The Aire & Calder and Calder & Hebble Navigations Leeds to Sowerby Bridge 11.7.14

The Aire & Calder and Calder & Hebble Navigations

The Aire & Calder Navigation was built in 1704 to enable navigation along the two rivers, the River Aire and the River Calder. Where there were weirs and rocky rapids, locks were built with channels leading to them and bends and twists were cut out and straightened up. The section we are cruising on the River Aire runs from Leeds to Castleford and the River Calder from Wakefield to Castleford where they meet at a crossroads. We travelled 17 miles and did 10 locks travelling from Leeds to Wakefield. The locks are all automated, up to 200' long and up to 20' wide (our narrow boat is 6'10" wide and 55' long), this caters for the commercial craft still using the navigation today.

The Calder & Hebble Navigation is the same principle, but is primarily the River Calder running from Sowerby Bridge to Wakefield (where the Calder and Hebble navigation starts) but with a feeder brook from the a River Hebble that comes in at Salterhebble. 

We travelled 21 miles and did 27 locks on the Calder & Hebble from Wakefield to Sowerby Bridge. The locks are all broad beam and range in length from 57' to 120'.

First lock on the Aire & Calder Navigation

Leeds City Centre to Sowerby Bridge

Our evening cityscape... as the sun set over the city

7.15am on Friday 11th July 2014 we were woken by loud bangs on the boat....

We crawled out of bed and stuck our heads out of the front cratch cover .... it was a very muddled up man in his mid 50's, confused and seemingly drunk or high on something. He was no real threat, he wasn't capable of anything much. As he was rambling on to us about losing his phone in a pub, working for the Red Cross, asking if we could phone up some woman in London where he worked, he was all the time apologising for waking us up! Not the sort of alarm call we had in mind but it did get us out of bed! He kept opening up his wallet to show me proof he worked for the Red Cross by showing me a M&S saver card! I just told him he would be better of getting himself a coffee and sorting himself out! A bit hard I know, I probably should have helped him more, but at the time I just wanted him to leave us alone! I don't think he was capable of hurting us or causing the boat any damage though, and he went off, still apologising for waking us up!

Leaving the city mooring spot, we were desperate to leave here

So this is Leeds, I thought! We had decided to leave today, not to spend anymore time in a place we didn't feel comfortable in. The boat wasn't moored in the best place and it could have turned out worse.

That was where we stopped for the night, quiet now earlyish in the morning

Not a beautiful area....but we're getting outta here!

So after a walk up the towpath and back with Jack we set off in the sunshine down the River Aire, a river section of the navigation. We cruised on through the outskirts of Leeds, industry hidden by trees along the banks. We turned a sharp left into our first lock of the day which was an open flood lock.

Our first of many open flood locks takes us off the river section and onto the canal section

These flood locks are only shut when the river is in flood. If they're shut then you may not proceed any further as it means the water levels are too high and running too fast.

so on we went and reached Knostrop Lock. It was massive! You could probably fit 9 narrow boats in the lock at the same time, 3 wide and 3 long!

Waiting at the lock mooring for Paul to press the buttons to let me in...

... and leaving the MASSIVE lock, see Paul on the right of the picture to get a measure of scale!

It was a push button electric one, the gates opened automatically and the lock filled up at the push of a button! We were soon out, once Paul had worked out what to do and which buttons to press!

Built up sides with old bollards.... hmm... this could have been an old wharf years ago for the commercial boats

Out the lock and were onto the navigation now, metal sides, straight and canal like, but oh so much wider and deeper!

Wide deep waters of the river section

We got to our next lock, Fishpond Lock an we went in with a widebeam and a placcy boat with loads of room to spare!

Waiting for the widebeam crew to sort the lock out...

And the speeding placcy boat, desperate to get ahead of us (and do the next lock for us too!)

We carried on through tree lined countryside, under motorway bridges and through another lock, sun still shining down on us, not a hint of wind on the water.

We travel under motorway bridges....

.... and spot this group of merecats! Simples!

We came to a lovely area called Lemonroyd, pulled over for water and decided it was so lovely here we would stop for the day. After filling up, dumping rubbish and chatting to the locals we turned the boat round into a lovely spot near to the lock.

Enjoying the loveliness of Lemonroyd moorings

We'd only cruised 7.5 miles and gone through 4 locks and it was only 1pm but if you see somewhere nice it would be rude not to stop! We've had a great day, stress free and wonderful, so different from yesterday coming into Leeds!

And luckily the gardener had turned up and cut our front lawn, its quite a size hey!

