Leeds & Liverpool Canal - Rubbish!

[Sheepshank]

Having come up from Stourbridge via the Staffs & Worcester, Shropshire Union, Trent & Mersey and Bridgewater canals, I reckon the Leeds and LIverpool canal has the most rubbish in it so far, at least up to Burnley where we are at present. Bikes, plastic bottles, strangely loads of kid's footballs, and of course plastic bags line the banks and clog up the channel. Frequent weed hatch clearances needed. Furthermore there seems to have been little maintenance done recently, many towpath edges are broken, making mooring impossible for long stretches while at the locks there are major leaks in gates and frequently paddles out of action. I hope it gets better as we head up to Foulridge and into Yorkshire.

 

Could be it's got something to do with the lack of traffic. We've only seen a half dozen of moving boats between Wigan and Burnley, maybe BW don't think it worth maintaining. Anyone else having the same experience?

 

Adrian

[Dalesman]

Having come up from Stourbridge via the Staffs & Worcester, Shropshire Union, Trent & Mersey and Bridgewater canals, I reckon the Leeds and LIverpool canal has the most rubbish in it so far, at least up to Burnley where we are at present. Bikes, plastic bottles, strangely loads of kid's footballs, and of course plastic bags line the banks and clog up the channel. Frequent weed hatch clearances needed. Furthermore there seems to have been little maintenance done recently, many towpath edges are broken, making mooring impossible for long stretches while at the locks there are major leaks in gates and frequently paddles out of action. I hope it gets better as we head up to Foulridge and into Yorkshire.

 

Could be it's got something to do with the lack of traffic. We've only seen a half dozen of moving boats between Wigan and Burnley, maybe BW don't think it worth maintaining. Anyone else having the same experience?

 

Adrian

It has been like this for many years although BW will tell you a different story. Once you get into Yorkshire things get better..!

[mrsmelly]

Having come up from Stourbridge via the Staffs & Worcester, Shropshire Union, Trent & Mersey and Bridgewater canals, I reckon the Leeds and LIverpool canal has the most rubbish in it so far, at least up to Burnley where we are at present. Bikes, plastic bottles, strangely loads of kid's footballs, and of course plastic bags line the banks and clog up the channel. Frequent weed hatch clearances needed. Furthermore there seems to have been little maintenance done recently, many towpath edges are broken, making mooring impossible for long stretches while at the locks there are major leaks in gates and frequently paddles out of action. I hope it gets better as we head up to Foulridge and into Yorkshire.

 

Could be it's got something to do with the lack of traffic. We've only seen a half dozen of moving boats between Wigan and Burnley, maybe BW don't think it worth maintaining. Anyone else having the same experience?

 

Adrian

 

Its a site better now than it was only as recently as twenty years ago I know that is quite recent but most of our canals where vastly worse then...........

[Sheepshank]

Looking forward to the Yorkshire section then, especially around Skipton. What's it like goind down through Bradford & Leeds?

Adrian

[Albion]

Looking forward to the Yorkshire section then, especially around Skipton. What's it like goind down through Bradford & Leeds?

Adrian

 

After Burnley it starts to get much better and more scenic. The stretch from East Marton to Gargrave is beautiful and remote. The Bank Newton flight is lovely and usually has permanent lockies to assist in working you through (a water saving measure I think). Skipton (where I live) is a very nice town and very busy with tourists. There are 14 day moorings either side of the town centre stretch (ie before the electric swing bridge and after Belmont Bridge) and 3 day moorings between those two. BW don't seem to be very active in clearing out overstayers though and so some of the town centre moorings are taken up with long-term boats so I hope there will be space available for true visiting boats.

The run down into Leeds is OK but you are advised to do it from Rodley (IIRC) to Leeds in one hit as the kids can make your life hell if you hang around. When we brought our boat up here we were going from Leeds to Skipton and were welcomed by a lock keeper not far from Leeds with the words "Welcome to Beirut"

The lockies kept their cars garaged in big containers during their working hours to prevent them being vandalised.

