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Booking passage on The Rochdale


Pete of Ebor

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Hi. Just started 'tentatively' planning our 2021 cruise - hoping that it will be allowed by the end of May. We had booked for May 2020 with Shire Cruisers, but covid put paid to that. Shire have however moved the booking to May 2021 so we already have the boat booked from last year. We are intending (..hoping ?..) to go from Sowerby Bridge to Ashton (..or vice versa as it's a one-way hire..) via Standedge Tunnel. As a backup plan, I am also planning the trip via The Rochdale just in case there are any unforseen stoppages on The Standedge route. Can anyone tell me what the booking requirements are for the Rochdale. I understand the climb out of Manchester has (or had ?) to be booked in advance, but I can't find anything on the C&RT site.

Thanks.

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No booking for the Rochdale out of Manchester for many years. It was in place for the first years after reopening. Now the locals seem to have got more used to boats and aren't reacting so aggressively. We had an interesting time doing it a few years ago, with lots of time playing lucky dip down the weed hatch, finding what had been chucked in by the inhabitants in their efforts to fill in the canal again.

Don't let me put you off. There are some nice bits on your route too!

Edited by Jen-in-Wellies
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20 minutes ago, Pete of Ebor said:

Hi. Just started 'tentatively' planning our 2021 cruise - hoping that it will be allowed by the end of May. We had booked for May 2020 with Shire Cruisers, but covid put paid to that. Shire have however moved the booking to May 2021 so we already have the boat booked from last year. We are intending (..hoping ?..) to go from Sowerby Bridge to Ashton (..or vice versa as it's a one-way hire..) via Standedge Tunnel. As a backup plan, I am also planning the trip via The Rochdale just in case there are any unforseen stoppages on The Standedge route. Can anyone tell me what the booking requirements are for the Rochdale. I understand the climb out of Manchester has (or had ?) to be booked in advance, but I can't find anything on the C&RT site.

Thanks.

We did exactly that trip (Ashton to Sowerby via Standedge) on a one-way Shire boat a few years ago. If you'd like any details (timing, stopping places etc) drop me a line.

Edited by IanD
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Just now, Pete of Ebor said:

Thanks for the info. We're not usually put off by 'dodgy' bits... and it surely can't be any worse than the Ryders Green flight... which was full of cr*p, but had no water either !

We've done both routes (Rochdale and HCN) with zero problems -- except for the expected low pounds on the HCN, obviously... ?

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No booking required, but you can (or at least could pre-covid) request volunteer assistance on the 'Manchester 18' section from Manchester to Fairfield Top. Not sure if/when CRT will be restarting that.

But it is all doable without assistance. I've done it twice in each direction over the last couple of years.

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In many ways some Manchester bits of the Rochdale can be worse than Ryders Green and the Walsall canal, but also more enjoyable in some ways. Unlike the Walsall the Rochdale has some really good bits, probably the best anywhere, so its worth it.

 

No bookings needed in season and no restrictions, a few boats even moor on the summit pound.

 

................Dave, 

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2 minutes ago, Hudds Lad said:

they've just found a couple of sink holes up towards Marsden which has drained a pound, hopefully this doesn't turn into anything major, but might be worth enabling CRT stoppage alerts for your intended route

That's exactly why I was looking at The Rochdale as an alternative.. Although we've been boating for nearly 30 years, we've never done Standedge Tunnel nor the Western side of The Rochdale... so either one is 'new track' to us.

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The HNC is not to be missed, although the increasing number of stoppages may affect your chances.  The latter also applies to the Rochdale.  I moor below Lock 1 of the Rochdale, and although I've been over it to Manchester once, my route south of choice is the HNC - 12 transits, and it took a year-long lock closure (Marple) and a global pandemic to prevent the 13th.

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Passage through the Standedge Tunnel has to be pre booked as I am sure you know,but also lock 1E on the HNC because of "fluctuating " water levels.

I have just been in touch with CRT about lock 1 asking for information about how long this will last,as the HNC is my local "ditch"and I used to have frequent day trips along it.

The reply was that it will be reviewed at the end of 2021and they would prefer me not to make return trips.

A pity,because the HNC is a lovely mix of old industrial,new developments,and lovely scenery.

It will have to be the Huddersfield Broad which I find a rather boring stretch with nine broad locks to work before getting to the Calder.

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58 minutes ago, dmr said:

In many ways some Manchester bits of the Rochdale can be worse than Ryders Green and the Walsall canal, but also more enjoyable in some ways. Unlike the Walsall the Rochdale has some really good bits, probably the best anywhere, so its worth it.

 

No bookings needed in season and no restrictions, a few boats even moor on the summit pound.

 

................Dave, 

Do they not lock the flight going up from Picadilly any more?

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22 minutes ago, Mad Harold said:

Passage through the Standedge Tunnel has to be pre booked as I am sure you know,but also lock 1E on the HNC because of "fluctuating " water levels.

I have just been in touch with CRT about lock 1 asking for information about how long this will last,as the HNC is my local "ditch"and I used to have frequent day trips along it.

The reply was that it will be reviewed at the end of 2021and they would prefer me not to make return trips.

A pity,because the HNC is a lovely mix of old industrial,new developments,and lovely scenery.

It will have to be the Huddersfield Broad which I find a rather boring stretch with nine broad locks to work before getting to the Calder.

 

you’ll have to persuade them to stop letting the Uni take cooling water for the data centre then, or is this a different problem?

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1 hour ago, Pete of Ebor said:

That's exactly why I was looking at The Rochdale as an alternative.. Although we've been boating for nearly 30 years, we've never done Standedge Tunnel nor the Western side of The Rochdale... so either one is 'new track' to us.

If you've never done Standedge, you have a treat in store... ?

 

[the Rochdale is great too, though personally I prefer the narrow locks of the HCN -- but both are fantastic canals]

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56 minutes ago, doratheexplorer said:

Do they not lock the flight going up from Picadilly any more?

 

Not sure, don't think so. They locked it because of a "huge increase in vandalism during lockdown" causing empty pounds, but the problem continued even with the locks on, and it was sort of decided that maybe lack of use had caused the gates to dry out and go leaky.  This was just before the big burst in Manchester so maybe that was a factor too. It's always worth a phone call a day or two in advance to check that everything is ok, but its not easy to talk to the people who actually know anything.

 

..............Dave

 

 

 

 

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1 hour ago, Hudds Lad said:

 

you’ll have to persuade them to stop letting the Uni take cooling water for the data centre then, or is this a different problem?

It is.The first pound has always been low,but never as bad as it is now.

last time I went through lock 1E to Aspley a CRT man ran water down before unlocking the lock,and you could see the water level dropping.

There were two other boats waiting to come through,and by two of us sharing the lock we only just scraped over the cill.

The CRT man had a walk along,but couldn't see where the water was going and thought it may be a leaking culvert.No disrespect to him,but tracing and fixing leaks is probably for someone more senior.

Anyway,it seems from my answer from CRT that they are not in any rush to sort it.

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