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Last boat out of Liverpool


davidb

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Last Thursday we were the last boat to use the Liverpool Link for the year, the locks are now all closed and lighting installations are being built over the canal at the Pierhead and around the Albert dock, etc.

 

We didn't even need to get off the boat in Stanley lock - three Vlockies and two Cart men in attendance, thanks very much.

stanley.jpg

 

We got as far as Hancock's swing bridge by 14:20 and found it locked off on a timer until 6pm due to the busy road it carries, so we were stuck there for the rest of the daylight - most frustrating!

 

However it gave me a chance to go for a walk up and over the A59 to look at the ancient 13th C  St Andrew's church in Maghull, a surprising find in such a built-up area.

 

church.jpg

 

Further on into Maghull I was intrigued by the elaborate spillway and the fact that it looked to be redundant due to the concrete and piling put into the canal on the water side of it.

 

towpath.jpg

 

 

David

 

 

 

 

spillway.jpg

Edited by davidb
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34 minutes ago, pearley said:

But, leaving maintenance and repairs out of it, why can't the Link be open all year, provided boaters give sufficient notice.

Cos theres a boating " Season " didnt you know!!!! Boats now have to be tied up in their caravan park never to be seen again until easter innitt.

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15 hours ago, davidb said:

Further on into Maghull I was intrigued by the elaborate spillway and the fact that it looked to be redundant due to the concrete and piling put into the canal on the water side of it.

 

towpath.jpg

 

 

David

 

 

 

 

spillway.jpg

This is one of very few spillways built on the towpath side of the canal, as they are usually on the 'higher' side of the canal, possibly to reduce the chance of a major release of water should they fail. There is also no defined water course being crossed by the canal here, the nearest being a short distance in the Wigan/Leeds direction, as seen in the earlier, 1802,  of the two surveys of the area. The other survey is from 1827.

Note that there is no bridgekeepers house in the 1802 survey. These were built after the canal opened, Handcock's Bridge at Aintree being named after the first bridgekeeper. He was installed after the Earl of Derby complained after being held up by boatmen leaving the bridge open.

13 Maghull.jpg

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On 04/11/2019 at 19:06, pearley said:

But, leaving maintenance and repairs out of it, why can't the Link be open all year, provided boaters give sufficient notice.

I think they did keep it open last year ?  not sure someone local will know. 
 

but agree can’t see why it can’t be used through the winter .

 

im not even sure why it needs to be one way working either. The usual reason given is sids ditch isnt wide enough for two boats to pass.  

 

Sid of sids ditch fame helped work us through the Stanley flight in the summer.

Edited by jonathanA
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On 05/11/2019 at 09:20, Pluto said:

There is also no defined water course being crossed by the canal here, the nearest being a short distance in the Wigan/Leeds direction,

Thanks for the info, I didn't mention that location you mention is a fairly elaborate grating with a nice stone wall, presumably to keep the horses off it. You can hear running water down there, perhaps it is connected to the weir near the bridge?

 

Maybe, seeing as they started building the LL not far from here, they were very well financed and were building everything to the highest standards?

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On 04/11/2019 at 19:41, mrsmelly said:

Cos theres a boating " Season " didnt you know!!!! Boats now have to be tied up in their caravan park never to be seen again until easter innitt.

Yep just like Morris men we are meant to hibernate, but we can get up in April, morris men have to wait till may 1st.

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20 hours ago, TimYoung said:

If Sid's ditch is the channel along by a wall, there is loads of room for a 14'3" shortboat.

But not enough for two to pass, the seaward side sloping far into the ditch. First time we passed along I managed to scrape the bottom by not paying attention.

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47 minutes ago, Detling said:

Yep just like Morris men we are meant to hibernate, but we can get up in April, morris men have to wait till may 1st.

Ahh but I used to have morris dancers at my pub on Boxing day innitt!!

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19 hours ago, pearley said:

But not enough for two to pass, the seaward side sloping far into the ditch. First time we passed along I managed to scrape the bottom by not paying attention.

It’s not that long, certainly not much different to some tunnels that are only one boat wide but have two way working... 

 

could be fun hanging around on a very windy day but not  dangerous....

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8 minutes ago, Grassman said:

 

 

Perhaps they close the link in the winter is because there aren't enough boat movements to justify staffing the link. Although if that is the case I don't know why they couldn't just reduce the number of days a week when it is open.

As indeed they do with the Severn locks. 

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On 06/11/2019 at 08:07, jonathanA said:

I think they did keep it open last year ?  not sure someone local will know

Yes, there was access to Liverpool last Winter.  We went there in early March just because it was available.

 

Hardly any boats went in or out over winter, but the fact it was open wasn't well publicised. 

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