North Yorkshire Cruise: Aire and Calder to Castleford with Lisa, to a mooring at Beal Lock on the River Aire

Thur 9 June 2016 Aire and Calder cruise to Castleford with Lisa, and onto Beal

Leaving the New junction Canal behind, we passed over the Went Aqueduct and enjoyed the view over the huge Southfield Reservoir, now a nature reserve and sailing lake, but built to service the navigation and Goole Docks. Heron, cormorants and geese were in abundance.

Moored after the last road bridge on the New Junction Canal

footbridge at Went Aqueduct

on the Went Aqueduct

Dumb barge and narrowboat moored at junction

Southfield Reservoir is linked to the Aire and Calder

Pollington

approaching Pollington Lock

|Leaving Pollington Lock

one for the speed merchants!

Turning westwards into new territory for us, the sun burned through cloud as we passed moorings before Pollington Lock and at Great Heck, where the South Yorkshire Boat Club have a basin just before the CRT depot, replete with work boats of all types.

South Yorkshire Boat Club basin

CRT depot

Moorings at Whitley Lock

It was pleasing to reach Whitley Lock, visited by car off M62 junction 34 a couple of times over the years, a colourful scene with plenty of moored boats to view as we approached.

A kind cruiser couple waited for Annie at Whitley lock

Picking our friend Lisa up after the M62 bridge, we continued in the now hot sun through Eggborough, where she had left her car near the station, to Kellingley Colliery, where diggers seemed to be moving piles of coal slack, possibly tidying up the now defunct workings?

Leaving Whitley Lock and passing under the M62

Lisa and John

Lisa and Liana enjoying the sun

Through Skew Bridge, we reached the junction: We would go right through Bank Dole Lock and onto the River Aire later, but for now we turned left through Knottingley, and moored for lunch in the glorious summer sun, below Ferrybridge Flood Lock, with the vast cooling towers behind. Picnicking on the grassy bank, it felt like the Canal du Midi in France!

passing through Skew Bridge to the junction

boats at the junction near Bank dole Lock

Picnic at Ferrybridge

Both sets of gates open at Ferrybridge Flood Lock

The flood lock had both sets of gates open, so we decided that we should visit Castleford for Lisa to experience a lock. The River Aire between Ferrybridge and Castleford is wooded, quite wide and very pretty. Liana and Lisa spotted two big blue fenders beached, so we had fun rescuing them, John touching the bank with the bow while the girls got the boathooks out.

Leaving the Flood Lock, we passed under the road bridges, old and new

Bulhome Lock takes you up onto Castleford Cut, which provided safe moorings across a loop in the combined Aire and Calder Rivers.

Bulholme Lock. The River Aire/Calder comes in from the left

John went up the river to investigate this water being pumped into the river, while waiting for the lock

There is a boat yard and moorings just below Castleford Flood Lock. John took Annie though this and had a look at the “crossroads” beyond: left to the large weir; right a bit then straight on for the Calder; or right up the Aire to Leeds. After this reconnaissance, we returned to the cut, seeing local working lads enjoying a lunchtime game with rugby ball – well, it is Castleford, Rugby League bastion!

Coal staith

Leaving Castleford Cut, the Calder is ahead, turn right for Leeds (and left for the weir)

A lunch rugby session

boatyard on Castleford Cut

Lisa practised her steering further on the way back through the lovely wooded scenery created ironically by mining subsidence, and we repassed Ferrybridge power station, seeing the old disused hoist for emptying coal barges, all too soon reaching Kingsmill Bridge, where Liana and Lisa left to find the nearby Knottingley (Hill Top) Station, for Lisa to return one stop to Eggborough and her car.

leaving Bulholme Lock

the old coal loading lift mechanism at Ferrybridge

Lisa steering at Ferrybridge

Bank Dole Lock, with its sadly derelict lock house, is heavy and slow to operate, but at least it had a rising pontoon for John to back onto once down onto the river.

turn right to return to Goole

... or go left for Bank Dole Lock, the River Aire, the Selby Canal and Selby, as we did

Knottingley chemical works

odd bollards at Bank Dole Lock

leaving Bank Dole Lock

These five miles on the Aire a very twisty, with high flood banks and grazing beast (Lincolnshire for cows!). Passing under Beal Bridge, we decided to moor on the lock cut with another boat, leaving room for a third to use the lock.

