The Rochdale Canal - Littleborough to Manchester 23.8.14

... and on to Manchester - and yes, it is was bad as they say!

Well that's the best part of the Rochdale canal completed, now for the worst part!

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, 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 recommended stop off, early morning starts and be aware there's 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 Saturday just enjoying the peace and quiet of the last of the rural part of the canal.....

Reversing out of our layby, and straight into the lock, it's been peaceful, quiet and very green here

It was a cold chilly morning on Saturday 23rd August when we left our little layby in the countryside. I reversed out of the mooring and went straight into the lock. Below the lock we pulled over to fill up with water and dump rubbish.

We stopped at the Sanitary Station for water and to dump our rubbish

Onwards we went, through the next two locks, one after the other, that was 3 locks in half a mile. 

Just leaving the third lock, Roy met up with us, as seen walking down the towpath with Paul

There was plenty of water in the pounds so there was no problem with shallowness.

While we were in the third lock we an elderly man came up to us and asked if he could come down the locks with us. He didn't look like a boater and to us it seemed he was asking for a ride on the boat! Turns out his boat was moored round the corner past the lock and he was looking for a boat buddy to travel down the locks with to Manchester!

A real gentleman, Roy Sears on nb Hoperidge

His name was Roy "formal introductions later" Sears, on his own, aged "never you mind"  had a shiny boat and lived in a cottage in Stoke Bruerne on the canal; his cottage was called Hoperidge and so was his boat! Lovely well spoken gentleman who I will never forget, I'm so glad we helped him.

Our last view of the Pennines, leaving it all behind for Manchester!

So Roy started his engines up and he followed us through the next couple of lift bridges and soon we were up to the next two locks, both tough and needing all of us to open the gate.

Rubbish strewn along the banks... that's what you can see, it's the rubbish you can't see that's the problem!

More weed and rubbish fill up the canal, while these two characters gave me a real evil stare as we went past!

Just one of the bridge holes full of rubbish

It's everywhere.... lurking in the undergrowth....

.... all shapes and sizes of rubbish too! Never seen anything so bad as this

Rubbish fills the canal now, there's industry and built up areas all around, drunks sitting in groups drinking from cans and the stench of urine as we travelled under bridges was retching.

Heading through Rochdale, this is where we were pelted with something as we tried to clear the rubbish from the prop

We carried on through Rochdale and were struggling with the amount of rubbish in the water, the prop was getting more clogged up with plastic bags and it soon refused to turn at all. Only one thing for it and that was to get into the weed hatch and clear the prop. As we were pulling and tugging at the electric cords, jumper, carrier bags and other crap away from around the prop something was being thrown at us from over the hedge, luckily they were a bad shot and all three 'missiles' missed us and splashed into the water. Prop finally cleared we were on our way out of there as quickly as possible.

There's a small channel to get through here to get to the lock ahead!

Roy went ahead....

Roy was way ahead of us now, we'd got a set of three locks next in Castleton. They weren't too bad, I got stuck on something under the water of the lock landing stage and it took all my might to shove the boat off. Eventually it was free and I was on my way again feeling very old and weak!

These characters look like they could do with a good meal, they didn't cause us any hassle tho!

Half a mile later we were in open horse field territory and we'd reached Slattocks, a stop off that was advised to Roy and us. It was ok, next to a busy road and petrol station, but it was a safe mooring.

Back out in the countryside now, on our way to our 'safe' mooring

Moored up at Slattocks, not perfect but it was quiet

We tied up on the bollards, Roy in front. We walked Jack down the towpath, down the next set of locks and through some horse fields.

Heard these guinea fowl before I saw them on the bridge, they make such a racket!

When we got back Roy was down in his engine room, he'd discovered a leak in his diesel pipe and needed some tools. So with the right tools from our tool box and a new olive, Paul helped him mend it.

We were totally shattered from our day, we'd only done 7 miles, 8 locks and 2 swing bridges but it had taken ages and it had been one of the toughest days so far, dinner and sleep for us!

Not a bad view as the sun was setting over Slattocks

We had a really peaceful night here, the road quietened down and all was good.

When we woke on Sunday it was a chilly cold start to the day. Roy had previously arranged a volunteer lockie to help him down the next set of 10 locks so we tagged along and at last Paul had some help at the locks! John the volunteer turned up about 9am all ready to take us down the set of locks to Chadderton.

Getting in position at the first of the Chadderton locks

It all went really well, we all worked great together, John and Paul on the locks and me and Roy on the boats. The sun was shining, there was no wind. It was a text book decent only taking us 2 hours to do 10 locks and 1 and a 1/2 miles!

