Nottingham to Leicester

Our stay in Nottingham turned out to be very sociable and it was good to see Sam who came on board for an impromptu chat.  Then on Monday we were pleased to see John, Cath & Liam and enjoyed lunch at the Pizza Hut buffet.  The buffet was a first for Kev but won't be the last, our Nicholson's Guides have now been annotated with Pizza Huts.  

Looking back along the canal at Nottingham

While we were in Nottingham Chris & Geoff on Geordie Spirit caught us up so we travelled together until Trent End.  At this waterway crossroads we parted company as they were heading west and we were going south on the River Soar.

As Easter approached the river became very busy and on Good Friday we moored up on the outskirts of Loughborough.  The interesting market on Saturday was busy but Easter Sunday was the best day for a walk round with my camera.

An interesting mural in Loughborough

Spring flowers and the museum in Queens Park

Spring ducklings

On Easter Monday we moved on but not very far, just to the other side of Loughborough.
The next day we stopped near Syston and in the warm spring air decided to recommence painting Brent III.  We started gently with the red bands along the top of one side and we were able to complete the other side by mooring on the opposite bank the next day.  We were next to the Watermead Country Park so I enjoyed a walk round and a field of wooden animal statues caught my eye.

Wooden animals at Watermead

This robin stayed put for a photo

On Thursday we sailed into Leicester and passed the new moorings at Friars Mill in favour of the Castle Garden jetty.  A lot of redevelopment was underway in the city centre and the stalls in the new meat and fish market were excellent.  Kev bought some ingredients for his new speciality, a meat loaf consisting of layers of meat and sausage-meat encased in bacon.  We also bought some goats meat which made an excellent stew.

That night was rather noisy; at 1 o'clock a young man walked along the opposite bank shouting declarations of love to Denise who was presumably on the other end of the phone. It possibly ended badly because he suddenly went very quiet.  More disconcerting were the voices coming from the park because the park gates are locked at night.  The next day we moved back to the Friars Mill moorings where we had an interesting chat with the site manager and a peaceful night.

New moorings at Friars Mill, part of the restoration and development of the mill buildings by the council who are keen to encourage tourism and boaters.

The section of canal in Leicester runs from West Bridge to the Leicester City football ground and is known as the Straight Mile.

The view from one of the many bridges down the Straight Mile

I stopped on our walk to take a photo of the football stadium but when I turned to see Bess and Brinny waiting for me I thought it made a better picture.

Bess and Brinny waiting for me

Our journey from Nottingham to Leicster

Newark to Nottingham

We always enjoy stopping at Newark and this year was no exception.  The town is a good shopping centre and it's interesting to look round the different markets held in the square. And of course Kev and Geoff had to call in Just Beer.

This year our 4 yearly Boat Safety Scheme inspection is due so we arranged for Rick Tropman to come across on Saturday to do the check.  On Tuesday we left Newark heading upstream. 

Leaving Newark Town Lock

Our next stop was Hazelford Island where we had another stay of 6 days.  The island was full of birdsong, including raucous woodpeckers, and the heron standing on the weir became a familiar sight. 

The heron standing on the weir 

The rabbit population was thriving again which kept Bess and Brinny entertained.  On Friday Geoff and Chris turned back to Newark because Geoff needed to return home to Newcastle. We've enjoyed travelling together since leaving Tattenhall and were sorry to see them sail away.  

The next day we had a visit from Sarah who came over to the island on the long footbridge.   The weather had turned cool but it was cosy on the boat and ideal for chatting.

Looking along the footbridge to the lock and old lock house

On Monday the volunteer lock-keepers started back after their winter break so we had a helping hand at the locks and stopped on the pontoons at Gunthorpe.  I enjoyed a long walk in the sunshine with Bess and Brinny.

Brinny playing with a stick on the walk

It wasn't so sunny the next morning as we set off towards Gunthorpe Bridge 

Holme Pierrepont was our next stop, in the last few years we haven't been able to moor here because of the hydro-electric installation works.  This time we moored up against the high wall, it wasn't ideal because Brent III's roof was almost level with the top of the wall but it enabled us to stay.

