Lazy Days

From Bramwith we sailed up the New Junction Canal and headed west on the Aire and Calder, taking our time in the heatwave.   At Ferrybridge the canal joins the River Aire which wends it's way past Ferrybridge power station and it's abandoned coal wharves.  Further on the woodlands of Fairburn Ings nature reserve line the river bank. 

At Castleford we were surprised to see Trev and Sandra, the couple we travelled with from Bingley and through Leeds.  Brinny and Bess were excited to see their dogs although it was a bit hot for chasing round.    

View from the footbridge over Castleford flood lock towards the visitor moorings.  The lock is an unusual shape and the  gates are open because the river levels are low. 

From Castleford we headed west on the River Calder.  At Whitwood an orange buoy marks the position of a large sandbar which juts out into the river.  I wish it'd been there a few years ago, it would've prevented me running us aground.  

We stopped at Stanley Ferry which has a Canal & River Trust workshop that specialises in replacement lock gates.  The finished gates are stacked in the yard and kept soaked with water pumps.  They won't be fitted until winter when the canal can be closed.  

Stanley Ferry yard, the finished gates are stacked on the left. 

The canal splits to be carried over the River Calder on two parallel aqueducts.  The first is reputed to be the largest cast iron aqueduct in the world.  The trough holding the canal is supported by iron bars connecting it to the two arches and it was opened in 1839, the Sydney Harbour Bridge was built on the same principle.  The second aqueduct was built in 1981 as an alternative crossing to prevent damage to the historic structure. 

The Stanley Ferry cast iron aqueduct, taken as we sail over the modern structure.  

 Stanley Ferry has good visitor moorings and a pub selling real ale so we stayed awhile to enjoy the sunshine and the occasional cold beer. 
     
The Aire and Calder Navigation ends at Fall Ings Lock, Wakefield, and from here we're sailing on the Calder and Hebble Navigation.  Fall Ings Lock was a taste of things to come.  The lock gates were heavy and difficult to open but the lock gear was so stiff Kev had to take over.  When it became apparent most of the locks would follow suit Kev took over the lock duties.  To complicate matters the locks had a unique contraption on some of the gate paddles, a small iron wheel has to be turned with a wooden lever, known as a "handspike" to raise the sluices.   We have a handspike but it is cumbersome to use.   Luckily half the locks on this stretch are flood locks and are left open unless the rivers are flooding.   

On the outskirts of Huddersfield we turned onto the Kirklees Cut and then back on to the River Calder which took us to Brighouse, a small industrial town which is a good place to stop for the weekend.

Our journey from Bramwith to Brighouse