Rochdale 2013 - Irk Aqueduct

Rochdale 2013

Smithy Bridge to Irk Aqueduct / Rose of Lancaster

5 Sept 2013

8 miles - 15 locks - 6 hours

As I suspected, there were no boat movements overnight (nor were there over the preceding or following days) and our unofficial use of the mooring bollards at Smithy Bridge caused no inconvenience. Whilst we only draw about 2ft, we couldn't get the stern anywhere near the bank so we left it hanging out 18 inches or so - the margins are terribly shallow.

I cant believe that last time I came this way we managed to go over the summit and all the way own to the Rose of Lancaster in a single day. True, we started over the summit at 8.00am and Jeff and I were prone to heroics, but even splitting it into two legs is proving sufficiently taxing for Helen and I. 

Clegg Hall looks like a nice alternative mooring, but again I could see nowhere deep enough to get into the bank.

The run unto Rochdale was uneventful and free of the running hassle of stone throwers we experienced four years ago. In fact, the area round the canal is being re developed and it all feels more "gentrified" and therefore safer. The Rochdale locks are unchanged - dirty, broken and generally unloved. But that said, all that landscaping 10 years ago has left a legacy of lots of interesting foraging potential so, naturally, out progress slowed to a crawl.

Of course, urban canal means poly bags and we had a ruff of them round the prop all the way through to Blue Pits Lock when I retrieved them. Nothing heavy - just a lot of them. The locks then progressed in a mind numbing procession, interspersed with concrete gymnastics and the canal threaded its way under the roads built after the canal was abandoned. Impressive in a brutal unlovely sort of way.

Slattocks stands out, a group of flight tightly packed locks where we secured a big bag of Bramley Apples and discovered the delights of the Slattocks leak. With no boat traffic I felt comfortable walking down to the bottom, filling the chambers as I went. On my return to the boat the towpath passed through a small tunnel and I was met with a torrent of water which would give a slalom canoe club good value! It was pouring out of the lock wall and all I could do was find the shallowest part and wade through.

Finally, at Boarshaw Lock (60) I met another boater, appearing with windlass from below the lock like a modern day Dr Livingstone. A pair of boats had been held up by a stoppage on the Rochdale 9 in Manchester and has come up from Picadilly that morning. Interestingly, the second boat was Pippin, with who has alerted me to the stoppage issue from their temporary base in Castlefields.

And so, after a modest 6 hours on the move, we crept onto a mooring at the Irk Aqueduct, just short of the Rose of Lancaster. Today it was a balmy 20C which made for sticky lock working but all is set to change tomorrow - 12C and incessant rain. Just the thing for the "big push" into Manchester on the last day of the trip.

Rochdale 2013 - Smithy Bridge

Rochdale 2013

Summit to Smithy Bridge

4th September 2013

3.5 miles - 13 locks - 5.5 hours

Summit isnt just the top pound - there is an actual place called Summit at the western end of the one mile pound complete with pub and watering point.

 Above lock 36 - Rochdale Canal

The summit lock (36) is unlocked at 10.30am which precludes a mad dash down to the Rose of Lancaster in a single bound, as had been our original plan. We therefore engineered our passage along the Rochdale to give us three days of descent which, if the truth be told, was a much more comfortable approach than the heroics I undertook with Jeff four years ago which involved a further 7 miles of travel and an extra 14 locks.

The summit section is undoubtedly glorious, its broad sweep of water cutting through the moorland with the surrounding hills crowding in on either side and heather lining the water margin.

The descent is as slow as it is pretty, with me having just about enough energy to lift a single paddle and then sit for 5 mins watching the peat stained water swirl down and out, eventually making a level and allowing me to crack open the heavy gates. I sometime wonder how many times I have started for long minutes at water selling up - it must add up to days, probably weeks of my life but I still find it both strangely compelling and soothing at the same time.

The majestic summit pound of the Rochdale Canal

The problem with the Rochdale is that at times they didn't build by-washes and instead all the surplus water cascades over the lock gates - which can make them easy to fill but very difficult to open. The other feature is the partial state of collapse of many, their width reduced to less than two boats. Not that it mattered to us as its days since we saw any boats on the move and we seem to have the whole canal to ourselves.