The view from Brent III's roof, the entrance to Holme Lock is on the right

I was pleased to see the black swan was still in residence, we gave it some ryvita because we are a bread-free boat (most of the time!)

The black swan came back for more ryvita

We were moored alongside the National Water Sports Centre and Kev was keen to try our bike on the sports track.  I don't know what the serious cyclists thought when he sailed passed them using some electric boost.  Bess and Brinny had some exercise chasing after Kev on the bike and I walked round boosting my Fitbit step count.

After 3 days of exercise we were ready for a rest so moved onto Nottingham where we stopped in our usual spot outside Sainsburys.

Our journey from Newark to Nottingham

Goole to Newark

After an excellent week at Viking Marina we sailed away from Goole. 

Leaving Goole, a familiar view of the Aire and Calder

We moored up at the top of the New Junction Canal, one of our weekend haunts before we sailed away as continuous cruisers.  We were surprised to see a lot of flooding in the fields and the bottom of the canal aqueduct was under the high waters of the River Went.

The submerged trough of the Went Aqueduct

We set off the next morning, I was on the bike to open the numerous bridges and had the camera to take some photos.  

Looking down from the footbridge as the boats cross the Went Aqueduct

At Sykehouse Lock we had a surprise, a new building has replaced the lock-keepers cottage which was a burnt out shell last time we came through.  

The new house at Sykehouse Lock, rumour has it this building will feature on Grand Designs

We came to the last bridge on the New Junction Canal and I took a photo of Bess looking out from the back of Brent III.

Little Bess looking out from the back deck

We continued south and Chris had the pleasure of stopping the traffic to lift the bridge at Barnby Dun.  We moored up at Doncaster which has excellent markets as well as being a good shopping centre.  

On Friday we set off back to Bramwith and from there onto Thorne where we stayed for the weekend.  We're going to sail south on the Trent but CRT's winter opening hours don't coincide very well with the tides, hence the longer than usual stops until the timing is right. 

We arrived at Keadby on Monday and after a chat with the lock-keeper we arranged to lock out onto the Trent at 8.30 on Wednesday.  Usually we would go out onto the river before the tide comes in but due to the winter opening hours the tide will already be coming in.   We would run out of help from the tide long before Torksey and had considered stopping at Gainsborough but the lock-keeper advised against this, apparently the pontoons attract unwanted attention from the local youths.  Instead he suggested West Stockwith and as we haven't stopped there before we thought it a good idea. 

Geordie Spirit leaving Keadby, the lock entrance is behind the bow of the coaster

West Stockwith has a quiet little basin which connects the Trent to the Chesterfield Canal. There were plenty of moorings but not the type we are used to.  We reversed back to the bank and tied up our stern then secured Brent III to a pole stuck out of the water; there weren't any jetties.  We could step off the back of our boat but Geordie Spirit's stern is enclosed so they tied up to us to enable Ziggy to step off our back deck.  

Moored up at West Stockwith

We stayed a while in the pleasant basin, the White Hart served excellent meals, Bess and Brinny enjoyed their walks along the Chesterfield Canal and Kev took off on the bike.  On Sunday afternoon he set off for the Co-Op in Misterton with his phone in his pocket.  He came back with the shopping but no phone.  I rang the number and a woman answered, she had seen the phone lying in the middle of the road and had already tried ringing some of Kev's contacts.  Luckily she was walking back towards the basin and I was able to go and collect the phone.

On Monday we left West Stockwith and had a reasonable run down to Torksey.  The following day it took 4.5 hours to sail 16 miles to Cromwell.  We knew the tide wouldn't be helping us but 7 feet of fresh water and strong winds created a powerful current against us. We were pleased to arrive and see the pontoons were empty.  I plugged into the electric point, inserted a new card and started the washer.  During the second load the electric ran out, that card should have lasted a week but the electric points at Cromwell have always been temperamental.

On Wednesday we moved onto Newark.  Although the river is non-tidal after Cromwell there was still a strong current holding us back.   We tied up on the pontoons under the CRT office, very convenient for a complaint about my electric card and I was pleased when they offered me a replacement.

