Thursday May 13 from home to Strawberry Island and Northwards
Having been busy gardening, planting seedlings and John’s birthday gift Acer tree, today John added two extra empty supers (making four total) to each of our three beehives, to give them plenty of room to store honey while we’re away. Liana was busy cleaning, packing clothes and food. John collected a mobility scooter from his generous cousin Jim and Sandra Bark, which is given to the Market Rasen Lions Club to find a suitable recipient, either loaned or given. Local churches have been contacted for suggestions. Jim rang to say the Charity wouldn’t take a washing machine and tumble dryer, and they didn’t want to take them back to Scotland with them, so John got out the trailer and brought them home, too! Many thanks to you both, they now have new homes!
Eventually we got off to Doncaster and ate a Macdonalds meal before reaching Annie at Strawberry Island Boat Club. The Yorkshireman Harbourmaster was very helpful again. Apparently SIBC boaters had not got a free week at our boat club, so new committee member Liana will raise this.
Once we had paid a reasonable sum and unloaded flower and vegetable planters for the roof, plus food, clothing and boat bits, we set off for Long Sandall Lock and Barnby Dun Lift Bridge.
Kind widebeam boaters came through and operated the lock for us, then moored before the lift bridge, so Liana operated it and we continued to the New Junction Canal.
The guillotine gated Don Aqueduct is always impressive.
Liana operated one swing bridge and two lift bridges, after which we moored for the night at Kirkhouse Green, at the end of the unused bridge moorings.
Passage between Sykehouse Lock and Pollington Lock on the Aire & Calder Canal is only possible between 10am and noon each day at present, due to bank damage and sink holes towards Google, which have closed that route.
John sat in the sun and read while enjoying some red wine, while Liana kept warm inside and watched tv, once we got it tuned.
The route through to Goole has been closed due to a canal breach which happened shortly before Christmas, a cofferdam has been placed across the canal at Newbridge and major works are being carried out there. An old culvert collapsing may have been the cause.
ReplyDeletehttps://canalrivertrust.org.uk/about-us/where-we-work/yorkshire-and-north-east/aire-and-calder-navigation-breach
The bank damage towards Pollington Lock and on the New Junction occurred shortly after the breach when levels were low due to the water emptying into local fields. The piling in parts collapsed as it no longer had the water pressure helping to keeping it upright, so it relaxed into the canal.
Locals will all have their own theories as to what happened, but I don't believe that the gravel barges caused the breach or the bank slippage, it's more likely down to old piling, culverts and was just waiting to happen, barges or not.
Loads of photos of the breach site on our blog www.oleanna.co.uk