Tonic required. Send in your photos of what is nice on the waterways now.

[Rob-M]

Pleasant cruising along the T&M this morning...

 

[PeterScott]

This afternoon

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ledgard Flood Gate, Mirfield C+H and above lock - both pairs-of-gates closed today

 

Compare 23Feb2006  17Jun2023  6Jan2024  11Apr2024

 

and hereabouts:

[PeterScott]

Yesterday

 

 

 

Lock 27  (and eponymous pub) Forth and Clyde.   Pictures  (#2)  by   © RichardSutcliffe

[PeterScott]

Today

 

River Cam Jesus Green (above the lock) Picture by ©  JohnSutton 

Compare  24Jun1979  24Jul1992 20Apr2003 30Sep2012  9Feb2016 (#2) 24Feb2022  27Feb2025

[PeterScott]

Today

 

S&SYN  Sheffield

 

 

.... having decided to walk along the towingpath, being early for an eyetest ...

 

 

 

and coming upon an open gate

 

 

 

but no signs to explain what it is trying to achieve ...

 

and ten minutes later ...

 

 

 

... anther gate, this time efficiently closed. A cyclist on t'other side bemoaned the lack of their bikemending kit, which has a convenient adjustable spanner which would have helped open the slide keeping the gate closed. _sigh_ Younger days would have shinned up the circular bit, but age made that too tricky. So return to an intermediate and less-protected access, run for a bus, and arrive puffed for the appointment.  ...

 

So what is the stoppage for, and why no signs?  ...

 

CRT notice  says this bit of unevenness in a slipping towingpath is the cause (I noticed it but thought it insignificant)  and they have a whole string of not-doing-very-much updates: 

Original 4 November 2025, 1pm The towpath at Bacons Lane Bridge This section of towpath is currently closed due to a partial collapse of an area of banking/towpath. Engineers will be on site to assess the area on 5th November and a plan to repair will follow.

Update 7 November 2025, 11:42am This section of towpath is currently closed due to a partial collapse of an area of banking/towpath. Engineers will be on site to assess the area on 5th November and a plan to repair will follow. The notice will be updated when we have further information on the work that is needed to be undertaken.

Update 7 November 2025, 1:15pm Engineers have assessed the collapsed area of the towpath between Sheffield Bernard Road, Bridge 5 and Bacon Lane Bridge and are beginning to formulate plans for repair. The area of collapse has been caused by a washout which has undercut the towpath. Heras fencing has been installed at towpath closure points. An update will be provided in 2 weeks time. Please contact customer services if any vandalism to closure points is observed.

Update 27 November 2025, 9:20am We are working to improve the fencing and signage around the towpath closure due to ongoing vandalism. A temporary repair to make the area safe is currently being planned into the 2026 work plan. A specific timeframe will be communicated when the repair has been programmed. An update for this notice will be provided by Friday 30th January.

Update 15 December 2025, 3:40pm The towpath closure has been extended from Bernard Road Bridge to Cadman Street Bridge, this is due to further deterioration of the towpath in the next section. Please use alternate walking/cycle routes. An update for this notice will be provided by the 30th of January 2026.

Update 2 February 2026, 2:07pm The towpath closure between Cadman Street Bridge and Bacon Lane Bridge remains due to the unsafe towpath surface. Vandalism to temporary fencing in place has persisted and will shortly be replaced with metal palisade fencing. Please continue to report any vandalism to the temporary fencing via 03030 404040.

A plan for long term repair continues to be formulated. An update with the dates for this will be made available as soon as they are confirmed.

Update 9 March 2026, 10:59am The towpath closure between Cadman Street Bridge and Bacon Lane Bridge remains as we await the repair works to be carried out. Padlocked metal palisade fencing has been installed to keep the area secure. An update for this notice will be provided by the 6th of April 2026.