Tell me, where else can you safely sit on a lock chamber and refill your water tank? Where can you moor in a lock and wander off to pick fruit for 30 mins? Where can you moor to swing bridge bollards for the night in almost certain confidence that no one will pass? If you like your boating solitary, this is the place to come.

That said, facilities are few and far between - especially sanitary stations. You male use of every opportunity and the station at Littleborough is the only one between Tod and Manchester!

We next to the Smithy Bridge swing bridge, using the bollards as they offered the only place where we could get anywhere near the bank. Moorings are scarce. The fruit harvest has become more abundant after a barren few days with lots of Blackberries, Crab Apples and Rose Hips.

Rochdale 2013 - Summit

Rochdale 2013

Todmorden to Summit

3rd Sept 2013

3 miles - 12 locks - 5 hours

We spent a morning wandering round Todmorden, exploring The Incredible Edible planting sites and sampling small samples here and there. We even had a long walk round the town park searching for an elusive Mulberry tree but has better luck in he local antique shop.

The baby Bucky can

We had been told about a genuine antique small Buckby can and were disappointed to find the shop closed for the day. But then we saw a chap painting the front door and explained about the can and lo and behold the owner got it out for us and brought it out for us to look at. Its a little rusty but absolutely genuine. At some point the base has had a coat of paint to try and waterproof it, but the body of the can has original paintwork - an absolute gem. We had a mild haggle - reduced the price a bit and returned to the boat with an unusual memento of our stay in town.

Scenes above Todmorden

We set off at 1.30pm fortified with some excellent local bread and a couple of bottles of local stout. 

Climbing into the moors

The upper end of the Rochdale isn't for the faint hearted. Its up, up, up and away with precious little flat cruising and I resigned myself to a long slow walk all the way to the summit. The locks were all set against, which doubled the work. Initially passing the great wall of Tod then on through farmland which eventually gives way to moorland.

The top!

By the time we reached lock 36 at 6.30pm, our destination for the night, I was hot and weary. The locks are rarely used, leaky and therefore very stiff - good practice for what is to follow as we descent through Lancashire. Tomorrow we go over the top and into Lancashire...

The Incredible Edible Todmorden

The Incredible Edible Todmorden

September 2013

There is a chapter in one of Alys Fowler's foraging books which takes a look at the Incredible Edible Todmorden initiative (IET) and when she read it Helen asked "do we ever go through Todmorden on the canal - I would love to see it".

And so the seeds of this years big trip were sown. Why not take a trip north which includes the Rochdale Canal and have a day in Todmorden. So, if asked, I guess my answer to where did you go on holiday this year would be Todmorden - at least it sounds a bit better than Rochdale!

We had arrived in the basin last night and were immediately confronted with IET signs and plantings beside the canal, including a plum tree with a solitary fruit among its branches. So whats this IET thing all about? Well, its an initiative dreamed up by some civic minded locals in about 2007 who wanted to start an environment improving movement which would benefit the whole community. The result was the introduction of guerrilla gardening into the horticultural lexicon.

IET planting plots

Put simply the locals find bits of unused land and start to cultivate them with edible crops - fruit, vegetables and herbs. No official sanction or organisation - they just go forth and sow!

Todmorden's impressive town hall

The evidence of their efforts can bee seen all over the town; fruit by the canal, medicinal herbs by the doctor's surgery and vegetables in front of the police station. In facts there are pockets everywhere and there are maps to show you where to look. What a great idea!

Our arrival at the start of September was a bit late for most crops but it is clear that locals plant, cultivate and harvest the produce. From a foragers perspective it was very thin pickings as so many people had been their first, but what an inspiration!

A little something for Montgomery

We spent the morning wandering round the town, also playing a visit to the old Co Op which is now an excellent eco deli with a lovely cafe upstairs. We also persuaded the owner of the antique shop to open up and sell us a very cute antique Buckby Can, which make a very fitting memento of our trip.

Rochdale 2013 - Todmorden

Rochdale 2013

Sowerby Bridge to Todmorden

2 Sept 2013

10 miles - 18 locks - 7 hours

After an e-mail exchange with nb Tacet, and a discussion with the lock keeper at Tuel Lane, we decided on a change of plan.  The opening hours over the summit are limited and our plan to spend a night between the two top locks would result in a couple of days of after dark heroics to get us into Manchester on time.  We therefore sacrificed a day on the Yorkshire side to ease the trip down into Lancashire - and this meant skipping a night in Hebden Bridge and pressing on to Tod instead.

