He cast off at 8.50am and came into our last 'uphill' lock for some time - what a relief.
Leaving the lock
And out in the summit pound of the Rochdale Canal, an oxygen challenged, 600 feet ASL!
The change was immediate -full pounds and fantastic scenery as we head toward the moorlands.
The moorland of this area made up of an acid peat overlying gritstone, poor draining and so agriculturally unproductive. Grazing Canada geese outnumber the livestock by at least 30 to 1 - very much like the kangaroos around Little Cuttagee :)
The summit pound continued along a valley
The sides of which were quite steep
and wonderfully scenic
At the end of the summit pound we came to Lock 36 - its all downhill from here (which when it comes to narrowboating is a GOOD thing. a) you take water with you b) the boat driver can help by closing the back gate and if nimble can even wind up a front paddle before hopping back on the boat)
We are now in West Yorkshire.
One of the few paddocks in which we saw some sheep
As the CKC know, I like good reflection
with the locks coming at regular intervals. Looking back up the valley from where we had come
Coming down into Walsden
L entering the lock
Looks like a bit of cubby house competition going on in the lockside cottages
First one
Then another and a couple of others beyond
Stone fences across the hillside
Looking back
We moored up on lock landing in Walsden at 12.30 for some lunch and it very soon became apparent that it wasn't only the scenery that was different, the people were too. Over this side of the hill everybody looked you in the eye and wanted to chat. They said it was because "thems Lancastrians tova ovva side o' hill, thems a doer (which I took to mean dour) lot" . But to be fair further back, thems Lancastrians warned us that we were going to "the dark side ovvit air"
Continuing on
we kept descending, some locks easier to work than others. The hanging garden in this one indicating it is a bad leaker.
But this one was in our favour, which means it was full when we got to it. Lawrence getting back on board after closing the gate behind him.
Lovely view from Pinnel Lock
Gauxholme High Lock set below a very steep hillside, where a tattoed man came out of one of the lockside row houses to help me with the gate because he knew "tis right 'ard dis'un". I feel a total dork sometimes as I stand there, mouth most probably agape, as the brain wheels turn, desperately trying to translate. Sometimes, to my shame, I fail miserably, even after a couple of tries on their part.
The locks were coming thick and fast now, with only short pounds between them. So it was back to working ahead, but this time to open the paddles on the lock in front so as not to lose the water drainded from the lock behind. So having opened the paddles to fill the lock in the pic above. I walk down to the lock below and open one paddle to allow it to slowly fill. Then walk back up to the previous lock to open the gate to let A.Beatha into the lock. L brings her in, gets off and shuts the gate behind him and then gets back on board and signals me to start opening the paddles to drain the lock (and thereby filling the lock below whose top addle I had previously opened), open a gate, close the paddles, and let L out, close the gate and waddle as fast as possible down to the next lock to open the gate to let L into the lock. Repeat and keep repeating.
The rather gothic train bridge the crosses the canal between Gauxholme top lock, no 24
and the lock below (pic above)no 23
By now, after 16 locks, we were both really knackered, but with only four more to get through before reaching the delights of Todmorden, we pushed on
A seriously leaking back gate
Looking back at the very pcturesque bridge 30A,
just before the Great Wall of Tod, a massive blue brick retaining wall that apparently precedes the town.
Round the bend at the end of the Great Wall, and Todmorden town centre is in sight
One last hurdle to overcome, the last lock of the day, no.19 with a guillotine for a bottom gate.
Tired as I was I had to read the instructions a couple of times to get the order right and not chop A.Beatha in two
Out he goes in one piece. Now I have to get the jolly thing down again
Woops got to get round the other side to lower the paddles and as I come back, get a glimpse up the high street.
By the time I'd finished with the guillotine lock (about 5.45pm) and crossed the road to get to the visitor moorings. The first visitor moorings between the start of the western summit and 19 locks later, and there is space for only two boats!! Both spots were taken and a third boat was moored on the waterpoint. The guy on the water point, knowing he was being naughty (but who can blame him) called out that we were welcome to breast up to him if we wanted water. L, cunning little bugger, said yes thanks, tied up to his boat and said and we'll be staying here the night too.
The wall beside which we are moored with the Golden Lion Pub at the end.
Moored up for the night.
After showering, yes both of us - afterall we have the luxury of a tap on the other side of the boat to which we are moored - we refilled the tank and took ourselves of to the Golden Lion for dinner. Our fellow boaters having said the pub was a bit dodgy looking, I did look for somewhere else to eat, but being a Monday night most of the restaurants were closed and thank god they were because the Golden Lion has one of the best Thai chefs in Yorkshire and the people come out from Manchester to eat here (and listen to the music). It was better than anything I have had outside of Melbourne. And the pub wasn't dodgy at all it is owned by "a hippy woman" a fellow patron told us, "and her and this pub have put Todmorden on the map , people are moving from Hebden Bridge to here now". Mind you, I wouldn't want to moor outside on a Saturday night; going by the size of the speakers the music would be loud enough to blast you off the water. The best way for me to describe this pub is to say it would/could be Pete Sands idea of heaven.
I was going to give you bit of Rochdale Canal history, now that I'm feeling a little kindlier toward it, but today's blog has gone on way long enough, so maybe tomorrow.
3 1/2 miles, 19 locks
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