This stretch is very pretty with the trees in leaf. I am surprised at how little plastic is about after the heavy flooding of the Don earlier in the year. On the right is the wharf of the Cadeby Quarry. Since 2015 only blocks of stone are cut by chainsaw. It is a limestone used in building since Roman Times. Next comes the Rainbow Railway Bridge, on the left, named as the original construction was a steel arch right across the river like a rainbow, but replaced with a less picturesque design in 1927.
Next comes the Conisborough Viaduct that was opened in 1909 by the Dearne Valley Railway to link the Hull/Barnsley, Lancashire and Yorkshire, Great Northern and Great Eastern Railway companies. There is 115' clearance above the river. There are 21 arches, 14 on one side and 7 the other. It is over 1/4 mile long and took 15 million bricks to construct it. It is so nice to see that despite the scale there are little points of detail all over the bridge. It closed in 1966 but was passed to Railway Paths Limited and in 2010 was adapted as a Sustrans branch of the Trans Pennine Link. It would be a thrill to walk across.
This section is very pretty and we saw many kingfishers along here, as we did yesterday. Unfortunately I reckon it will have to be a stuffed one that sits still long enough for me to get a good photo of it. If this view had been on the Thames you would see loads of boats here, but we haven't seen a boat all day.
To add to the beauty of the trees the smell coming from the abundant buddleia was overpowering in parts, especially the ex industrial areas. It was like wearing a honey aftershave. Not that I have shaved.
It would be great to take a wander around Waddingtons Yard in Swinton. To start with it is in the first three locks of the Dearne and Dove Canal that along with the Barnsley Canal added a link through to the Calder and Hebble Canal. There is the inevitable restoration Society and if/when they succeed to will make a great Yorkshire Ring. About half is filled in but a ralway line that was built over it has now been abandoned so not too difficult. Other parts form other parts of the Trans Pennine Trail.
Above Swinton, or Waddington Lock, the canal is wide and the views grow into the surrounding hills.
At Kilnhurst Lock you can still see the old, much smaller lock, that was abandoned when the new one was opened in 1983. The gates are closed but a paddle at each end is open.
There are several wharfs up here. Between Kilnhurst and Aldwarke Locks there was a steel works on either bank. There is almost nothing to be seen of them now but steel is still 'done' hereabouts. They don't make it from scratch but from scrap and make special steels. This wharf is an intermodial spot as the railway line run at the other end of the shed. I wonder when it was last used.
Wash Lane Bridge just above Alwarke Lock, says it was rebuilt in 1834. The fact that it is still standing is a testament to those builders and the skippers of the big freight tankers that come through here. They must just fit through and need to retract their wheelhouse to fit under. However it is looking a little cracked in places.
We were as surprised to find a Volunteer Lock Keeper at Eastwood Lock as he was to see us arrive! Helen didn't even get to press the buttons at this lock! You can see up the river another covered wharf for another steel company. If they ever do bring freight back to the canals it is good to see there are still places to work the boats. I always think moving combustable rubbish to new power plants by the rivers and canal would be feasible as it is a cargo that isn't going to go 'off' is it.
We moored just above the lock, after topping up with water in the lock and dumbing the plastic we had been fishing out from the locks. It is a secure compound and apparently the last before the meeting place to ascend the Tinsley Locks the other side of Rotherham. It is about 90 mins to get there and we are booked in for 1000. It looks like we will be getting wet!!
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