The towpath was well away from the boat so cyclists won't come near us, we've got a lovely grassy bit, lovely walks over old opencast mines, and there's a few other boats about here.

Now a nature reserve, this used to be all opencast coal mines... the noise of the birds was amazing!

It was great, Jack managed to find the smelliest, blackest pit to swim in but we got him in the river afterwards. 

We found this beachy area and Jack managed to clean up in the flowing river

The opencast mines were now a nature reserve and country park, so many birds making so much noise!

We had a lovely quiet night, and we woke to a beautiful sunny morning on Saturday 12th July.

What a beautiful sunny spot, we regret not stopping here longer really, not one of our best decisions!

After our Jack walk we left our 'favourite for a long time' spot at the top of Lemonroyd Lock and went down the huge, deep (13'6") and long lock. 

This way to the lock...

... and inside the lock! Huge and deep, enough room for about 10 narrow boats! 

At the bottom we were immediatly in the river channel once again. Wide and deep dark water, no flow at all, there wasn't really much to look at. 

Our view from the back.... it's all the same on this stretch of river

All you could see were trees lining both banks for miles and a few herons were sitting about. So we sat back, enjoyed the cruise in the sunshine and put some music on!

The crossroads at Castleford, we went the other way towards the Rochdale canal

It took about an hour to get to the junction, a crossroads in the river. To our left was Castleford and the way to the Selby Canal, the river continued straight on to a weir, obviously no entry, and we were turning right, onto the River Calder towards the Rochdale Canal.

We're now on the River Calder, we left the River Aire behind at the junction...

Turn right to continue up the Aire & Calder... or immediately right to find your nearest sand bank!

We carried on up the river, very high banks with trees either side of us. After a couple of miles we passed Fairies Hill Moorings where there was a sharp turn to the right to get to the next lock. I managed to find a shallow sand bank under water and gradually the boat tipped over to the left. But we were soon free and on our way again. 

With the lock up ahead on our left we hung around and waited for the 3 boats to leave before we could enter

And here they come... 

At Woodnook lock there were three boats coming out, so after hanging around waiting for them to exit the lock we went in. Paul did a leap of faith onto the steep slimey ladder in the lock and soon we were going up and out.

.... and in I go, another humungous river lock!

We were now off the river and back onto the Aire & Calder navigation, more canal like than river. 

At least the tall banks and high trees have, for now, gone and opened up the countryside once again.

At least we've got some sort of view over the fields now, continuing on towards our next lock only a mile away. Push button controls again, we soon made it up and out, into the concreted sided cut.

Open flat countryside for miles... so why so many locks we ask ourselves|!

Stanley Ferry, this is where the lock gates are made and mended for the huge locks in this area

Only another mile and another lock ahead, then onto Stanley Ferry. Boats moored up either side of us here we take it slowly through the aqueduct and down the straight cut of the navigation.

The aquaduct at Stanley Ferry goes over the River Calder here

There's visitor moorings here so we pull over and tie up for the day. Not the best spot, there's a huge council estate just over the field from the canal, wasteland used by all the local youths, it would seem. Were moored on a bit of diverted towpath, doesn't go anywhere so not many people go past. But there plenty of other boats here, so we decide to stay.

Moored up, we both start to make our Hebble Spike ready for the Calder & Hebble locks up ahead

We'd collected some straight bits of wood on our journey especially to make our 'Hebble Spike'. This was needed to get through some of the locks on the Calder and Hebble, it's a long straight bit of wood, approx 3" x 2" that you need to ratchet up the paddles on most of the locks. So Paul and I set to and carved the correct size into the end bits, I took 5 mins with an axe, Paul took 2 hours with a plane! But we had one beautiful one and one for spare!

Paul makes his spike beautiful but it doesn't last any longer than my hacked and axed one!!

While we're working away Jack makes himself comfortable....

... and sneaks in the bushes out of the way of the noisy motorbikes!

We didn't get great walks and the kids on their motorbikes up and down the towpath opposite and in the field near us did our heads in, but by the evening all was quiet again except for heavy rain banging hard on the boat most of the night!

Leaving our mooring spot on a grey day...

.... we head for the flood lock and onto the river once again

... and through we go towards Wakefield where the Calder & Hebble starts

On Sunday we set off early and headed up the straight cut through the first flood lock and onto the river once again. The river takes us round Wakefield and onto Fall Ing Lock. This is where the navigation becomes The Calder and Hebble Navigation.

The first of our Calder & Hebble Locks

Entering the Fall Ing Lock, the first on the Calder & Hebble, into the unknown....

The locks change from here on; this one was heavy, big and slightly confusing after the electric ones on the Aire and Calder. They're all manual from now on, no more achey fingers, pure muscle power and strength needed on these locks.

