Date: Mon, 2 Oct 2000 20:45:30 +0100 From: Terry Waldron Reply-To: Canals To: Canals Subject: Trip Report Part 2 - Leeds to Nottingham [ The following text is in the "Windows-1252" character set. ] [ Your display is set for the "US-ASCII" character set. ] [ Some characters may be displayed incorrectly. ] Crew: Terry and Sue Waldron (plus Sue and Neil for a day) Boat: nb Stella Type of boat: 47 ft cruiser style narrowboat Trip: Leeds to Nottingham Dates: 1 September 2000 to 6 September 2000 1 September Leeds to Castleford We drove from Goole Boathouse to Leeds where Stella was moored at Granary Wharf (with Monique and Danny, other owners) awaiting us. Off loaded the car (did not have to pay for parking which is normally 3 pounds) and then I drove Danny to Bartington Wharf (Acton Bridge) on the Trent and Mersey and is Stella's current mooring. We left my car and drove back to Leeds in Danny's car, Danny and Monique loaded their car and set off to their home in Belgium. We dropped down one lock onto the river (this was the last lock which needed a windlass for a while) and moored up on the pontoons just beside The Armouries to pump out and take on water. The lock keeper would not let Danny and Monique down onto the river as they did not have an anchor. The pump out is a DIY and needs two cards and gives you seven minutes of pumping time, you can pause the pumping whilst flushing. Set off after lunch into grey skies, looking much like rain. At the first lock we met up with another boat that we would share the locks with to Castleford. We took it in turns to do the locks all of which are BW key operated and automated. The river runs through many old coalfields and there are still commercial operating wharves both for coal and gravel. On reaching Woodlesford lock we met with extremely heavy rain, turning to hail, but only lasting about 1/2 hour. Soon after leaving we could see a tug pushing coal pans in front of us, to pass him in the opposite direction on bends would be difficult as he takes up the whole river. We caught up with him by the time we got to Castleford Stop Lock. If you are in a similar e situation DO NOT enter the flood lock too close as he enters and then has to reverse to get his position for the rest of the river, the wash from his prop will throw you all over the place giving you no control - I was aware of this but did enter the stop lock a little early and did feel the effects of his wash We moored on the opposite side to Hargreaves Yard and the coal pans carried on to Ferrybridge Power Station. 2 September Castleford to Goole Sue and Neil (of Jemima D fame) arrived for a day trip (what do you call a mini GIG when it is also part of a trip????) The river carries and is even more of a commercial waterway. Ferrybridge is soon approached and as it is Saturday there is no traffic. There were about 4 tugs moored and many full coal pans waiting for unloading. I believe that Ferrybridge remains the only power station that still receives it's fuel from the waterways. After Ferrybridge there is still much evidence of old coal fields and through nature reserves, we did not see any signs of wildlife but will try to stop here sometime to go birdwatching. The countryside flattens out by the time you get to Pollington and here the wind was very strong. Soon we get to New Junction and the wind was very strong coming off of the reservoir making the canal very choppy and steerage difficult. Another hour and we were passing the Black Dog, from here to Goole there are many bird boxes and although we have travelled this part of the canal many times this is the first time we have seen birds in the boxes, three owls were flying round one and we saw them go in. Approaching Goole there are large barges (120ft by 12ft) many loaded with sand and gravel and many empty old oil barges. We passed the BW moorings to take a trip through the commercial docks and down to Ocean Lock, not advisable to do this trip if the tide is right for boats coming into Ocean lock. We moored for five minutes beside the Tom Pudding lift to take photos and finally moored on the BW Moorings. Went into the North Star Club (the bar at Goole Boathouse) and met up with a number of boaters we knew from previous visits. 3 September Goole to Keadby Sue and Neil left before we set off, it was good to meet up with them again. Set off with nb Midama (our friends boat) following us and another nb behind them. On approaching New Junction the wind had not changed from yesterday and the canal was very choppy, rounded into New Junction Canal and wind dropped. Soon we were upon the first of the automised BW key operated lift bridges, there are about five and one lock before we get to Bramwith Junction. We leap frogged though all of these with each of the 3 boats taking a turn in bridge or lock operation. Rounded Bramwith Junction and had to wait for the lock, this one needed a windlass and is a lock in two parts, one small which will just take two 60ft narrowboats and the larger part is about 100ft long. The canal is now not as wide but is still over twice as wide as the canals in the midlands. We stop at Thorne to get fresh bread, the supermarket is only a couple minutes walk from the visitor moorings. The Lincolnshire countryside opens up, very flat and you can see for many miles. We start seeing our first signs of bird life, quite a few herons and numerous grebes. After a few swing bridges, where some need BW key, some handraulic latch release and needing to be pushed (one very stiff and needing two people to move it). As we approach Keadby there is a very unusual railway bridge, it is operated from a signal box and slides on rails under the bridge. We moor on the visitor moorings and go to look at the Trent. 