Roger

Edited May 24, 2009 by Albion

[Matthew Dowson]

Looking forward to the Yorkshire section then, especially around Skipton. What's it like goind down through Bradford & Leeds?

Adrian

 

Regarding rubbish Burnley residents use the canal as their local dump, it is cleaned on a regular basis, but you can't do much when locals don't care about it, I have to say when we went through last summer july'ish it was pretty good, so probably had just had a clean-up. It's an urban thing, if you don't want to go down weed hatches stay in the sticks.

 

On the run into Bradford, its fine, good moorings above 5 RIse, and at Shipley - walk to the Aagrah 5 mins from Ashley Lane moorings for their curry buffet, checkout Saltaire and Salts Mill - don't charge past you're missing a highlight of the system. Cruise on to Apperley Bridge, lovely run and keep going to Rodley for your overnight stop, pop to The Railway pub on your left before Rodley village. Next day get through in one go to Clarance Dock - its only bad mid afternoon - 5 ish occasionally in high summer and august bank holiday, but we've never had any trouble at all in the last few years.

 

Enjoy the trip you're coming up to the best bit - all the way to Leeds.

[twocvbloke]

I have to admit, I don't cycle Burnley way because it's just awful in most places, as mentioned the locals there just use it as a tip, as they do the railway embankments, motorway embankments, behind their houses onto open waste grounds etc., Burnley's just a grotty place!!!

 

In the canal round that way, I have seen everything from fluorescent lights and light bulbs, to TVs and computer monitors, I've even salvaged the odd bike here and there from the canal for spare parts!!! But to be honest, I think that the Burnley residents need a damned good telling off for what they do, here, a short distance away, Pendle Borough Council fine people for putting their bin out too early (like, before people go to work!!!) or if the lid is slightly ajar, Burnely Borough though, they couldn't give a tinkers what the people do with their rubbish!!!

 

I don't mean to sound racist in any way, but the population of Nelson, Brierfield, Burnley and other surrounding towns are mainly populated with Indian people, a lot of whom have probably moved here when their families have been married off and have most likely brought their bad habits along with them, a lot of the houses backing onto the railway line have mostly Indian people in them, and on the rail-side of the fence, loads and loads of junk, rubbish and appliances, though there are plenty of us natives who are just as bad...

 

So, I don't think BW are the ones at fault (at least, not totally in the lack of upkeep sense), it's the local councils and the locals themselves that need to be sorted out...

[Dr Bradley]

I've just come form Leeds and am currently at Kildwick. The journey has been most pleasant (apart from swing bridges singlehanded!). One trip down the weed hatch in the middle of Leeds - how do the locals get home without nickers and jeans? - no other hassle at all. No great piles of rubbish. You can look forward to a great trip.

[CanalWalker]

I heard some horror stories about the Leeds end of the canal, burning cars being pushed down embankments into the cut, stone throwing, hordes of council estate hoodies etc so when I did Shipley to Leeds I was looking out for it all. It was a surprise to reach Leeds without seeing anything like a bad day in Baghdad! In fact the Leeds end of the cnal is surprisingly rural and green right up to River Lock.

The canal was very quiet, no boats on the move at all last time I was at that end, the water was crystal clear.

 

Burnley and Blackburn aren't particularly nice stretches but they do have some good industrial architecture. The people I saw hanging around the canal werent the local British-Pakistani population, they were distictly white and on drugs or drink! I dont know about Indians having bad habits but I can do without the English doing drugs, drinking and riding illegal motorbikes on the towpath! Either side of Blackburn and Burnley is okay though. And Burnleys Embankment is worth a visit.

[Albion]

I heard some horror stories about the Leeds end of the canal, burning cars being pushed down embankments into the cut, stone throwing, hordes of council estate hoodies etc so when I did Shipley to Leeds I was looking out for it all. It was a surprise to reach Leeds without seeing anything like a bad day in Baghdad! Or even Lebanon

 

In fact the Leeds end of the canal is surprisingly rural and green right up to River Lock.

The canal was very quiet, no boats on the move at all last time I was at that end, the water was crystal clear.