Maybe all the so-called vandalism is simply the local/habitual users thinking the closure is unnecessary, and moving the heras fences? Maybe some signs-to-explain might have helped.... _sigh_

Edited March 10 by PeterScott

[Hudds Lad]

Oddly this popped up on my Facebook feed two days ago…

 

 

…lots of comments moaning about it, mentioning angle grinders & boltcroppers, “this is our land”, “they can’t do this” etc. 

And then further down…

 

[BoatingLifeUpNorth2]

This is the 4th time CaRT have tried to secure that stretch. They put these gates up a week ago. At what cost? 

 Then padlocks snapped off Saturday morning. The people that are believed to be responsible aren’t young chavs they are adults. 
 The problem that they are moaning about is that there’s no signage explaining why the gates are there and no diversion routes indicated.

 You’ve just got to read all the Facebook comments to see what CaRT are up against. Lots of grinder, bolt cropper comments by so called responsible adults.

 If CaRT were to put a large sign on the gate saying “Towpath Closed”

would it stop the padlocks being snapped off? I doubt it.

 

 

[Ronaldo47]

That partially collapsed towpath looks a lot better than some of the virtually and completely non-existant stretches of towpath that we used to enounter in places like the Southern Oxford in the mid-1970's! 

[BoatingLifeUpNorth2]

On 09/03/2026 at 23:11, PeterScott said:

Today

 

S&SYN  Sheffield

 

 

.... having decided to walk along the towingpath, being early for an eyetest ...

 

 

 

and coming upon an open gate

 

 

 

but no signs to explain what it is trying to achieve ...

 

and ten minutes later ...

 

 

 

... anther gate, this time efficiently closed. A cyclist on t'other side bemoaned the lack of their bikemending kit, which has a convenient adjustable spanner which would have helped open the slide keeping the gate closed. _sigh_ Younger days would have shinned up the circular bit, but age made that too tricky. So return to an intermediate and less-protected access, run for a bus, and arrive puffed for the appointment.  ...

 

So what is the stoppage for, and why no signs?  ...

 

CRT notice  says this bit of unevenness in a slipping towingpath is the cause (I noticed it but thought it insignificant)  and they have a whole string of not-doing-very-much updates: 

Original 4 November 2025, 1pm The towpath at Bacons Lane Bridge This section of towpath is currently closed due to a partial collapse of an area of banking/towpath. Engineers will be on site to assess the area on 5th November and a plan to repair will follow.

Update 7 November 2025, 11:42am This section of towpath is currently closed due to a partial collapse of an area of banking/towpath. Engineers will be on site to assess the area on 5th November and a plan to repair will follow. The notice will be updated when we have further information on the work that is needed to be undertaken.

Update 7 November 2025, 1:15pm Engineers have assessed the collapsed area of the towpath between Sheffield Bernard Road, Bridge 5 and Bacon Lane Bridge and are beginning to formulate plans for repair. The area of collapse has been caused by a washout which has undercut the towpath. Heras fencing has been installed at towpath closure points. An update will be provided in 2 weeks time. Please contact customer services if any vandalism to closure points is observed.

Update 27 November 2025, 9:20am We are working to improve the fencing and signage around the towpath closure due to ongoing vandalism. A temporary repair to make the area safe is currently being planned into the 2026 work plan. A specific timeframe will be communicated when the repair has been programmed. An update for this notice will be provided by Friday 30th January.

Update 15 December 2025, 3:40pm The towpath closure has been extended from Bernard Road Bridge to Cadman Street Bridge, this is due to further deterioration of the towpath in the next section. Please use alternate walking/cycle routes. An update for this notice will be provided by the 30th of January 2026.

Update 2 February 2026, 2:07pm The towpath closure between Cadman Street Bridge and Bacon Lane Bridge remains due to the unsafe towpath surface. Vandalism to temporary fencing in place has persisted and will shortly be replaced with metal palisade fencing. Please continue to report any vandalism to the temporary fencing via 03030 404040.

A plan for long term repair continues to be formulated. An update with the dates for this will be made available as soon as they are confirmed.

