Through Burnley and Church on Sunday

 Sunday May 30 on the level to Burnley, Rose Grove, Church and beyond (16 miles, 0 locks, 3 swb)

Today has started sunny and bright, and the forecast for the next few days is lovely! We have twenty miles of the long canal pound between Barrowford and Blackburn locks to travel, so Liana can indulge herself.

First, we do three sides of a square around the centre of Burnley, on a high terrace above the town. From that sixty foot canal wonder embankment across the Calder/Brin valley, from which you can see Turf Moor stadium, home of Burnley FC. Finally Gate Wharf is being refurbished with help from the Heritage Lottery.

Burnley Wharf has been one of our stops before, but current COVID alerts in this area have caused us to avoid crowds hereabouts. Sadly, the pub is shut up and wharf deserted now.

We passed several refurbished stone mills on our way to Gamow Tunnel.

This is about 500 metres long and you can see through, do our dim headlight didn’t matter.

Rose Grove CRT yard had several boats moored up.

Hapton has some well looked after canalside gardens.

We passed NB Katherine in the countryside beyond, the first moving boat today. The views across the valley to the hills beyond are surprisingly lovely, especially in the glorious sunshine we have today.

We moored at Clayton Le Moors for lunch, on some bollards, The comedian Eric Morecambe was a Bevan Boy miner here during WW2, Pearson’s guide tells us.