The Rochdale.

[John Orentas]

Been moving boats up and down the Rochdale again for the past few days, dozens of boats on the move, warm sunny weather for a change and as much water available on the summit as we could ever use. We have been taking a few boat down to Littleborough for their 'Canals festival'. A fortnight of sometimes very loosely canal related activities.

 

What is it with these local councils ? they commit themselves to a 'fortnight of festivities' and only then do they contact the canal society and say "Any idea what we could do", we said "A few boats most might be a start and perhaps our promotions caravan". Ah well. We are very fortunate in that the Calder Navigation Society often let us borrow their trip boat Saville for these occasions.

 

I always like doing these events on the Rochdale, it has only been fully open for a few years and there is still a tremendous novelty value for the locals, many of whom still haven't a clue about their canal and have barely even seen it. Even adults are slightly surprised when I say; If you spit in that lock it will end up in the North Sea, spit in that one and it will go into the Irish sea.

 

What's it called ? What's it for ? How old is is ? Where does it go ? Who built it ? Why has it got a footpath alongside it ? My old school was only a few hundred yards from the canal (or the derelict ditch that it was then) never once throughout those miserable years was the canal ever mentioned, that's education for you.

Edited July 20, 2007 by John Orentas

[saltysplash]

Our house was in penistone avenue off Queensway with the garden backing onto the canal. It was well used by us kids as a quick route to smithy bridge then up to hollingworth lake. But like you say the only history lessons we ever had abot the canal was from me dad.

By the way was very disapointed lwith last nights Locks and Quays program. he told us at the begining that we were in for a treat going from slatocks to the summit.......He set off. spoke to some bloke about plant life, showed a horse boat going to cheshire. never once mentioned going thrugh castleton or even Rochdale. Just totally blanked the town. I know theres not many mills left along the way but come on......why was it called the rochdale???? you mightve shown us at least some of the town section...TUT!!!

[John Orentas]

Hi Salty.

 

I went to a meeting with the development company that has taken over the Azco Chemi site very near were you describe. It is on the longest pound on the Rochdale so we, and we are told BW were very keen that the development should include a marina. When I asked the bloke from the dev company what was the size of marina BW where insisting on, I got a blank look. "I don't believe they ever mentioned a marina" he said.

[Machpoint005]

Our house was in penistone avenue off Queensway with the garden backing onto the canal. It was well used by us kids as a quick route to smithy bridge then up to hollingworth lake. But like you say the only history lessons we ever had abot the canal was from me dad.

By the way was very disapointed lwith last nights Locks and Quays program. he told us at the begining that we were in for a treat going from slatocks to the summit.......He set off. spoke to some bloke about plant life, showed a horse boat going to cheshire. never once mentioned going thrugh castleton or even Rochdale. Just totally blanked the town. I know theres not many mills left along the way but come on......why was it called the rochdale???? you mightve shown us at least some of the town section...TUT!!!

Saw that episode a few months back ( you know what the digital channels are like for wall-to-wall repeats). I agree, there was a lot of emphasis on 'heritage' ie horse drawn boats and SSSIs, and the only bit of the cut you saw was the 'pretty bit'. OK, a lot of the Rochdale is pretty, but a lot is grotty. I get the impression the 'waterside developments' haven't really taken off yet in the mill towns.

 

My point being, if a novice decided to try a cruise on the Rochdale, they might be somewhat disappointed.

I'm trying to persuade the memsahib to work up her locking technique for a waterborne visit, as opposed to one in the c*r, though.

 

Ian

[John Orentas]

Probably 30% of the Rochdale could be described as industrial, whether you consider that to mean 'grotty' depends on the point of view of the individual, I doubt however that Machy has seen much of the canal, had he visited Todmorden, Hebden Bridge or the rest of the Calder valley he would have a very different view of Pennine mill towns.

 

Anyone who decides to tackle the Rochdale however should be aware that it is not just another Macclesfield or Oxford canal, you need to be reasonably fit if there are only two of you. The locks are wide, the pounds are short and the gates and paddles can be heavy to operate and you may occasionally need to sort out your own water supply.