 

No-one is saying that you cannot have a clear run down (or up) but, on the whole, I think I would prefer to take the advice of the local BW men who would know what they are talking about. They certainly didn't have their cars garaged in containers for no reason I presume (and we actually saw the containers so we know they weren't exaggerating). They advised us not to stop between Leeds and Rodley IIRC. We also had no problem but were shadowed by a couple of youths who were definitely, but nonchalantly, trying to keep up with us for some reason. That became obvious when they ducked below a towpath bridge parapet and then ran doubled up while they thought they were out of sight in order to gain some ground. After a while they got fed up and turned off so nothing actually occurred.

 

Burnley and Blackburn aren't particularly nice stretches but they do have some good industrial architecture. The people I saw hanging around the canal werent the local British-Pakistani population, they were distictly white and on drugs or drink! I dont know about Indians having bad habits but I can do without the English doing drugs, drinking and riding illegal motorbikes on the towpath! Either side of Blackburn and Burnley is okay though. And Burnleys Embankment is worth a visit. Agreed

 

We've done this stretch four times now and, again, it seems to be best to do it early. No problems in Burnley except for rubbish on the prop. Only one potentially threatening moment in Blackburn from some school kids hanging around with intent at a lock but, in the end, they contented themselves with throwing things at a grandfather and grandson fishing just before the lock before disappearing.

Roger

[Matthew Dowson]

I've just come form Leeds and am currently at Kildwick. The journey has been most pleasant (apart from swing bridges singlehanded!). One trip down the weed hatch in the middle of Leeds - how do the locals get home without nickers and jeans? - no other hassle at all. No great piles of rubbish. You can look forward to a great trip.

 

 

Ah Kildwick, one of my favourite moorings- either in the stretch south, or right by the church where you can watch the sheep in the sloping field opposite. Bliss, you can also have some amusement watching boaters press the button for the swingbridge - barriers come down, lights flash and sirens bleep, then .... nothing happens - its a hybrid bridge that you have to use brute force, and it can be a stiff one to get going as well. Most people get it in the end and start pushing. If they don't we get up and help before they are lynched by the impatient throng in their cars!

[CanalWalker]

The main problem with Burnley and Blackburn is there is nothing around the canal. Blackburn has improved the towpath so there should be more cyclists and walkers, but Burnley is lined with empty warehouses (very nice ones some of them) so the area feels like a ghost town. Even on the Embankment you feel a bit isolated from the town. When I last went there there were the contents of some ones glove box, from the large car park below, so the local car thieves obviously think its a nice quiet place to go. I know there is a lot of talk about improving the Weavers Triangle but I thought it was unlikely even before the credit crunch. It would be great to have that area something like the bit around Skipton.

Towards Leeds you cant really see much beyond the canal, so you have no idea about the council estates that are near by.

 

The canal hasn't changed though it has had undesirables hanging around it since it was being built in 1770.

[MartinClark]

The canal hasn't changed though it has had undesirables hanging around it since it was being built in 1770.

 

Yebbut... a canal wouldn't be a canal without a few boaters around.

[Pot Noodle Adventurer]

Yebbut... a canal wouldn't be a canal without a few boaters around.

 

Don't hang around too long in that neck of the woods, we have been stoned and bottled before and watch out for the floating fridges!

 

Whatever next Pirates????

[twocvbloke]

Yebbut... a canal wouldn't be a canal without a few boaters around.

 

They all hang about in Reedley Marina, it's packed to the gills with boats...

[Sheepshank]

Great help, we're looking forward to continuing down to Leeds then back round via the Huddersfield. Today we left Burnley (left the boat for a few days at Reedly Marina - nice place really helpful staff) and moved to Barrowfield locks. The towpath is well maintained with new sheeting and very little rubbish so a very pleasant surprise! (A part apology to BW there).

 

Will take on board comments about Gargrave and Skipton, we intend to stay in that area for a couple of weeks to do some walking, and definitely will not miss the sights around Saltaire.