On the pontoons at Newark with an ominous cloud overhead

Our journey from Goole to Newark

Selby to Viking Marina

As we prepared to leave Selby the weather forecasters were issuing warnings about Storm Doris which was due the next day.  The wind was already getting up making turning difficult on the open stretch of canal in Selby.  Once we'd sailed under the road bridge the canal  was sheltered by trees and embankments so we hardly noticed the wind.  After we'd sailed out of West Haddlesey Lock onto the River Aire it was a different story.   The wind whipped up the waves and we were pushing against a strong current all the way to Beal Lock.

Geordie Spirit  creating spray in the strong current and apparently chasing a swan up the river

   
We moored up on the floating pontoon and drank our cuppas in a howling gale. Later on we received an email from CRT; the flood gates had been closed due to the rising water levels on the River Aire.  

On the rising pontoons at Beal before Storm Doris, the pontoons slide up and down the poles with changing water levels.

The next day Storm Doris crossed the UK; Kev and I braved the winds to walk up to the Kings Arms for another excellent lunch.  During the evening the water levels started to rise again, peaking at midnight.  We had 6 feet of leeway on the rising pontoons but it was still reassuring to check the Environment Agency website which shows the river levels, we were pleased to see they were starting to fall upstream at Castleford.   On Friday morning we awoke to find the river was going back down but as it was still too high for travelling we stayed another day. 

The water was subsiding on Friday morning, at midnight the gangway was beginning to slope in the opposite direction.

On Saturday we moved on, the river was much calmer than on Wednesday and we quickly made our way to Bank Dole Lock and back onto the Aire & Calder Canal.  We carried on to Pollington where we moored up for the day. 

With another storm on the way we didn't waste anytime setting off on Sunday morning and had an easy run into Viking Marina, our boating home.   It was good to be back and we had a busy week planned.  

As always there was some maintenance, in the last week Kev had noticed the starter motor was sluggish and we thought it was down to the battery.  Unfortunately a new battery proved this wasn't the case so Kev took the starter motor off and went, on his trusty steed, to Goole Electrics.  They checked the motor and found the problem so Kev left it for repair.  It was ready the same afternoon and to save Kev a return journey on the bike they delivered it back to the marina; excellent service.  We did some other general maintenance including a top up for the domestic batteries.

Shaun came to take us for our annual maintenance check at the doctors and dentist and on the return journey Nic came along and we enjoyed lunch in the Green Tree at Hatfield.  During the week we met up with friends, had an excellent evening with Cath, John & the kids and toasted Dave & Rowena's new boat on their first night on board.  The time flew by but it was a good week to be in a marina, heavy rain was once again bringing up the river levels which may delay the next stage of our journey.


Our journey from Selby to Viking Marina

Leeds to Selby

Leeds city centre was a short walk from our moorings; a long tunnel known locally as the 'Dark Arches' took me under the railway station.  Once inside the tunnel I could see it was more than just an underpass; running at right angles to it were another series of arches which gave me a view of the channels taking the River Aire under the road.  

The Dark Arches are now illuminated.

I walked up to the art gallery and library which are housed in an elaborate building built in 1884.  I walked through the Tiled Hall, complete with a tiled ceiling, and saw the interesting staircases with their pillars, arches and heraldic beasts.

Heraldic beasts guard the staircase

The top floor was originally the reference library with alcoves for the books and an oak ceiling.  The librarian seemed pleased when I asked if I could take a photo and brought me a leaflet about the building.

The top floor which makes rather a grand reference library

The art gallery was closed for roof maintenance but the display of 'Leeds Tapestries' created for the Millenium was well worth seeing.  The 16 panels are nearly 8 feet tall and depict various aspects of life in Leeds using a wide variety of needlecraft techniques.

The Art for All panel, it represents a pinboard on which a variety of art related pieces have been pinned

Back outside I had a wander around the various shopping centres and the Kirkgate market which is the largest indoor market in Europe.

