A Medley of Animals, Part 4.

We the last blog found us in Saltaire with an unusual octopus. We are still in Saltaire but with an animal that would be more in line with the history of the place.

In Victoria Square are four sculpted lions, two outside the Factory School that represent 'Determination' and 'vigilance', and two outside the Victoria Hall that represent 'War' and this one above 'Peace'. Apparently Thomas won the  commission to provide the lions for Traflgar Square and Nelson's Column. However despite them being made and ready the commission was just handed to Edwin Landseer for his larger bronze lions. These were mounted in 1869 and are made out of Pateley Bridge Stone. They are 8' long by 3' wide and 5' tall weighing in at 3 tos.

This rabbit was just been nosy as we rose up through one of the Gargrave Locks

These cows were enjoying a paddle on the really bendy part of the Leeds Liverpool between Bank Newton and East Marton. Several times on this stretch you tend to meet yourself 'coming back' as the canal does a 180 deg. round the heads of valleys.

We moored up near to Thorton in Craven and went for a walk. One of the objectives was to find Rainhall quarry canal, which we did but we had a great walk around the countryside. We saw this trotting pony going through its paces. I didn't know this went on in this country. It certainly went along at a good pace.

This crow and a concrete post with barbed wire on a really dull and cool day just seems to be in the right place at the right time. It could have been posed. It wouldn't have been the same if the sun was shining or it was a wooden post.

We have seen many more kingfishers this year than ever before, but getting a photograph is another thing. This one fell to my snapping in the sun as we approached the top of the Wigan flight of locks, somewhere near to Haigh Hall.

I love this sculpture that is particularly unsung as there seems to be no information about it at all. The two fish are swallowing the others tails to make a bench round in a circle. There is a handy refuse skip here to get rid of accumulations.

When we finaly got through the No.1 lock on the Rufford Arm and made our way down to Fettlers Wharf we saw these swans dabbling. It is a good indications as to why swans have long necks so as to be able to access the weed at depth. Quite often you see them with a reddish chest. I have often assumed that this was because as they picked the weed them also got some mud that dribbled down their front, or maybe they wiped their beaks there. But maybe it is from a sort of weed?