River Derwent & Pocklington Canal

[MartinC]

We were planning next year to visit friends who have moved to Pocklington.

 

I have not been able to check our Nicholson's which is on the boat. However CanalPlan shows a 55ft limit for River Derwent and Pocklington Canal. Our boat is 57ft + fenders. Does anybody know if the relevant locks are wide enough to allow a diagonal squeeze?

[haggis]

We were planning next year to visit friends who have moved to Pocklington.

 

I have not been able to check our Nicholson's which is on the boat. However CanalPlan shows a 55ft limit for River Derwent and Pocklington Canal. Our boat is 57ft + fenders. Does anybody know if the relevant locks are wide enough to allow a diagonal squeeze?

We went up the Derwent and the Pocklington a few years ago and Copperkins is 58 feet. I don't remember a problem with her length - except for mooring :-) On the way up and the way back we moored outside a pub (on the Derwent) on very shakey pontoons. We managed about 5 feet of boat on the pontoon and the other end was tied to a tree.

 

haggis

[PeterScott]

We went up the Derwent and the Pocklington a few years ago and Copperkins is 58 feet. I don't remember a problem with her length - except for mooring :-) On the way up and the way back we moored outside a pub (on the Derwent) on very shakey pontoons. We managed about 5 feet of boat on the pontoon and the other end was tied to a tree.

2002 Copperkins trip on River Derwent and Pocklington Canal: mooring is in short supply on the River, and this is our two foot on a pontoon and the rest to a tree: mooring in Melbourne Basin, Pocklington Canal, and then descending BarmbyDun lock from the Derwent into the Ouse

[Mac of Cygnet]

A few more Pocklington pics, from this year:

 

Barmby Barrage. The Derwent, like the Witham, is semi-tidal, as the barrage sluice is only opened when the Ouse is lower than the Derwent. When closed, the river backs up and there is virtually no flow. If the sluice is opened behind you as you go upriver, an increasing flow appears - I wondered why I was going slower and slower! I expect the residents of Barmby in the Marsh (where there is an excellent pub) are looking anxiously at water levels just now!

 

 

Pocklington lock gear:

 

 

The last of several swing bridges before Melbourne basin. Some are a bit of a b***er singlehanded.

 

 

Beyond Melbourne is not navigable - but there is a fully restored and working lock beyond this!

 

 

In Melbourne basin, which is a beautiful little mooring, and a nice village, but the pub unfortunately has had a 'modern' makeover.

 

 

The navigable part can be a little weedy, but there was enough of a central channel, and the main weed (I forget its name, but apparently it's almost unique to the Pocklington) is fragile enough not to be a problem.

 

 

Sorry I can't help you with lock sizes - I'm only 27ft, and never even think about that sort of thing!

[egret]

We were planning next year to visit friends who have moved to Pocklington.

 

I have not been able to check our Nicholson's which is on the boat. However CanalPlan shows a 55ft limit for River Derwent and Pocklington Canal. Our boat is 57ft + fenders. Does anybody know if the relevant locks are wide enough to allow a diagonal squeeze?

 

You should have no problem with a 57foot boat I have navigated the derwent many times with boats up to 12feet wide,The only slight problem is if two 57s try to go through sutton lock together EA in there infinite wisdom have not inset the chamber ladder in the wall so if heading downgate their appears to be enough space but the lock walls taper as it goes down. I have seen three pairs jammed before.

[Guest]

 

Beyond Melbourne is not navigable - but there is a fully restored and working lock beyond this!

 

 

That will be this one - pictured when I walked the non navigable bit from Pocklington to Melbourne a few years back -

 

 

 

 

More work to do further up though....

 

 

[bowten]

Good piccies Martin.

[Derek Porteous]

Excellent pics from everyone and a good thread. Of particular interest to me as I have been meaning to visit the Pockington Canal for several years now. The nearest I got in the planning was a few years back but then the entrance lock from the River Ouse went out of action for over a year! However I have never been clear on the tide stragety on how best to reach the entrance from the River Ouse (I don't mean how to enter the lock itself, but where to leave from to get to the entrance at an appropriate time). I guess the jump off points would be Naburn, Selby or Goole. Can anyone offer advice on this for a fairly slow 55ft narrowboat? Also the same information in reverse would be good (leaving the River Derwent that is, not travelling in reverse gear for the wags out there!). I am based in Ripon so could visit either at the beginning of our annual summer cruise or at the end of the cruise, i,e from either the south or the north, which ever is easiest. Thanks.