Coming out of Fall Ing Lock, our first impressions of Wakefield! So this is all to come!

We made our way through and around Wakefield, industry all around, and after another flood lock we were back on the river again.

Cruising through Wakefield, this isn't pretty!

Yet another flood lock, and we're back on the river making our way round Wakefield

We're on the big wide river once again, leaving Wakefield behind us

After a mile we'd got to yet another lock. 

Our first time of using the Hebble Spike...

This is where Paul had to use the Hebble Spike for the first time. Like a ratchet he levered up the paddles to let more water in the lock, and it worked! Up came the paddle and up came the boat!

... it works just like a rachet by levering up the paddle manually

Out of the lock we went through Thornes flood lock and back on the river. 

We make our way through the flood lock and turn right on our way to the Rochdale Canal

Another mile, through another 2 locks, Broad Cut Low Lock and Broad Cut Top Lock. The locks are short, 57' long so there's not much room with a 55' boat.

Paul checks the inflow of water from the top paddles, usually this is under the water level!

Up too far and the leakage from old lock gates fills up the front of the boat, back too far and there's a ledge to get the tiller arm caught on! 

The platform shows the scars of boats getting caught underneath as the water rises in the lock

Scars on the walkway at the back gates show the damage done as boats have hit the back gates.

Love the name of this boat, hate the colour!

Moored up outside the Bingley Arms, seemed a good place to stop and get our 'diet' roast!

Out of the lock and we make our way to Horbury Bridge. There's some 48's here so we tie up, just thankful we could at least get the boat in to the side. It's been a grey, windy old day, we've travelled 6 miles and done 4 locks, it's now 11am and time to rest up.

The beer garden soon filled up when the sun came out

The Bingley Arms is right by the canal, the beer garden is empty, it's a grey blustery day. We decide to have a Sunday Dinner in the pub, really good roast beef and yorkie puds...only £5.95 per dinner... that's cos there was no roast spuds on the plate! You can't have a roast dinner without roast tatties can you? Well we did! It was a diet roast! 

The path from the pub, not far hey!

After a beer (pint of Theakstons and a can of coke, £3.10p!) we went back to Jack and managed to find a reasonable walk in the woods, up hills and down dales.

We found some lovely woodland paths near to the boat, so Jack was a happy lad!

When we got back we saw another boat had moored up in front, recognised it straight away..... it was nb Amber, with Captain 'smelly' Ken on board! We first met him over a year ago on the Grand Union Canal when we first started our journey, if you remember I called him 'smelly Ken'. But he wasn't smelly today, we had a lovely chat with him catching up with our trips about England.

We had a quiet night apart from the odd motorbike on the towpath. The road was noisy but the pub was quiet, even though the World Cup Final was on! 
Monday 14th July and we woke up really early. We were ready to leave by 7.30am, Paul and Jack on the towpath, me on the boat.

Lovely calm bright day, we set off for our cruise...

I set off for the long straight channel up to the first two locks, and straight again to the next one. Paul had to use the Hebble Spike and the windlass for all the locks now, they were tough and old and needed some tlc.

Paul winching up the paddle with the Hebble Spike while Jack looks on!

We went on a few miles till we got to the Thornhill Double Locks, a pair of locks separated by a circular pound between them. 

Coming up the first of the Thornhill Double locks, a circular pound separates them

The Dewsbury Arm comes off here but we continue on to the Thornhill flood locks.

Looking back from the lock, the Dewsbury arm goes off to the left of the picture

Thornhill flood lock, the gates are only ever shut when the river is running high.... but not this time

Normally these are open except these ones were closed, and that means either the river is in flood and we must not precede or the wind or person had shut them for a laugh! 

As you can see, the level is fine and off we went through the lock and onto the river

Paul went off to investigate and checked the river level indicator board, all seemed fine to proceed, Paul pushed open the gates and we were away.

This lock had a miniature lock landing stage and a sharp 90 degree angle to get in

Next up was a couple of locks, the Shepely Locks. They were separated by a swooping curve section of river, we were soon through and back on the canal.

Getting fitter by the minute! Paul heaves the Hebble Spike to lever up the paddle, and it snapped! So to plan B! Mine!

The day went on pretty much like that really, we went through 7 more locks, most were river locks. In and out of flood locks, on the river and off the river.

Spotted this little critter on a plank.... think he's pretty harmless!

On this river section the Huddersfield Canal goes off to the left, we're heading for Sowerby Bridge

We came to the junction of the Huddersfield Canal at Colne Bridge, the river sweeping off to the left; we left the flood lock and went right up the river towards The Rochdale Canal. 