 

But most of all there are a lot of them 91 in 32 miles so when you have 'done' the canal you will know about it, you will however have had the experience of driving a canal boat with hills and crags towering above you, still with clear evidence of the kind of habitation that pre-dated the navigation by many hundreds of years.

 

Try and pair up for the Rochdale, two crews mean half the work. With only a few exceptions two full length narrowboats can accompany one another along the whole length.

Edited July 20, 2007 by John Orentas

[Machpoint005]

Probably 30% of the Rochdale could be described as industrial, whether you consider that to mean 'grotty' depends on the point of view of the individual, I doubt however that Machy has seen much of the canal, had he visited Todmorden, Hebden Bridge or the rest of the Calder valley he would have a very different view of Pennine mill towns.

 

Sorry if my post seemed offensive - I know Tod and Hebden Bridge well as I have relatives there. I also know the bit of the Rochdale through NE Manchester. Grotty? I rest my case. Not so much the industrial landscape (that's fine) but more the tendency of the good folks of Failsworth to use the cut as a rubbish tip.

 

Ian

[Gary Peacock]

Am I just sad or does anyone else find an industrial landscape equally interesting to fields and edges?

[saltysplash]

Sorry if my post seemed offensive - I know Tod and Hebden Bridge well as I have relatives there. I also know the bit of the Rochdale through NE Manchester. Grotty? I rest my case. Not so much the industrial landscape (that's fine) but more the tendency of the good folks of Failsworth to use the cut as a rubbish tip.

 

Ian

 

Certainly wouldnt describe your post as offensive, being Rochdale born and bred I have to agree that the Manchester section will probably always suffer from inner city problems, however, once heading towards castleton the views open up as the climb towards the pennines kicks off proper. Seeing the canal derelict for so long it was always a wonder to me if it would ever re open especialy seeing the low bridges that the council replaced the old brick ones with and where the canal was culverted in other places, So i really think its time i got off my chuff and attempt a cruise. By the way. Does anyone know what they plan to do with Clegg Hall? Last time i saw it, it was still all overgrown and blackend, no roof and just a few chickens to keep the ghosts company. Now it looks totally transformed.

[Hairy-Neil]

Am I just sad or does anyone else find an industrial landscape equally interesting to fields and edges?

 

I'll second that........there's nowt more uninteresting landscape than the Trent and Mersey canal from Fradley to Shardlow (excepting perhaps bits of Burton on Trent) yet turn onto the Erewash Canal at Trent Lock and suddenly you're into a different world....

 

I doubt many will agree though...

[Dr Bradley]

By the way. Does anyone know what they plan to do with Clegg Hall? Last time i saw it, it was still all overgrown and blackend, no roof and just a few chickens to keep the ghosts company. Now it looks totally transformed.

 

I have heard it'll be - guess what - luxury waterside apartments. Does anybody build ones that aren't luxury?

[saltysplash]

I'll second that........there's nowt more uninteresting landscape than the Trent and Mersey canal from Fradley to Shardlow (excepting perhaps bits of Burton on Trent) yet turn onto the Erewash Canal at Trent Lock and suddenly you're into a different world....I doubt many will agree though...

I quite agree. as nice as it is chugging through fields and vales its just as interesting in the towns and cities especially as you normally enter them va the back door so to speak. Thats what makes the canals so interesting. variety

I have heard it'll be - guess what - luxury waterside apartments. Does anybody build ones that aren't luxury?

Lol.....how about 'not bad apartments' or 'slightly decent flats' There was a tale that there was a tunnel connecting the hall to smallbridge, although i never found out why the cleggs or entwistles would want to scurry off to smallbridge in secret unles it had summat to do with the civil war?

[Alastair]

My old school was only a few hundred yards from the canal (or the derelict ditch that it was then) never once throughout those miserable years was the canal ever mentioned, that's education for you.

Steady on, John, you'll be suggesting that education has improved over the years.

[Jim Riley]

Been moving boats up and down the Rochdale again for the past few days, dozens of boats on the move, warm sunny weather for a change and as much water available on the summit as we could ever use. We have been taking a few boat down to Littleborough for their 'Canals festival'. A fortnight of sometimes very loosely canal related activities.

