Jump to content

What is the Rochdale actually like?


nicknorman

Featured Posts

The Rochdale is absolutely wonderful, its 4 hard days ascent from Manchester with a couple of really grim bits but its worth it. Currently moored right on the summit, at a village called Summit, and a pub called the Summit. They still do clog dancing in these parts! We are told it gets even better when we descend the Yorkshire side.

 

Currently thinking seriously about staying up here till March next year.

 

.....and have had superb support from CaRT getting our big deep boat up here.

 

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

  • Greenie 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 hours ago, nicknorman said:

Thanks. If and when we manage to get over the Pennines we’ll come back via the Trent.

With a deep boat you can loose a LOT of hours due to getting a bit stuck and needing to move water about (and there's not much to spare). If you can give CaRT a weeks notice you may well get your own volunteer to help you up. Our volunteer had 40 years of wooden working boat experience (a wooden boat too), knew the quirks of every lock, had restored quite a bit of the Rochdale with his own hands, and was a human history book, he kept telling us we were in charge and he was only helping but it didn't feel that way.

 

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

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, captain birdseye said:

I know the man well, and have done quite a bit of restoration work with him. We took his boat up the Huddersfield and got stuck at Uppermill and had to reverse to Greenfield to turn round the other week. We then had an energetic day from Stalybridge to Castlefield.

He's pretty much the ultimate canal geek. We were given a little presentation by himself and two CaRT staff (in a public bar too) and he produced a lot of lovely old photos of the Rochdale restoration through Manchester. He's a good beer drinker too.

 

The trustees were having a big day out at Marple so he had to attend that which meant that we did Rochdale with no CaRT or Volunteer support but otherwise he helped us all the way from New Islington to the summit.

 

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

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We went from Sowerby Bridge to Littleborough last year and I personally think it's my favourite bit of canal even though there can be water issues, but it is just stunning. Even caught up with some Aussie birds, emus no less, at the summit.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

11 minutes ago, harleyj said:

We went from Sowerby Bridge to Littleborough last year and I personally think it's my favourite bit of canal even though there can be water issues, but it is just stunning. Even caught up with some Aussie birds, emus no less, at the summit.

We are moored right next to this bird, its causing the dog some concern, possibly the stuff of doggie nightmares, if the birds up here are that big I hope I don't meet a rabbit.

 

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

  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

12 minutes ago, dmr said:

We are moored right next to this bird, its causing the dog some concern, possibly the stuff of doggie nightmares, if the birds up here are that big I hope I don't meet a rabbit.

 

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

As long as Rod hull ain't there. That would be truly awful. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well Hud 9E isn’t going to be open soon. We visited by bus today. Lots of barriers up and H&S signs (along with nice poetry on the balance beam) but no sign of any workers at 15:45 and still a big hole. We are booked back through the tunnel on Monday so thence down hill and, following all the positive reports (and blotting out the negative ones with fingers in ears and “blah blah blah”) we will go for the Rochdale.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, captain birdseye said:

If you want a hand on the Huddersfield or the Ashton PM me I live locally and have a bit of time free next week

Thanks. We are picking Jeff’s mum and dad up on Monday late morning at Marsden Station, then setting off through the tunnel probably around 12- 13:00 (I’ve negotiated a late transit with CRT chaps at the tunnel). Monday night probably at Uppermills or Roaches depending on how long it takes to plough through the low pounds and locks! Then nightstop at Portland Basin area on Tuesday night, starting down the Ashton on Wednesday morning. I guess we will just do a shortish day and stop at Thomas Telford basin prior to starting the Big Climb on Thursday morning. I’ll PM you my phone number and email.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

19 minutes ago, nicknorman said:

Well Hud 9E isn’t going to be open soon. We visited by bus today. Lots of barriers up and H&S signs (along with nice poetry on the balance beam) but no sign of any workers at 15:45 and still a big hole. We are booked back through the tunnel on Monday so thence down hill and, following all the positive reports (and blotting out the negative ones with fingers in ears and “blah blah blah”) we will go for the Rochdale.

