A few days in Skipton, then out into the country.

We had visitors last Thursday. In the morning friend Wendy and her sister Helen turned up for a brew and a chat, then later on in the day Paul Balmer and family arrived on NB Waterway Routes, on their way towards Liverpool.

WR coming under Tin Bridge

That’s Paul on the roof filming, daughter Susan on the tiller and wife Christine relaxing. Paul is the producer of the excellent series of canal maps, published on DVD in formats for Memory Map and Acrobat.
 



They’re filming an update to the Leeds and Liverpool Canal cruising map, but unfortunately will not be able to finish it this year, the breach on the western end, not far from Liverpool, will prevent them from filming all the way into the docks.
They don’t leave any stretch of water untouched though…





Heading up the Springs Branch


The branch was opened in 1797 to move stone from quarries at the end of the half-mile stretch, and doesn’t see much traffic now. Apart from moorings at the junction end, the only regular visitors are the small trip boats running from the wharf.
Paul wasn’t sure how far they’d get, and it didn’t seem that it’d be very far when they ran aground passing trip boat Sam.

But Susan managed to pull back off the mud, and they actually got almost to the end, finally being beaten more by the overhanging trees than water depth. Of course, then they had to reverse back out…
They moored between Gallows and Belmont Bridges before walking around to see us. Chris brought a fine ginger cake, and I’d knocked up a banana cake and a batch of chocolate chip cookies, so we didn’t go hungry.

On Friday, after the early boats had got away, we pulled around and joined them, stopping to fill with water on the way. Skipton is well furnished with water points, apart from the service wharf opposite the Gallows Bridge moorings there’re taps near Brewery Bridge and Gawflat Bridge too.

Moored on the Gallows bridge moorings.


We pottered about over the weekend, just doing this and that. The Waterway Routes crew left to continue their journey on Saturday…

…and we were visited by Mags’ son Howard on Sunday and the local cob on several occasions. Howard only wanted a cup of tea, but the swan was a lot greedier. Not content with the odd bit of bread (I know, not good for them, but it was a seeded batch loaf…), he tried to take a bite out of the camera!


With things to do I didn’t get to walk around the town this time, but the near the canal are some gems…

The Liberal Club Building, Craven House.




Town Wharf


Alongside the towpath, the other side of the stone wall from where we’d moored, was the town gas works, with an ironworks a bit further over. The gaps where gates once hung allowing coal to be moved from boats into the works are now closed up, but still clear to see.

On the opposite side of the canal was an area of run-down slum tenements, with the odd cottage business mixed in.    

This morning we pushed across to fill and empty as required at the wharf, then set off to get out of town for a few days.
The gas works was to the left, now a car park, and the terraces to the right were demolished in the 1950s to make way for the bus station.

Typical mill town; stone-built terraces with the moors rising beyond.

We moved just four miles, mooring near Bradley.

Clever use of coir matting rolls to reinforce the edge of the new towpath.
They’ll slowly be absorbed by the vegetation, stabilising the edge of the path.

Snaygill Swing Bridge, the only one today.

Snaygill Boats


Moored near Bradley


On the opposite side of the canal a pair of isolated gate posts stand close to the water’s edge.
 
I wonder how old they are? If you look closely you can see a slight dip in the field where the drystone wall that connected to them once stood.

We’ll stay here for a few days before heading back into town. We’re just killing time at the moment.

Locks 0, miles 4½