The Rochdale Canal - from Hebden Bridge to Littleborough 7.8.14

The Rochdale Canal cont..... 

From Hebden Bridge to Littleborough 7.8.14 

Well we've finally reached the end of our 14 day stay in Hebden Bridge, and it's been amazing! But we must move on, there's another stunning landscape to be photographed around the next corner.

Leaving Hebden Bridge....

... and over the aqueduct of the now quite tiny River Calder

Thursday 7th August after our Jack walk we set off for our day's cruise. First stop was the water point in Hebden Bridge, 200 yds from where we moored up. We were filling up our tank with water when we met a lady dumping her rubbish. It was only 7am and we didn't expect to see anyone about, but the lady came over to have a chat. She asked if we were going up the next lot of locks and could they come with us as our boat buddies. Her name was Irene and her hubby was Ian, on nb Free Spirit.

Of course, it would be a pleasure, and it turned out it was!

One of the many tall chimneys that dominate the canalside in Hebden Bridge

She went back to her boat, woke up Ian, started the engine and they were off!

We got to the first lock and they were there to join us making it simple for me (and Ian) on the boats being able to share the lock with another boat, and half as much work for Paul (and Irene) on the locks too! Winners all round!

Just past Stubbings Wharf outside of Hebden Bridge

We went up several locks out of Hebden Bridge, chatting as we ascended the locks. The road and river and rail followed us all the way, the pounds between locks fairly short of water and there was not much push from the propeller. At one point I became a bit stuck, nearly stopped, but with a good dollop of reverse got myself free again and we carried on through the locks at Todmorden.

Todmoden wasn't quite so pretty in places!

It's fairly old and run down here, different in a lot of ways to Hebden Bridge and only 4 1/2 miles apart.

 

Still lovely old stone buildings, there's a great commune of boaters with a sign saying 'free food' in the scrublands beside the canal where there were fruit bushes and trees growing for you to help yourself! 

n.b. Free Spirit, Irene at the helm, makes its way out of Hebden and into pastures new

A cold damp resting place, this bench was made of stone!

'Food for Free' this is the commune thats set up a camp here between Hebden Bridge and Todmorden

Still very pretty, even the sun's made an appearance

Dropping Paul off at the lock

The whole of Todmordon was the same, 'incrEDIBLE edibles' signs everywhere promoting 'help yourselves' to fruit and veg and herbs that are growing around the town!

The incredible edible Health Route... but food was growing everywhere - food for sharing!

n.b. Free Spirit enters the lock, Paul on board as he's helped push the boat off the bank after getting slightly stuck

We don't seem to have got far from the start of the Rochdale

What a stunning backdrop!

But we went straight through continuing on our journey.

Very pretty everywhere here, cute as houses on a hill!

Up ahead there's a blue thing in the water... keep your eyes opened for obstructions...

And the arrow says it all... except the obstruction was on our side of the arrow, a bloody great rock!

Not particularly visible from this picture, but its lurking under there somewhere!

Irene and Ian stopped off at the water point at the 24 hr moorings in town. 

Irene and Ian pull in to the 24hr moorings at Todmoden, but we hadn't seen the last of them!

It wasn't somewhere we wanted to stop, so we carried on the next 6 locks without them, waving furiously as they pulled over against a tall walled mooring.

Our first lock after leaving nb Free Spirit, a bridge with a guillotine lock directly after

The guillotine gate comes down, shutting me in the lock

... and leaving the lock, while busses trundle over the bridge behind

This wall holds back tons of dirt, the railway line runs right above us now on top of this wall

The railway line goes over this beautiful old railway bridge over the canal

They were all pretty tough locks, especially on your own! But eventually we got to the top of our 16th lock in 5 miles and decided to call it a day. 

Mad undergrowth here can't be doing the old lock walls any favours

Soon we reach our chosen spot, just around the corner after the next lock...

We had already sussed out a good spot a few days earlier as Paul was going to be on his own for a week, and luckily it was empty. (The plan was for Paul to stay there while I was away, but that was not to be) 

We found a lovely spot here on the outskirts of Todmorden 

... soon Free Spirit joined us (hiding behind that bush!) The train line is never far away from the canal as you can see!

So we tied the boat up, had lunch, and two boats came out of the last lock, one of them was our boat buddies on Free Spirit, Ian and Irene! They didn't like it on the town moorings and decided to move after doing a bit of shopping, so they pulled in in front of us.

