It is now 83 days until we start cruising again, but whose counting!? I thought I would have a look back at some of the photos of last year just to get me through until then. We had started the year at Thorne on the Stainforth and Keadby Canal. It would be rude not to explore the area further so we set off into the interior
Moored up at Barnby Dun lift bridge we could feel something was happening well before the Humber Princess approached us. I had seen these barges many time when working on the Humber but they take on a new scale when passing a 60' x 7' narrow boat. We were to meet them a further twice whilst on the South Yorkshire Navigations.
Doncaster's visitor moorings are very handy for the shops and the town centre and I would recommend the market there as bus trips from far and wide converge on it for bargains. After Doncaster you pen down into the first of the river sections of the Don Navigation. The river was benign for us and a pleasure to cruise on. Above are the two railway bridges at Balby, only one still in use, with the A1(M) motorway bridge in the distance.
The locks are large and automated to take the size of the Humber Princess, at least until Rotherham where they return to more normal sizes. The fuel depot for the Humber Princess is just to the east of Rotherham. We found the landings at the top and bottom of the locks easy to approach and we only had trouble with one lock, and then that submitted after a while. After Rotterham you need to book the locks through to Sheffield. The first six take you up to Tinsley Locks and then these are in two distinct flights. The C&RT lads are great to work with and ake the time pass quickly, plus there is a lot to see.
This is the Straddle Warehouse at the Sheffield basin. It is a facinating industrial site on a par with Bugsworth on the Peak Forest canal but with much more intact. It is handy for the city and there is plenty to see there too. We found plenty of good beers in the end and had a lovely long weekend there before heading back the way we had come.
After Rotherham we came across Valiant on the way down to Goole. As he was single handed we stayed with him and worked him through the locks. Valiant was built in 1959 by Blacktoft's at Stainforth and is Sheffield size and was working for Waddington's of Swinton. Waddington's still have plenty of boats in the area of the derelict bottom lock of the Dearne and Dove canal at Swinton. Valiant was off to Beverely Beck up the River Hull to have some work done. We want to make the same journey one day.
We retraced our route past Thorne and were then on now territory for us as we headed for Keadby for access to the Trent. Just short of the river lock is the sliding railway above. It seems to pivot from the line of the tracks and then recedes into the abutments. We had a couple of days at Keadby where I was able to spruce up the sides of the boat.
We were invited up to the control tower at the lock by the keeper to see how it all works. There was no control tower here when I used to bring ships up from sea to berth either side of the lock entrance. The one to the south locks as though it is still occasionally used. It always used to be timber imports. The berth to the north of the lock was called the railway berth so I assume that it has something to do with that. I never worked cargo here but it was a lay-by berth or a place to moor if you were too late on the tide from Top Gunness, by Keady Bridge.
We got away from Keadby the following day and we were able to watch a ship come past the lock and swing for berthing at the wharf at Top Gunness. It was a beautiful day and the journey up the Trent was un eventful. I was surprised at how good the views were as I had imagined from a small boat the willows etc at the waters edge would cut it out. Using the Boating Association chart I worked out roughly how fast we were going and adjusted our speed to arrive at West Stockwith lock just before high water to make it easier to enter. Watching the flow of the river we timed it just right and entered with no trouble. I tend to think that the onlookers above were hoping for more excitement though.
The Chesterfield Canal was different to the deep South Yorkshire Navigations and the Trent as it was narrow and shallow with not too many places to moor up. It was great to be back on 'normal' canals though and the weather and countryside was lovely. We had a few days at Retford that is a nice place for a wander about with a good range of pubs and shops. Worksop was not quite so welcoming for boats as everybody said not to stop there. We did stay a little outside town and found the place to be a good place to visit. We stayed a couple of nights at Shireoaks. The boat above is the New Dawn which a full sized replica of the old working boats of the canal that were nicknamed Cuckoos. There is no original left and it is being constructed by volunteers at Shireoaks. We caught the train to Chesterfield to walk the terminus of the canal and to go round the market at Chesterfield.
From Shireoaks there are 23 locks in a couple oif miles to get you you to the current limit of navigation at Norwood Tunnel. Most boats don't seem to go to the end but they are missing out on the most beautiful part of the canal. The tow path is well used so there is always somebody to chat with and as the locks come thick and fast the time passes quickly. There are two double and two triple staircase locks to add interest too.
Near the top of the flight were these beautiful bluebells woods. The photo doesn't really do it justice. There is also the historic wharf where the stone for the building of the Houses of Parliament was loaded on to narrow boats to take down to the Trent. We moored near the tunnel mouth at Kinverton Park and walked over the old boat horse path to see the other side. There are advanced plans to re-open the whole canal through to Chesterfield and we were keen to see what the problems may be. It all looks 'do-able' but not for a while!
After a few days we set off back down the hill to the Trent. Here we are just starting down at the Thorpe Top Treble locks in great weather. It almost seems to have stayed nice and warm through to October afterwards, but there must have been cold and rain for short periods. The end of the month saw us down past Worksop and moored near to Osberton Hall in the countryside.
No comments:
Post a Comment