Tuel Lane Tunnel

We took on 100L of diesel at Shire Cruisers to replace that used on the trip north. Not the cheapest fuel by any means, but suppliers over here are few and far between. Whilst filling up a little Springer was poled across the basin, leaving a much tattier twin behind. The odd thing was that it was decorated ready for Christmas, so it really begged the question. It transpired that it forms part of the TV show "Last Tango in Halifax" starring Derek Jacobi. Sadly the filming wouldn't start till 1.00pm and we needed to be on our way, so we will just have to wait till the Christmas Special is televised and we find out how the two boats fit into the story.

Last Tango in Halifax comes to Sowerby Bridge

We were out of the ultra deep Tuel Lane Lock 45 mins later at 11.45, tailing other boats and turning locks all the way. We passed one boat in Hebden Bridge which made life a lot easier and then found our way impeded by a boat across the channel at the "alternative zone". It was nothing more than badly banged in pins, but it took a while to persuade the locals to help re fix their colleagues boat.

Tuel Lane Lock

The journey up from Hebden Bridge takes the canal out of the mills and woods and into open pasture, catching another boat and speeding out passage to Tod which was reached at 6.15pm. 

Rochdale Canal

With little enthusiasm for making a meal on board we checked out the local eateries and were faces with either Weatherspoons (boring) or a strange Thai restaurant known as Humenska or the Three Wise Monkeys. Our apprehension was allayed by some locals who vouched for its quality and whilst it couldn't decide if it is a club or eatery, the food was truly top class and the beer, a stout from the Little Valley Brewery was simple devine.

Hebden Bridge

Perhaps the strangest incident was saved for the close of the day. As the bar manager and a client were viewing and discussing what appeared to be either erotic art on an on line S&M site (its a fine distinction) in walked this chap with Buster his dog. Buster was almost human and when his master left for a natural break he jumped up onto the bar stool and took his place. Buster, it turned out, was Andy Kershaws dog!

 Buster

Local Ale

Todmorden may be known for its great wall containing 4 million bricks, but it is also known for The Incredible Edible Todmorden initiative, but more about that in my next post.

Rochdale 2013 - Castlefields Manchester

Rochdale 2013

Irk Aqueducy to Castlefields, Manchester

6th Sept 2013

9 miles - 29 locks - 10 hours

First up, apologies for the lack of photos. Cameras and rain are not good bedfellows if you know what I mean.

This was always going to be the low point of the trip in terms of effort and quality of canal but add pouring rain / low temperatures into the mix and you have the perfect end to a holiday! There really isnt ant way round the fact that its a long unpleasant slog from the Rose of Lancaster to Picadilly, and having reached Picadilly you may as well grind on through the heart on Manchester on the Rochdale 9.

A dismal Miles Platting

We had some low grade irritation from some teenage lads at the Irk Aqueduct, running onto the boat but the fading light and the first spots of rain saw them disappear into the distance leaving us to our own devices with rain drumming on the roof.

The forecast was for rain all day and for once they were spot on. Sometimes light, sometimes heavy but always wet - very wet! We met the guys from Canals and Rivers at 8.30 as planned but the assisted passage we experienced four years ago is a thing of the past. Assistance consists of unlocking the lock at the top and locking the bottom lock behind us as we leave. The only support is a mobile phone number "in case of trouble" and a muttered prayer for safety. Of course, the rain cloud brings with it a silver lining in the fact that hoodlums (lovely word) dont like getting wet so bankside trouble was kept at bay.

Fialsworth passes without incident as did Newton Heath. The locks are very leaky so getting levels and opening gates is hard work, but we made steady progress - Helen shivering at the tiller and me sweating in my waterproofs. To be honest, the old sink estates are being gradually bulldozed and you can see regeneration coming. The economic downturn has slowed the process to glacial speeds, but it is happening and the Rochdale Canal is the catalyst, just as its neighboring the Ashton was before it.

