John Wareing

We had two teenage boys on board who wanted to spend some time in Leeds and we also had a lengthy stop at Saltaire. i remember Barry at the 5 rise telling us we were behind time for the one-way trip but we made it in plenty of time.

I remember us doing a one-way from Sowerby Bridge to the BW yard at Rose Grove in Burnley about 15/16 years ago - very enjoyable.

Are Shire not doing one way cruises from Barlick to Sowerby Bridge?

Unexpectedly the L&L is reopening from tomorrow between Gargrave & Wigan Top Lock, albeit with some time restrictions. The Wigan flight won't reopen until 22nd October and the repair works brought forward whilst the locks were closed are still ongoing.

And the Glasson branch on the Lancaster has also reopened on restricted hours.

Stourport was heaving last Friday with both private and hire boats and plenty of boats in Worcester too. You're probably just behind our boat with my son and daughter-in-law on it. We had a couple of weeks taking the boat from Scarisbrick to Chester in the last week of June and first of July the long way round (via Autherley). All the hire boat bases we passed were empty except for Anglo-Welsh at Gt Haywood which had a few boats in. Maybe people are avoiding the high peak season prices?

Presumably not, judging by the two posts above yours.

You can go as far as Maghull and up the Rufford branch if you want. The canal will be closed from Monday from Wigan east towards Leeds but not to the west.

I don't think you need any help at Plank Lane - it's certainly not worth someone coming just to do it for you. You can easily move the boat up almost to the bridge controls, get it opened and get through pretty quickly. You will create a traffic queue as it's a busy road but it won't take too much longer than if you have someone to open it for you. In any event there are often other boats around there so you might fine someone to help anyway.

It's on the towpath side since it became unmanned. I misunderstood your comment re Crooke Hall. I thought you just had help between Crooke Hall and Poolstock.

There are a huge number of stations within striking distance of canals, probably hundreds if you include catching a bus into the equation as the OP has. These are all an easy walk from from the Leeds & Liverpool: - James St Sandhills Bank Hall Bootle Oriel Road Bootel New Strand Seaforth & Litherland Old Road Maghull New Lane Burscough Bridge Burscough Junction Hoscar Parbold Appley Bridge Gathurst Wigan North Western Wigan Wallgate Adlington Chorley Pleasington Cherry Tree Mill Hill Blackburn Rishton Hapton Rose Grove Burnley Barracks Burnley Manchester Road Burnley Central Brierfield Skipton Cononley Crossflats Bingley Saltaire Shipley Kirkstall Forge Leeds Then there are some others a bit further to walk to, such as Gargrave and Steeton & Silsden. Of course for many of these you probably wouldn't want to leave your boat unattended.

You will have 5 swing bridges to wrangle before Crooke Hall, some of which still have the controls on the off-side. All manageable by yourself but some a bit fiddly.

Whilst your general point is fair enough Alan, there's a little fake news on the L&L breach. The closure is only from Melling into Liverpool i.e. about the last 11 miles. From Leigh to Melling is fine - i did most of it a few weeks ago.

There’s also another thread a bit lower down on General Boating with the same info I started on Thursday, which was when the stoppage was announced.

Of course a stop at the Anchor at High Offley is nigh on compulsory.