Lane lifting bridge.  If we had cut short we would have run into the morning rush hour and been significantly delayed.   Now we are within chance of getting to Parbold tomorrow which would place us one day ahead of our original plan.

Dunton

We got up a little earlier this morning so as to guarantee being at the south portal of Preston Brook Tunnel exactly at 07:00, the northbound entry time (valid for 10 minutes).  One can see the light at the end of the tunnel, but there still seems to be some wriggles in the line which needs a lot of concentration.  There does seem to be the possibility that two boats might pass each other in the centre.  I wonder how this would have worked in the days of yore, or is it just an emergency feature.   Pressing on I was expecting to come across a hire boat base, but this seems to be no more.  Perhaps a casualty of the Covid virus?   What I always understood to be a water works in a modern building a little further on seems to have been joined by a large expansion of the site into a science and technology park.

The Bridgewater canal is very generously proportioned.  It is wide for the most part, deep and has well engineered banks characterised by heavy coping stones.  “No galvanised sheet piling here”.  Be armed with mooring pins.  So given that this was an early forerunner of the canals why is it so different in structure to the more modern examples.  What were the craft that plied here in the early day?  Surely they would have been horse drawn barges from the mines.  Or have I got this all wrong?

We were lucky with a mooring in the centre of Lymm, though pity about the shortage of mooring rings in this popular spot.   After a brief provisioning run we carried on to Heyford Marine for diesel and then past the under road bridge to moor on the long straight.

A thunderstorm is forecast tonight.  Pat thinks it might be wise to take our TV aerial down.

Preston Brook Stop Lock

The wind has dropped, but still the grey overcast.  No locks to do today.  We are planning to moor before the Preston Brook stop lock and tackle the tunnel and Bridgewater Canal, the latter booked to start tomorrow.  So just a cruise for about 12 miles with two short tunnels one of which has timed access as they are both single boat width.  Three things of note.  Firstly there are scattered large infestations of Himalayan balsam on this section, although first noticed to a much smaller extent over the last day or two.   Secondly there were also small clumps of floating pennywort, mysteriously always attached to bramble shoots in the water, in the Marston area.  These are both invasive plants as I understand and spread rapidly.  Lastly the reed beds.   Nothing new here but they seem to be ever encroaching on the channel and single line working is necessary in places.  When in a convoy, as after the tunnels, this causes quite a bit of confusion and loss of “cool” from time to time.

The Anderson Boatlift visitor centre was just opening its doors as we passed.  Shortly after we came to the site of the recent land slip which had blocked the canal for a while.  Investigations seem to be ongoing here and a narrow marked channel has been opened for boats to pass, single file only, although there was plenty of room.   The entrance to Barton Tunnel is at right angles to the canal heading and as this is a single line tunnel it is necessary to visually check that it is not already occupied with opposite direction traffic.   So a clear view is only obtained when the bow is at the tunnel mouth and as the tunnel has a kink the view is not totally clear.  Saltisford Tunnel, however, is bent and a timed passage is needed.  On the hour for 20 minutes in the northerly direction.   We pitched up at 5 minutes to and two boats were waiting.   The first set off and the second waved us on.   As with all tunnels it is difficult I find to judge how close you are to the boat in front, so caution is necessary possibly over caution if the truth were known.  Then when the boat on front emerges into the daylight it becomes apparent how far behind you are.  The tunnel light is not meant to be a searchlight and in a two way tunnel as such would blind oncoming boaters, so generally the beam is aimed ahead more at the tunnel roof than along the  passage.

On the last tight bend before the stop lock we met an opposite direction.  Fine, we are always expecting that but what we didn’t expect was a second boat appearing going quite fast almost immediately.  This was a hire boat probably with an inexperienced crew who evidently misjudged the turn, saw us and then went into reverse.   Perhaps necessary in the circumstances one cannot tell. I though he would have made the turn, but in reverse all his steering was lost and it forced us to make a hard reverse ending up against the outside bank of this turn from which there is no immediate escape.

Nicholson’s talks of good moorings north of Bridge 213 and sound of the stop lock.  We saw the ringed moorings enough for three boats after bridge 213, but nothing like that until we arrived at the winding hole before the stop lock, and thereafter nothing.   However, we are now nicely moored in the stinging nettles and other vegetation on mooring pins on a hard bank just before the winding hole.  At least there is adequate water depth here and we wont have far to go in the morning to the tunnel mouth.

Bramble Cutting

Another murky damp morning.  First job today was get water.  So we only needed to move around the corner to Wheelock water point.  There are two water pedestals here.   A boat was moored  on  the  distant  one  in  the  photo  but  the  near  one  was  free  only  there were no  bollards  to  secure  the  boat  to. 

