L&L canal. Starting from Silsden

[Diffbrook]

Hello newby here. We are hiring a wide beam narrow boat for a family holiday of 4 days. Starting on a Tuesday from Silsden at 12.30. Returning boat on the Saturday at 9am.

 

I've spoken to boat hire on stopping places, but wanted second opinion from those that have done the route. My question is where can we realistically get to each night..how long sailing and good stopping places each night for food. Please bear in mind the boat has to be back at Silsden early Sat morning, so no sailing that day.

 

Thank you...for your patience 

[TheBiscuits]

Where do you want to go / what do you want to do?

 

Leeds is possible if you do long days, but get the timing correct for Bingley, or go the other way over the pretty bits and do Skipton and Foulridge tunnel.

[Hudds Lad]

i’d head Skipton way, much prettier, plus Bingley is still on restricted hours isn’t it?

with loading up & handover i doubt you'll be away on Tues much before 2pm so factor that in.

 

you can easily get a couple of hours in on the last day as long as you don't suffer from stickyback  

[Diffbrook]

Hi biscuits Hudds lad. Thanks for replying. I should have made it clearer. We are travelling from Silsden, westward towards Liverpool (although as we have only 4 days, know we wont get anywhere near). Our plan is to stop off at Skipton first night. But, then how far west can we go before heading back to Silsden and where best to stay each night for food. 

 

We will mainly be travelling on the boat, watching world go by.  Might stop for an hour in the day, before mooring and having pub lunch in evenings. 

 

Travelling 7 hours each day,  bar the 1st day,  which will start around 12.30, but as Hudds lad says prob 2.30.

 

So my real questions are

 

How far past Skipton can we go doing 7 hrs travelling 4 days (first day half day) before we turn back to Silsden for 9am on Sat

 

Where to moor each night for food.

 

Thank you

 

[TheBiscuits]

I'd not plan on going any further than Barrowford, winding below the top lock and return.

 

If you have time to walk a couple of miles into Barrowford itself there's a selection of pubs and eateries, but I don't have any specific recommendations.

 

Hare & Hounds at Foulridge is well worth the walk up the hill.

 

Anchor Inn at Salterforth.

 

Cross Keys at East Marton by the double arch bridge.

 

Not much over the tops, but the Cross Keys is walkable from the top of Bank Newton, if you can do a few miles.

 

The Mason's Arms (preferred) or the Old Swan at Gargrave.

 

Plenty of choice in Skipton obviously. 

 

The White Lion at Kildwick if you stop there.

 

Don't miss The Red Lion in Silsden itself if time allows.

 

That should be enough for four days!

[Diffbrook]

Thank you biscuits. That is very kind of you

[Hudds Lad]

I think @TheBiscuits has got you covered there, it's five years since we did it so can't really comment on pubs current state of opening or quality, we did go in a few of those and were not disappointed.

 

Simplest thing to do is work out your holiday midpoint timewise, and wherever you've got to by then turn and return, don't be tempted to push too far beyond this.

Do get a Nicholson's North West & the Pennines: Waterways Guide 5, i'd personally also recommend THIS Waterways Routes map as it shows where you can definitely moor up but it's not essential. And don't forget, enjoy yourself!

 

The reason i mention time of departure before was i looked back at our old pics from five years ago when we were in the same position as you.

We had a week Sat to Sat and it also depended on boat position as to when you could leave, ours was against the dock but had two boats breasted up to us so we additionally had to wait for them to leave before we could go which added about an hour on top, as you're a midweek collection it may not be as bad. we had a 12:30 pickup and at 1:55pm this was the view;

 

[Alway Swilby]

Turn round Thursday mid morning. See how far you get.

[TheBiscuits]

10 minutes ago, Alway Swilby said:

Turn round Thursday mid morning. See how far you get.

About Nelson if they do that allowing time to get back.  I'm not sure it's worth doing Barrowford flight twice for the extra little bit unless they want the excitement of going to Morrison's mooring to do some shopping.  I suppose they get to see the waste oil disposal point too, but on a hireboat they won't need to use it!

 

Going back past Silsden to the top of Bingley five rise would be a better trip if they want to press on rather than just pootle across the tops and back.

[rgreg]

As a minimum I would aim to go through the Foulridge tunnel, where you can wind at the other end and head back. That will make a perfect 4 days travel, with a stopover in Skipton, on one of the most scenic stretches of canal in the country.