Ivy overgrown by bridge holes, not great!

Paul and John, the C&RT volunteer lockie walk down to prepare the next lock

There's plenty of water on this flight, leaking over the top of the locks.... I got wet again!

Coming out the bottom lock to our mooring by the Rose of Lancaster pub, Chadderton

At the bottom of the Chadderton flight was our recommended 'safe mooring',  The Rose of Lancaster in Chadderton, the last safe place to stop before Manchester. We pulled over and tied up to the bollards, the only boats there.

Moored up for the weekend, we're not going anywhere on Bank Holiday Monday!

There's lots of people about but all smiley people with children! It felt safe so we were happy.

The Rose of Lancaster, our local for the day

And enjoying a toastie sandwich and a beverage for lunch at the pub

We went to The Rose of Lancaster for our lunch and later in the afternoon Roy invited us out to an evening meal to say thank you for all our help at the same pub! Of course we went, that's twice in one day!

After our huge meal we retired back to the boat to rub our bloated bellies!

Jack's walks were in this park, he had a lovely splash in the stream

Monday 25th August was bank holiday Monday. And it poured with rain all day long.

A few people braved the wind and rain under upside down brollies but we stayed indoors occasionally peeping between the curtains to take a look.

We had a most welcome visit from a couple of our friends from Manchester, Tel and Fleezie, I cooked a chilli and we all had a great time. They left early... school night ... and we had an early night in preparation for our big day tomorrow, the dreaded trip into Manchester.....20 locks through bandit territory.

Watch out, there's bandits about

Tuesday 26th August we were up at 5.30am, walked Jack and were all ready to leave by 7am. We had 3 and a half miles, one lock and a lift bridge to do before meeting up with the volunteers at lock 65 at 9am.

Leaving Chadderton....

Our first lock of the day.... only 19 more to go

Roy leaves the lock while Paul closes the gate behind him

This bridge wasn't quite what it seemed.....

.... the whole lot lifted on four hydraulic steel legs, Roy and I went under!

Richard and Alan were our volunteers for the flight, they knew exactly what to do to get us through these locks, where the problems were and it was a great help knowing these guys knew the area so well.

The canal is full of weed and rubbish as we approach Failsworth

Traffic is unaware as we chug on under the busy bridges...

The roar of traffic seems to echo down these stretches...

.... and now we know why! It's right next to us!

Under more bridges we go....

We went down the first couple of locks well, no problems ... into lock 67 and we were told to wait in this lock as there was a boat in lock 68 and the pound between that lock and the next was empty! No water!

In the locks we went, Alan on the right gate, Paul on the left.... Richard ahead setting the next lock .... worked a treat!

Deep discussions as Alan points the way

We cruise past Tescos in Failsworth...

Surprise surprise! There's a trolley in the water!

I follow Roy into the lock... all seems fine at the moment

So a couple of C&RT guys were there moving water down the locks to fill up the pound. While this was going on a boat came into the lock behind us, lock 66.

We waited in the lock feeling a little bit vulnerable...

We went down the lock and let the boat behind join up with the boat in front, saves water you see.

Single boat in front, Richard chats to them and suggests the boat behind us joins up with them....

 We went down lock 67, they came down after us and had to join the single boat in front of us in lock 68. Phew!

.... Well they did, and look what happened. They got jammed in the gates, we thought it'd be a good idea to sit above the lock as there was more water there....

So now there's two boats in the lock ahead, Roy and us in the pound above lock and as they let the two boats down, the gates open and off they go .... but they're not going anywhere in a hurry.

They're wedged tight between the gates and what ever's underneath their boats...

... so Alan lets some water through to see if that will flush them out... but all it does is...

... make us lean dangerously over... I really started to panic then!

They become completely wedged between the lock gates and aren't going anywhere. Seems they have jammed in the gates, had grounded on a shopping trolley and an Ikea sofa, and were stuck.

The two volunteers, the C&RT guys and Paul and Roy, tugged, towed and shoved with ropes, the people on the boats cut off their fenders to give them more room. Water was flushed through the lock to try to wash them out, the water which was supposed to be under our boats!

The CRT guys pull hard at the ropes... it's not budging tho

Hoperidge and Happy Daze were on a horrid lean, about a foot of the underneath showing above the water, I couldn't shove the boat off the obstruction, Roy struggled, we were so toppling over it got scary!