The centre rope wrapped round the large rock on the left seemed to solve the problem as long as needed, so problem solved.  Once the tank was full again we set off for Middlewich.   A flashing “red light” appeared yesterday evening.  This means that the toilet holding tank is almost full and we only get three “goes” before the flush cuts off.  There are two known options at Middlewich to get the tank pumped out, so keeping our fingers and sphincters crossed.  Middlewich is mostly a long run, but with 4 locks.  The first were almost full, the third was readied for us by an opposite direction boat kindly waiting and the last - well Pat had to fill it.   The lady at the third asked where we were going and when Pat said Liverpool she replied “That’s funny.  The boat in front is headed there too”.

Kings Lock Chandlery doesn’t do pump outs.  Middlewich Narrowboats, now under new management apparently is closed on Wednesday but Andersen Boats was also deserted, but after a phone call sent a man down to sort us out.   Well done.    Next was the Big Lock.   It is big enough for two boats side by side but no wide beam would ever get there because just further on is the Croxton  Aqueduct only 7ft wide.   Our plan puts us at Bramble Cutting for the night.   In spite of all our delays we arrived there at 12:30, although the attractive offside moorings appeared full.  There are rings on the towpath side in the run up to the site, no no problem.

Checked the diesel and it looks like we have half a tank still which is about right.  One tank should last us 2 weeks cruising.

Wheelock water point 

Wheelock

Woke to rain and a miserable looking grey sky and cold.  Not really August weather.  However the forecast was for dryer, so we set off at the usual time down the first of 25 locks.  The rain ceased as we started. I suppose because of the grim weather it was quite a while before there was any significant other boat movement although some were about.  We had very good luck with the locks, almost all full.  Indeed a hire boat passed us just before Lawton Locks having left all top gates open.   By now we were picking up opposite direction traffic which for the most part worked in our favour.   Pat opened one top gate to let me in and only when half way did we and a lock wheeler notice that both paddles were taped out of use.   Had to back out in shame to get to the other one of the pair.   Our computer plan, based on 6 hours a day, put us overnighting at Hassell Green, but were were there just after 11:00, so we carried on to Wheelock.   Now more than one day ahead .. or were we.   Pat, looking at the Nicholson’s, commented that the day after tomorrow looked like an enormously long cruise.  Checking I found that when transcribing the printout to the log book I had missed out a day, so reworking the night stops and taking account of our 3 hour bonus today, we are on track and should be expecting 5 hours 30 minutes a day to Handcocks Swing Bridge - thence Litherland overnight for a big Tesco shop and pumpout to prepare us for our stay in Liverpool Salthouse Dock.

Kidsgrove

Rain first thing but it stopped before we set off and didn’t return, however there was a cold wind and inspire of warm coats we were both shivering by journey end.  Since we arrived at Barlaston a long line of moored boats had appeared ahead of us.  Once this was passed we reached Trentham Lock and unusually at this early time of the morning whereas we would expect to have a free run, there was a boat just entering above.   On the run to Stoke on Trent we passed just one boat and the deep Stoke Bottom Lock was ours for the taking, as was the next with its gloomy approach under a very low railway bridge.  I had taken the precaution of removing the wind generator fin for this one as I remember a previous occasion when it cleared by a whisker. Much to Pat’s delight the deep top lock at Etruria was manned by 3 volunteers.  Pressing on we encountered a small opposite direction flotilla after Westport Lake which was encouraging because they would have emerged from the tunnel giving us a good chance of no delay.  So it was.  Just two two other boats waiting to go in and one still to emerge.   After the usual briefing, life jacked donned and an extra roof light readied we were off.  The tunnel has very little roof clearance in the central section marked by reflective paint where it changes contour.  A roof light (actually my bike headlight) sitting on the roof is invaluable for highlighting these sudden changes.  A few years back a helmsman disappeared en-route and was found dead sometime later possibly after being struck on the head.  The boat had carried on and only because it was bouncing back and forth on the tunnel sides was there any clue that something disastrous had happened.   We dropped one lock to moor for the night.  We are still one day and one lock ahead of plan.