Leeds Kirkgate market in another impressive building

 On Saturday we decided to move on and sailed through the last lock on the Leeds Liverpool Canal onto the River Aire.  Flood defence works will now be underway at Knostrop and as we came through we could see some work was already underway.  It was a bit disconcerting to see Knostrop Flood Lock had been removed and as we approached Knostrop Fall Lock the traffic lights were off.  Thankfully the electric controls responded when Chris turned her key and we continued on to Woodlesford. We were now through all winter maintenance works affecting our journey so we were happy to take a day off when we saw the heavy rain on Sunday.

On Monday we sailed through to Castleford, always a good place to stop.  We'd been looking forward to a Chinese take-away from the excellent Oriental Delight and it didn't disappoint.  Bess and Brinny enjoyed the walks and it was nice to see the Lock Lane gardens are still well tended by volunteers.

The Lock Lane gardens look well kept even at this time of year

We continued our journey on Friday and sailed through to Knottingley where we stopped for a large shop at the nearby Morrisons before continuing to Bank Dole Lock and onto the River Aire.  It was then a short run to Beal where we stopped for the weekend.  On Sunday Nic, Gaz & Bett-Lou came over to see us and we went for an excellent lunch in the Kings Arms.

The Kings Arms at Beal where we had an excellent lunch

We left Beal on Monday and took the short Selby Canal into, you've guessed, Selby. The Monday market had a vacuum spares stall which was lucky because the hose had just split on our Dyson.  Having repaired the vacuum we set about investigating the damp patches which had appeared in the bathroom cupboard and the bedroom.  We had thought this was condensation but it wasn't drying with extra ventilation.  Kev resealed all the vents and the fittings attached to the outside and then we checked the bathroom.  Some of the seal around the sink and shower had deteriorated so all that was removed and Geoff came on board to give us a professional finish with silicon sealant.  So hopefully we're now ship-shape.


Our journey from Leeds to Selby

Skipton to Leeds

We sailed out of Skipton on Friday, a bright sunny day.  On the outskirts of the town we passed Snaygill Boats in their tranquil setting.

Snaygill Boats on the way out of  Skipton

From Snaygill we had a view across the Aire Valley as the canal now follows the river all the way to Leeds.  There aren't any locks in this section but there are numerous swing bridges with a variety of controls; some are all manual, some have electric road barriers but are swung manually and some are the opposite.  Unfortunately not many are all electric.  Chris and I were kept busy taking it in turns to jump off and open up the bridges.  

During the winter months passage down the Bingley 5 Rise Locks has to be pre-booked and as we arrived a day early, on Sunday, we had a day off.  

Bingley 5 Rise in the sun on Sunday.  Each lock empties into the lock below forming a staircase.

Monday morning was bitterly cold with freezing fog hanging in the air.  The lock-keeper had to thaw out the padlocks before we could begin our descent but he prepared the locks and it only took 50 minutes from top to bottom.  We sailed the short distance round to the Bingley 3 Rise where the lock-keeper again assisted our passage down.  All was well until the last lock which was almost empty when Kev noticed something was holding one side of Brent III up and she was starting to list in the lock.  We immediately shut down the sluices and the lock-keeper steadily reflooded the lock until Brent III floated off the obstruction.  Kev was able to push her away from the lock wall and the hidden obstruction so we could then empty the lock.  There was no harm done but it was a reminder to be alert in the locks. 

We descended another staircase lock at Dowley Gap before sailing into Shipley, a useful town for shops and a haircut.  The next morning Kev noticed a mink looking out from a gap in the opposite bank.  It obviously wasn't concerned by the people and cars in the car park above its lair.  

The mink looking out from its lair at Shipley

After taking the photo we set off, more swing bridges and another 2 staircase locks. We pulled up for the day after the Dobson Locks at Apperley Bridge. 

Moored up at the bottom of Dobson Locks

From our moorings we could see the next swing bridge, it was electrically operated but had manual barriers and the road was very busy.  We waited until after 9 before Chris and I walked down to open the bridge.  I turned the key in the control panel, we closed the road barriers and I pressed the 'open bridge' button.  The motor started and then stopped.  Traffic was building up but the control panel was dead.  We rang CRT and were surprised when a chap appeared almost immediately.  He hadn't received the call out that quickly; he just happened to be walking down the road to the workshops.  He quickly reset the bridge controls and opened it up.  Apparently the cold weather affects the hydraulic fluid and it's a common problem.  