... and I'm clinging on for dear life to the boat on the lean, Roy's boat is doing the same as he tries to punt away from the sides to no avail...

Jack waits patiently for someone to throw his ball... but we're all too busy!

So Paul ran up to the lock above and opened up the paddles and put more water in the pound.... we were floating properly once more!

Fishing for trolleys....

It took 3 hours to free the stuck boats, lots of muscles and plenty of patience. When the boats had finally left the lock they cruised off into the now filled pound, on their way.

The workers then proceeded to use a grapple hook and managed to grab the trolley out of the lock and push the Ikea sofa into the undergrowth away from the lock.

... and hes got it...

.... slowly does it...

.... and it's up!

"Mmmmm, inspection time.... any working parts you want lads?"

Finally we were ably to get into the lock and we were on our way.

The CRT worker decided to return the trolley to Morrisons, its rightful owners

.... and here's the sofa! 

We had lost one of our volunteer men, Alan, he'd gone off with the two boats in front to make sure they were ok. We realised they needed him more than us after he ran back to us telling us to wait up, one of the boats in front had got his back rope caught round his prop. More stupidity, more waiting about in what we call 'bandit territory'. Finally we got going once more, by now it was 1pm.

We're still waiting as Richard tells us the bad news...

And another comfy chair in amongst all sorts of rubbish.

Holding the boat back as were in a particularly nasty place now... Newton Heath

On we went, lock after lock with our one remaining volunteer, Richard, We were getting nearer Manchester, through a suburb called Newton Heath. this was terrible.

We witnessed kids of about 10 or 11 carrying crowbars walking along the towpath, evidence of sofas burnt out by the lock, needles galore laying about everywhere, so much rubbish in the canal, there were very drunk people about, drugs being dealt.

Trying not to catch their eyes you could see them eyeing up the boat, us, looking us up and down with evil oozing out of their pores. Kids wanting to jump on the boats, asking all sorts of questions, there was even a burnt out boat we went past.

.... past burned out boats... gives me the hebee geebees!

We rode over all sorts of stuff in the canal, the boat lifting up as it hit the object in the water. We were down the weed hatch only twice, we were only on tick over so not too much was attaching to the prop.

More underwater obstructions....

This sofa didn't end up in the canal, but set on fire at the lock...

And here's a fire they had earlier, just the melted tarmac as evidence here tho!

This tree branch was sticking over the lock wall, Paul tugged at it to drag it away from the boat... look at the rubbish in the lock!

The canal was shallow, choked up with rubbish. It was reopened only 12 years ago, a lot of money was spent restoring it, a lot of manpower used. 

Concrete sides are coned off here, but that's unusual! Roy steadily makes his way onto the next lock avoiding underwater obstructions, most you hit!

There was a long section where it was once filled with concrete when they closed it and when they restored that section they broke a channel through the middle, one boat wide, leaving wide edges of concrete crumbling into the middle channel! Another navigation hazard! We were really stressed, I could have cried!

Richard looks on with a worried look on his face, what does he know now that we don't?

Roy leaves the very 'overgrown with foliage' lock .... this canal is so neglected

The tall tower blocks in the distance... and we're heading that way

Razor wire and barbed wire try to stop the little scrotes from climbing the walls but its only pallets!

We carried on down the locks, Paul and Richard doing all the hard work setting the locks, a single handed cruiser on his way up the locks. We were told to stop again, the guy on the boat coming up the locks was down his weed hatch, had been for three hours apparently! Turns out he'd got a double duvet caught round his prop, came to a complete standstill in the lock. He'd managed to get a third of it off but couldn't shift the rest. The volunteers didn't want him hanging around the area, so one of the boats in front of us breasted up (for those that don't know it's when you tie the boats side by side and one boat tows the other) and towed him backwards through to the next lock.

This poor guy had tried to free his prop for three hours, with no success. So under instruction from the CRT guys they tied up and under the power of the green boat, he was towed back to Manchester. Not his day today!

Good plan, but it didn't quite work out the way it should have done. The two boats side by side got wedged in the lock, jammed in the bottom gates and weren't going anywhere! It seemed we had to wait ages for the boats to get free, it was about an hour, but we had kids wanting to climb on the boat, and if looks could kill we'd both be dead too!

This picture shows the concrete ledge, normally hidden under water, that's left of the original 'fill-in'

This park looks okay, but it really wasn't! I was just very careful not to photograph anyone for fear of abuse, or worse still my camera being stolen and me getting hurt

High rise council flats, that gives the game away, the sort of area were now approaching!|

People wandered about with strong cider in cans, drug deals were taking place beside the canal, I felt very nervous.