[haggis]

Excellent pics from everyone and a good thread. Of particular interest to me as I have been meaning to visit the Pockington Canal for several years now. The nearest I got in the planning was a few years back but then the entrance lock from the River Ouse went out of action for over a year! However I have never been clear on the tide stragety on how best to reach the entrance from the River Ouse (I don't mean how to enter the lock itself, but where to leave from to get to the entrance at an appropriate time). I guess the jump off points would be Naburn, Selby or Goole. Can anyone offer advice on this for a fairly slow 55ft narrowboat? Also the same information in reverse would be good (leaving the River Derwent that is, not travelling in reverse gear for the wags out there!). I am based in Ripon so could visit either at the beginning of our annual summer cruise or at the end of the cruise, i,e from either the south or the north, which ever is easiest. Thanks.

 

When we visited the Derwent, we came from Selby after a trip to Ripon. I don't remember any difficulty getting into the Derwent lock although we must have arranged the time with the lock keeper. I don't recall if there are pontoons on the river as we went straight in. The lock keeper told us to tie up on the moorings after the lock and walk back and complete the paper work and pay the fee. We were not, however, allowed to stay on the moorings after we had done that but had to move on. On the way back, we went to Selby. The lock keeper did keep us in the Derwent lock for a bit though as there was a big cruiser coming up stream at a rate of knots and he let its wash subside before he let us out.

I remember well coming from Naburn to Selby the day before. While we were waiting at Naburn for locking time, the owners of the GRP boats also waiting decided that they would go into the lock first and the two smelly narrowboats (their words) would go in last. We tried to point out that this might not be the safest thing for their boats but they made it clear that they didn't want to be held up by us. In the lock, the GRP in front of us smoked like nothing on earth! When the lock opened, the GRPs quickly disappeared and we didn't see them again till we got to Selby where the lock keeper told the last locking to stay in the river and let the narrow boats in first. They weren't happy and we tried not to smile too much as they were told to move to give the narrow boats room to turn for the lock :-)

 

Haggis

Edited December 29, 2012 by haggis

[MartinC]

Excellent pics from everyone and a good thread.

 

I agree! Thanks for all the helpful comments.

[Mac of Cygnet]

When we visited the Derwent, we came from Selby after a trip to Ripon. I don't remember any difficulty getting into the Derwent lock although we must have arranged the time with the lock keeper. I don't recall if there are pontoons on the river as we went straight in. The lock keeper told us to tie up on the moorings after the lock and walk back and complete the paper work and pay the fee. We were not, however, allowed to stay on the moorings after we had done that but had to move on.

Haggis

 

I went out from and came back to Selby. The aim is to both leave Selby and arrive back there at high water, so both ways are with the tide, but leaving Barmby about half an hour before HW Selby. So leaving and entering Selby lock are not nearly so fraught as when going to or returning from Naburn! Barmby barrage is invisible until you are nearly opposite, being hidden by trees, but it doesn't matter, as you will have to turn and come back up to it against the ebb tide (which isn't usually a problem, and there is a patch of fairly slack water near the lock anyway).

 

I think it may not be possible for a 'slow narrowboat' to go straight from Naburn to Barmby, as by the time you get there the tide would be getting too low and the sluices would be pouring out water from the Derwent.

 

Edited to say that the Barmby lock keeper was quite happy for me to stay on the moorings overnight both coming and going, which was a bonus as the pub in Barmby is really quite exceptional.

Edited December 31, 2012 by Mac of Cygnet

[Tacet]

However I have never been clear on the tide stragety on how best to reach the entrance from the River Ouse (I don't mean how to enter the lock itself, but where to leave from to get to the entrance at an appropriate time). I guess the jump off points would be Naburn, Selby or Goole. Can anyone offer advice on this for a fairly slow 55ft narrowboat? Also the same information in reverse would be good (leaving the River Derwent that is, not travelling in reverse gear for the wags out there!). I am based in Ripon so could visit either at the beginning of our annual summer cruise or at the end of the cruise, i,e from either the south or the north, which ever is easiest. Thanks.

 

Last year, we went from Barnby to Naburn; there were no particular issues and I suspect that it is the easier direction. You leave Barnby earlier on the flood than those departing upstream from Selby - so that you pretty much join them at that point. There is a potential problem of passing Selby Lock at precisely the same time as another boat comes out - which would be as much a problem for them as you. I contacted the Selby Lockeeper to make him aware of our passing, but one would hope he keeps a close watch before waving any boats clear of his lock.

[PeterScott]

The lock keeper did keep us in the Derwent lock for a bit though as there was a big cruiser coming up stream at a rate of knots and he let its wash subside before he let us out.

Wasn't hanging about:-)