The next day we had organised to meet up with my cousin and some of her grand children in the afternoon so we had the morning free to have a look round the Royal Armouries. Silly not to, as it is free!
This is called Leeds Basin or the 'Tattie Wharf', and was the start of the regeneration of the south bank of the Aire in Leeds. The basin is protected from flooding of the Aire by the flood gates. A little like Paddington Basin half of it is not available to boaters as there is a bridge across that is not opened and looks like it may be used for children. water activities occasionally. The stub pontoon moorings on the right are for residents and the long pontoon on the right are for visitors. The Royal Armouries is the building on the left and the tower is full of arms and armour and is quite a sight when viewed via mirrors at the bottom. The various levels also give good views of the river, basin and lock areas.
Also like Paddington Basin there are bits of sculpture and art work dotted around the development. This one had no plaque but it sort of made think of a dung beetle pushing it's 'ball' up hill. Maybe the analogy is with a working man or something?
We used the mirror to add to our gallery of pictures taken in mirrored surfaces. I look like I am about to mug Helen in this one.
There was a lot to see and some of the objects were extremely beautiful despite them being used for killing. We listened to a couple of talks that were very interesting and well presented and skimmed through the other galleries. This elephant armour is pretty rare and makes a good picture too.
We left the basin after the children had had there lunch and headed up the Aire to the start of the Leeds/Liverpool Canal. There are a couple of mooring right by the Tetley Wharf, but near a bar so a last resort for us. Leeds Bridge actually marks the western end of the Aire and Calder Navigation that was started in 1700. The first bridge here replaced a ferry in Medieval times. It was widened in 1730 and 1760 and in 1870 this current bridge was started. On the bridge facing us is the crest for Leeds and on the other side are the names of the civic dignitaries at the time it opened.
This is Victoria Bridge and again it marked the place of a dangerous ferry. In 1829 a wooden pedestrian bridge was built bu this was washed away in 1837. The current bridge was designed by George Leather junior, who was the very influential engineer for the Aire and Calder Co. It was started in 1837 and opened in 1839, soon after Queen Victoria came to the throne so it was named in her honour. Through the bridge you can see River Lock, the first on the eastern end of the Leeds/Liverpool. The river goes off to the right and thence below the railway station via 'Dark Arches'. The yeelow boat at the lock is the Dock Water bus and conveys pedestrians from here back to the Leeds Basin by the Armouries. It is free and runs 7 to 7 during the week and 10 to 6 at weekends.
This section of the canal was opened in 1777 after the work had started in 1770. The lock free section between Bingley and Skipton was opened by 1773. The entire length was completed by 1816 after a delay caused by the war with France. Granary Wharf near River Lock has several bars and an hotel and the next lock, Office Lock also has bars but luckily some of the warehouses and industrial archaeology has been saved too.
This is all that can be seen of Armley Mills from the Canal but there is a very big industrial complex behind the wall that is now a museum. The first mills were recorded in the mid 16th Century. By 1788 there were 5 water wheels driving the mills. In this year they were sold and expanded and became the largest woolen mills at the time. After a disasterous fire they were rebuilt in about 1805 using fire proof techniques and it is these building we see. The canal was handily placed for raw materials and to move the finished objects. nearby is Botany Bay Wharf as it was here that the first wool from there was unloaded in England.
This is the west entrance to Kirstall Power Station basin. The Station opened in 1931 and as it was coal fired the coal was brought by the canal. It must have been very busy. It looks like there was a one way system of traffic as there is also an east entrance. The capacity increased to 200 MW but later became oil fired. It closed in 1976 and the basin is now a marina.
The tow path is very busy with joggers walkers and cyclists and is pretty rural min nature and is a very pleasant run out of the city.
We were soon passing the remains of Kirkstall Abbey in the distance. It was founded after a promise by Henry de Lacy that id he survived a serious illness he would build an abbey for the Cistercian Order and hence the abbey was founded in 1152. It was lost wen Henry VIII did his thing in 1538. The buildings and land passed through various families until in 1889 it was bought by Col. John North who then gave it to Leeds council. It was opened to the public in 1895. Apparently some of the stones from the abbey were used in the steps to Leeds Bridge, as earlier.
We were soon at the next lock and we were going to moor up below the lock but we had been been sharing with a boat up some of the locks who had been told not to moor until after the Newlay 3 rise. The moorings looked fine and I though that the locks were closed at 1700. In the end we agreed to go up the two sets of 3 rise locks with them.
It is certainly easier with two in a lock and with more hands. At the far end of Forge 3 Rise locks you can see the box ground paddles that have horizontal paddles, clockwise to open and a check down the side of the lock to see if they are up or down!
Just starting up the Newlay 3 Rise locks. As soon as we were moored the grand kids Mum came to pick them up. It was great to meet them all for the first time, and the boys were very well,behaved and good company. This left us free to sample the delights of the Abbey Inn just down the road and what a lovely find, plenty of choice in the beers and the wood fired pizzas looked great.
From the pub we walked to my cousin's house and over the River Aire which has not been very far away from the canal all day. It looked lovely in the evening light. We were given a lovely meal and it was great to catch up with all the stuff before walking back in the gloaming to the boat. It was been a really good day.
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