All around us was high rise council flats and undesirable people, vast green areas of kids play areas, a couple of kids shouted f*** **f as we cruised past.

Richard's still with us, through thick and thin... getting the locks ready for us to go straight in

That's 18 locks done, now to get to the last two... but first past New Islington Marina...

A brand new marina full of horror stories... ask me some time and I'll fill you in, but be warned, it's not pleasant

By 5.05pm we had done 18 locks out of 20, we were happy to reach the bottom of the flight and get to New Islington, an area supposedly safe to moor. The three boats in front of us had all pulled into New Islington Marina (we'd heard some horrid things going on there recently so didn't want to moor there) but we went on two more locks to Piccadilly Basin, another recommended mooring spot.

Nice bridge, nasty area...

The bridge holes are particularly nasty, the smell of urine is enough to knock you out

At the bottom of the locks we said our goodbyes to Richard, our lockie for the day. He said he's never known a day with so many problems as this one!

What a man, and he's still smiling after all he's been through! Thank you Richard, you've been a star today

He also said he had some bad news for us. The next set of locks we'd planned on doing tomorrow's get out of Manchester had been closed, one of the cills of the lock had given way and they had closed the flight of locks. This meant we weren't going anywhere quickly!

We pulled over on the towpath, rings in the pavement, and tied up. But it wasn't a good place, benches with discarded bottles and cans, broken glass, stench of human poo and wee, people drinking everywhere, even a tent was erected on the towpath next to the mooring spots with feet poking out!

Thomas Telford Basin, this was a much nicer place

We had heard about a better place to stop just around the corner, I took a walk to have a look. It was a little basin in amongst some new modern houses in a place called Picadilly Village just up on the Ashton Canal. The basin had two or three mooring spots and with the residents permission we were allowed to moor there overnight. It was empty, we would both fit in, Roy on Hoperidge and us! There was a secure gate as the entrance with a number code to get in and out, we would be fine here.

A new housing complex, all safe and secure

So I ran back to the boat, started up the engines and through strong winds tunneling between tall buildings we both made our wiggly way to the Ashton Canal and into Thomas Telford Basin.

We started the engines, turned off the Rochdale Canal and under this bridge to the Ashton Canal

Another sharp turn, Roy goes under the next bridge...

... and a turn to the right led us to Piccadilly Village

... and another sharp right turn and we went under the bridge to a safe mooring...

It was now 6.30pm, we'd been cruising under pressure for 11 and a half hours, I had the headache from hell, Jack needed to get out the boat and stretch his legs. But we tied up and felt very safe here.

... and this was it! Room for 2-3 boats, but we got in and tied up.

So we wandered the towpath a while, numb with exhaustion, weary and hungry. After a quick tea it wasn't long before we were fast asleep!

We'd only got 24 hours here, but needed longer due to the next set of locks being broken

We had to stay in Manchester for three nights altogether, I had rung C&RT to get permission to stay in the moorings until the next set of locks, Rochdale 9, were open again. This meant we had to stay here in Manchester, no choice, until Friday. 

We became tourists for a couple of days, visiting the city centre and eating lunch out!

A wind tunnel channels down the high street!

Our tram to Piccadilly Village, nice way to get about in Manchester

So we made the most of our time here. We wandered the shops, ate lunch out, went on the tram (which neither of us had done before!). 

We found a small piece of grass to walk Jack

We walked Jack on the towpath mainly but did find some grassy bits to throw a ball. The residents were really friendly, it was peaceful, quiet and felt safe here. So we were fine.

We found the best little mooring in the whole of Manchester!

On the last night we were in Manchester Roy came over for supper, he didn't stay long as we all had a long day ahead of us tomorrow.

Friday 29th August, the flight of 9 locks had been opened at last, we were leaving Manchester. 

Leaving Thomas Telford Basin... back round the wiggley Ashton Canal to the Rochdale

We just wanted to get out of here, we knew the next set of locks had a terrible reputation, hard, leaky tough locks that ran under dark tunnels and buildings where all sorts goes on from rent boys touting for business to bridge holes used as a toilet and a rubbish tip for all of Manchester. We weren't looking forward to this next bit, not at all. I felt nervous, desperate to get out.

We make our way towards the Rochdale, under the bridge the Rochdale meets the Ashton....

