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Thursday 9 April 2015

Aire today and gone tomorrow.

We went back into town to have a look at the museum in the Library. It was small but very nicely presented and there were some very good Roman artifacts. I hadn't known how important a place in those days it had been. I also didn't know that there was a large industry making bottles and jars when food and drink started being packed in them. We went over to the Queens Mill but they are only open a few times a year. We boosted their funds by buying a couple of cups of tea. Allinson's ran the mill and it was the largest mill using stones to mill the wheat. At their peak there were 20 stones at work. The Mill's Society are trying to get the water wheels working again and use 6 stones only to demonstrate the operation.

Our mooring in Castleford Cut for a couple of days.

Yesterday I said that the channels to the right were the old mill races but in fact they are just spillways for the weir. The mill stream can clearly be seen leaving the mill to the left.

After getting back to the boat we cast off and turned round to go and take water and dump some rubbish. 

The original toll house at the junction. It seems contemprary with the large house next to it which must have been a manager's home with the size of it. It has a lovely outlook over the junction of the Aire and Calder.

Taken from the footbridge over the flood lock it shows the strange basin type lock arrangement. Off to the right is a weir that can be adjusted which may explain the shape.

We turned again and headed up to Bulholme Lock that could be seen in the distance. When we arrived there were two narrow boats coming up but despite waiting and waiting it never seemed to make a level. The gates wouldn't open and there was a few inches difference so the inter locks wouldn't allow it. The same interlocks wouldn't allow the key to be taken out with out the sluices down etc so we couldn't epty the lock and try again. There was nothing for it but to call out C&RT and they were there in quick time. They put the lock to work from the control tower and in short order we were all on our way. The bottom gates were still leaking badly though!

Once out into the river there hardly seemed to be any current at all. I was once again struck by how different it would have looked round here with collieries working on either side of the river. The traffic using the river would have been crazy compared to today as we didn't see anything moving. The banks have been landscaped and it seems that birch is the first tree that gets a foothold on the old tips. On the north bank they have created 631 acres of bird sanctuary. There were plenty of people ot and about with monoculars and just walking the dogs or cycling

The bare areasare still there from the tips. Out of sight are large open areas of water where transiting waders stop over.

The birches are well established here and the river is a tranquils spot on such a lovely day.

This was the entrance to the Fryston Colliery loading basin. It looks like there has been some modernisation been done. It would make a nice stop over on the river if it was made safe to use.

 The coal from 25 pits from the region were brought here to Ferrybridge Power station and the building on the right was where they were unloaded and then sent to the furnaces by conveyor. There is talk of converting one of the furnaces to biomass. There would be no reason why it could not be brough here from the conurbations by water again.

Our last sight of the River Aire as we enter Ferrybridge Lock.

We didn't go very far from the lock. There doesn't seem to be a TV signal here and the internet is mediocre so it is a good job we are moving on tomorrow.


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