Cattle on the banks of the Aire

Beal weir and lock cut

Annie moored at Beal Lock

Wed 8 June Strawberry Island to the New Junction Canal at Sykehouse

Setting off on our Summer Cruise to Yorkshire unfinished

Thur May 26 A relaxing cruise to Strawberry island again

Today we awoke late, feeling refreshed, chatted with some Yorkshire boaters about going  down the Trent and up the Yorkshire Ouse, coping with the tidal flow. John reversed Annie back to the Service station and moored briefly to empty loo holding tanks. Ours are like those caravan cassettes, but black. The loo is a vacuum system, and John copes with emptying the cassettes by reckoning he saves about £3 in pump out costs (the price of a pint!) for each one he empties: He says it's quite motivating! Setting off on a now familiar trip, Liana waited for the large trip boat, then operated swing bridge and lock at Thorne Lock, then various bridges on the way to Bramwith Lock. We passed numerous fishermen. Two boat crews were enjoying the hospitality at the Stainforth pub, too. John noticed that there were still two surviving sets of colliery pit head gear visible to the south. On the way, we passed several boats travelling, including Sobriety, from Goole Waterways Museum.
The mild, calm, sometimes sunny weather made our journey through Barnby Dun lift bridge and long Sandall Lock almost idyllic, after yesterday's drenching.
Reaching Strawberry Island Boat Club, we were welcomed warmly, as usual, and Bob found us a mooring for the next couple of nights, while we catch up on charity work for Lions, etc,  at home, before returning soon and heading for Sheffield! Yes, Tinsley locks are now open, we are assured!

Wed May 25 A breezy, damp voyage down the Trent and onwards to Thorne


Tue May 24     Setting off on our Summer Cruise to Yorkshire!

Today looks like another lovely blue sky day. I am up early, mind busy thinking about both our trip and our pleasant Lions Club meal meeting last night, when we badged up new members Paul and Christine Scrivin. We all thought of our friend Phil Smart, suffering from a broken patella, too. After our all too brief return to RWBC at Clayworth, the plan is to retrace our steps to West Stockwith today, then pass through the tidal lock down onto the River Trent at 12 noon tomorrow, around High Tide, and travel down to Keadby on the Ebb Tide, arriving about 2.30. Weather permitting, we might travel further towards Thorne, to our favoured mooring near the Canal Tavern :)

Passing through Gainsborough, we popped in to LIDL to stock up on reasonably priced quality food (30% cheaper than Tesco, in many cases, we think) from all over Europe. The Basque cheese is really nice, for example! Lunch becomes a cheesy, olive strewn, pepperoni sandwich, lettuce affair ..... and did I have a small sip of wine?

The sun shone in between the clouds, but oh dear, what a grey day at times, unlike last Sunday! The rain was mainly light, but the breeze kept temperature low, unfortunately. However, none of this affects the natural beauty of our Chesterfield Canal! The hawthorn trees weeping with garlands of creamy white blossom, the bluebell woods and buttercup meadows, wildfowl of all sorts and so much more, all leave me feeling so lucky that I can travel through such a wonderland.

Reaching West Stockwith about tea time, we moored up in the basin, as usual.

Day Trip to Clayworth in the sun

Sun May 22   Blue sky, bright sunshine, what could be better?

Today we shared Annie with the Rhodes family, Bryan and Marie, daughter Stacey and friend Harry, who we know through church at Market Rasen. Setting off from west Stockwith, we all had a great day, passing through four locks at Misterton and Gringley, then through Drakeholes tunnel, finishing at the Retford and Worksop Boat Club (RWBC), Clayworth, our home mooring. Liana had prepared a delicious chicken casserole for us all for lunch, plus scones, cream and jam and other delights for tea! Yum! It was great to have a day when shorts, sandals and T shirts were fine, and hats prevented the sun burning your head! :)

Annie moored at West Stockwith

Stacey and friend Harry opening Misterton Lock gate

Bryan steering out of Misterton top lock. He quickly picked up the idea!



Ready for lunch

Bryan at the helm

Marie and Stacey getting their priorities right

Harry enjoying the activity

Harry working hard

From Thorne to Keadby, then up the Trent to West Stockwith

Wed 18 May a triumph of optimism - or just lucky!

It was pouring as we set off from home to Thorne, but the weather was supposed to improve.
The Cromwell Lock keepers had advised us that we could get to West Stockwith today, rather than tomorrow, as 5PM was the time to leave Keadby today to go to West Stockwith. Other boats travelling further, to Torksey (twice as far) will leave after 3PM, to catch the flood tide.
We hoped to see our friends Elaine and Chris Turner, who had moored next to Annie overnight on their way north. As we arrived, they were just setting off, but returned to have a chat. Elaine looked fine after her immersion at Vazon Swing Bridge, thank goodness. I also saw bell ringing friend Ifor Barton moored up, on a trip out from his green Springer's home mooring at Rawcliffe Bridge near Goole.