 

A rather murky snap out of the top lock at Etruria illustrates the weather today

Barlaston

We set off early as usual this morning following the railway line north, although I suppose really it is the railway line following the canal.   The first two locks were ours and speedily dealt with.   Arriving at Stone, past the inevitable line of boats on the 14 day moorings now extended to the point of one way working due (yes again) vegetation growth.   Further up the opposite side has been cleared and there was mooring available on the 48 hour section.   Star lock was occupied so we had to wait for that following one going up and an opposite coming down.   Then it got busier with boats appearing in the queue that we hadn’t seen before getting tricky at the end with nowhere to wait.  Then Meaford Locks were busy, but passed in a relatively organised fashion.   Interestingly, after our disappointing hunt for moorings yesterday, below Sandown Lock and in the pound below Aston, there were heaps.   Barlaston was very busy at the pub and there are a lot of walkers about.   It is Sunday.   Plenty of moorings further up though.

The wind is forecast to get stronger this evening so worth perhaps putting the fan up, but we are not in a particularly good position so probably a waste of effort.   When we get wind it does help to spare the batteries, however since they were replaced they are working well with significantly improved charge state in the mornings.

Weston upon Trent

We ended up a couple of miles beyond our daily target today as were finding trouble finding a suitable mooring.   Just put it in the bank for another day.   We were doing quite well to start off.  We needed a supermarket stop and Tesco at Rugeley is a good bet.  The question is always will we be able to find a mooring nearby.   Pat had the bright idea of getting me to set her down early so she could walk along and feed back.  If there were to be nothing nearer, at least she would know where I was and a phone call would get her help.  As luck would have it, there was a space right by the bridge, so I moved the boat there and in no time at all she had returned and we were off again.   A bit further on the canal does a sharp right to cross the River Trent on an aqueduct.   Stupidly I got too close to the inside bank for the turn and fell victim to bank effect which basically kills the turn and make me head for the opposite bank which in this case was right in front of a hire boat coming the other way.   No harm done but very bad helmsmanship.   Bank effect happens when the boat is near to the bank, when the propeller is doing its job sucking water from under the boat to push it out the back.   Because the boat is near the bank there is less water available on that side and so a pressure differential builds up effectively sucking the stern onto the bank.   Further on, just past Little Haywood bridge there is a line of moorings on the left hand side in a right hand curve and the inevitable bushes from behind which an opposite direction boat appeared.  I had no option but to go into the bush with no clear way for us to pass.  This boat waved me on but it would have been a lengthy process to extricate the boat so gave him the right of way.  As he passed, his propeller suction neatly removed my bow from the bush no problem.   Haywood lock had no queue, and at the junction Pat managed to offload some rubbish in spite of the wharf being occupied with boats wanting, it would appear, water.   Our lunch changed at Hoo Mill Lock finding ourselves at the back of a 3 boat queue seeming to take ages to move on.  Behind us the local trip boat arrived, and bearing in mind the economics of this, we let then go first.  A very impressive traditional boat with the hold turned over to restaurant dining - fish & chips and cream teas.   Simple but the patrons looked very happy.    We were meant to moor (according to the computer planner) at Ingestre Bridge but all the moorings were taken and we had to press on, through Weston Lock before finding a vacant spot.   14:10, later than usual and everything seems to have gone quiet.

Woodend Lock

Last night we were alone on the mooring with just a slight concern about security, although everything was quiet.  As we set off this morning we saw that it would have been better to have gone on just round the corner after the Tame River aqueduct.   Must remember that for next time.   Our choice of mooring was motivated by the expectation of finding the visitor moorings at Fazeley packed, but to our surprise there was plenty of room.  On the way to Hopwas we saw a lot of housing construction going on and the Industrial Estate has also expanded.  From Fazeley through to Fradley there are big vegetation issues:one bridge on bend almost totally obscured until almost there, and some short reed beds now occupying more than half of the canal making then single line workings.   I reckon that saplings possibly grow between 2 and 3 feet a year searching for the light which is, of course, over the canal.   Fortunately little traffic to become an issue until after Huddlesford Jct.   However we made good headway until Fradley when we joined mayhem.  We were told that we were 5th in a queue, but the thing is, there is nowhere to queue.  The queue was for the pair of uphill locks but the canal up to those locks is given over to permanent moorings, so we were all milling around in the junction itself and the downhill lock was blocked by another boat in the same queue.  A strong crosswind did not help.  All taken in good humour and helpfulness.   So we completed our assigned cruise, but no chance of getting a little more ahead.  We are now on the Trent and Mersey Canal, a bit of a misnomer in some way because any link to the Mersey is now a bit obscure since the 6 locks at Runcorn down onto the Manchester Ship Canal and there to the Mersey were incorporated  into a road scheme. Woodend is a pretty little lock, the last for quite some distance until near to Great Haywood which we hope to pass tomorrow.