At the next swing bridge a rubber sheet wrapped itself around our prop and it took a while for Kev and Geoff to cut it free.  We were glad to moor up at Rodley and all went for a meal at the Rodley Barge.  Rodley is the recommended last place to moor before Leeds.  We'd had to book our passage through the next notorious section because the locks are padlocked to prevent the canal being drained by vandals.  

The next day a lock-keeper met us at Newlay Locks and we descended the staircase of 3.  As Kev pulled out of the last lock the prop made a now familiar noise and Brent III came to a halt, something else was round our prop.  When we looked in the weedhatch we were confronted with a mass of canvas and stainless steel strips, all knotted around the prop and its shaft.  Kev and Geoff spent sometime with bolt croppers and knives but they couldn't remove the tangled mass.  Aware we were in the 'no stopping at night' zone we decided to continue travelling and complete the journey into Leeds.  Brent III was tied up to Geordie Spirit and Geoff brought both boats along the 4 miles and down 9 locks into Leeds city centre.  Kev had another go at cutting the canvas and because it was tight I had a snip at it with my embroidery scissors; they were never intended for that sort of work but they did a good job.  Eventually Kev used a stanley knife to slice through the last of the canvas and the whole mass fell away, straight into the deep water of Granary Wharf where it had to stay because we couldn't reach it to pull it out.  

After the problems of the last few days it was a relief to reach Leeds and although we were near the railway station and not far from the city centre, the moorings were very quiet.  It was an ideal place to stop.

Old and new buildings in this view across the canal at Leeds.  Brent III is near the bottom right hand corner

Our journey from Skipton to Leeds

Foulridge to Skipton

On Thursday morning we awoke to frozen ropes and a bitterly cold wind.  The canal took us north passed Barnoldswick before turning north-east to Greenberfield where we descended 3 locks which took us off the summit level.  We stopped at the bottom of the locks with a good view across the moors over the county boundary into North Yorkshire. 

Our view into Yorkshire from the moorings at Greenberfield.  The next bridge over the canal is also visible as the canal turns sharply to the left.

The next day was also very cold and we hadn't been travelling long when Kev spotted a sheep stranded in the canal.  It only needed to walk 50 yards to a lower section of the bank where it could climb out but it couldn't be encourage to move.  Kev steered Brent III's bow into the bank and jumped off to noose the sheep with a rope; he was then able to walk it to the lower section of the bank and out of the canal.   

Kev walking the sheep out of the canal.  The photo also shows Geoff's bow and the dog he carved from a log.  

The canal continued to twist and turn as it followed the contours and we sailed under an unusual bridge at East Marton.

The unusual double arched bridge at East Marton

The 6 Bank Newton Locks took us down 56 feet after which we decided to continue on to Gargrave.  There we discovered the Anchor Lock is next to the Anchor Pub and it didn't take long to find a mooring so we could call in for lunch. 

On Saturday we waited until the heavy rain had stopped before setting off.  After the second lock we pulled over at a coal merchant's yard and stocked up at a good price.  Loading the coal was easy, a forklift brought it down to the canalside.   After descending the last Gargrave Lock the rain set in again so we called it a day and our ritual post-cruise cup of tea was drunk on board Geordie Spirit.

Sunday was a bright clear day and we had just 4 miles sailing into Skipton with no locks. There were however 4 swing bridges which will now be a feature of the canal all the way into Leeds.   In Skipton we moored up outside 2 grand old mill buildings with a Morrisons conveniently close by. 

The renovated old mill buildings towered over our mooring.

Skipton is a small market town and one of our favourite places to return to.  The interesting old mills in their mellow stone are in good condition; there is a good variety of shops with a street market on most days and plenty of places to eat and drink including the excellent Bizzie Lizzies fish and chips.   

The sunshine shows the old mill buildings at their best

During our stay at Skipton my friend Kris came over to see us, we used to work together many years ago but haven't seen each other since we started cruising.  It was good to see each other again and as you can imagine we had plenty to talk about. 


Our journey from Foulridge to Skipton