We got to the top, and it was a long way up... again

Pretty, pretty views everywhere!

It was a beautiful spot, mountains all around, peaceful except for the road nearby and the train line too! But they weren't intrusive, hardly noticed they were there! It was a super spot for Paul to be when I was away.... loads of dog walks, shops nearby, a pub, chippie, even a woodyard on the canal so Paul could get on and make the dog food box he's been saying he's going to make!

The woodyard right behind us, purple hills to explore very soon. We liked our little spot, but had to move on

We chatted with Ian and Irene and they invited us to their boat for the evening, my face ached at the end of the night, we laughed so much! Had a brill night with some brilliant people and lots of wine was consumed!

Bridge holes show wearing from the ropes of towed boats

We woke on Friday, Paul with a hangover, me feeling great!

We'd heard from C&RT that on Tuesday 12th August they were going to drain the pound of water between locks 25 and 26 for maintenance which meant we couldn't stay here for as long as we wanted. The boat would be on the bottom of the canal, deep in muck and silt. So we had no option but to plan another move which would suit Paul and Jack.

But first we had to get the car from Hebden Bridge. So for our Jack walk today we walked to get the car. It was a good long walk, 6 miles in all! But very enjoyable too. You can pause and look at stuff on the way, chat to people and generally loiter with intent! Back at the boat, plus one car, we had a well earned lunch.

Walking back to Hebden Bridge...you get to see different views facing the other way!

Irene popped over in the afternoon to let us know the next pound above the next lock was empty, Ian had rung C&RT to let them know that we wanted to go through tomorrow and they were going to come and sort it out.

It rained alot!

We walked a lot and it rained a lot. We had a lovely walk on Friday morning with Irene and her dogs up steep mountain walks covered in purple heather with awesome views of the canal and the surrounding valley.

Irene out for a stroll on the mountain tops....

The dogs all got along well, having a great climb too!

Jack loving the purple heather!

Looking along the valley you can almost trace the line of the canal between the mountains

Photo thanks to Irene, looking across the hills and valleys, boats down below

The train chugs over the bridge by the boats but its not a noisy train!

There be big fish in this part of the canal!

The pound above us was now full and by 10am Ian and Irene and Paul and myself were ready to leave.

Reluctantly we left the mooring, we would be sat on the bottom if we stayed here!

Side-by-side with Free Spirit, going up a lock with two boats is a lot easier than on your own

Free Spirit enters the lock on our way to our new spot

Pretty picturesque views on our way to Walsden

We went through one more lock to find the perfect spot to stop.....

We planned to go up 6 locks in 2 miles, we had found a lovely spot that suited Paul on his own. 

We went for a walk and found the perfect spot between locks 30 & 31

All went well up the locks, Ian and Irene pulled over between locks 28 & 29. We found a lovely spot after several attempts to get near the bank between lock 30 & 31. 

.... and I think this tops the lot! It was amazing, it was ours!

It was beautiful all around, high mountains, the train line was near but slow and quiet.

After walking back and getting the car and stopping for a hot dog at the Gordon Riggs garden centre we went for a lovely walk over the very high Walsden Moorlands.

Jack resting after chasing around on the mountain tops of Walsden Moorlands

Back at the boat we had got another neighbour. Not only had nb Free Spirit moved up next to us, we also had the company of Jan and John on nb Jubilee.

Soon we were joined by Free Spirit and Jon and Jan on nb Jubilee

We had a lovely quiet night but on Sunday we were visited by the remains of hurricane Bertha! My god the wind blew... the heavy rain heaved down on us.... even our friends who were going to visit us from Manchester called off!

So while I packed my bags for my week away with the family Paul wrote out his 'jobs to do while Lindsay's away' list. We walked Jack and got in out of the rain and wind.

We had a great time on nb Jubilee .... l to r Jan, John, me, Paul, Ian and Irene

But we were invited, along with Irene and Ian, to spend the evening with our neighbours on nb Jubilee with John and Jan. We had a great evening, laugh? We cracked up, chatted all evening and the conversation just kept on coming!

This really is a beautiful place

Jack waiting for a bus to take him home.... he'll have a long wait!

