Leeds to Liverpool canal

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Traction_man
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Re: Leeds to Liverpool canal

Post by Traction_man »

Some food for thought here

https://www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/195646 ... ool-canal/

Cheers,

Keith
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Sweep
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Re: Leeds to Liverpool canal

Post by Sweep »

Traction_man wrote: 15 Sep 2021, 10:45pm Some food for thought here

https://www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/195646 ... ool-canal/

Cheers,

Keith
thanks, interesting article - bit unfortunate that though he refers to some difficult bits of towpath he doesn't seem to say where they are unless I read too quickly.
Couldn't help but smile at his reference to Blackburn's "modern" centre - those of us who know it well might say that that's because the council has knocked the core down several times.
The piece shows that it's entirely rideable though.
Thanks.
Pic of my bike at Barnoldswick Greenberfield locks - some info says that that's the highest point of the Leeds liverpool though I am not entirely sure. Nice resting spot there and a cafe.
IMG_20200817_152220070_HDR.jpg
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nirakaro
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Re: Leeds to Liverpool canal

Post by nirakaro »

Lovely spot – I stuck my tent up at Greenberfields top lock a couple of years back. Yes that is the top – the 'summit pound' runs from there to the locks at Barrowford, near Colne.
The wiggly stretch over the moors from Gargrave to East Marton, though lovely walking, is a bit rough for cycling. Above there it's a bit better IIRC.
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Sweep
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Re: Leeds to Liverpool canal

Post by Sweep »

nirakaro wrote: 16 Sep 2021, 12:23pm Lovely spot – I stuck my tent up at Greenberfields top lock a couple of years back. Yes that is the top – the 'summit pound' runs from there to the locks at Barrowford, near Colne.
The wiggly stretch over the moors from Gargrave to East Marton, though lovely walking, is a bit rough for cycling. Above there it's a bit better IIRC.
Thanks for the reply - you pitched in the grassy area that slopes down towards the cafe maybe?
Thanks for the info on the bit on to Gargrave - I usually come off soon after Greenberfield and take the road to Gargrave if I am aiming to get somewhere in decent time, partly because the canal does a lot of weaving on that bit - though what I saw of that stretch did look rather charming.
Interesting factoid about greenberfield - near the facilties is a pipe gushing water - it brings water all the way from somewhere well towards or actually in the yorkshire dales - remarkable, or is to me, only dawned on my dullhead fairly recently that canals need very regular topping up - and that's what those rather oddly located reservoirs at Foulridge are for as well.

oo - found a pic - looks very refreshing.

IMG_20200812_150902940.jpg
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nirakaro
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Re: Leeds to Liverpool canal

Post by nirakaro »

Sweep wrote: 16 Sep 2021, 12:33pmcanals need very regular topping up - and that's what those rather oddly located reservoirs at Foulridge are for as well.
Yeh - water supply is the limiting factor on how high a canal can go. A lock holds two or three hundred tons of water, which is lost downstream each time it's used.
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Cowsham
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Re: Leeds to Liverpool canal

Post by Cowsham »

Sweep wrote: 16 Sep 2021, 12:33pm
nirakaro wrote: 16 Sep 2021, 12:23pm Lovely spot – I stuck my tent up at Greenberfields top lock a couple of years back. Yes that is the top – the 'summit pound' runs from there to the locks at Barrowford, near Colne.
The wiggly stretch over the moors from Gargrave to East Marton, though lovely walking, is a bit rough for cycling. Above there it's a bit better IIRC.
Thanks for the reply - you pitched in the grassy area that slopes down towards the cafe maybe?
Thanks for the info on the bit on to Gargrave - I usually come off soon after Greenberfield and take the road to Gargrave if I am aiming to get somewhere in decent time, partly because the canal does a lot of weaving on that bit - though what I saw of that stretch did look rather charming.
Interesting factoid about greenberfield - near the facilties is a pipe gushing water - it brings water all the way from somewhere well towards or actually in the yorkshire dales - remarkable, or is to me, only dawned on my dullhead fairly recently that canals need very regular topping up - and that's what those rather oddly located reservoirs at Foulridge are for as well.

oo - found a pic - looks very refreshing.


IMG_20200812_150902940.jpg
When swotting up on how to work the lock gates etc I came across this very good video of the section between greenberfield and gargrave.

It's beautifully done interspersed with great aerial video by " foxes afloat " on YouTube.

https://youtu.be/jc9L7yOw8zE
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Sweep
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Re: Leeds to Liverpool canal

Post by Sweep »

many thanks for the vid link cowsham - those guys should get a tv series - better than much of the "celeb" touring stuff - easygoing, funny but not overly forced, and lots of useful info as well - will check out the rest of their stuff, particularly on the Leeds Liverpool, even though I found their enthusiasm for starbucks rather odd.
Will definitely ride that stretch - though faster than them - over a day greenberfield to gargrave! - nowhere fast by canal.
The peace of that bit of canal as it wanders may I suppose support some discreet leave-no-trace bivvying?
Note - was at gargrave a few days ago.
IMG_20210906_184316427_HDR.jpg

- toilets closed - may be open now.

