Selby to Leeds on the Aire and Calder

We are now in Leeds Dock (used to be called Clarence Dock) in the centre of Leeds.  This is the story of how we got here from Selby having come off the tidal River Ouse on Thursday (25th July).  Our overall impression looking at the photos is that the weather has been pretty wet and grey and this afternoon is no different.

Selby Basin and much of the Selby Canal was covered with duckweed.  Fortunately this does not impede the prop like some sorts of weed.  The picture shows our trail of clear water through the weed as we left Selby on Friday.

Like the Ripon Canal this is a 'proper' canal with 'proper' stone bridges.  Apart from the short section coming out of Selby it is quiet and rural with birdsong accompanying us along its 5 miles to meet the River Aire at West Haddlesey.

The flood lock at West Haddlesey was open to the river so, after a stop for lunch in this delightful spot, we cruised straight through and up the river to a mooring above Beal Lock for the night.

We turned right onto the river but looking left Eggborough Power Station dominates the view.

Walking through the village of Beal in the evening we saw a live hedgehog trotting into a farmer's barn. This one looks as though a plank has fallen on top of it but he was in fact squeezing underneath and then went under the barn door.

On Saturday the forecast was dreadful - heavy rain most of the day.  We set off from Beal in the dry but it soon changed and, deciding that we were wet anyway and that the river might rise, we did not stop at Castleford as we had intended but carried on to Lemonroyd for the night.  This photo shows flood debris caught on the bridge at Beal.

On the very twisty section of the River Aire from Beal to Bank Dole Lock the cooling towers of Ferrybridge Power Station came into view.  There is not much colour in this photo but it was that sort of day.

Here we are coming to Bank Dole Lock which lifted us and another boat 'Mr G'  onto the canal section of the Aire and Calder.  Just above the lock is a junction - left for Goole, Keadby and Sheffield and right (our route) to Leeds and Wakefield.  The lock mooring for Bank Dole is on the right so you have to moor, set the lock and then reverse to get into the lock. Mr G appeared just as we were opening the gates to go in which was good timing for them and they kindly closed the lock after we had gone through which was good for us as the rain started in earnest and we put up our umbrellas.

Most of the Aire and Calder is very wide and straight.  Here we are in the pouring rain coming to Ferrybridge Flood Lock which was also wide open.  There followed a few miles of the River Aire passing under the A1 bridge, which we often drive over, before going up Bulholme Lock and along a cut into Castleford.  We were originally going to stop there but decided to carry on.  For the first time in our experience the flood lock (which is a huge triangular pool of water) was closed. The locks on the Aire and Calder are all electric and it took us some time to work out how to get the bottom gates open because the paddles on the top gates were slightly open and we had to go and close them first before the key would work in the bottom gates. That done (and there was little or no difference in level) we came out and turned right up the River Aire.  Straight on here takes you up the River Calder to Wakefield and leads to the Rochdale and Huddersfield Canals.

A mile or so up the river from Castleford we passed Allerton Bywater.  The moorings have been much improved and it should now be worth stopping here - there is a handy waterside pub too.  But we were keen to get off the River Aire before the level started to come up after all the rain.

Lemonroyd Lock is about four miles up the river.  This is huge, not only in length and breadth but also it has a rise of close to 20 feet.  A disastrous breach in 1988 removed the barrier between the neighbouring coal mine and the river causing major damage and destroying the two locks that were here.  Apparently the River Aire flowed backwards for half a day into the coal mine!  The new Lemonroyd Lock replaced the previous two locks, hence its massive rise.  Our ducks look blurry in the photo because of rain on the camera lens.

We spent Saturday night at Lemonroyd and moved just a mile or so to Woodlesford on Sunday.  Here we are waiting below Woodlesford Lock.

We set off for Leeds on Monday morning, joining a tug and a huge work barge in Fishponds Lock but there was plenty of room as these locks are 200 feet long and 20 feet wide.

The tug went ahead of us to pick up this barge heavily laden with stone.  The thrust as he started to push the barge sent Leo skittering sideways.  Plenty of power there!

There were bad floods in 2015 in Leeds and the river round Knostrop was dramatically changed.  This is the new weir built beside Knostrop Fall Lock below Leeds.  Above this lock the navigation is on the River Aire as far as Leeds Lock and we noticed that the flood indicator above the lock was on amber. (Green means go, red means don't and amber means go carefully.)  We checked the e mail notifications from Canal and River Trust and one had come in saying that the navigation was closed as river levels were rising.  After a couple of phone calls to CRT to check that the flood gates to the moorings in Leeds Dock were still open we decided to press on.