We walked miles up to the moorlands of Walsden, my last walk here for a week

Early start Monday 11th August... I left the boat, Paul and Jack at 7am, drove the 285 miles to Wellingborough, Northants (pick up tablets for Jack), Cambridge (to see brother Matt), Eye, Suffolk (to see my sister, birthday today) and then on to Donnas in Eye, Suffolk where I was staying for the next week.

Nephew Jack doing his 'show' for us on the trampoline

Sister Milly with Jack, cheeky boy!

We had a busy week; it was sister Milly's birthday Monday, son Deane's birthday on Tuesday, we did shopping, swimming, tobogganing and bowling, little grand daughters 5th birthday and party and a drive to Kings Lynn to watch Deane stock car racing. I visited all the family, had a great time with the grand children and children, my brothers and sister.

Pretty grand daughter Lexi

While grandson Leo rides dem horses!

Having fun tobogganing at the dry ski slope in Ipswich

Grandsons Callum and Jay take a break to pose for me ...

.... and then soon to be back on the slopes again

We went out for lunch....

....and went bowling, look who won!

Lexi had a beautiful 'Frozen' cake for her 5th birthday

I took the boys swimming, we had loads of fun!

Sunday we relaxed with a massive Sunday roast dinner expertly cooked by Donna.

In the mean time, back at the boat, Paul was getting through his list, he'd serviced the engine, filled up with diesel, cleaned and waterproofed the front cratch cover, looked after Jack. The weather was horrid for him, strong winds and heavy rain showers mostly all week, the strong winds even took one of the solar panels off it's hinges from the roof and flipped it over onto the other one! Luckily no damage to the panels, just some new hinges needed.

I'd had a great time, but coming back to the boat was lovely!

Monday 18th August ..... I was ready to come home, the settee was fine for a few nights, but after a week I really wanted my own bed!

So after leaving at 7.30am I drove the car 102 miles near to Milton Keynes and got a bus to Bletchley. 5 different trains later I arrived in Walsden at 4.30pm. Phew! I was exhausted!

Paul and a VERY excited Jack met me at the station and we walked back to the boat. Aaaahh! Good to be home.

Our giant mixed grill, so much meat! All for £6.50p! Jack was a happy boy when we got home!

Too tired to cook we went to the Border Rose in Walsden, had the most humungous mixed grill! Only £6.50 each! After eating so much we could have burst we took the left overs home for Jack, lasted him three days!

Our last walk up the mountains in Walsden...

.... and looking down at the canal from above

More dramatic scenery....

.... we spotted this peacock butterfly sunning himself on the top of the mountains

After a great night's sleep we woke on Tuesday to a cold, windy and showery day. We walked Jack over the mountains and into the valleys all around, he skipped about like a little puppy!

Leaving the lovely spot at Walsden, on our way to somewhere new

When we got back we decided to move the boat up a few locks, new garden and all that! We were moored just below lock 31 and were planning to moor up just below lock 34. (Good job really because the lock pound up ahead of lock 35 was empty of water and we couldn't have gone any further if we wanted to.)

These gates are so stiff with the mechanism used to open and close them

All three locks were stiff and leaky, Paul had to push the gates open with all his might, paddles were broken and water levels were low.

On our way up a few locks

Looking back while the lock fills up...

.... and just around the corner is where we stop

We were just three locks from the summit, 600 feet above sea level, the highest wide lock summit on the system. We pulled in just below lock 34 and tied the boat up. We went for a walk and discovered the lock pound between locks 35 and 36 (West Summit Lock) was completely empty of water, so after a phone call to C&RT we had arranged for a worker to sort out the lack of water. They would come in the morning at 8am and make sure we could get through.

The empty of water pound between Locks 35 & 36, two locks up from us, one lock down from the summit

We then walked back down 6 locks and 2 miles and had our lunch at the highly recommended Grandma Pollards Chippie. The best haddock and chips we'd ever tasted, what a great place! 

Grandma Pollard's Chippie, selling world famous pies and pastries too!

The bus in the background is more seating! But we couldn't take Jack in there

We sat outside with Jack waiting for boats to pass by, but there wasn't any!

World's biggest and tastiest Custard Slice! We divided it into four pieces, two each, and it was delicious!

We sat outside and ate, taking home with us one of their home made custard slices, enough for four people! Highly recommended by us too! Tony, Grandma Pollards grandson, showed me round the back kitchens where everything was made on the premises, famous for their pies and pastries. It was really busy too, a good place to stop and really friendly people.