We were glad to meet a pair of boats rising up at Scotchmans Lock which at least meant that all the locks thereafter were full. This development speeded progress a bit and we emerges into a dismally wet Picadilly at 2.30pm.

An equally dismal Picadilly

With a recovery crew meeting scheduled for tomorrow morning we pressed on down the "9". Those top two locks have to be the most horrible in the country - an underworld haven for rent boys and druggies. I am not sure which is worse - the used condoms, the needles, the stench of urine of the baleful gaze of lads touting for trade. If I need a mental picture of Hell and hopelessness this is the one I use.

The descent picks up as we drop through Manchester but irritatingly someone had decided it would be a really good idea to half draw a paddle on each tail gate. Not draw it all the way mind so I can see it, just half way so you only find out when the lock wont fill, the upper pound is sinking fast and the lower pound is awash. We had a spot of bother at Princes Street Lock - the one where there is no access from the shore. Our comms failed and Helen sailed out of the lock leaving me jumping up and down and hollering for her to come back - much to the amusement of the Canals and Ricers Guys who had come to say farewell.

We emerged from Dukes Lock at 5.00pm, wet and exhausted and with all thoughts of making a hand over at Bollin erased. The hand over will be in Castlefirlds come hell or high water. All we were fit for was to tie up in Castle Quay and eat fish and chips from the excellent shop near the Science Museum.

Bar the drunken revelry of Friday night in downtown Manchester (normal) that's in for the big summer 2013 trip. Martin and Adam will arrive tomorrow morning and we will return home by car. A lovely trip but I suspect that we wont be back in Yorkshire for a few year - there are other places we want to explore (the Chesterfield isn't in Yorkshire is it?).

The Mystery Can from Tod

A new purchase for the butty

3 Sept 2013

You may have wondered where Capt Ahab has gone....

Lock 36 - Rochdale Canal Summit

Well, the answer is that we have gone boating and a full trip report will follow. But for now we are sitting at the summit pound of the Rochdale Canal, heading west towards Manchester having just crossed from Yorkshire to Lancashire.

For those that have never been this way, it really is boating at the top of the world. The moorland comes right down to the canal.

Whilst in Todmorden this morning we purchased a small "Buckby" can - an authentic one complete  with is original artwork and a rust hole. Ian and Karen - thanks for the tip off!

The mystery can

Any ideas who painted it and where it may have come from?

Manchester to Marple

Manchester to Marple

Sunday 11th April 2010

Easter 2010 - part 16

14 Miles - 27 locks - 10 hours

Today was something of a "day after the day" before for us.

Manchester is a vibrant city and it's inhabitants enthusiastically grasped the potential of the first warm Saturday night of the season. All the resulting revelry made for a boisterous night at Castlefields.

Packet-boat boathouse at Fairfield Junction

Party goers were hard at it till dawn, finally staggering back to their, or sometimes someone else's, bed at about 4.30am. We encountered a new game this year, which involved a goup of friends starting somewhere near Canal St and half going north and half going south. An innocent enough game you might say but the twist is the they then start to shout to each other at intervals and see how far apart they can get before they can no longer hear each other. Part of me was amused to hear the southern contingent bellowing in the next door car park and the an ever so fait reply coming back from somewhere near Piccadilly, and the other part of me was annoyed to have been disturbed from my slumber.

Ashton Canal

So, soon after this DIY Mythbuster audie experiment, we were wide awake and making a start up the Rochdale 9 by 6.30am. Normally I quite enjoy this strenous trip up through the now sleeping heart of Manchester, but not so today. The combination of a broken nights sleep, aching legs from the long cycle ride and a sore bum from an unfamiliar saddle, I struggled to keep motivated. But it says in the Good Book that "all things come to pass" and so it is with the slow and heavy Rochdale canal. We plugged away, passing a solitary boat descending near the Bridgewater Hall,  finally emerging into a bright crisp morning in Piccadilly about 2.5 hours later.