Looking down towards the Huddersfield canal, but still on the river section here

We did a couple of locks with a boat for hire funded by charity.

The Community Boat... their board on the roof acted like a sail in the wind and got them in a muddle!

Once we were above Kirkless Top lock we decided we'd done enough for one day, we'd covered 8 miles, gone through 11 locks and through 5 flood locks. 

We pulled over here, Kirkless Top Lock in the background

Luckily there was somewhere to moor just past the lock landing, so we pulled over in front of another boat moored.

Looking ahead, Grandad out of 'Mrs Brown's Boys' in front, he really did look like him!

We've had an interesting and varied day today, different locks, river and canal sections, busy towns and rural countryside. But we really want to get off this Calder & Hebble, gimme the tranquility and calmness of the 'no stress' canal any day!

We found a great high up walk, the sound of the motorway always present, even up here!

Were moored up near to the really busy M62 road bridge, there's a busy road opposite us and there's two train lines on the other side! So not much quietness here then!

Turned out alright though, we found a good walk, we chatted to our neighbours Bill aka grandad out of Mrs Browns Boys and Alison, cruising a wide beam single handed! What a woman! We had a lovely quiet night too, slept like babies!

Water had leaked from the pound below, doesn't affect us but boats using this will have to take extra care

Tuesday 15th July we set off for our short journey to Brighouse. 

'Grandad' on the back of his boat... Bill his name was

Bit of river, bit of canal, coming into Brighouse the industry was hidden behind trees and high walls, invisible but noisy and smelly!

So much Japanese 'snot' weed about, it really is taking over the countryside

The big circular pound between the two Brighouse Locks, a sharp left to get into the second lock

Next up were the two Brighouse Locks. again there's a circular pound between them meaning I've got to do a difficult turn into the second lock. When we got to the top immediatly we were outside Sainsburys, and there's mooring bollards too.

We moored under the walkway bridge to go to Sainsburys

So we pulled over and went to stock up the fridge. We wandered the town, got some chips and made chip butties at home! Yummy!

Nice little spot, but not somewhere we want to stop overnight... so we moved off on our voyage of discovery!

It was 3.15pm and we decided we didn't want to stay here overnight, it wasn't our ideal mooring, in a busy town, so we set off to find somewhere else to stay. The sun was out and it was a beautiful afternoon. We went through a couple of locks and were well out of town by then. At our third lock there were a load of teenagers hanging about, normally that only means one thing... be wary! But they were great, even helped us with the lock.

Most of the locks have tricky lock landing stages... including this one

Just up from the lock we came to a place called Cromwell Bottom Nature Reserve, the map indicates theres a 48hr mooring here, and sure enough in between all the dog poo and long grass was rings to tie up to.

We moored here at Cromwell Bottom Nature Reserve, the towpath doubles up as a cycle racetrack....

It's a lovely spot, trees all around us, quiet all except for the dreaded cycle race going on up and down the towpath. (Well there was no official race but it seemed they had to go as fast as they could, whoever was in their way).

We found some lovely walks up and down hills, along fields and over the nature reserve

Ouch! These two trees have grown around the barbed wire, fell a bit sorry for them!

We went off to explore the Nature Reserve and Country Park. It was an old power station years ago and it was demolished and left to go to nature, and it was lovely! We also met a lovely old man, a true local, who told us of some wood that was going free by the pallet yard! We bundled off and collected armfuls of the old pallet wood, perfect for kindling!

It was a beautiful day, the canal looked amazing when we left in the morning

After our walk in the morning we decided (wrongly as it happens) to leave our spot by the nature reserve and try and find somewhere just a little further on. But it was not to be. Everywhere we tried to get in to the bank was just too shallow and we grounded continuously. 

This lock leaked over the top gates right in the bow of the boat... but we zipped up the cratch cover just in time!

We kept going a little further, just one more lock, try again, just another lock and so on till we got to the three locks at Salterhebble.

The first of our 3 locks at Salterhebble was the Guillotine Lock directly after the road bridge tunnel.
The little arch to the left of the road bridge tunnel was a tiny walkway to the lock!

The first lock was through a road bridge tunnel and straight into a guillotine lock, but that wasn't to be either! C&RT were working on fixing a motor to the guillotine gate, we were waiting an hour and twenty minutes (after they said it would take half an hour) until finally we could go through.

Paul makes his way to the lock after the C&RT workers give him the 'ok'

The C&RT guys worked the buttons and all worked well. 

The Guillotine Lock

The C&RT workers operated the big guillotine gate to the back of the lock....

