We walked into town for a look around and to have a pint before a nice quiet night with a bit of TV thrown in.
Prompt at 0830 this little tug arrived opposite to move several pans that were tied up there. It seems that there had been a dredging programme as they have put the mud just on the off side where they are moored. I feared that we would be held up by a procession of tugs and pans being moved north to the next campaign. However we didn't meet them but as we passed Bridge House Marina there was a large crane. As we didn't meet them or see them I assume they were being lifted out and moved by road.
As the partly hidden sign declares Garstang was the World's first Fair Trade Town. This was brought about over several years by the Garstang Oxfam Group how managed to persuade 90% of businesses and schools etc to use or sell Fair Trade goods when ever possible. In 2000 this policy was adopted by the Council and was also recognised by the Central Government. From small acorns might oaks grow as their are over 600 Fair Trade Towns in the UK now.
The old basin has moorings and the building seen is actually a tithe barn that predates the canal. It was unusually made of brick. The restaurant now in it has many agricultural implements hanging from the roof as a little museum.
A little further on and you come across this good looking footbridge, that actually turns out to be a water pipeline delivering water to Blackpool and Fleetwood from Barnacre Reservoir that is north east of Garstang on the west slopes of the Forest of Bowland. The centre piece says FWB (Fylde Water Board) 1927.
As we progressed northwards through the green pasture lands there were several splendid farm houses, and so of even greater quality. Helen had her eye on this one, but I didn't fancy all the grass cutting.
The sun is certainly bringing out the leaves and as they burst forth they are very bright green. There are some lovely stretches of canal through sun dappled woods.
These chaps were pretty curious. I'm surprised that they haven't become the latest celebrity pets as they are pretty cute, and I'm sure you can put a lead on them and talk them for a walk. I bet you could even dress them up in hats and clothes!
As we approached the Glasson Dock branch we passed under a better quality Rennie bridge. This seemed to happen when the canal passed through
Just before the turn in to the Glasson Dock arm Ellel House is hidden by one of the best collection of specimen trees in the north west, apparently. But I did manage to get a little view in a gap in the shrubbery. It was completed in 1860 by a Liverpool merchant William Preston. His family had owned the land since the 1500's but had had it confiscated during the Civil war. Preston bought than land back and set about building the house that nis supposed to be a copy of Osbourne House on the Isle of Wight, Queen Victoria's home there. It was left to his daughter when he died and she married into the Sandeman port family. Miss Sandeman lived there on her own until the 1980's when she died. In 1986 it was sold to the Ellel Ministries that is an Christian interfaith healing, prayer and training retreat. The story of the founder Peter Horrobin is that he was fascinated by Alvis sports cars but he could never afford one. He was offered one for £50 that had been stolen, crashed and dumped in the Mersey. He took on the labour of love and stripped it down ready for restoration and was bitterly disappointed to find that the chassis was bent and could never be driven. It the height of his upset God spoke to him and send he could mend broken cars, but God could mend broke lives, would he help. He had always been of a religious bent and heeded the words. He went on to hear more from God and in the end in 1986 managed to purchase the Grange. On the day before the sale he totted up the total of donations and the estimate of the sale price and the items need to get it up and running and found that they had an excess of £6. There are several places around the country now.
We made it to the junction and Helen is under the turn over bridge entering the top of six locks.
You do not need a windlass on these locks as they are all fixed. You do need a BW key, or should that now be C&RT key. Every top paddle is padlocked which is a bit of a pain. As you can see the the bottom gate paddles are unusual with the wooden paddle being moved by the fixed arm.
The top gates are unlike others I have seen and have the fixed windlass. At the bottom of the picture is the arm that is fixed to a bolt in the stone and is fitted over the windlass arm and secured with the padlock.
Six locks and you are down at the level of the Glasson Dock Basin. The last three are quite exposed and the southerly wind was blowing right across the canal making it quite difficult. We stopped for water and then moved on to the basin and moored where it was nice and quiet. After a bowl of soup we went off to explore and find the smokehouse. We bought smoked salami, kippers, smoked black pudding and smoked chedder cheese too. The kippers were lovely with fresh bread. I can't remember how long it was since I had a kipper. We have smoked mackerel quite often but not kippers. All most worth the journey down the locks just for that.
Oh and by the way the story of Peter Horrobin and his Alvis sports car that led him to buy Ellel Grange ended happily as he managed to get the original plans for the car and was able to heat treat and straighten the chassis to the exact shape. Over many years the restoration continued and he now has his Alvis car. A really nice story where many people still continue to benefit.
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