Tamworth

We are within spitting distance of Fazeley Junction which puts us a day ahead of our (computer) plan and all within or nearly within our daily cruise time.   Leaving Harthill we reached the top lock of the Atherstone Flight in about 50 minutes.  It was interesting to see that waterway contractors AR Rothen seem to have massively expanded their base with new wharfage and a large collection of nicely traditionally painted work boats and mud flats extending waterside for quite a way.   Perhaps these all go out to work during the winter works programs.   We had a good run down the lock flight though all were against us bar two when we were waiting for upcoming boats.  It seemed to take us much longer than usual though.  The length between the bottom of the Atherstone locks and Glascote Locks does seem to have a major problem with offside vegetation obscuring sight line through bridges and curves, also narrowing the channel in places.  I did actually get a granite bush strike at bridge 48 (Bradley Green). Later, after Poleswoth at the M42 bridge the approach was partly obscured revealing an opposite direction boat at the last minute and not helped by a moored boat.  In contrast, the towpath is in pretty good shape throughout.   At Glascote we enjoyed one of those rare experiences when everything just clicks.  A boat emerging as we approached with an advance crew from a boat ascending below to help and a “free ride” down the next lock thanks to a generously crewed boat which we passed in the middle pound.   We are moored on the approach to Fazeley just before the Tame aqueduct.

The Anchor Inn

We did our six hours today and found ourselves outside the Anchor Inn.  This is about 2 miles before Atherstone which is where we were meant to be tomorrow evening, so we still have some time in hand, more so even.    Highlights of today?   Once 9:00 am passed more boats were active.   Turning on the sharp bends before the stop lock at Hawkesbury Junction I missed noticing an opposite direction boat which must have been hidden by the plethora of moored boats and found the need for some nifty manoeuvring  to squeeze between this one and moored boats on the other side, all whilst in a turn.  I got called names which was probably because the other guy was in shock!   Then there was some strange activity in the lock as we approached.   The top gate was open with a boat looking as if it was about to emerge, but then the gate was closed and this boat reversed down and out to discharge its rubbish presumably.  A hire boat with a novice crew waiting to come up must have been similarly confused.   Pat got chatting and was told of their experiences how in spite of a great effort with books and videos prior to their hire, the hire experience was not as they had expected.   The pace was so much slower and they had had to shorten their cruise.   Once on the Coventry Canal there was a lot of opposite direction traffic to affect us, most of it in bridge holes.   Great caution is necessary.  Offside vegetation and moored boats were the obvious offenders making an approach line more difficult in some cases. The worst potential problem which we escaped was the reduction of the canal to single line working on a bend by the activities (or not) of moored boats at Starline Boats.  We got through without trouble without meeting another boat.  Well, we like a challenge eh!

On arrival outside the Anchor Inn, disappointment.  We had hoped for an evening meal but there seemed to be a bit of a crisis underway in the fact that the Landlord who had been a bit unwell the evening before and who lives on the premises had not opened up so staff could not get in.  Fearing some calamity the police were in attendance.  Not looking good.

Post script:   We checked the Anchor Inn later in the afternoon and all was well.   The pub was open and will be serving food in the evening.  So went, had a very friendly welcome.  Met the landlord who had overslept.  Had a very nice meal and a very nice (few) pints of Landlord and Pat had San Miguel.   I realise that I hadn’t had a pint of draft in a pub for a very long time and it tasted good.   Well recommended.    There were two lovely dogs standing guard at the entrance when we arrived.  Our meal was a bit delayed because the chef had to rush off to rescue one of them who had run off to Springhaven.   Real life for you!

 

Departure for Liverpool

We booked Liverpool a little while ago, then discovered it was Bank Holiday.  Could be good as I am sure that there will be a lot going on and we have invited “The Cooks” to join us.  But we have got to get there starting tomorrow.   It will be 6 hours a day and the boat needs to be prepped with groceries for the next few days as well as making beds, tidying laundry away, topping the diesel and getting a pump-out.  So we arrived this morning and did all those things by 11:30, so decided to get a few hours under our belt, but not too many because we did get up at 04:00 this morning.

There was certainly a lot of boats moving, though mostly opposite direction because there was no hold up at Hillmorton and enough traffic coming the other way to give us an easy ride down the 3 locks, all of which were working by the way.   Otherwise little to report.  Offside vegetation is becoming a problem again in places.  Lots of scraping down the side of our recently pained boat squeezing between the offside, a line of moored boats and an opposite direction craft appearing round the corner at the popular mooring spot on the piling before Easenhall Lane Bridge.  We did have a near miss potentially a broadside hitting a boat emerging unexpectedly from Brinklow Marina.  Fortunately we were going slowly and disaster was averted.   We used to moor at Brinklow and it is a difficult turn out, the only visibility being a lookout posted on the bow or a long blast on the horn.