August 2017, by bridge and lock. Part 1

Well here we are in 2018 and a busy couple of weeks. My pocket lighter by a few pounds, but my body making up for it, being a few pounds heavier!! Still, more reason to get out and about now that the days are lengthening. I thought I had better crack on with the picture summary of 2017 in pictures of bridges and locks. You left us having arrived back in Selby after a trip up the Derwent to Melbourne Basin on the Pocklington Canal from Beverley and back down to Selby.

The next part of the trip this year was to explore the Yorkshire Ouse to York and beyond. The Selby Canal opened in 1778 to miss out the difficulties of the River Aire and Selby grew on the strength of the trade. You can see that the duck weed was still a bit of a problem bu the weed boat had been out in the canal it's self. We are getting used to the popping out of secure canal lock and pitting our wits against tidal waters and currents, and it was a nice day to boot.

I had heard that C&RT had been out in the river collecting much of the larger debris that can present a bit of a hazard to boats as they drift up and down in the this area on the tides. Nothing was around as we passed under the railway swing bridge. The bridge was opened in 1891 replacing an earlier one. It actually has 5 spans over  river roads and footpaths. The opening span is 130' wide and opens on 24 cast steel rollers. The pivot is not in the middle, spans of 45' and 85' so a counterweight of 83.5 tonnes is used. The bridge looks very like Willmington bridge over the River Hull as it has a similar control cabin above it. The red painted bridge beyond is the road swing bridge. This was built to replace an earlier bridge and a toll was collected until 1991 when the local council bought the bridge. When open the road bridge provides a clear span of 11m.

The next bridge, or anything really, comes at Cawood which is about half way between Selby and Naburn Lock. It was opened in 1872 and it is hard to believe but in the floods of 2015 the river level was higher than the deck of the bridge. That may be why it is closed to traffic and is being refurbished. The guy in the saftey boat on the pontoon was taking it easy. I commented on the fact of the job and he said it is not great when it is howling and freezing with rain and snow. Good point, well made.

We got to Naburn Lock just about at high water and had a little wait for the boats that had passed us on the way up. It is a nice spot and in the summer months a trip boat comes down to here from York. Must be a nice trip. It seems that they are refurbishing the lock workshops on the island and making a small museum/visitor centre. We moored for the night on the cut from the lock to the river further up.

The next day we set of once more. After passing Acaster Malbis and Naburn with it's large marina for cruisers we came to the old railway bridge that carried the York - Selby railway. It was opened in 1871 and carried the route until 1983 when the line was diverted. It is now a cycle routs and part of the Trans Pennine cycle route. It is called the fisherman's Bridge due to the addition of the sculpture of the fisherman, his bike and dog (with cocked leg) in 2000.

This nondescript bridge is added as I love the way that despite the main A64 York By-Pass cross the river, few people up there will notice and non will realise that it was, and is an important navigation.

As we come to the built up area of York there is the Millenium Bridge that was actually opened in 2001. It is a pedestrian bridge and forms a nice circular walk from York up and down both banks.

On the right in the above photo is the entrance to the River Fosse. There is a lock that is operated by the IWA with 4 days notice for free but I don't think there is any winding hole after it's 1.5 mile length to Monkbridge. There are mooring just before the lock though. We carried on to the city centre.

Skeldergate Bridge was built between 1878 and 1881 and was a toll bridge until 1914. The small arch at the other end of the main span was made to open to allow vessels to moor up at the wharves in the centre of York. It is beautifully ornamented and very pleasing to the eye.

We were begining to think we would have to carry on out of York as the moorings in the cnetre were full and as we passed the Museum Gardens moorings  we saw that they were under water as there was plenty of fresh water in the river. We found an old quay at the west end of the gardens, at the bottom of Marygate and it was just our length so we had a perfect spot for our day of several days in York. Looking back to Lendal Bridge in the evening sun the stone work looked lovely. The bridge joins Lendal and Barker Towers and was opened in 1863. It was designed by Thomas Page in the Gothic Revival style. He also designed Westminster Bridge.