We moored up here, our view up ahead to the bridge and our next lock for tomorrow

... adn from the lock to the boat, snug and cosy mooring spot out of the wind

We staggered back to the boat, full up to bursting, with our custard slice sold to me for £2 instead of £2.95! That's pudding sorted for two nights for two of us! It was the nicest custard slice we've ever tasted!

It was still really cold so we lit the fire and had a cosy quiet night in the warm and wonderful boat.

Wednesday 20th August was a nicer day. 

We found even more walks high up on the hills....

.... and beautiful views looking back down the canal

The sun was out and the wind had died down. After our mountain climb walk with Jack we met the C&RT worker, he was there as arranged to fill up the empty pound with water from the summit. He gave us the ok at 9.30am so we were all ready to go.

There's no way we can get through that!

Although some fish just don't give up, finding the last bit of water in the pound

Thank goodness we didn't stop on these moorings overnight! 

As we went through the first lock we had just crossed the border between Yorkshire and Lancashire

A recognition plaque, thanks guys for that, we've had a lovely time here!

The man from C&RT turns up as promised to fill up the empty pound

... and we wait till its full and ready and he gives us the nod to set off through the lock

Through we went, the last lock going up for a while, and reached the 3/4 mile long summit. 

The scenery here was still mountainous, the summit pound was low of water so we stuck to the middle of the channel avoiding the banks at both sides.

The two boats were on mud only a few hours ago, now we're cruising on past, towards the summit, one more lock to go

It's in black and white, we're here. The highest broad canal in England

Its official! We've made it to the summit! 

There's still not much water here, but we stick to the middle and have no problems

And after only 3/4 mile we get to the first of our 'down' locks, West Summit Lock

And the sign says so!

.... finally we're going down locks now. We've been going up locks since the Aire & Calder Navigation, nice!

We then got to West Summit Lock and were going down, much easier if you're on your own! From here on there was plenty of water, in fact it was flowing over the tops of the locks filling up the locks nearly as quickly as we could empty them.

Heading towards 'Second Below West Summit' lock, we'd just gone through 'First Below.....'

Plenty of water about now! This side of the summit seems to have all the share!

The water comes over the lock gates...

.... causing the excess water to flow over the gates, and down onto me!

We'd now left behind the beautiful Pennines, swapping the heather topped rugged mountains for grassy fields, houses and disused warehouses and factories.

Warehouses along the canal, some still in use

.... but not this one with smashed windows everywhere. It's a sad sight

In and out of locks we went, 12 in 2 miles!

The pounds were smal, we did lock after lock, 12 in 2 miles, plus our first swingbridge on this canal, until we arrived at our chosen stop, a little layby beside lock 46 just before Littleborough.

This was such a great find, our own little layby!

Right beside lock 46, and we had it all to ourselves!

It was perfect, could fit two boats in side by side, but we had it all to ourselves! So we pulled in and tied up to the mooring bollards.

We walked Jack up some not so high hills and got back to the boat and settled in for the evening.

These steps made me laugh, looks like they're floating! Seems like there's nothing holding them up!

This was a lovely place to be, only 10 mins walk to Littleborough, so quiet and peaceful... making the most of it!

We stayed in Littleborough until Saturday 23rd August. We'd been shopping, done the washing in the launderette in town, we'd chilled out, walked lots and played in our garden with Jack.

All great, but we needed to get on now, make our way to Manchester.

So on Saturday we set off again, on our own to start with, towards probably the worst part of the Rochdale Canal.... or so we've heard!

We've had the beautiful Pennines with us for a while now but soon we'll be heading into the built up areas of Rochdale, Oldham, Failsworth and Manchester.

We've heard some bad stories about this part of the canal, it's a section where you just cruise through, no stopping unless it's a reccommended stop off, early morning starts and be aware of bandits about! We've got 46 locks and 18 miles to go before we leave this canal, but it's all got to be rushed. We've arranged with C&RT for a volunteer lockie to give us a help through, it's a service they recommend, gets you through quicker, so by Tuesday we'll be at the pre arranged meeting place, all set to go.

But for now were stopping in this little layby until Sat/Sun just enjoying the peace and quiet of the last of the rural part of the canal.....