Portland Basin

The Ashton Canal was once one of the most feared sections of inland waterway in the country, presided over by gangs of uncontrolled kids and negotiated only by the brave or the ignorant. Oh how things have changed. Sure we prudently opted for the early start approach, but all the council estates, high rise blocks and slum back to backs have either been flattened or emptied and about half the canal's length is now lined with swanky new apartments, or vacant lots awaiting redevelopment when the economic conditions improve. The amazing "Chips" building is complete, but sparcely occupied and the new marina basin behind it stands empty and forlorn, awaiting if not a New Jerusalem then at least a "New Islington". One day this will be spectacular, with a larger basin full of boats and entered via a grand lift bridge. As it is it all looks very sad with about 20 ft of towpath standing as a resolute barrier to progress.

As for the rest of the canal, the towpath has been claimed by walkers, joggers, cyclists and families out for a stroll, with all trace of the mob culture wiped away. I am almost getting to like the Ashton Canal, apart form the fact that it is dirty, litter filled and boring!

Portland Aqueduct

Hey ho, whatever you think of it, the Ashton is a very handy link to the canals which lie beyond, namely the Huddersfield Narrow Canal and the Peak Porest Canal. We would have loved to enter the romtically named W1 - the first lock on the western end of the Huddersfield Canal but it wasn't to be. Instead we settled for winding outside ATC centre and then replenishing our dwindling stocks from the Asda which straddles the cut.  My purchases included some new jeans for Jeff to replace the ones he split earlier. I got the leg length way too long but no problem - I knew the Duck Tape would come in handy for something.

Marple bottom lock

The day was fine so we pressed op up the Peak Forest Canal, a narrow and shallow waterway which offers little scope for rapid progress, but why hurry along such a pretty route. We ended up mooring in the pool at the very foot of the Marple Locks which offered spectacular views back along the Marple Aqueduct, and a very good spot to stop for the nght.

South Pennine Ring, Chadderton to Little Bollington

South Pennine Ring, Chadderton to Little Bollington
9th April 2009
Rochdale Canal and Bridgewater Canal

21 Miles
29 Locks
12 Hours

Ray McDonald, the summit lock keeper, had advised us to allow 1.5 hours to cruise from Chadderton to Failsworth Top Lock, rather than to one hour suggested by Nicholson. Thus far his advice had proved to be very accurate so we were up by 6.30am and on the move by 7.00am.

Chadderton really does represent a threshold on the Rochdale Canal. All yesterdays greenery gives way and the Rochdale rapidly becomes squalid. However, the first section does contain a fair amount of engineering interest, firstly in the form of the Grimshaw Vertical Lift Bridge. This unusual mechanism lifts a busy section of road up in the air on four huge hydraulic rams. Interesting for us, but undoubtedly very annoying for the 100 or so vehicles we held up on their way to work. This structure is soon followed by a new stretch of canal which winds to and fro to get under and round the deafening M60.

We arrived at Failsworth Top Lock at 8.27am and there next to the lock was a BW van, complete with a crew of three. Uh oh! if they need three people to get us down things must be bad indeed, we thought. This crew referred to themselves as the "A Team" and set themselves a target of getting us down and out to Piccadilly Basin by noon.



The next four miles took us through the centre of some of the grimmest sink estates that Manchester has to offer; Failsworth, Newton Heath, Bradford, Miles Platting and Ancoates. The canal dosn't pussy foot its way through these estates. Instead, it strides boldly through the middle of them, with its 18 heavily vandalised locks rubbing shoulders with houses, broken bottles and burnt out cars.

It is clear that the restoration of the Rochdale Canal was intended to introduce a green corridor to these troubles parts but sadly, as in Rochdale itself, the area is reclaiming the waterway for its own - sinking back into a wasteland after eight short years. The actual navigation channel was never properly dredged and instead a narrow groove was dug through the infill on the towpath side, with the spoil banked up on the offside. The restorers appear to have tried to make this vice into a virtue by using the dredgings as fishing points, and at other times by fencing them of as Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). Scientific Interest my eye - most of the steel rods are still there, delineating the boundaries of the navigation and ecology zones, but the netting they supported is long gone and now lurks on the canal bed like police "stingers", waiting to trap passing boaters.
Judging by the muck and debris in these "conservation zones" I can only conclude that their inclusion was a sop to the environmental lobby, and to add weight to the restoration business case.

