It’s been dry, but the wind has been a nuisance, especially for Mags as she held off waiting for me to open the several swing bridges we tackled again today.
A bit brighter than yesterday, but windy
Mags coming through Grange Swing Bridge.
Between Kildwick and Silsden there are four bridges, but two are chained open.
Lanehouse Swing Bridge, one of the two we didn’t have to open.
Silsden Boat’s hire fleet is all at home at the moment, maroon coloured boats seem to be everywhere!
More beyond Silsden Bridge!
The next swing bridge was Brunthwaite, and I jumped off early to run up and
open it. This allowed Mags to keep going rather than having to hold off. At
least that was the plan. Meg hopped off, I followed but hadn’t realised that the
edge was piled under a shaggy wig of grass.Instead of stepping onto a sticking-out bit, I trod onto a sticking-in bit hidden by grass and finished up waist deep in the cut!
I told Mags to keep going as I squelched to the bridge and opened it, then we had 10 minutes on the landing on the other side so I could strip, rinse and get into dry gear before we proceeded.
There’s some very nice off-side moorings just beyond Lodge Hill Bridge next to an old quarry.
They are popular, despite the faded notice…
Two more bridges to swing, the second at Bar Lane and mechanised, where we held the traffic up for a bit as Mags struggled to get unstuck from the bottom. I could only stand and watch; all the mechanisms for the bridges are on the offside, of course. But she got clear in the end. I think there were only a dozen or so vehicles waiting in the end…
We pulled in on the moorings at Riddlesden where we stopped on the way up.
Did I mention that Puffer Parts, the chandlery here, is no more? Closed about 12 months ago apparently. The building is being used by the builders working on the new canal-side development.
On to Bingley tomorrow, only a short day…
Locks 0, miles 5¼
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