Chris and Elaine on Jophina 2, with Ifor Barton looking on, as the dogs bid each other farewell!

heading north to Leeds and beyond

The rain stopped, the sun came out at times, as we left Thorne behind, heading Eastward to Keadby. You do get a good view over the fen-like countryside from the Keadby-Stainforth canal: no high banks block your view of the bright yellow fields. Huge wind generators tower above by the score.

Leaving Thorne. Once Louis & Joshua, then Tyler Wilson, run by Nationwide now, I believe?

Liana operating Moores Swing Bridge, a typical vehicle bridge here.

Oil Seed Rape fields and wind farms under a lowering sky

hghgfg

We had help at Godnow Swing Bridge, luckily. The Railway man closes his barrier first here.

Most swing bridges were ok, but the manual Medge Hall bridge needed both of us to shift it this time.

Goods trains are common, fishermen less so

Dutch Barge Edith on her way westwards from Keadby

the amazing sliding rail bridge just before Keadby, controlled from the signal box. We were asked to wait ten minutes, for a pause in the train traffic.

On reaching Keadby about 3PM, our friendly lock keeper asked us to wait until 5PM or later, so we would lock down onto the Trent just before High Water. As High Water at West Stockwith, 12 miles upriver, is a couple of hours later, we will travel with the High tide and arrive there just after 7PM, at High Tide or slack water, when it is easier to enter the lock without current messing you around.

Keadby Lift Bridge used to be operated by filling the big "bucket" on the left side with river water.

leaving Keadby with our companion narrowboat following

there was lots of flotsam coming up the river again with the flood tide

the Trent is wide here. Much of the front has had rust cleaned off and coated with iron oxide paint, with the cratch off and cover being repaired at the moment

Flotsam near the M180 Bridge

John steering Annie, with Keadby Power Station in the background

 In fact, we arrived early, so turned to face the current as we passed the lock, hovering until the gates were opened. We would have waited for our companion, but the lock keeper was keen to get us up into the basin and leave the lock chamber empty for the other boat, as they were not experienced. There are two moorings in front of the Waterfront pub for visitors, plus four end-on moorings, where we normally go, reversing in. Wednesday night is Pie Night at the other pub round the corner, so we ate there and john watched Liverpool FC lose the Europa League Final to Sevilla, sadly ... :(

Enjoying sunny South Yorkshire from Goole to Thorne UNFINISHED

A glorious morning saw Annie setting off from next to the museum

Strawberry Island to Goole UNFINISHED

11 May  Donny to Goole (18 miles, 2 locks, plenty of swing and lift bruidges!)
After one day of near constant rain, John finally set off in intermittent drizzle and rain showers.



Leaving Strawberry Island Boat Club, in reverse

Thank goodness the day gradually brightened.

Reaching the New Junction Canal, we headed north to cross the aqueduct over the Don (Dutch River), rather than turning right to Bramwith Lock and Thorne.

Guillotine gates of aqueduct ahead, Bramwith Lock to right

the aqueduct also seemed to act as a weir!

The New Junction Canal just has one lock, but Liana was kept busy with operating the numerous low bridges. The boating season has clearly got going now, as we see several boats travelling today.

The navigation, having no flood banks, has scenic views. At the end, passing over the river Went aqueduct, we saw a vast lake on the north side of the main Aire and Calder Navigation, complete with various wildfowl, birdwatchers and sailing club. while it was linked to the navigation (like a flash), I don't think access for narrowboats is possible/allowed. Once on the main line, there were no low bridges to slow down the trains of Tom Pudding coal barges which once travelled along here to Goole and abroad.





Beating the rain back to Strawberry Island

Mon 2 May Swinton back to Strawberry Island

Threatening clouds encouraged us to set off in a following breeze.

our overnight mooring below Swinton Lock

Annie moored outside LIDL

We moored at LIDL, where Liana had some good conversations with customers who were very interested to see boaters stopping to shop there. Between the two Mexborough locks we passed pretty gardens, then rejoined the SIBC boats as they set off.

Mexborough waterside

Mexborough gardens

Kayakers at the Earth Centre, an activity park

Conisbrough Castle. Sadly, there were no moorings

Conisbrough viaduct

Flotsam collected where the River Don leaves to the left as we approach Doncaster Town Lock

Annie and Rioja in the lock

Little Shifta could shift!

It was a good job we moored before lunch, as it teemed down later! Kind member Bob Brackenbury (SIBC President)  helped us get the modern electricity system working, so Annie's batteries would remain charged during our absence.
Back home, followed by sailing at Hykeham, Lincoln, tomorrow, as the new season begins. What it is to be retired! :)