Update 9 March 2026, 10:59am The towpath closure between Cadman Street Bridge and Bacon Lane Bridge remains as we await the repair works to be carried out. Padlocked metal palisade fencing has been installed to keep the area secure. An update for this notice will be provided by the 6th of April 2026.

Maybe all the so-called vandalism is simply the local/habitual users thinking the closure is unnecessary, and moving the heras fences? Maybe some signs-to-explain might have helped.... _sigh_

It wasn’t just a case of moving the heras fencing, it was a case of throwing it into the canal. 
 As said previously, you’d be surprised of the age group that were moving it, senior walkers out on their weekly Thursday stroll. Maybe they think they’re entitlement to walk the towpath even when fencing is in place?

 

[Stroudwater1]

Before we get to more diversions here was Paddington basin last night. Could have been IanD with his bike?
 

 

Little Venice riviera 

 

How terribly inconvenient 

 

 

Public art. The chain doesn’t work apparently 

 

 

[Rob-M]

Ready for the off...

 

BCNS Icicle Cruise, Moorcroft Junction.

[ditchcrawler]

1 hour ago, Rob-M said:

Ready for the off...

 

BCNS Icicle Cruise, Moorcroft Junction.

Have a good one, sorry we are not there.

[Victor Vectis]

So am I

😞

[PeterScott]

Today

 

Trinity College Bridge Cambridge, River Cam Picture by © JohnSutton  Compare 7Dec2022

[BoatingLifeUpNorth2]

The sound and smoke of a Lister HW2. Glad the higher stack was fitted.💨💨

[Stroudwater1]

The obligatory but suboptimal image 

 

 

Hawkesbury junction 

 

[ditchcrawler]

1 hour ago, Stroudwater1 said:

The obligatory but suboptimal image 

 

 

 

Hawkesbury junction 

 

 

[PeterScott]

This afternoon

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Leeds A+C

 

Heading to Leeds under CITU bridge  - Compare 1Nov2023 - pulling in for water at Leeds Sanitary Station (now sadly abandoned). The duck is unmoved by the disappointment.

[Rob-M]

Today, the obligatory Fradley post.  A bit choppy today.

 

[PeterScott]

This afternoon

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Marple

 

(1): Samuel Oldknow's Warehouse, locks 9/10 Marple flight Peak Forest Canal. Compare 11May2007 12Jul2014  12Jul2024   8Oct2025

 

(2): Marple Junction : Macclesfield Canal  Compare  28Apr1980  30May1995  15Oct2000/15Oct2012  13Apr2001 13May2001 12May2002 11May2007 18Apr2007  8Apr2008 11Aug2012  23Aug2013 (#2)  24Nov2014  9Oct2015 1Oct2016  1Jun2019  2Jun2019 20Dec2020  (#2) (#3) 12Jul2024

 

(3):  Marple Aqueduct and railway viaduct  beyond - Peak Forest  Canal 

Compare  6Jul1976  28Apr1980  29Sep2003  17Apr2007  11May2007  8Jul2012  11Aug2012  25Aug2013  12Jul2014  30Nov2014 (#2) 8Aug2015  4Jan2016  1Oct2016  1Jun2019 12Jul2014/12Jul2024  28Sep2024

[David Mack]

Dean Box signwriting Fulbourne:

 

The first side completed:

 

And the second:

[Laurie Booth]

11 minutes ago, David Mack said:

Dean Box signwriting Fulbourne:

 

The first side completed:

 

And the second:

Fantastic

[David Mack]

Blossom at Circus Field Basin

[DandV]

15 hours ago, David Mack said:

Blossom at Circus Field Basin

That is a bit of nostalgia for us.

Photographed from very close to where our stern would have been during winter hibernations at circus field, and taken at the time of year we would have been provisioning Whio for another five and a half months of cruising.

Our time cruising was limited by both our six month visitor visas, and a six month restriction in any one year on our NZ pensions.

They were great times and we are eternally grateful for the opportunities,  and hospitality given to us.

 

 

[David Mack]