Month: September 2016

Today saw the introduction of swing bridges to the list of contraptions I need to man and manipulate.

During the course of my journey from Crooke to Tarleton, I had to pass through 9 working and perhaps 3 or more derelict.

Swing bridges on the Leeds and Liverpool Canal

From what I can make out, these exist way rights of way still exist to cross the canal.

Sometimes they are passed by road, sometimes by tracks, sometimes by paths or seemingly nothing.

But they’re still there, adding something to the countryside I guess. And I have to pass through them. Nearly 10 of them on the course of my journey.

For those on the top of my journey, where I as sailing alone, not in convoy, the moorings were always on the other side.

That meant, once I’d operated the machinery, my boat was not reachable.

All swing gates are the same. In theory it takes 2 people to operate them. One to operate the machinery and push the bridge, and the other to man the boat.

For me, this wasn’t possible. Passing through on my own meant I had to be flexible with my mooring.

I practice, I had to moor the boat to the bridge itself, which would pull it through when I opened.

Then I would drive in through at an angle and jump of the stern, and moor it again, to the swing-bridge whilst I closed the bridge. Continue reading “Day 9 – Crooke to Tarleton”

Didn’t really cover a lot of ground today.

What I did discover is that you need an ‘anti-vandal’ or British Waterways Handcuff Key.

Locks on the Leigh Branch of the Leeds and Liverpool

Have the handcuff key, or anti-vandal key fitted throughout the city.

It’s a small square fitting. You basically put it into the lock housing and it releases the paddle.

Without these, you won’t be able to turn the paddles and you won’t be going anywhere.

Luckily due to the queuing at Plank Lane Bridge, I was in convoy so it wasn’t a problem.

Plank Lane Bridge

Had a problem with the counterweight and I was sitting here from 10:00 to 14:00.

More about that in the video.

Passing through Wigan

Seems a nice town, if a little run down, but there’s a lot of character in the buildings, just no money.

Weather – rain

All day until 18:00.

Couldn’t take pictures.

I did make the video, but that was all I could manage.

Day 8 – Map

Day 8 – Video

South Manchester, money zone. To Leigh, working class zone.

The air is fresher here.

There are no motorways.

I’m moored overlooking Pennington Flash on the outskirts of Leigh on the Leeds and Liverpool canal.

Now back on Canal and River Trust land, off Bridgewater Canal which seems like a zombie-land comparatively.

Bridgewater Investment co.

It seems like Manchester keeps it’s waterways open for posterity reasons.

For example, Bridgewater Canal sold angling rights in one deal. Signed a deal with one company to deal with the whole of their 200 mile odd network.

The same with the collection of fees from boaters, sold the rights to another company to collect on behalf of the network.

The Manchester ship canal. Bridges maintained and assets manned. Nothing actually works and no ships use it.

It seems they’re maintaining the waterways as a token of a bygone era. They’re not living and breathing things in the same way CRT waterways are. They’re future-less remnants of the past.

When they opened the waterways up, they moaned that too many people were staying on them.

Reeks of capitalist opportunism.

Linotype factory – Sale

This is where they invented metal typefacing. If you pressed more than 3 keys at once, they used to jam the typewriter.

They never got around that problem.

Now the typewriter is consigned to history, much like the Linotype factory.

I see it’s being knocked down by Nic Brooks, kind of a school-friend of me and Kerri. Kerri’s friend Sharon used to call him ‘Nicky bosch’ on account of his hands being like sandpaper.

I guess they’re even worse now… Continue reading “Day 7 – Grappenhall to Leigh”

Today I waved bye bye to the Trent and Mersey and moved onto what is known as the ‘Bridgewater Canal’.

It’s operated by a separate and private company, as discussed in the previous post, the canal was just becoming TOO busy, so the company had to start charging for it using it more than once in a 28 day window.

You can stay for up to 7 days, but must not come back within 28.

For me, I’m just passing through. I’m not really sure the charges are intended to dissuade or penalise me, a travelling boater, but they are doing. And for other travelling boaters wishing to explore the more northern reaches of the canal system…

Trent and Mersey above Anderton Lift

The upper reaches of the Trent and Mersey are very pretty.

• The entrance to Preston Brook
• The view across the Weaver Valley
• The entrance to Barnton & Saltesford tunnel

Traffic from the lower reaches dies away, with many of the hirers just being day boats from the Anderton lift.

The weather was bright and sunny.

The man behind me was painting his barge in Marston.

He told me always put yellow on things when you paint them because it attracts the eye.

I asked him if he had any yellow on his boat, he said “no”.

Haha.

There was this sunken pleasure boat coming around the corner. It looks like it’s been here a while. There was a heron sat on top of it when I got up, trying to catch the fish below.

He moved to sit on the bank.

Got going about 8.30am as I thought I’d be going in the Anderton lift. Turns out you don’t need to. I just hadn’t read the map properly, so I proceeded to the tunnels.

These lead to the upper reaches and the Bridgewater canal

Barnton & Saltesford tunnel

These two tunnels are timed entry.

Going North, you have to arrive at each one on the hour to guarantee entry.

This I did, and passed through quite merrily on my boat.

Once out, you follow the Weaver Valley right the way up to Dutton lock, Preston Brook and the Bridgewater Canal.

First impressions of the Bridgewater Canal

It’s a much wider and deeper canal than I’ve previously been on. This means you’ve always

• Got room for 2 boats
• Have a smaller bow-wave

You can keep the throttle open most of the time.

It’s more urban, with some rich commuter type towns.

When I stop for fuel, I’m told there’s a balif that works for an independent collections company that manages boaters on behalf of the Bridgewater company.

Tonight I’m parked opposite Long Acre.

It’s got nice rhododendrons gently lopping into the canal with the gentle hum of the M6 in the background.

More tomorrow.

Here’s the map

Map of Day 6

Video of Day 6

It’s got some time-lapse. You should tell me what you think of this.