... these two are still in noddy land, oblivious to the stench of urine under the bridge

We had arranged with Roy to be leaving about 7.45am, and as arranged we were all ready to leave. Jack had been walked, he wasn't leaving the boat again for his own safety, and we set of out of Thomas Telford Basin, weaved our way around the Ashton Canal and we were back on the Rochdale canal.

Roy gets to the locks first, waiting as the lock fills

I see C&RT have been busy fishing these 'not so rare' specimens out of the canal

Roy was in front and had got to the lock first, getting it ready for us to go through.

Soon we were ready, all systems go, (or so we thought) on our way down the Rochdale 9

Soon it was ready and in we both went, gates shut ..... but we weren't going anywhere in a hurry .... again!

Two C&RT guys came up to us as we were about to go down the first lock telling us to wait here, there'd been an 'incedent' further down the locks where someone had slit their wrists and jumped in the canal! The ambulance and the police were there getting him out and a crowd had gathered nearby.

It wasn't long before we set off down the lock though and we were on our way. 

The canal goes through some horrid smelly places....

.... under dark and stinky tunnels under buildings

As we left the first lock and went under bridges and buildings, all dark, we got the overpowering stench of urine and poo! It was unbearable, made me gag! 

Disgusting piles of rubbish laid everywhere....

The canal goes in the roughest places here, there's homeless people sleeping rough, drunk people about at 8.30 in the morning! Even the C&RT guys are not allowed to walk this bit on their own, they have to go in twos. But Paul carried on getting the locks ready in advance while me and Roy closed up the locks after us.

Waiting for the lock gates to open while Paul pushes with all his might

The first 4-5 locks were horrid, pee and poo, bottles and cans everywhere, undesirables milling about by the locks.

Nasty place to be with too many dark corners....

Still not nice but a bit of light gives it a slightly better feel

The locks were tough to operate, slow filling and emptying, but it got a bit better the further on we went, past Canal Street, home of the Gay Village, and out to the outskirts of Manchester.

We cruised past the GAY village, all quiet now at this time in the morning

The canal makes its way between high buildings... 

.... and under road bridges...

... and under this balcony bar, cruising at the wrong time of day bottles are chucked over the edge at boaters

Leaving the lock there's a crowd watching, but they seem nice!

... under the railway bridge, one more lock to do and we've completed the Rochdale 9!

The sign at the last lock on the Rochdale Canal, 92 locks from Sowerby Bridge!

As the gates opened, the huge grey cloud lifted from over us! We'd done it! (note the blue string to open the gates!)

By 10.45am we were done! All 9 locks done and it was a straight forward trip out of hell and hopefully into the peace and quiet of the countryside. 

Waiting below the last lock in Castlefield while Paul shuts the gates behind us

Roy disappears up one of the arms in Castlefield in search for water...

... while we carry on the next three miles leaving Manchester behind

And we'd all survived! We waved goodbye to Roy at Castlefield, he was stopping there but we just wanted to get away!

Looking back at Manchester....

Still not a lovely area, but were heading outta here!

The big building on the left is Old Trafford, Man Utd's football pitch

The view is not so pleasant from the canal....

We cruised on past the Manchester United football ground, cold, windy and the odd shower but we didn't care.

Towers of lorry units line the canal

... and there goes one now, destined for 'who knows where'

Three miles of ugly industrial buildings and we had completed the Rochdale canal!

DON'T READ THIS GRAFFITI IF YOU ARE EASILY OFFENDED! It made us laugh!

We were at Waters Meeting, where the Rochdale meets the Bridgewater canal, a sharp left turn and we'd made it. We were so happy, relieved, felt like a grey cloud had been lifted. No more worries, no more dreading the next leg of our journey, we'd finished the new canals and were back on familiar ground.

Leaving the Rochdale at Waters Meet and now we're on the Bridgewater canal.... what a relief!

One things for sure, we won't be taking our boat through Manchester again, definitely!

The boat in New Islington Marina, gutted by mindless vandals.

(We had heard that on our last night in Manchester a boat was set on fire deliberately by two youths in New Islington Marina, the place we thankfully decided not to stop at on our way in! The boat was gutted, never to be a boat again. Little scrotes.)

The next leg of our journey takes us back to the Midlands, we'll be heading down the Bridgewater Canal, on the Trent & Mersey, Middlewich Branch to the Shropshire Union, onto  the Staffs & Worcs canal and back on the Trent & Mersey at Great Heywood.
From that point we havent decided whether to travel back on the Coventry Canal and North Oxford or carry on the Trent & Mersey to the River Soar in Leicester, heading down the Grand Union. Decisions, decisions.....