The river was certainly flowing faster but Leo fought the current successfully and here we are in Leeds Lock.  This is much smaller than the huge commercial locks downstream but it has additional gates which can be used to accommodate longer vessels.

The river was on amber when we arrived but in fact it did not go any higher.

And here Leo is moored on the visitor moorings in Leeds Dock right by the Royal Armouries Museum.  We were lucky that another narrowboat, Firecrest, moved off this mooring just as we came into the Dock.  In the evening our friend Ralph came to visit us from his home in Wakefield and we had a pleasant evening catching up with his news.  Today (Tuesday 30th) Leo has had its Boat Safety Examination which we are pleased to report was passed with flying colours, well passed anyway.  So that is out of the way for another four years.  Ian has been busy repainting the stripe round our stern while we are static and can take off the rear fenders. Painting in between heavy rain showers is not ideal but needs must if the job is going to get done.

We haven't had much time left for sightseeing but we did find a dinosaur in Leeds Indoor Market.  And it was moving!

There are some Damien Hirst statues in the city.  This one is called 'The Anatomy of an Angel'.  Bits of her insides are on view.

Damien Hirst seems to like depicting the human anatomy.  This huge chap is in Briggate.  More colourful than the angel but the eye is a bit intimidating.

So there we are and up to date.  Early tomorrow morning we will set off up the locks through Armley and Kirkstall. The strong recommendation is to avoid doing this section in the afternoon when the drunks and youths come out to play. The weather forecast tomorrow is for rain which is good as this should keep them indoors and out of our way.  We've never had any problems here but we have heard stories and it is better to be prepared. Our next few weeks will be spent crossing the Pennines on the Leeds and Liverpool Canal. All those swing bridges to look forward to!

Back down the Ure and the Ouse to Selby

It is quite a while since I updated this blog but here is the story of our return from Ripon and our tidal passage back from Naburn to Selby:

Last Saturday (20th July) we had a day with our friend Richard who lives in Ripon.  He came to the boat for coffee and then we walked with him following the River Skell out to Studley Royal which is the east end of the Fountains Abbey estate owned by the National Trust.  Here we are by the River Skell, but what are we pointing at?  The answer is that this grating is the source of the water for the Ripon Canal.  So although the Ripon Canal is part of the Ure Navigation its water comes from a different river - the Skell.  To be fair, the Skell flows into the Ure near Ripon.

We've seen a few of these lovely flowers lately.  It is a great bellflower or Campanula latifolia.  It often grows near water.

Further up the River Skell we entered the Studley Royal Estate and followed the Seven Bridges Valley.  Helen is standing on one of the bridges: we only counted five.  You might also notice that the river bed is dry.  It disappears underground for this section reappearing lower downstream.

After lunch in the National Trust cafe we walked up the hill to have a look at St Mary's Church.  It is Victorian and designed by the architect, William Burges.  We have admired this church from outside before but it has always been closed. We were lucky that our visit allowed us to see the wonderful decorated interior.

The ceiling is lavishly painted.

Being on a boat called Leo, we are always on the lookout for lions.  This one holds up a column in front of the window.  It also has wings.  Perhaps that is what Leo needed when navigating the tide out of Goole!

After a cup of tea in the Spa Gardens back in Ripon, Richard gave us a guided tour of the Workhouse which now belongs to the Museums Trust.  This is the Master's Garden which has been laid out with plants of the period and guided by old photos.

On Sunday we started our return journey.  The first lock is Rhodesfield Lock and it has very leaky top gates.  The trouble is that because these locks are barely 57 feet long, so we had to reverse Leo into this waterfall in order to open the bottom gates at the other end of the lock.  Even with the back doors held closed and standing inside them, Ian got wet feet.

We cruised down to Boroughbridge and cycled to Aldborough and finally got to see the Roman remains which are only open at weekends.  This is a section of the wall round the Roman Town.

And there are two mosaics. This is one of them.

While we were out more boats had arrived and by evening there were 12 narrowboats, a broadbeam and a cruiser.  We are here double breasted with Escapology and nearer the bridge there was some triple mooring.  It was surprising that we all finished up in Boroughbridge as generally these are not busy waters.  The boat behind us (with the stripy roof) belongs to Charlie and Sue who live in a house in Crooke near Wigan where Ian's great grandparents lived in the 1890s.  How about that for another coincidence?

