Skipping along to Skipton.

A day in Saltaire was a very nice break and we now set off up into the hill.

It is not very far from our overnight mooring until we come upon our first of 15 bridges of the day. They all seem to be pretty well maintained as only one needed an extra push to get it moving.

The undulating countryside gives some nice views as the ground rises. These are Alder Carr Woods and the geese seemed to be quite tame!

On the approach to Silsden is the Waterloo Mill. It was built around 1870 as a worsted mill and then became Waterloo Room and power mill. That is when small businesses paid the owner of the building rent for space for their machines and the power from the engine or water wheel to drive them. The mill building has been converted to apartments but the attached engine house still has a vertical steam engine in it and is being preserved.

The Scott and Hodgson steam engine was built tom power the loms in the Union Mill at Guide Bridge on the Ashton Canal near Manchester. After a fire there it was bought and brought to Silsden in 1916. It last powered looms here in 1977.

As we got further in to the country there were good views down the Aire Valley. The River Aire rises at Malham Tarn and drops 1300 ft in it's 92 mile length to Airmyn near Goole.

As we continued through swing bridges we actually got to one that was opened for another boat coming the other way. Why does this not happen more often?

The canal seems to add a street through Kildwick and is very 'intimate' with the houses.

There are swing bridges acting as gateways on the canal to Kildwick. The easterly one is by the church with the graveyard on the other side of the canal, and this one with what looks like weavers cottages to pass.

As we pass Famhill the old quarry means that there is a beautiful tree-scape in the sun.

Near Low Bradley and swing bridge 183 is a memorial to an aircraft that crashed on the bank of the canal in 1943. The Wellington bomber was on a training mission following being picked up from Skipton on Swale. The entire crew were Polish. Locals saw a wing shear off and the plane exploded on contact with the ground. The two locals preserved with their research and in 2007 the memorial was erected and visited by families of the dead. 

It is always a thrill to see the hills from a flat canal and with stone walls and stone houses you know you aren't in Surrey! The day boat could maybe have found a place to get better along side just round the corner.

Another mill on the outskirts of Skipton that has been saved by conversion for other uses. I am also pleased that it seems that they have tried to save as many chimneys as possible. Many of them are not attached to anything as their engine houses have gone.

We found moorings in Skipton near to the Bus station. It remained busy on the water almost until dark. We went for a walk around the town and found that Tuesday seems to be like an half day holiday. Remember half day shopping?