All routes out if Yorkshire closed ...again

[dmr]

47 minutes ago, Unicorn Stampede said:

People don't use the Rochdale, so CRT don't put money into it. CRT won't put money into the Rochdale, so people won't use it

 

It seems reasonable to think if money was put into maintaining (and dare I say, upgrading) the northern canals, more people would use them. As it stands, people know they're a nightmare and that's gotta be off putting for certain boaters.

 

As it stands, I can't recommend going over the Rochdale as is to boaters interested in that stretch.

 

I wish I could, it's really nice up the summit, but going down into Manchester (or coming up) isn't fun and isn't relaxing.

The summit area is really good but the Rochdale is good/very good all the way down to Sowerby Bridge (which has very good canalside buildings). The Slattocks is a lovely flight of locks. Rochdale is a bit grim but its really just the Manchester 18 that is the problem. Its a bad area and the locals throw stuff in quicker than it can be taken out, plus water is in short supply.  There is a huge housing development planned, this might improve things, or might make them much worse, but it would be great if some of the funding could go into sorting out the canal.

[David Mack]

1 hour ago, dmr said:

Rochdale is a bit grim

I've never found that. It's urban, but even quite a lot of that is through parkland and wooded areas. There are sometimes 'gentlemen of the road' gathered under bridges drinking cider or whatever, but you can either ignore them or say hello as you pass - they are not a problem. 

 

I hesitate to mention it, but I suspect some of the negative perceptions one hears about owe more to some people's fear of the ethnic diversity of the local populace rather than any real risks. In my experience some of the locals will ignore you completely, some watch from a distance but don't engage, others will come up for a closer look and are happy to engage in a chat, or to push on a balance beam if invited to do so. I've never had any hostility or objects thrown or anything like that in Rochdale or on the 18.

[dmr]

When I say a bit grim I do mean that literally, its a bit grim, but not really grim. We still haven't met the gentlemans drinking club so maybe they have gone?. Last time we went through I noted that the new volunteer efforts really has improved the drinking club lock.  There is quite a bit of litter, often a few big obstructions in the canal and quite a bit of uninspiring industry. The dream to do something with the side arm would be great if it could ever be made to happen.  We also have help from the locals at the locks.

Aside from the canal Rochdale itself is a bit grim with a few good bits, my wife spent last night at the music session at D'ale house and that looked pretty good but is a long way from the canal.

 

We had eggs thrown at us in Newton Heath (Manchester 18) last year. Somebody remarked that the locals have gone soft, in the old days they could throw bricks 😀

[Jon57]

1 hour ago, dmr said:

When I say a bit grim I do mean that literally, its a bit grim, but not really grim. We still haven't met the gentlemans drinking club so maybe they have gone?. Last time we went through I noted that the new volunteer efforts really has improved the drinking club lock.  There is quite a bit of litter, often a few big obstructions in the canal and quite a bit of uninspiring industry. The dream to do something with the side arm would be great if it could ever be made to happen.  We also have help from the locals at the locks.

Aside from the canal Rochdale itself is a bit grim with a few good bits, my wife spent last night at the music session at D'ale house and that looked pretty good but is a long way from the canal.

 

We had eggs thrown at us in Newton Heath (Manchester 18) last year. Somebody remarked that the locals have gone soft, in the old days they could throw bricks 😀

Locals haven’t gone soft. Just upmarket..probably be hard boiled next time fired from a black cat catapult.🤭🤭 

[IanD]

4 hours ago, David Mack said:

I've never found that. It's urban, but even quite a lot of that is through parkland and wooded areas. There are sometimes 'gentlemen of the road' gathered under bridges drinking cider or whatever, but you can either ignore them or say hello as you pass - they are not a problem. 

 

I hesitate to mention it, but I suspect some of the negative perceptions one hears about owe more to some people's fear of the ethnic diversity of the local populace rather than any real risks. In my experience some of the locals will ignore you completely, some watch from a distance but don't engage, others will come up for a closer look and are happy to engage in a chat, or to push on a balance beam if invited to do so. I've never had any hostility or objects thrown or anything like that in Rochdale or on the 18.

 

Even the trolls under the bridges enveloped in clouds of sweet-smelling smoke are usually happy and friendly if you say "Hi" to them... 😉

[Midnight]

5 hours ago, David Mack said:

............... I suspect some of the negative perceptions one hears about owe more to some people's fear of the ethnic diversity ......