On Monday we carried on downriver to Linton where we moored above the lock and were the only visitor there overnight.  This is a view from the lock of the shallows on the bend below - ideal for cows.  The church with the spire is at Newton-on-Ouse where we stayed on the way up river.

On Tuesday we came back to York.  Behind Helen is Lendal Bridge.  In the afternoon Ian nipped home to collect the post and Helen visited the Castle Museum.  In the evening we had a second visit to the Rose Theatre to see a very entertaining performance of The Tempest.

On Wednesday we only had a few miles to cruise to Naburn so we spent the morning in York.  This is the clock of St Martin's Church.  The admiral with the sextant on top of the clock rotates to follow the sun.

We had a look round the Yorkshire Museum which includes bits of St Mary's Abbey in the basement.  The museum was built over part of the Abbey ruins.  These four beautifully carved statues were preserved and were found face down in the foundations of a later building.  They are 12th century.

This is the Middleham Jewel made of gold with a sapphire.  Like several other finds in the museum it was found by a metal detectorist.  It is late 15th century and wonderfully intricate.

On our way back to Leo we stopped to watch this street entertainer.  Riding a 9 foot unicycle and juggling flaming torches.  Later he did it briefly while blindfolded.  Quite impressive.

A good name for a street this one.  Opinions differ as to the origin of this strange name but it probably means "neither one thing nor the other".  It is the shortest street in York.  "Gate" is a common street name in the north being the Viking word for street.

We spent Thursday morning doing a few jobs on the boat and trying to keep out of the sun. We entered Naburn lock for our journey down the tidal Ouse to Selby at 2 o'clock in 34 degree heat and with a stiff hot breeze blowing. The lock was full with three narrowboats (shown in the picture), one broadbeam and a cruiser.

We set off with the flow gently downstream and soon met a couple of narrowboats coming up river.

By the time we reached Cawood Bridge shown here we were pushing against the incoming tide.  The boat in front of us is 'Midnight' whose owner Frank told us of a novel technique for coming into the lock at Selby.  But more of that in a minute.

Most of this passage is fairly straightforward but the helmsman needs to wake up when you get to Selby.  First there is a sharp left bend by this flour mill to negotiate, taking care to avoid the sandbank on the inside of the bend.  By this point in our trip we were on the ebb with a marked current pushing us down the river.

Once round the bend we needed to line up to go through the road swing bridge.

Followed by the swing rail bridge.  Selby Lock is on the right just after the brick coloured block of flats beyond the bridges.

Here we are idling to go slowly and watch Midnight practising his technique.  The idea is to turn broadside across the river before reaching the lock and then drift down slowly until the bow is opposite the lock.  The entry to the lock is just past the high wharf to the left of the flats.  Because the river flow is stronger at the stern of the boat than at the bow, the bow drifts down more slowly than the stern and the boat tends to swing round to about 45 degrees. 

This is Helen's photo from the bow of us doing the same.  We are now broadside across the river and drifting rightwards.

When we could see clearly into the lock a bit of throttle brought the nose round neatly and into the lock without hitting the wall on either side.  It worked a treat and I will certainly try this again. Thanks Frank!

And here we are moored in Selby basin with the tidal lock behind us.  The basin looked like a well mown lawn being deeply covered with duckweed.

So that brings us back off tidal waters and ready to cruise into Leeds, our next objective.  But more about that in our next posting.  We've done quite a lot of tidal cruising this year but Naburn to Selby is probably our last.  Once we get off the River Aire we will be back on 'proper' canals enjoying a different sort of boating where you can stop where you like rather than aiming for a particular mooring.

York to Ripon

We are now in the canal basin at Ripon on the Ripon canal which is nearly as far north as we can go on the connected canal network (the furthest north is at Tewitfield on the Lancaster Canal).  So here is the story of travelling from York to Ripon.

We saw this strange vessel several times going up and down the Ouse at York.  On the ground floor was a bar.  Doesn't look very stable but it seemed to go down well with its young crew and friends.

On Tuesday we left York and cruised up the river to Newton on Ouse.  At Nun Monkton, we passed the mouth of the River Nidd seen here.  The Nidd flows through Knaresborough where we live but sadly it is not navigable, so this is about as close as we can get to home.

Here we are moored on the pontoon for patrons of the Dawnay Arms at Newton-on-Ouse.  Time for lunch and an excellent one too with fine food and well kept beer.  Highly recommended and not too expensive either.  We stayed on the pontoon overnight and later in the afternoon we saw the river rise about 8 inches and then go down again.  We had had a fair bit of rain when we were in Naburn but somewhere up in the Dales there must have been a heavy rain storm.

