Johnson’s Hill Locks

Going up

 

We ascended Johnson’s Hill Locks last Saturday with the help of Ada & Dale and shared the 7 locks with another boat, which makes life much easier. We squeezed onto the 48 hour visitor mooring outside Top Lock Pub. After a quick lunch we headed into the pub for refreshments and then back to the boat for a roast dinner. It was a cool sunny day. 

Walton Summit Branch

End of Walton Branch

 

 

Sunday we strolled along the Walton Summit Branch, which heads off at the bottom of Johnson’s Locks. It was built by the Lancaster Canal Co, as was the stretch of the now L&L from there to the top of Wigan flight, however, there were not enough funds back then to construct an aqueduct over the Ribble Valley, so a tramway, which you can see from the Ribble railway bridge, was built to join this part of the canal to the rest of the Lancaster Canal at Preston. We carried on to do a short circular walk ending in Wheelton, as Heather was on call for work and we’d have the kids if she was called. We walked through several fields of sheep with their lambs, saw pygmy goats and crept up what I understand people in these parts call a ginnel!! Again the views were fabulous, we could see the wind farm in the Mersey Estuary and Blackpool Tower. When we got back our friends Jayne and John, whose wedding we attended back in October were moored behind us. 

 

Cut & cover aquaduct Withnell Fold

Monday we headed off and winded just after Withnell Fold a village that built up around the paper industry. While we were cruising we spotted a viaduct, but we couldn’t see which disused railway it was from when we looked at a map. The chap moored behind us explained it’s a Victorian gravity fed water pipe line (so an aqueduct) from the Thirlmere Reservoir in the Lake District constructed in 1890’s to supply water to Manchester, an impressive 96 miles. He suggested we explore the village. So off we strolled, visiting firstly the paper mill’s disused reed beds below the canal which is now a nature reserve, where we saw millions of tadpoles. Then over the canal bridge and up the steep cobbled street passing the restored mill chimney. Withnell Fold is a tiny village built to house the mill workers, similar to Bournville & Saltaire.

Thirlmere Aquaduct

Withnell Fold papermill

Mill pond now a garden

Reed beds

Tadpoles

I finished knitting John’s ‘mallard socks’ and started a pair for myself with yarn I solar dyed last year on the roof, with onion skins. We’ve sat out a lot to make the most of our idyllic rural mooring while watching- the crows frighten off the buzzards, several families of Canada geese parading their tiny goslings and being serenaded by a song thrush.

Wednesday we headed back down Johnson’s Locks. We breasted with a smaller boat as they had gear box problems & it wouldn’t go into reverse when the engine’s hot. We’ll spend the weekend at Cowling on the outskirts of Chorley.

Going down

May Day bank holiday in Chorley

Saturday we strolled into Chorley to go to the shops and market, it’d be rude not to have a pint at the Bob Inn as we were in the market. Ada & Dale met us there as it’s a short walk from their house. We all meandered via The Railway pub back to the boat. We’re moored in the same spot we stopped at 3 years ago, the M61 runs near by but isn’t too intrusive.

Sunday Heather & the children came over for a litter pick. Our stretch of the towpath & canal is amazingly litter free. I whipped up a picnic and the 6 of us headed up the hill to walk along the shore of Anglezarke Reservoir. It was wonderful as the bluebells are out and smell beautiful. We could see Blackpool Tower in the distance, but it didn’t come out in the photos. As we climbed over a stile a herd of sheep must have mistaken us for the farmer & came stampeding towards us. As we were on our way back we came across eggs for sale at a farm entrance, so we got a dozen, the prettiest eggs I’ve ever had. We ended up with a very heavy black sack of rubbish from our 4 mile walk. The footpath came out in Cowling behind The Spinners Arms, so we had a drink and packet of crisps and Ada & Dale joined us. Then all 8 of us back to the boat for tea.

Monday was a bit overcast but luckily we only had a couple of spots of rain once we started our BBQ. We brought a disposable BBQ to augment our lovely little bucket one, as we needed food for 9 of us. Both Heather & I made a cake (you can never have too much cake). I had a huge dilemma, which eggs to crack as they were all just so beautiful.

 

 John and the children ended the day by blowing bubbles.

 

Yesterday John and I headed off for a walk, on a similar route to Sunday, but we went higher to the edge of Anglezarke Moor. We had our picnic after a very steep climb up a disused quarry on Stonstray Bank. There was an amazing view and on the horizon we could see the Ribble Estuary glistening and we guess the tide was in as we could see the River Douglas too, with the binoculars. Our route back down the hill took us over the Black Brook, which also runs by where we’re moored. There was an open lead mine entrance that John took a peek in.

 

 

 

Wigan Flight

 

 

We moored in the centre of Wigan last night and set the alarm for an early start up Wigan Flight. We were up the first couple of locks by 08.30. I’d planned to take the boat up the first 11 locks and then swap over. However, several passers by had told us the canal was empty a few locks up. So we moored up and John went up to investigate. It appears a pound had been deliberately drained and one of the lock keepers reckons it was done so someone could steal all the fish easily. In addition a lock keeper found a collapsed person on the tow path, so an ambulance was called and the person taken to hospital. The emergency services also had another call, probably regarding the same person from a school as one of the pupils had seen someone on the floor, obviously the details were less specific, so there were lots of police, several ambulance crews and a water rescue unit looking for a person!!

 

While we waited for the go ahead to move further up the locks I changed the bed, did the washing & cleaned the kitchen. The CRT lads and volunteer lock keeper couldn’t apologise enough for the delay in our journey. One just can’t plan to hurry, when canals are involved.

It was Heather’s day off & she came to give us a hand, but had to leave to pick the kids up from school before we reached the top, due to the delays.

 

Just about all the pounds were pretty low and both John & I run aground and needed the Wigan Flight crew to run some water through so we could get floating. Such fun.