 

All my negative perceptions are to do with the amount of rubbish in the canal below lock 50 and the number of times a visit to the weed hatch is required per 100 yards

 

 

3 hours ago, dmr said:

We still haven't met the gentlemans drinking club so maybe they have gone?. 😀

 

Yes I was left wondering that too as they were absent last year. Having met them several times previously (they are a friendly bunch) I seem to remember their sessions end around 1pm with one of them collecting the empties. Previously we have been heading towards Manchester so would have arrived from Littleborough or Smithy Bridge before 1pm. Arriving from the Rose of Lancaster would be afternoon. Last time we met them they did tell me one of their squad had departed this earth and guessing at the state of their collective livers I wonder if natural selection has taken it's toll.

[PD1964]

Thorne lock now open, assisted passage 08:30-15:30pm until clear up.

 More boats queuing to go South then North.

 

[Jen-in-Wellies]

2 hours ago, PD1964 said:

 More boats queuing to go South then North.

<pedant>At Thorne lock, they are going East, or West, rather than South, or North!</pedant>

😀

[churchward]

On 18/05/2022 at 13:34, David Mack said:

I've never found that. It's urban, but even quite a lot of that is through parkland and wooded areas. There are sometimes 'gentlemen of the road' gathered under bridges drinking cider or whatever, but you can either ignore them or say hello as you pass - they are not a problem. 

 

I hesitate to mention it, but I suspect some of the negative perceptions one hears about owe more to some people's fear of the ethnic diversity of the local populace rather than any real risks. In my experience some of the locals will ignore you completely, some watch from a distance but don't engage, others will come up for a closer look and are happy to engage in a chat, or to push on a balance beam if invited to do so. I've never had any hostility or objects thrown or anything like that in Rochdale or on the 18.

It is not my impression of the Rochdale. I think the route up through Manchester is awful and one I am not keen to repeat but not because of the locals diverse or not. When we went up in April (before lock 72 failure) it was the state of canal that was the problem.  The canal is used as a rubbish dump and lack of water was a significant issue. We took 10 hours to do 4 miles including 3 hours to remove a mattress and its metal work from the prop that had locked the drive forward and reverse.  We had to call CRT for assistance twice ( for the first time in all our years boating) once for the mattress and once due to being stuck in a pound. The mattress was only released by a CRT chap getting in the water in a dry suit and using bolt cutters.  I also counted 10 other occasions I opened the weed hatch that day to clear rubbish.

 

The locals we did speak to all seemed to be keen to tell us "not to moor here" if we wished to keep everything intact. It was all reminiscent of when we went round the Cheshire ring in the mid 1970s when the Ashton and Rochdale 9 were very grim indeed but this time without the youthful enthusiasm and energy. We did meet some nice young ladies having a picnic and listening to music at one of the locks but they seemed shocked to see us.

 

The Rochdale further on was much better especially the Yorkshire side of the summit but hard work all the way with poorly maintained equipment and leaky locks.

 

[PD1964]

On 28/05/2022 at 12:34, Jen-in-Wellies said:

<pedant>At Thorne lock, they are going East, or West, rather than South, or North!</pedant>

😀

You know what I mean.

[Midnight]

So that's Gargrave & Thorne sorted and Rochdale fixed by Wednesday. Maybe Athy can change the title of this thread to "All routes out of Yorkshire open ...for a bit".

[TheBiscuits]

9 minutes ago, Midnight said:

So that's Gargrave & Thorne sorted and Rochdale fixed by Wednesday. Maybe Athy can change the title of this thread to "All routes out of Yorkshire open ...for a bit".

 

It's not really worth changing the title for the ten minutes Yorkshire will remain open for ...

 

I hope that's tongue in cheek because I'm now planning on climbing up from Manchester and doing the Rochdale myself!

[Midnight]

53 minutes ago, TheBiscuits said:

 

It's not really worth changing the title for the ten minutes Yorkshire will remain open for ...

 

I hope that's tongue in cheek because I'm now planning on climbing up from Manchester and doing the Rochdale myself!

I did consider " ...for awhile" but thought that implies more than a week and I'm just not that optimistic. 

Good luck with the Rochdale, if you pass Battyeford next week give me a wave  I'm in dry dock for a DIY repaint.

Edited May 29, 2022 by Midnight

[churchward]

It is not quite all routes are open or at least fully open the Huddersfield is still heavily restricted for passage through Standedge etc. to1 boat in each direction per day (not all days per week)  with most slots booked for the next 2 months it is almost closed. It certainly makes it virtually impossible to travel two boats in company.

 

see here for latest news from CRT sent today.

 

Due to the restrictions that we have had to put in place to conserve water on the Huddersfield Narrow Canal. We have had to reduce the numbers of slots for passage that we have had in previous years, through the tunnel in order to conserve the water in the network this year. We  currently have 1 slot for a Monday (Diggle to Marsden), 2 slots on a Wednesday (1 in either direction only) and 1 slot for a Friday (Marsden to Diggle).