 

Thanks all

Adrian

[twocvbloke]

Great help, we're looking forward to continuing down to Leeds then back round via the Huddersfield. Today we left Burnley (left the boat for a few days at Reedly Marina - nice place really helpful staff) and moved to Barrowfield locks. The towpath is well maintained with new sheeting and very little rubbish so a very pleasant surprise! (A part apology to BW there).

 

Will take on board comments about Gargrave and Skipton, we intend to stay in that area for a couple of weeks to do some walking, and definitely will not miss the sights around Saltaire.

 

Thanks all

Adrian

 

It's Barrowford, not Barrowfield...

 

But, have fun in Foulridge (pronounced Foal-ridge, as in young horse) tunnel, and make sure you have a waterproof jacket on in there cos even from the path I can hear it raining in there when I pass on my bike...

[Sheepshank]

Ooops, sorry about the spelling twocvbloke, must get SWMBO to check my posts! Looks like we'll be in Foulridge for this weekend, and fine weather is forecast. If you see a dark blue cruiser named Molly, knock on side and say hello!

Adrian

[twocvbloke]

Ooops, sorry about the spelling twocvbloke, must get SWMBO to check my posts! Looks like we'll be in Foulridge for this weekend, and fine weather is forecast. If you see a dark blue cruiser named Molly, knock on side and say hello!

Adrian

 

no worries, I guessed you might have mixed it up with Brierfield or something...

 

As for Foulridge, I think this weekend is for gardening, got veggies to tend to which my mother isn't looking after too well!!!

[Dr Bradley]

no worries, I guessed you might have mixed it up with Brierfield or something...

 

As for Foulridge, I think this weekend is for gardening, got veggies to tend to which my mother isn't looking after too well!!!

 

We'll no doubt be passing in the next few days/weeks. Give us a wave.

[twocvbloke]

We'll no doubt be passing in the next few days/weeks. Give us a wave.

 

If I'm about the canal over the weekend, I'll look out for you...

[JohnEW2912]

Having come up from Stourbridge via the Staffs & Worcester, Shropshire Union, Trent & Mersey and Bridgewater canals, I reckon the Leeds and LIverpool canal has the most rubbish in it so far, at least up to Burnley where we are at present. Bikes, plastic bottles, strangely loads of kid's footballs, and of course plastic bags line the banks and clog up the channel. Frequent weed hatch clearances needed. Furthermore there seems to have been little maintenance done recently, many towpath edges are broken, making mooring impossible for long stretches while at the locks there are major leaks in gates and frequently paddles out of action. I hope it gets better as we head up to Foulridge and into Yorkshire.

 

Could be it's got something to do with the lack of traffic. We've only seen a half dozen of moving boats between Wigan and Burnley, maybe BW don't think it worth maintaining. Anyone else having the same experience?

 

Adrian

It's just an urban stretch of canal. I see by your route that you have come via a virtually all rural route save for the better side of Wolverhampton, the edge of Manchester and Wigan. Most urban canals have places where there is more rubbish than we would like and I don't think that Blackburn and Burnley are really any different than other urban stretches of canal. I pass along this stretch most years and will be through there later in the Summer and have yet to have to visit the weed hatch there. The stretch still has the mooring with the best view anywhere on the canal network that I know - between Clayton-le-Moors and Hapton I think.

[Janet S]

The stretch still has the mooring with the best view anywhere on the canal network that I know - between Clayton-le-Moors and Hapton I think.

 

You're quite right, there are some lovely views. It's only a couple of miles from my home, and it's one of my favourite fishing spots.

 

Janet

[twocvbloke]

Well, I think I shall be up on the towpath around Barrowford & Foulridge on me bike later on today, so if anyone's passing look out for a blue bike with black, red & orange pannier sacks on the back...

[Dr Bradley]

I see what the OP says about the Blackburn/Burnley stretch, though Janet tells me it's much cleaner than usual. No trips down the weed hatch yet. Missed all the passing forum members - they must travel too early in the day for me!

 

Wigan tomorrow, and I've yet to see a boat going in my direction to share locks with. Quite a few going the other way this morning.