 

There is possibly a failed gate at Lock 44 or 45, CaRT had the pound drained today to investigate, they are coming up to see us again in a couple of days and report progress as one of the boats in our little group needs to get back to Manchester. I don't know if its on the stoppages list, they might not even bother as sadly very few boats appear to be using this waterway. Its a bit chicken and egg as there are possible solutions to the water supply issue but they are expensive and so hard to justify if there are no boats.

 

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

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 minutes ago, dmr said:

 

There is possibly a failed gate at Lock 44 or 45, CaRT had the pound drained today to investigate, they are coming up to see us again in a couple of days and report progress as one of the boats in our little group needs to get back to Manchester. I don't know if its on the stoppages list, they might not even bother as sadly very few boats appear to be using this waterway. Its a bit chicken and egg as there are possible solutions to the water supply issue but they are expensive and so hard to justify if there are no boats.

 

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

Thanks, will look out for that. It will be later in the week before we start up so the situation should be clearer.

 

edit:currently nothing showing on the stoppages.

Edited by nicknorman
Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 minutes ago, nicknorman said:

Thanks. We are picking Jeff’s mum and dad up on Monday late morning at Marsden Station, then setting off through the tunnel probably around 12- 13:00 (I’ve negotiated a late transit with CRT chaps at the tunnel). Monday night probably at Uppermills or Roaches depending on how long it takes to plough through the low pounds and locks! Then nightstop at Portland Basin area on Tuesday night, starting down the Ashton on Wednesday morning. I guess we will just do a shortish day and stop at Thomas Telford basin prior to starting the Big Climb on Thursday morning. I’ll PM you my phone number and email.

 

New Islington marina is an interesting place to stop for the night, and stuffed full of trendy gay men with small dogs. The next day is the hard one as you really really would not want to stop anywhere near Failsworth. People usually make for the Irk Aquaduct but due to our little trip there are now mooring rings outside the "Boat and Horses" (bridge 76A) which is a few miles closer. Big modern town style pub but beer and food were good. Its not the prettiest of places to stop but its right next to a police station so should be safe. There  are a couple of longish pounds quite early on so difficult to fill if the levels are low, probably well worth speaking to CaRT in advance so they can organise the water. I think you are a fraction deeper than us so it will be quite hard work.

 

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

Link to comment
Share on other sites

43 minutes ago, nicknorman said:

Thanks, will look out for that. It will be later in the week before we start up so the situation should be clearer.

 

edit:currently nothing showing on the stoppages.

Hot off the press....

Notice Alert

Rochdale Canal
Starts At: Lock 34
Ends At: Lock 46

Friday 20 July 2018 16:00 until further notice

Type: Navigation Closure 
Reason: Repair


 

Original message:

 

Our operations team have discovered significant distortion in the lock gates at lock 45 on the Rochdale canal. This is preventing our customers from operating the lock and causing a severe loss of water from the upstream pound.

Our team are attempting to repair the lock gates and will continue to do this over the weekend.  However, if these repairs are not successful, the Rochdale summit will have to remain closed to enable a full stoppage repair to be completed.

The canal is closed between locks 34 & 46. We will provide a further update on Monday.

You can view this notice and its map online here:
https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/notice/13541/rochdale-canal-between-locks-34-and-46

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, dmr said:

 

                  .....and have had superb support from CaRT getting our big deep boat up here.

 

 

The terms 'big' and 'deep' are relative, to say the least. The canal was built to take 74' x 14' 2'' size Mersey Flats loaded down to 5' draught. The fact that you needed ''support'' from the navigation authority to get something approximately half as wide and half as deep along the canal is hardly cause for compliments or praise.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Up to date infro from http://narrowboatellis.blogspot.com/ although they are the other side.

 

Did Rochdale last year (and a couple of times before) and it was not especially problematic - no worse than many others except that there is not enough usage. 

