Gone from Goole.

We had a lovely quiet night alongside. We had some chores to do in Goole so decided to walk into the metropolis and then visit the Waterways museum.

Yesterday evening we were visited by proud swan parents of these healthy cygnets. However I did notice that the cob was picking on the pale coloured ones, but perhaps they were just the naughtier ones!

As we walked down the road that is between the Canal/South Dock and the Dutch River (which is the outlet of the River Don, I noticed this light and recognised it as the one that had graced the pile at Trent Falls, where the Ouse and Trent meet to form the Humber. As you entered the Trent on a flood tide you always had to be wary of getting set down on it.

The public right of way goes right through the docks and this shot is for No.1 daughter. It also shows the brick built hydraulic tower (far left) that powered the lock gates and coal hoists. Next to it is the white painted water tower that, when built in 1926 was the largest in Europe, I think. Above the bow of the ship is the remaining coal hoist the was for discharging railway wagons into the holds of ships. Just behind the gantry crane on the right you may see a new concrete tower that is for cement, like the other steel ones near by.

The public footpath takes you over the Ocean Lock. This is the main lock, maybe the only lock, in use today. Victoria Lock is longer but not as wide. Ocean lock takes the largest vessels that can navigate to Goole up the Ouse.

This closed and unremarkable building has made the cut as it was the Pilot Office when I was bringing ships here. Even in those days it was not very salubrious but it was somewhere out of the wind and rain to wait for your ship to sea or a taxi home after bringing one up. When the pubs were closed that is.

There is a trail round Goole of 12 paintings of ships. Each one was painted by Goole painter Reuben Chappell who was a pier head painter. That is somebody that went aboard the visiting ships to get commissions from the Captains etc. He started aged 20 in 1890, but left Goole due to illness for Par, in Cornwall, where he continued. In his career he painted around 12000 ships pictures.

This is the sole remaining Tom Pudding hoist that lifted the pans out of the canal and tipped them into the waiting ships. W.H. Bartholomew was the Aire and Calder Canal and he experimented with compartment boats to bring coal from the West Riding pits to Goole for export. Originally about 8 of these tubs carrying about 35t of coal were strung together. A false bow, or jebus, was added to cut the water, and then a tug pushed them along. They were able to go round corners by tightening up on the lashings on one side and slacking on the other. Later they increased to up to 12 pans but they were now towed. 

This is the seal of the Aire and Calder Navigation Co. that was founded in 1698. The quarters are top left representing Leeds and top right Wakefield, who put up the money for the enterprise. Bottom left is the white rose of Yorkshire and bottom right the sailing barges, keels and sloops that used the waterway.

Wheeldale was one of the tugs that pulled the 'Tom Puddings' until they finished in the 1980's.

These are some of the very few 'Tom Pudding' compartments that are left. at the Waterways Museum.

This is the Jebus bow unit that secures on the front of the string of compartments. You can see the tension chains that secured them all together.

After about 90 mins at the museum we headed back to 'Holderness' for a spot of lunch. We didn't linger as the boat behind us was playing Bob Dylan on a loop as loud as he could as he was painting outside. We let go and just moved across the dock to Viking Marine once again to fill up with diesel. It was 68p and self declaration and it seems to be the cheapest in this neck of the woods. 'Fusedale H' and 'Humber Renown' are patiently awaiting reactivation once the Government etc. see the advantages of moving cargoes on these massive water ways.

As we turned once more and headed away from Goole I noticed this lovely little cutter that used to the the hydrographic survey launch that was based in Brough Haven and checked out the perpetually changing Whitton Sands between Trent Falls and the Humber Bridge. We also saw a very old Hull Roads pilot cutter in the Boat yard marina.

The weather was very nice, if a little breezy as we were heading directly into it down a very wide canal in a very flat landscape. However when we got to the New Junction Canal we moored up on the west side and as we were sheltered by hedge we broke out the chairs for the first time this year. I nice end to the day was a glass of wine and some nibbles as we both read our books.