 

What is it with these local councils ? they commit themselves to a 'fortnight of festivities' and only then do they contact the canal society and say "Any idea what we could do", we said "A few boats most might be a start and perhaps our promotions caravan". Ah well. We are very fortunate in that the Calder Navigation Society often let us borrow their trip boat Saville for these occasions.

 

I always like doing these events on the Rochdale, it has only been fully open for a few years and there is still a tremendous novelty value for the locals, many of whom still haven't a clue about their canal and have barely even seen it. Even adults are slightly surprised when I say; If you spit in that lock it will end up in the North Sea, spit in that one and it will go into the Irish sea.

 

What's it called ? What's it for ? How old is is ? Where does it go ? Who built it ? Why has it got a footpath alongside it ? My old school was only a few hundred yards from the canal (or the derelict ditch that it was then) never once throughout those miserable years was the canal ever mentioned, that's education for you.

 

 

Don't tell anyone but Its the secret boat festival. I only saw the festival banner on the railings at canal st yesterday, I was thinking last week of ringing Ray the Locky to find out when it was.

I will call down this afternoon but can't take the boat as I did last year, If I had known before I would have planned to fetch it down from Warland Pound.

 

And a note for Saltysplash, My uncle lives at No. 26, also backing on to Canal. From reading your post I gather you have a boat, where are you moored?

I spent many a happy hour fishing for sticklebacks in the cut in castleton when I was young too.

 

As for the industrial landscape, I agree with gary, it has it's own beauty, and I reckon the summit pass and gauxholme can't be bettered for grandeur and stunning scenery anywhere on the system.

[saltysplash]

 

 

And a note for Saltysplash, My uncle lives at No. 26, also backing on to Canal. From reading your post I gather you have a boat, where are you moored?

I spent many a happy hour fishing for sticklebacks in the cut in castleton when I was young too.

 

 

Life has dragged me down south now Jim to the lonely sea and the sky, or at least to the tidal Medway. so the long ago days of the 60's messing about by the canal up at firgrove waiting for my aunt to come out of the mill by the bridge there to buy us some chips from Mill's chippy have long gone. So has the chippy and the mill which cant even remember the name of now tut!

[Henhouse]

Am I just sad or does anyone else find an industrial landscape equally interesting to fields and edges?

 

 

You're not sad at all Gary. What is left of our Victorian milltowns should be preserved as a reminder to us all of what was the foundation of the British Empire. The days when we not only had a manufacturing industry, but produced goods which were sold all over the world.

 

Going back 5 generations to the 1820's my family used to work the Rochdale, and the L&L.

 

So whilst I do not own a boat, I have cycled some of the Rochdale, from Sowerby Bridge to Summit. One day I shall do the rest, but living 250 miles away makes it difficult. To try and imagine how they worked nearly 200 years ago in such a harsh environment is awe inspiring.

[John Orentas]

The boat festival was a very last minute affair and as I mentioned previously even the canal society was not told about it until a few weeks ago, it was a very small scale affair but these things must by definition must start small, even our own members occasionally ask if it is worthwhile attending these do's but the important thing is to bring the Rochdale in particular and the canal system general to the notice of the public at large, not by pushing hire boat holidays but highlighting what the local population have on their own doorsteps and the history they are all part of.

 

Oh yes one of the attractions at the festival were three beautiful Donkeys, brought down from Blackpool Beach for the day they were giving rides to visiting children, never seen such well look after, pampered creatures, there is something about Donkeys.

 

I am always a bit surprised at the cynicism expressed by many local people who still imagine that history stops at Chester and Warwick, many have never seen Gauxholme viaduct or the Great Wall of Todmorden which are just 'up the road'. Clegg Hall by the way is alive and well, restored during the past few years, it is now a very posh private home, Clegg Mill which accompanied the house has not faired so well, it was gutted by fire and very little can now be seen of it, there are rumours of restoration but I am not sure it will ever happen.

 

I have a positive view of the mills transformed into luxury apartments debate if that is what it is, hundreds of these magnificent buildings have been saved from the bulldozer in this way with very little publicity and lets face it, sadly they were always of very limited use for anything other than the specialised function they were designed for.

Edited July 23, 2007 by John Orentas