Friday 15 July 2016 From Robin
Hood's grave at Kirklees back to South Pennine Boat Club above
Battyeford Lock
John managed to wind Annie and we both tried to use the borrowed
wooden lever to operate the Calder and Hebble paddle mechanism.
Usually there can be two gate paddles and one or more ground paddles like
this, although some have been replaced by hydraulic gear using normal
windlasses. River and cut alternate around here, each bit of canal,
with lock at bottom and flood lock (open today) at top, cutting off a
loop of river.
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| Mooring at South Pennine Boat Club near their splendid dry dock |
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| Kirklees community boats were out in force today! |
Thursday 14 July 2016 A blue sky
day from Dewsbury to Mirfield and onward to Kirklees
Workmen were renewing the flood gates at the top end of this piece of cut.
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| Yorkshire advert!! |
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| Woody river scene below Greenwood Lock |
This part of the Calder and Hebble Navigation alternates between short stretches of canal and river. Coming out through the next flood lock back onto the river, we saw loads of wildfowl above the weir to our left.
We soon approached Shepley Bridge Lock, with marina and CRT services just above. The marina company had surrendered its lease, and the services were overgrown with weeds and unlocked, so John did some weeding after we watered up Annie and emptied the loo holding tanks.
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| Liana using our thin wooden lever before being lent a better one here. |
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| CRT Services before ... |
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... and after
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We found Mirfield to be a lovely town to walk around: Even the coop was made of stone!
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| approaching Mirfield |
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| Annie moored at Mirfield, next to the shops and town centre |
As the day was so lovely, we decided to continue towards Coopers Bridge and Kirklees, and moor in the country for a meal on board tonight.
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| ... notice the athletic crocodile atop the old bridge support! |
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| we passed more Kirklees Community boats while entering Battyeford Lock |
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| Annie moored on visitor moorings opposite South Pennine Boat Club |
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| South Pennine Boat Club |
We had contacted SPBC regarding mooring Annie for ten days while we attended weddings etc. As always, the members there were very helpful, especially Jeanette and Gail, the new mooring officer. we were able to stay for a free week, as AWCC members, plus £3 a night for the extra nights. Brian and his wife on Venus helped us with electricity, while Jeanette sorted a key.
Once sorted, as there was no social gathering that night, we continued, intending to return next day.
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| a strange design: has the back been added? It didn't look strong enough to have been a lifeboat. Any ideas? |
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| Coopers bridge visitor moorings before flood lock |
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| exiting flood gates at coopers bridge: Huddersfield left, Kirklees, Brighouse and Sowerby Bridge right. |
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| looking back at the mill beside Coopers Bridge junction |
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| approaching Kirklees Lock |
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| Annie moored above Kirklees lock |
Wednesday 13 July 2016 from Fall Ings Lock, Wakefield, on to visit Dewsbury
For some reason, we decided to forego Wakefield and carry on to Dewsbury. before we left Wakefield, we turned right after passing through the flood lock onto the river, to view the warehouses, sea cadet boats etc above the weir. The Hepworth Gallery is behind the red brick waterfront warehouse.
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| Wakefield Cut |
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| Wakefield flood gates |
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| Annie turning right towards Wakefield weir |
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| John winded Annie above the weir, near the boatyard |
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| Sea Cadets |
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| passing the cut flood gates |
Belle Isle railway bridge had some fancy stonework.
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| Belle Isle railway bridge |
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| leaving the river at Thornes |
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| the black boxes were made to house two mechanisms, but often house just one ground paddle mechanism |
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| looking back at Thornes flood lock |
At Waller Bridge, we moored and visited the award winning Kingfisher fish and chip restaurant nearby, for lunch. It didn't disappoint!
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| Broad Cut Low Lock had superb pontoon mooring. John had to back off after liana hopped off, to enter the lock. the yellow wheel prevents the current pushing boats onto the wall. |
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| this picture of laughing women, probably gutting fish, charmed us in the chippy. |
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| On the way to the chippy at Waller Bridge |
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| Broad cut lock |
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| approaching Horbury, there was a lot of diesel in the water |
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| we met plenty of boats today |
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| Bingley Arms, Horbury |
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| Horbury Basin. There used to be a lock down onto the river here. |
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| the drone man showed me the drone camera live feed on his tablet |
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| Inghams Colliery Bridge 39 |
The Dewsbury arm goes off under a bridge at the foot of the Double Locks, so we followed this through pleasant, if sometimes overgrown, scenery to the small Savile basin at the end.
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| Hannah Catherine moored while Katie rang to arrange moorings for us. Thanks! |
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| Annie turned down the Dewsbury arm, at the foot of the double locks |
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| Dewsbury arm |
Ex-moorers here Dave and Katie on Hannah Catherine had kindly rung up and arranged for us to turn and moor at the end of the basin overnight. After a good pint in the attractive upstairs pub bar, we had a late afternoon walk half a mile into the town centre. The Minster church was attractive, and there was light industry including bed factories, but the town was suffering a downturn, we thought, compared to our visit later to Mirfield. Returning to the boat, we ate on board, ready for an early start next day, forecast to be fine weather.
Tuesday 12 July 2016 From Caz to the Calder and Hebble, Stanley Ferry and Wakefield
Our friend Michele has stayed with us for six months, in between houses, but this week she is to move into her new house, much to her pleasure! She has been a welcome guest, Today we said bye before leaving for Annie in Castleford, a surprisingly quick trip along M180, M18 and M62 for us. Shane at Supreme Boats in Castleford Cut let us leave the car in his secure boatyard for our four day trip this week, before we attend Mike and Wendy Scott's son Michaeljohn's wedding down in Hitchin this coming Saturday. We set off, and soon realised why we had not found the White Rose Boat Club, as we passed it a mile or two up the Calder and Hebble, up a lock off the river in its own arm, at Faerie Hill Moorings.
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| Castleford flood lock: weir left, Huddersfield and Sowerby Bridge straight on, Leeds right |
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| Trent aggregate barges used to come here to unload. The Faerie Hill moorings are up the lock |
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| the White Rose Boat Club's home |
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| Liana managed to get off from the bow at Woodnook Lock, behind Oakapple |
We joined Oakapple for a while.
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| short pontoon, long lock. |
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| he must want this hay badly! |
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| the two aqueducts at Stanley Ferry |
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| new lock gates being wetted |
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| Tom Puddings were made here, now just lock gates |
As there was not space to moor by the aqueduct, we continued past the hungry horse pub up to broad cut lock.
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| "The Stanley Ferry" pub |
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| large boat with tender |
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| Cormorant |
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| Broadreach Bridge and Lock |
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| Brief Encounter ... |
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| we passed the end of the Barnsley Canal |
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| new bridge |
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| approaching Fall Ings Lock, Wakefield |
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| Moored in a quiet spot above Fall Ings Lock, on the outskirts of Wakefield. Liana is no doubt talking to Joanna, our middle daughter. I'm glad they want to talk to us! |
Ex-moorers here Dave and Katie on Hannah Catherine had kindly rung up and arranged for us to turn and moor at the end of the basin overnight. After a good pint in the attractive upstairs pub bar, we had a late afternoon walk half a mile into the town centre. The Minster church was attractive, and there was light industry including bed factories, but the town was suffering a downturn, we thought, compared to our visit later to Mirfield. Returning to the boat, we ate on board, ready for an early start next day, forecast to be fine weather.