4 September Keadby to Cromwell lock. We set off at 0925 to go into the lock at 0930 (Note: you need to ring at least 24 hours in advance to book for exit). We entered the lock, which has four gates with nb Midama and another narrowboat. We were first out and steered into the tide until we hit mid river when we allowed the tide to turn us. The tide was 4.2 metres which is about half way between Neaps and Springs, it was not running anywhere near as fast as I expected and I was on 2200 revs and doing about 8 knots (so approx. 3 knots tide). We had both the Trent Boating Association books and the Ripon Boat Club Book to help us, but even without these if you stay mid stream you should be clear of all sand bars. Soon I can see a sand barge behind us, he passes us and I hit his wake at 90 degrees to minimise the effect, it was not as much as I had anticipated. A large cruiser passed going the opposite way and his wake was far more severe than the sand barge. By the time we got toTorksey my engine overheat alarm came on, I slowed until it went off and checked the engine, I could see that water was coming out of the overspill. We stayed at 1500 revs for about half and hour and then the overheat came on again. I breasted up on nb Midama, shut down the engine for half an hour and then topped it up with warm water. The boat obviously has not been built for river work and running at higher revs, it has only one skin tank and no header tank. Pulled away from Midama and made our own way to Cromwell Lock at 2000 revs. The river has very few places other than Torksey and Gainsborough that you could even think of mooring. It remains very wide, about 100 yards in places all the way to Cromwell lock. Many herons, grebes and cormorants are seen today. At Cromwell there are pontoon moorings sufficient for four boats, all others have to moor on the very high wall. 5 September Cromwell lock to Holmes Lock. We are now on the Non Tidal Trent but there is little difference to the last few miles before Cromwell. The river is still wide, 50 metres in places but narrowing the approach to Newark and more like canal just after Newark. At Newark the railway bridge had been renewed a week ago, they had slid a new bridge in place of the old one over the bank holiday weekend (hence the 4 day stoppage), some feat of engineering. A new visitor mooring pontoon complete with water, electricity and lighting has been put in outside the BW offices, this looks to be the best place to moor overnight. The castle stands over one side of the canal, a new park on the other side - although there are rings here it is NOT a safe overnight mooring. The canal is now narrow and the speed limit decreased to 4 knots for about 2 miles. Soon after it opens out again wepass a very large weir which we keep well away from despite there being little flow over it. After we pass Radcliffe on Trent we can see a very long railway viaduct two lines from each side of the river meet and cross at one bridge. Because it is after working hours we have to do Stoke Bardulph and Holmes Locks ourselves, there are 3 boats going through together, a BW key is needed and the operating time seems to be far greater than when a lock keeper is on duty. We moor after Holmes lock and very close to the Slalom run at the national Watersports centre of Pierpoint. We spend an hour watching the canoes. Again today many herons, grebes and cormorants. 6 September Holmes Lock to Nottingham A short run on the still fairly wide river, the approach to Nottingham indicates from the amount of large wharves that this was formerly a busy commercial waterway. We go down under the very impressive decoratively painted wrought iron Trent Bridge, passed both Notts County and Notts Forest football grounds and passed Trent Bridge cricket ground before turning to go under Trent Bridge Bridge again and the entry to the Nottingham Canal. Marilyn from Midama has set the lock ready for both boats to enter, we are now back onto a narrow canal, we pass two boats before the 90 degree bend and moor opposite the old Canal Museum. We go for a walk to Brewers Yard museum (free entry weekdays and highly recommended for a visit), a pint in the Trip to Jerusalem (reputedly the oldest inn in England and built into the side of the rock face), into a lace shop and buy lace for the boatmans cabin of the boat we will have built in a couple of years, visit to the castle (free entry on a weekday), not quite what we expected but a very good museum, again highly recommended for a visit, and onto the lace market are and the lace museum - unfortunately we were too late to see the machines weaving the lace. Back to the boats and a short trip to moor close to Sainsbury's, a very popular and safe mooring - also extremely good for fishing - I caught two nice roach, two bream and a few gudgeon in a very short space of time. Part 3 Nottingham to Acton Bridge to follow Terry and Sue ---