To LEEDS
Just so no one thinks this is an official CVB site, there will be some posts of a narrowboat trip to Skipton and back.
For those who do not know, a narrowboat is designed to run on narrow canals with locks about seven feet wide and is not called a longboat or a barge. However, the canals and rivers around our region tend to be broad canals except the Huddersfield Narrow Canal
From a starting point on the Calder and Hebble navigation in Brighouse, the route is to go downstream to Castleford, as there are river sections, turn left at the junction there and upstream on the Aire and Calder navigation. At Leeds one enters the Leeds and Liverpool canal and fights one's way to Skipton through a number of locks and many swing bridges, odd ones requiring a herculean effort to get them open and closed.
The arrival at Cooper Bridge lock provided a surprise welcome by the locals. Out of sight is at least one large Rottweiler type with an engaging voice loitering behind a rather low wall and bit of fencing.
Near Cooper Bridge is a scrapyard of that name. Years ago I arrived on my Vespa 125cc scooter to seek some means of modifying an accelerator pedal on a car I had, but I wanted to browse around to see if I could figure out what would work. On asking I was told in no uncertain terms to 'Fxxk Off!" I think it may have changed hands as it looks more profession now but it was rough and ready in those days.
Shepley Bridge Marina is picturesque especially on a lovely sunny day and is so well kept.
The Safe Anchor Trust is based there, The Trust is a charity that provided boat trips for the general public and those groups who are socially disadvantaged or those with health or mobility problems.
Lemonroyd Lock on the Aire and Calder navigation. A big lock for a small boat. (OK the lens has exaggerated it a bit)
Locks of this sort are operated by push button on panels at each end of the lock. When I first came up here in 1987 they had lock keepers at all the locks who operated them from in their box and gave the whole process as sort of mystique. Now anyone can do it. Some big oil barges still go to just above this lock, presumably from Hull.
At Fishpond Lock there is a private house that was the lock house. These are in the garden and I totally missed the display at Woodlesford lock which is prior to this which I will show on the return trip post later. On the way back I saw the horse's head had fallen off. Chainsaw carvings.
Getting near Leeds - Sea Scout boats
Graffiti under a bridge on the entrance to Leeds
Well I used to think the architect should have been drowned at birth but the first person I discussed these with thought they were beautiful. Just shows there is no accounting for my taste. They do tone well with the Himalayan Balsam that infests the banks of the waterways and elsewhere. Maybe it was deliberate. Maybe Himalayan Balsam isn't so bad after all as it adds a bit of colour even if it does tend to run amok.
Clarence Dock
Leeds seem to show scant regard to visiting boats, whoever it is that provides the facilities. I think British Waterways managed to off load everything it could before it handed over to the new Canal and River Trust. Moorings for visiting boats are limited - very! Only the left hand side here is for visitors by the side of the Armouries and one of those spaces is for a trip boat. Beyond the first pool is a second vast space that is totally inaccessible to visitors and also totally unused. So there is only room for about four to five normal narrowboats on the linear moorings available. The moorings on the right are for permanent use and cost and arm and a leg I suppose.
Granary Wharf at the beginning of the Leeds and Liverpool canal lost most of its free moorings for visitors thanks to BW getting rid of them to some outfit that charges so there is little free space there.
While I am moaning, the 'facilites' are located well away from the boats through Leeds Lock and down the river a way. You get to them by means of the towpath if you are walking or by boat to a long pontoon with water points. The pontoon was sinking two years ago and has subsided a bit more now and three quarters of it is cordoned off as unusable with orange netting. The refuse disposal part is locked and the key turns but the tenon of the mortice lock does not draw back to you can't dispose of rubbish there. Why, when this lovely part used dock was refurbished, did they not relocate the facilities within the area somewhere? Not the current Trust's fault I know but the subsiding pontoon and the refuse bin lock must be.
The Armouries don't lean, it is just the wide angle lens effect
This is the top half of the dock which is not used and is inaccessible. I have no idea why it is left like this all kitted out with pontoons and power points since all the area was developed.
And this chap has been trying to push this ball into it for some years now!
Canal and River Trust
Their slogan is - Keeping people, nature and history connected.
Nothing about waterways?
This is the outfit that runs the waterways now since the quango British Waterways vanished from the earth. I am told they are very good at presentation.
I went in there with my beagle on a short lead to buy a £1 card for the electricity meter on the pontoon where I moored. There is a glorious large reception area. A lady behind a large desk firmly ordered me out until I had tied my dog up outside. I told her that I only wanted to buy a £1 card for the meter but the order was authoritatively repeated and if my memory serves me correctly she pointed the way too. Never got a 'Good morning can I help you?' So much for presentation! The transaction took two minutes and was completed by her parting shot of, "We must stick to the rules!"
Well so much for my welcoming arrival in Leeds. But it is a nice place to visit.
More to come on here later.
