Over breakfast we did some route investigation and planning. The route we would like to take is dependent on a lock on the Peak Forest Canal being reopened on the 24th May or soon after (however since the original re-opening time was sometime in March, we are not entirely confident) and the CRTs stoppages page on this lock has not been updated since the 6th of February.
So, having ruled out returning down the Rochdale as too horrible to even contemplate we checked out the Leeds and Liverpool as our second option, all was going well other than some time restrictions on locks etc due to low water until we got to a notice such and such pound drained for bridge repair, closed till July :( Bummer
3rd Option is as the first option but instead of turning onto the Peak Forest we take the Ashton Canal which takes us through the southern side of Manchester and pops us out above the Rochdale 9! Not ideal but doable.
So first off we needed to ascertain if the rebuilding of the Marple lock was on schedule. It must be said that I have tried to find out this information several times over the last week. Easier said than done. Since our last trip CRT has had a corporate makeover and getting on to anyone who actually knows anything seems impossible. After ringing up and listening to an interminable recording telling you you can do everything on line, you finally get onto a polite young girl (whose probably never been near a canal in her life) who tells you to look online, and when I explain my situation hireboat/deadlines etc and the particular notice hasn't been up dated since early Feb, she just keeps repeating all the information is on line. She may as well be a recording herself. GRR very frustrating.
You can imagine my joy this morning, when after having a fag while listening to the recording, a bloke answered the phone and understood our predicament and told us the office has received quite a few calls with the same question recently. So many in fact that he had been motivated to ring the officer in charge of the repair for an update and so far they are on track, but do keep checking the website.
Anyway both option 1 and option 3 entail going through the infamous Standedge Tunnel, the longest, deepest and highest tunnel in England, Sounds scary doesn't it? By all accounts it is. You have to book passage through it and there is a boat dimension formula that lets you work out if your boat will fit through the tunnel. So we set off to have a wander around town whilst in search of a tape measure.
Bridge over Hebden Water
Even if you are only mildly interested in industrial history this map is interesting. It shows all the waterpowered mills operating in the area of Upper Calderdale (with Hebden Bridge roughly in the middle) in the early 1800s. Keep in mind this is just the mills and doesn't take into account mines, quarries and other types of industry. One of the earliest mills known in the area was a manorial corn mill, first recorded in 1363, which operated on the site of the Hudson Mill
Hebden Bridge is built on the confluence of Hebden Water and the Calder River. And along with the canal is subject to flooding. The most severe in recent times being 2015 and can be seen on you tube. Looking up to the old packhorse bridge and the chimney of local mill can just be seen.
After spending a couple of hours poking around town, up, down and around little alleys and lanes, looking at the local mill and its still operating water wheel etc, whilst on our quest for a tape measure and after buying a couple of trekking sticks (L's hips are giving increasing trouble) we returned to A.Beatha to measure her up and for Lawrence to work out whether she will fit through the Standedge Tunnel. She does with an inch to spare on the height and roof width requirements. Look up CRT Standedge Tunnel if you are interested.
So we would fit - just - so it was time to ring CRT to make a booking :( :( After much you do it, no you do it, I caved and rang CRT. Another nightmare, I got onto another of those blockers. First she said I needed the index number of the boat, is that on the boat's licence I ask, no she said its on a plaque on the boat somewhere, ring back when you have found it. So I search the boat, find a manufacturers plaque and note the number. Luckily a CRT person is fund raising just down the towpath so I went and explained and asked him what the index number is. He said its the licence number we need! So then it back on to CRT, get the same girl. Start going through the process, the boat's details aren't complete she says, you'll have to get the hire company to ring us before we can make a booking. :( I then drown poor Justin with voicemail, text and phone messages. Get a quick response from him, doesn't understand the problem, boat has been registered for 4 years, in a meeting, will ring CRT as soon as he's out. An hour later get a msg from Justin, problem sorted glitch with CRT computer.
Ring back CRT, this time get a helpful woman Yvonne and start the booking process again. The boats details are incomplete she says, I'm about to have a melt down when she says no, on looking more closely the boats details are complete, I don't know why the computer is saying they aren't, just hang on while I fix this. After a few minutes she returns and says that's all fixed but your beam of 6'10" exceeds the maximum width which 6"9", my heart plummets, but wait she said just let me talk to someone........... back she comes, no that's alright she says, you will fit when would you like to go?
Next Wednesday please. Booked out she says. What about the Friday?. Yes she says.
Hooray. Done. We have a plan and schedule at last.
It now being too late to catch the bus up to Heponstall and walk back, we opted for another walk around this lovely little town.
The town is so attractive you forget to look up to the hills, oh look there is another mill!
The River Calder, taken from the canal aqueduct
Looking back up to our mooring
And here she is, our narrow home away from home.
Lawrence said, as I was snapping some ducks yesterday as we came into Hebden Bridge "no more fucking ducks" - so here is a pic of the three musketeers, valiant defenders of the towpath.
No comments:
Post a Comment