Having 4 passages per week, weeks are becoming booked up very quickly.

We currently have no more availability for June or July but August, September and October we have slot available to book.

Please call the 03030 404040 to book available slots and to discuss with the team.

 

 

[Midnight]

9 hours ago, churchward said:

It is not quite all routes are open or at least fully open the Huddersfield is still heavily restricted for passage through Standedge etc. to1 boat in each direction per day (not all days per week)  with most slots booked for the next 2 months it is almost closed. It certainly makes it virtually impossible to travel two boats in company.

 

see here for latest news from CRT sent today.

 

Due to the restrictions that we have had to put in place to conserve water on the Huddersfield Narrow Canal. We have had to reduce the numbers of slots for passage that we have had in previous years, through the tunnel in order to conserve the water in the network this year. We  currently have 1 slot for a Monday (Diggle to Marsden), 2 slots on a Wednesday (1 in either direction only) and 1 slot for a Friday (Marsden to Diggle).

Having 4 passages per week, weeks are becoming booked up very quickly.

We currently have no more availability for June or July but August, September and October we have slot available to book.

Please call the 03030 404040 to book available slots and to discuss with the team.

 

 

 

Quite amazing then that they have allowed the Pennine Explorer Cruise to go ahead in early July. Twelve boats in one day west to east and some too long for the Broad so will have to go back. (in August maybe?)

[haggis]

1 hour ago, Midnight said:

 

Quite amazing then that they have allowed the Pennine Explorer Cruise to go ahead in early July. Twelve boats in one day west to east and some too long for the Broad so will have to go back. (in August maybe?)

We are booked on that cruise and it surprises me too  when reading about all the lack of water problems that it is still going ahead. 

We had thought of returning via the L & L but it is now looking like it will be the Rochdale.

[churchward]

48 minutes ago, haggis said:

We are booked on that cruise and it surprises me too  when reading about all the lack of water problems that it is still going ahead. 

We had thought of returning via the L & L but it is now looking like it will be the Rochdale.

Up to you but good luck with that.  The L&L is open and for my money there is no contest which is the nicer canal to travel on.  

 

We are currently just short of the top of the Wigan flight to go down tomorrow having come from Leeds off the A&C.

[haggis]

45 minutes ago, churchward said:

Up to you but good luck with that.  The L&L is open and for my money there is no contest which is the nicer canal to travel on.  

I quite agree but it is a time thing.  We moved our mooring further north a few years ago  as we wanted to cruise the L & L again but every year parts of it have been shut and we initially thought to return that way after Standedge this year.  However when we worked out the timing we felt for various reasons that we had to take the shorter way back.

 

Haggis 

[Midnight]

2 hours ago, haggis said:

We are booked on that cruise .....

 

I know I received your temporary mooring booking for the 4th. Be nice to me if you want to be moored near the bar. 😆😆😆 

If you've not done it previously the Rochdale is worth the last day's pain. The summit is spectacular. It's just a days cruising through the filth of Rochdale (you may be lucky and meet the gentlemen's drinking club at lock 50) then one hard day down into Manchester.  I usually leave Rose of Lancaster at 7am and go all the way to Castlefield arriving about 5pm. If you have already ticked it off I agree with Churchward. 

[Stroudwater1]

Bit puzzled by the apparent water shortage at Standedge, water pours into the tunnel day and night at one point. At the Marsden end is a pump of some sort that water a plenty seems to come out of. I’m not sure where that water comes from - would that be from the reservoir that is currently low in level that was a famous swimming point? That’s a fair way down the East flight. 

 

 

[TheBiscuits]

2 hours ago, Midnight said:

one hard day down into Manchester.  I usually leave Rose of Lancaster at 7am and go all the way to Castlefield arriving about 5pm.

 

Slacker!  Last time I dropped from the Rose of Lancaster I moored in Lymm.

 

Then took 2 days off!

[Midnight]

5 hours ago, TheBiscuits said:

 

Slacker!  Last time I dropped from the Rose of Lancaster I moored in Lymm.

Yes but I reversed all the way down 🤪🤪🤪

Edited May 31, 2022 by Midnight

[StephenA]

L&L will be closed totally from 17th July

 

https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/notices/21826-lock-flight-operating-times-wigan-to-kirkstall-leeds-and-liverpool-canal

Edited July 1, 2022 by StephenA

[jonathanA]

It's the closure of poolstock that's a surprise. They've not done that before and it really buggers  things up... 

It's really getting beyond a joke....

[Pluto]

Not sure how you would get round as the notice suggests that they are only opening lock 86, and not lock 85. I suppose it could be a typo!