These planes, probably from RAF Linton-on-Ouse nearby, flew over us.  We weren't sure if they were Hurricanes or Spitfires but some research has convinced us that the answer is neither. Alf in his comment below has educated us so I can now tell you that the planes are Tucano T1's which are training planes for pilots.

This is Aldwark Toll Bridge.  The bridge deck consists of wooden planks and vehicles crossing make a loud noise as the planks move.

It is probably getting a bit late in the breeding season, but we did see sand martins flying in and out of holes in the sand banks by the river where they have their nests.

Further up the river on Wednesday we passed the mouth of the River Swale shown here on the right.  This is said to be navigable for a mile or so but we haven't investigated whether there is space to turn round so we stayed on the River Ure which goes left.  By this point we had passed the Ouse Beck and to the north of where as that beck joins the river (you can't actually make out the mouth of the  beck in the trees) the River Ouse becomes the River Ure.

Here is the view looking up the River Swale.  Even if it is technically navigable there would clearly be a lot of dodging the trees to take a 57 foot narrowboat up there.

We saw quite a lot of Giant Hogweed beside the Ure.  This grows up to 10 feet tall and has a corrosive sap which can burn the skin.  We have seen warning signs about it elsewhere but these Yorkshire folk are obviously tough.

This is a view of Milby Lock on the approach to Boroughbridge.  The walls of the Ouse and Ure locks are said to be 'battered' meaning they lean outwards so that the lock is markedly wider when full than when empty. 

We stayed overnight in Boroughbridge and thought the town was very attractive.  There are some fine buildings and interesting shops.  This is the market cross.

We walked into Aldborough on Wednesday afternoon intending to visit the Roman remains but sadly these are only open at weekends.  On the village green we came across this memorial which records which records the crash of a Lancaster bomber near here in February 1944.

On Thursday we carried on up the river passing Newby Hall seen here with its lovely gardens right by the river. It was here that Charles Slingsby (from a famous Knaresborough family) drowned along with six others whilst fox hunting. The fox swam across the river and Sir Charles and friends followed it using a punt as a ferryboat. Sir Charles's horse panicked and overturned the boat. The horse survived.

A short way after Newby Hall we turned off the River Ure onto the Ripon Canal for the last two miles into the city.  You can see the sign ahead of us pointing to the correct route.  The Ure above still looks navigable but there may well be shallows.

Oxclose Lock took us up onto the canal where the scenery changes back to proper canal with little brick arched bridges like this one at Renton's Bridge. 

We moored above Renton's Bridge which was a lovely quiet spot almost beside a path which led down to a bird hide on the newly opened Ripon City Wetlands run by Yorkshire Wildlife Trust.  We walked round the reserve later in the afternoon.

The top gates on the locks on the Ripon Canal leak quite badly giving waterfalls like this one at Rhodesfield Lock.  The locks are only just long enough for Leo's 57 feet so we had no choice but to stick the bow in the waterfall.  Coming down is going to be worse because the bow can ride over the cill but the rudder can't do that.

Friday was a day of rain so we came into the basin at the end of the canal shown here and turned in the rain.  This is another location that scores Silver Propellor points under the IWA's scheme to encourage more boaters to visit remote locations on the canal network.  It seems to be working.  When we came to Ripon five years ago we were the only boat on the moorings but this evening there are four.

Here we are having turned round and moored close to the canal basin.  Though the rain has stopped it came down quite heavily later in the afternoon.  So we went to see the new film of the Lion King which we both enjoyed.

Before we went to the cinema we visited the Cathedral shown here.  It is a very impressive building.

The carvings on the end of the choir stalls are really fine.  The elephant above is holding someone in its trunk and below is a centaur.

And the carving here on one of the misericords (tip up seats in the choir stalls) shows a griffin catching a rabbit.  One rabbit has escaped though and is seen on the right fleeing down a burrow. Lewis Carroll's father worked here and it is thought the young Lewis saw this and it later inspired the opening to his story of Alice.

Today (Saturday) we met up with our friend Richard and walked with him from the city to the edge of the Fountains Abbey estate along the valley of the River Skell.  Richard also gave us a splendid tour of the Workhouse Museum before we finished off the day with an excellent pint in the 'One Eyed Rat'.

Tomorrow we will set off in the only direction possible from here, south back down the Ure and the Ouse to York and Naburn to catch the tide back to Selby.  From there our way will lie to Castleford and Leeds.