Another day with lots of locks. We set off at 8.30, went through two tunnels, and then crossed the Marple Aqueduct, which has a railway viaduct along side.
Then it was straight into the flight of 16 locks, which raise the canal more than 200 feet. Unfortunately we had another boat right in front of us, which meant each lock had to be emptied before we could use it. The other boat was an older couple, and I ended up setting a lock ahead for them, then returning to set the lock they'd just left. Alex and Adrian worked Debdale through. About half way up the flight, we started meeting boats coming down. It's a very pretty flight, although the paddle gear is very stiff, particularly on the bottom gates. But there are unusual locks, such as the two which are right on the road, and fantastic views of the pennine hills.
At the top, we failed to find anywhere deep enough to moor, so we had lunch on the move. We aldo ran aground half a dozen times. Regular boaters in this area tell us the water level is five or six inches lower than it should be. So it was slow going to
Bugsworth Basin, a restored trans-shipment area which used to be used to transport lime. It's a fascinating area, and we went for a walk around the various arms. This evening, we went for dinner at The Navigation, a pub once owned by Pat Phoenix, aka Elsie Tanner from Coronation Street.
10 miles, 16 locks. (170, 145)
Then it was straight into the flight of 16 locks, which raise the canal more than 200 feet. Unfortunately we had another boat right in front of us, which meant each lock had to be emptied before we could use it. The other boat was an older couple, and I ended up setting a lock ahead for them, then returning to set the lock they'd just left. Alex and Adrian worked Debdale through. About half way up the flight, we started meeting boats coming down. It's a very pretty flight, although the paddle gear is very stiff, particularly on the bottom gates. But there are unusual locks, such as the two which are right on the road, and fantastic views of the pennine hills.
At the top, we failed to find anywhere deep enough to moor, so we had lunch on the move. We aldo ran aground half a dozen times. Regular boaters in this area tell us the water level is five or six inches lower than it should be. So it was slow going to Bugsworth Basin, a restored trans-shipment area which used to be used to transport lime. It's a fascinating area, and we went for a walk around the various arms. This evening, we went for dinner at The Navigation, a pub once owned by Pat Phoenix, aka Elsie Tanner from Coronation Street.
10 miles, 16 locks. (170, 145)
Posts