 

Stayed in New Islington for several nights (pay man at maintenance base) which was excellent for a little bit of sight seeing with grand daughter.

 

At least last year, only entrance is from the Rochdale side not from the Ashton.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, rgreg said:

Hot off the press....

Notice Alert

Rochdale Canal
Starts At: Lock 34
Ends At: Lock 46

Friday 20 July 2018 16:00 until further notice

Type: Navigation Closure 
Reason: Repair


 

Original message:

 

Our operations team have discovered significant distortion in the lock gates at lock 45 on the Rochdale canal. This is preventing our customers from operating the lock and causing a severe loss of water from the upstream pound.

Our team are attempting to repair the lock gates and will continue to do this over the weekend.  However, if these repairs are not successful, the Rochdale summit will have to remain closed to enable a full stoppage repair to be completed.

The canal is closed between locks 34 & 46. We will provide a further update on Monday.

You can view this notice and its map online here:
https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/notice/13541/rochdale-canal-between-locks-34-and-46

The northern canals aren’t really navigable, are they!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, nicknorman said:

The northern canals aren’t really navigable, are they!

Wigan flight had more water on it last week than we have seen in years, probably because so many boats are trying to escape the imminent L&L closure.

 

Probably not doing the summit pound any favours though!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, DonCorleone said:

The terms 'big' and 'deep' are relative, to say the least. The canal was built to take 74' x 14' 2'' size Mersey Flats loaded down to 5' draught. The fact that you needed ''support'' from the navigation authority to get something approximately half as wide and half as deep along the canal is hardly cause for compliments or praise.

 

Yes, but the canal was abandoned and some of it was built over and its reservoirs sold off. The restoration was an epic task involving demolishing a building, raising the level of roundabouts and bridges and finding a new route under a motorway etc. Its now a 12 foot wide and 3 foot 3 deep waterway at best, but the real issue is that its full of crap, has limited water, and very few boats use it. CaRT are enthusiastic about boating, but unless boats actually use it there is not much CaRT can do, its regular use by boats that keeps a waterway navigable.

 

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

  • Love 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 hours ago, dmr said:

 

Yes, but the canal was abandoned and some of it was built over and its reservoirs sold off. The restoration was an epic task involving demolishing a building, raising the level of roundabouts and bridges and finding a new route under a motorway etc. Its now a 12 foot wide and 3 foot 3 deep waterway at best, but the real issue is that its full of crap, has limited water, and very few boats use it. CaRT are enthusiastic about boating, but unless boats actually use it there is not much CaRT can do, its regular use by boats that keeps a waterway navigable.

 

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

Your explanation of the difficulties encountered with a boat of approximately one quarter of the displacement of the boats the canal was built for doesn't hang together, any more so it would seem, than do the gates on Lock No. 45.

Demolishing buildings and raising the levels of roads crossing the line of the canal are not issues relating to navigable depth. If your assessment that the canal is "now a 12 foot wide and 3 foot 3 deep waterway at best" is in fact correct, it would be more accurate to describe it as having been reopened to navigation whilst remaining in a semi-derelict condition rather than as having been 'restored'. The fact that "its full of crap, has limited water, and very few boats use it" also tends to confirm that maintenance standards are set no higher than whatever is needed to keep the canal in it's present semi-derelict condition.

Whilst it is unarguable that the regular passage of boats is beneficial to the general condition of a canal, the same cannot be said of lock gates which have, apparently, been left in service until they have become too decrepit to retain their shape under retention level water pressure and the influence of gravity.

 

Edited by DonCorleone
Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 hours ago, dmr said:

[T]he canal was abandoned and some of it was built over and its reservoirs sold off. The restoration was an epic task involving demolishing a building, raising the level of roundabouts and bridges and finding a new route under a motorway etc. Its now a 12 foot wide and 3 foot 3 deep waterway at best, but the real issue is that its full of crap, has limited water, and very few boats use it.

A description of the Hudds Narrow, not the Rochdale, I think.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.