.... and the gate shuts slowly behind me

Suddenly we got a stench up our noses. The wind was blowing the smell from the sewage works right over in our direction. There was no getting away with it, it was everywhere. 

Entering the second of the Salterhebble Locks

So onwards through the 'bog of eternal stench' we went to the next lock. Can you believe it, there's 48 hr moorings here, I don't think so!

Paul pulls with all his might as I put on the revs to get the boat to the side

Through the lock we went and into the strong wind, Paul holding the boat by the centre line, and with full right hand revs, between us we managed to do the 90 degree right hand turn onto the water point platform.

We managed to get into the water point against strong winds and difficult turns!

Stupid place to put that! Then the rain came down, we'd filled up with water and were on our way to the last lock, another 90 degree turn. 

The gates open and I take the boat in, Paul's having a good gossip with the boats crew waiting to come down

Round to my left and into the lock I went, Paul filled the lock up using our homemade Hebble Spike for the very last time. This is the last lock on the Calder and Hebble navigation so we won't be needing that again, I hope.

Coming out of the lock, the Halifax arm is to my right as I turn the boat sharply to the left

Yet another sharp left turn out of the lock, not much room here at all to turn the boat but I manage to get round, pick up Paul and were on our way again.

Phew! Got the boat round the narrow turn and we're on our way again

We desperately had to get out of this smell, we discovered there was a huge sewerage works right next to the canal, the wind had got up and we were getting full pelt pure poo up our noses! We carried on and continued to try to get a mooring spot, it had taken us two hours to get through three locks and fill up with water.... so much for a short cruise round the corner!

Pretty, but we cant get the boat in against the side, its so shallow... rocky and crumbled

There was nowhere to stop between Salterhebble (this is where the River Ribble comes in to make up the Calder and Hebble Navigation) and Sowerby Bridge so we just kept going. 

That looks a possibility but the bridge is a fast train line with 4 tracks! So no!

We got to Sowerby Bridge after a couple of miles and pulled over. We'd found somewhere but it didn't feel nice.

Our first spot on the last bit of the Calder & Hebble navigation... we soon moved from here, bad vibes!

So we tied the boat up and went to walk around the corner, the start of The Rochdale Canal.

We'd just come from Wakefield, and were on our way to Manchester, turned around the corner and we're on the Rochdale Canal - the end of the Calder & Hebble Navigation! Yippee!

And there were nicer places to stop below the lock. Grassy banks, sunny towpath, quieter from the road noise, altogether felt nice.

We turned left, onto the Rochdale Canal (more Japanese 'snot'weed

We went back to the boat and moved around the corner, onto The Rochdale Canal, just below the lock moorings.

Moored up happily at the bottom of the lock moorings....

.... but there's plenty of space up ahead

Off we went for an explore, found a half decent walk for Jack, walked up the three locks and over the Tuel Tunnel.

Tuel Tunnel entrance, restored in 1996, completion of the Rochdale restoration was in 2002

These are the Sowerby Bridge locks, the third lock is the deepest canal lock on the whole system, 19'8 and a half inches deep! Three and a half inches deeper than the Bath Lock we did last year on the Kennet & Avon Canal. Between locks two and three is a short tunnel but with a double bend in it! But that fun is for Sunday when we leave here and head for Hebden Bridge. For now were staying put for a few days, we've done loads of cruising and were in a nice place, were going to relax for a bit.

This was a footpath, right up through this rocky stream, we had to choose our rocks carefully!

Just one of the views from just one of our walks

There's so many marked walks, and so many stone steps too! And they're all wonderful!

We find some great typical Pennines walks, a good walk away down the towpath but so worth the extra distance. 

Our evening view as the sun set

The town is near, people are chatty and plentiful, more new friends Sam and Des from nb Annabelle. We do some odd jobs around the boat, Paul does the loo and we go shopping in the rain at Tescos.

Narrow boat Happy Daze, with our Happy Daze behind... what's the chances of that happening?

This one's for all at Woodford... you recognise this boat? Seen in Sowerby Bridge Wharf!

A few boats come and go, nb Happy Daze from Skipton moors up in front for a few days, odd seeing two boats with the same name moored together! Also Dave from nb Shire Oak who we first met on the way to Liverpool make an arrival but only stays a short while.

Misty mornings make this an eerie place...

The Rochdale Canal starts at Sowerby Bridge, it's a great little town based around the canal. But by the time Sunday comes it's time to move on. We've been here 3 days and were looking for our next wonderful place, this time on The Rochdale Canal heading towards Hebden Bridge, and eventually Manchester.