You can't fault the BW team - they were great. They clearly know the area very well and took every opportunity to chat to the locals, spreading goodwill and cheer. They are really good ambassadors for the canal and BW generally. We were told that with an 8.30am start from Failsworth we should have an uneventful passage, but the same couldn't be said for boaters who roll up at 10.30 am, by which time the local youth have surfaced and are out looking for amusement. There is absolutely no way I would willingly run this particular gauntlet without the support of BW.

The inadequately dredged pounds have another negative consequence. The current capacity is severely restricted and is incapable of accommodating an additional lock full of water. Even by draining the locks slowly the water levels rose alarmingly, pooling around the next lock and sending water cascading over the bottom gates. At least the floating rubbish was moved on a bit!

The estates looked like a city under siege. Ravi News at Shears Lock took on the air of a mini fortress, and the nearby Navigation Inn and local churches, which serve the various spiritual needs of the community, were crowned with razor wire. Not inviting.

The estates were mercifully quiet, with a cold wind kicking up the litter and the splattering of rain discouraging visits to the great outdoors. The individuals we saw were young, male and uniformly dressed in cheap hoodies, trackies and trainers - all with a pinched and furtive look topped off with a skinhead haircut. The label feral wouldn't be far off the mark. But in some ways I can understand their frustration. They live in some of the most deprived areas in the country and here comes some rich posh bloke (relatively) parading his shiny boat (toy) right through their patch. The hassle they cause isn't right, but then again the inequalities within our society arn't right either. Don't ask me for an answer; I can see the problem but not the solution!

My notes from the trip illustrate what you can expect along this stretch:

1. Locks 68-69. Keep to the extreme left - underwater debris surfaces in mid channel
2. Expect constant surface debris preventing the full opening of gates
3. Prop never fully free of poly bags
4. Three serious prop foulings requiring removal in lock chambers
5. Lock 71 - stench of petrol from sunken motorbike
6. Beam thief has struck at lock 73 - half balance beam sawn off - vandalism the hard way!
   
7. Filth eclipses the Walsall Canal - my previous low water benchmark
   

The housing stops at lock 71, after which the going becomes easier in a more industrial environment. The feeling of menace receding for a while leading to the attractive Regal Basin, which has been lovingly transformed.

But then a change. The adjoining estates are devoid of life and boarded up awaiting redevelopment, with New Islington extending up the canal and crossing over from the bottom end of the Ashton Canal. Ancoats is an area reborn, with structures like Royal Mill converted into high class offices and apartments.

The "A Team" left us at Butler Lane Lock (81) at 12.00 noon, 3.5 hours after we started from Failsworth - 18 locks and a complete absence of trouble ago. We paused in Piccadilly Basin to have some lunch and then cracked on down the Rochdale 9. We had never descended the flight before, and were therefore unaware of the flooding the lack of by washes causes. At times the increased volume of water overwhelmed the following lock and towpath to the extent that pedestrians has to find alternative routes to their destinations. This issue was particularly severe at Dukes Lock, the last on the canal. The surplus water was so great that 10" was flowing over the gates and this last hurdle was the closest we came to getting stuck. It tool all our combined strength to prise the gates open and pass through.

Just as we were about to exit Dukes Lock we were surprised to see nb Annabel 1 nosing up below. A lovely old gentleman draped in a well worn IWA sweatshirt appeared beside the lock and announced that they were heading up the Rochdale, aiming to moor at Failsworth where they would meet his family. The gentleman had failed to read his navigational notes or appreciated the magnitude of the task which lay ahead. We left him and his wife in the chamber of Dukes Lock engaged in a serious telephone discussion with BW!

Rather than overnight in Castlefields, we decided to make for the country. We travelled for three hours down the Bridgewater, this time passing a great many boats from Worsley and Preston Brook Cruising Clubs, out for the Bank Holiday weekend. In the end we moored just beyond the Bollin Aqueduct, ready for a changeover with Martin and Adam the next day.

In a strange way I really like these grim industrial sections. They are canalling in the raw, stripped back to the basics and echo the scenes I remember from the 1960's. The threat of danger insn't pleasant, but it does provide excellent material for "pub canal stories". The danger is that these are the stories others remember, with all the more positive aspect forgotten. Make no mistake, the South Pennine Ring is one of the inland waterways epic journeys. The dangers reported in outer Manchester and Rochdale and more in the mind than an actual threat, and are far outweighed by the magnificence of the remainder.