Gargrave locks also features the most decrepit bench I have ever seen - may have expired by the time I next visit.
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Re: Leeds to Liverpool canal

Post by Cowsham »

I see two people at the gates in the background -- do you know if the gargrave lockgates are manned? ie you don't have to get someone out of the boat to open them for you.
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Sweep
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Re: Leeds to Liverpool canal

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Cowsham wrote: 18 Sep 2021, 9:44am I see two people at the gates in the background -- do you know if the gargrave lockgates are manned? ie you don't have to get someone out of the boat to open them for you.
I don't know and I was a bit zonked out to be honest after cycling there from York and up Greenhow Hill with a fair amount of stuff on the back. I did maybe have the idea that there were one or two "helpers" - isn't the info available via the Canal and River Trust?
Last edited by Sweep on 18 Sep 2021, 2:57pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Richard Fairhurst
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Re: Leeds to Liverpool canal

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Cowsham wrote: 18 Sep 2021, 9:44am I see two people at the gates in the background -- do you know if the gargrave lockgates are manned? ie you don't have to get someone out of the boat to open them for you.
Virtually no canal locks are officially manned in England, though many river locks are, as are the locks leading off rivers onto canals. The Canal & River Trust does have a volunteer programme, and you'll quite often see their blue-shirted volunteers assisting at the busiest locks at weekends.
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Cowsham
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Re: Leeds to Liverpool canal

Post by Cowsham »

Richard Fairhurst wrote: 18 Sep 2021, 12:49pm
Cowsham wrote: 18 Sep 2021, 9:44am I see two people at the gates in the background -- do you know if the gargrave lockgates are manned? ie you don't have to get someone out of the boat to open them for you.
Virtually no canal locks are officially manned in England, though many river locks are, as are the locks leading off rivers onto canals. The Canal & River Trust does have a volunteer programme, and you'll quite often see their blue-shirted volunteers assisting at the busiest locks at weekends.
Yes I met some of the volunteers at the Bingley 5 rise who did the locks there for us.
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Cowsham
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Re: Leeds to Liverpool canal

Post by Cowsham »

Sweep wrote: 18 Sep 2021, 12:07pm
Cowsham wrote: 18 Sep 2021, 9:44am I see two people at the gates in the background -- do you know if the gargrave lockgates are manned? ie you don't have to get someone out of the boat to open them for you.
I don't know to be honest and I was a bit zonked out to be honest after cycling there from York and up Greenhow Hill with a fair amount of stuff on the back. I did maybe have the idea that there were one or two "helpers" - isn't the info available via the Canal and River Trust?

Found this website when we were on the canal but didn't realize it shows the open/closed status of the towpath as well.

https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/notices
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Jamesh
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Re: Leeds to Liverpool canal

Post by Jamesh »

Richard Fairhurst wrote: 18 Sep 2021, 12:49pm
Cowsham wrote: 18 Sep 2021, 9:44am I see two people at the gates in the background -- do you know if the gargrave lockgates are manned? ie you don't have to get someone out of the boat to open them for you.
Virtually no canal locks are officially manned in England, though many river locks are, as are the locks leading off rivers onto canals. The Canal & River Trust does have a volunteer programme, and you'll quite often see their blue-shirted volunteers assisting at the busiest locks at weekends.
I'm pretty certain the 5 rise and 3 rise locks are manned.

I didn't see a lockeeper at gargrave they tend to have roaming officers.

Cheers James
millimole
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Re: Leeds to Liverpool canal

Post by millimole »

CRT often arrange for volunteers to man flights of locks 'all the time'. For example Foxton has volunteers rostered 364 days a year (and paid staff on Christmas day). Watford Flight is similar.
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Cowsham
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Re: Leeds to Liverpool canal

Post by Cowsham »

Jamesh wrote: 18 Sep 2021, 11:10pm
Richard Fairhurst wrote: 18 Sep 2021, 12:49pm
Cowsham wrote: 18 Sep 2021, 9:44am I see two people at the gates in the background -- do you know if the gargrave lockgates are manned? ie you don't have to get someone out of the boat to open them for you.
Virtually no canal locks are officially manned in England, though many river locks are, as are the locks leading off rivers onto canals. The Canal & River Trust does have a volunteer programme, and you'll quite often see their blue-shirted volunteers assisting at the busiest locks at weekends.
I'm pretty certain the 5 rise and 3 rise locks are manned.

I didn't see a lockeeper at gargrave they tend to have roaming officers.

Cheers James
Yes they definitely are at 5 and 3 but the times you can turn up to get down or up through them are limited. ie we were told to be there after 9am and before 2pm as that was the window to get up or down but because the notorious swing gate 199 had a fault it meant we didn't arrive at Bingley until about 3.45pm but to our surprise the volunteers were still there and kindly let us down through the gates.

They were very helpful giving us lots of information and tips about mooring places etc.
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