Calder and Hebble cruise

Friday 15 July 2016 From Robin Hood's grave at Kirklees back to South Pennine Boat Club above Battyeford Lock

The setting, just above Kirklees Lock, a few hundred yards from Robin Hood's grave, was pretty, looking over waving long grass, although the hum of the distant motorway and nearby rail trains was a background murmur.

Pretty country mooring above Kirklees lock. Robin Hood's grave is nearby.

Liana having a well deserved rest

Coopers Bridge junction: Huddersfield to the right, Castleford left.

With Annie being nearly 60 feet long, there was not much spare room coming down the locks and avoiding getting caught up on the sills

approaching Battyeford Cut

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 Usually there can be two gate paddles and one or more ground paddles like this, although some have been replaced by hydraulic gear using normal windlasses.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.

Mooring at South Pennine Boat Club near their splendid dry dock

Kirklees community boats were out in force today!

Thursday 14 July 2016 A blue sky day from Dewsbury to Mirfield and onward to Kirklees

At last! A blue sky day saw us amking our way along the Dewsbury arm back to the Double Locks and onward.


a but grown up in places ..

John brought Annie out under the bridge, then turned her to enter the double locks

Liana operating the double locks (actually two separate locks close together)

impressive bridges with workboat in distance

we waited for the workboat to finish and move to let us pass

... as it moved back into the river to let us out, a widebeam appeared (of course!)

Workmen were renewing the flood gates at the top end of this piece of cut.
 

Yorkshire advert!!

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.

Liana using our thin wooden lever before being lent a better one here.

CRT Services before ...

... and after





We found Mirfield to be a lovely town to walk around: Even the coop was made of stone!

approaching Mirfield

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.

... notice the athletic crocodile atop the old bridge support!

we passed more Kirklees Community boats while entering Battyeford Lock

Annie moored on visitor moorings opposite South Pennine Boat Club

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.

a strange design: has the back been added? It didn't look strong enough to have been a lifeboat. Any ideas?

Coopers bridge visitor moorings before flood lock

exiting flood gates at coopers bridge: Huddersfield left, Kirklees, Brighouse and Sowerby Bridge right.

looking back at the mill beside Coopers Bridge junction

approaching Kirklees Lock

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.

Wakefield Cut

Wakefield flood gates

Annie turning right towards Wakefield weir

John winded Annie above the weir, near the boatyard

Sea Cadets

passing the cut flood gates

Belle Isle railway bridge had some fancy stonework.

Belle Isle railway bridge

leaving the river at Thornes

the black boxes were made to house two mechanisms, but often house just one ground paddle mechanism

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!

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.

this picture of laughing women, probably gutting fish, charmed us in the chippy.

On the way to the chippy at Waller Bridge

Broad cut lock

approaching Horbury, there was a lot of diesel in the water

we met plenty of boats today

Bingley Arms, Horbury

Horbury Basin. There used to be a lock down onto the river here.

the drone man showed me the drone camera live feed on his tablet

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.

Hannah Catherine moored while Katie rang to arrange moorings for us. Thanks!

Annie turned down the Dewsbury arm, at the foot of the double locks

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.

Castleford flood lock: weir left, Huddersfield and Sowerby Bridge straight on, Leeds right

 

Trent aggregate barges used to come here to unload. The Faerie Hill moorings are up the lock

 

the White Rose Boat Club's home

 

Liana managed to get off from the bow at Woodnook Lock, behind Oakapple

We joined Oakapple for a while.

short pontoon, long lock.

he must want this hay badly!

the two aqueducts at Stanley Ferry

new lock gates being wetted

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.

"The Stanley Ferry" pub

large boat with tender

Cormorant

Broadreach Bridge and Lock

Brief Encounter ...

we passed the end of the Barnsley Canal

new bridge

approaching Fall Ings Lock, Wakefield

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!