Three canals, three-quarters of an hour.

It was fine first thing this morning, so Meg and I took a walk around the canals that meet here.

A beautiful sunset yesterday.


First off, I’ve a couple of errors to correct. On Thursday, coming into Thorne, I mentioned that our shell was built here, at Jonathon Wilson’s. In 2006, when it was built, Wilson’s was still at the workshop in Sheffield, not here.
And yesterday’s talk of Bramwith Lock being made up with three sets of gates was right, but the sizes were wrong. The lower chamber is almost twice as long as the upper. Coal from Hatfield Colliery on the south bank of the canal below Stainforth was loaded at a wharf, and the lock extended in 1932 to allow the use of compartment boats.

OK. Meg and I walked back to Bramwith Lock this morning, crossing over the lock and continuing on the north bank of the Stainforth and Keadby for a short distance.

Bramwith Lock. The top section is considerably shorter than the bottom!


We followed a path across the narrow peninsula between this and the New Junction Canal, arriving at the aqueduct carrying the canal over the River Don.
The aqueduct is flanked by large guillotine gates that are closed when the Don floods, protecting the canal from the excess water.

Looking east towards the Aire and Calder




We walked back along the north bank past the junction, crossing over the River Don Navigation at Northfield Road Bridge and returning home.

Bramwith Junction, you can see Seyella in the centre. 

It’s awfully wide for a canal!


I was looking forward to getting some good blackberrys along here, we have in the past. But this year’s crop are poor, wizened little things.

Leave them for the birds.

I got a coat of gloss on the new top box this morning as soon as the dew had dried off. The forecast was for rain after mid-afternoon, so it should have been tacked-off by then. But it came early, starting at half-eleven, so I’m not sure whether I’ve got away with it or not. More showers tomorrow, so we’ll be staying here.