TRIP REPORTS : THE YEARS BETWEEN BOATS

THE CHESHIRE RING AND THE LEEDS & LIVERPOOL

August 1984

Part 2 : Manchester to Wigan

Beswick	The run into central Manchester	Ancoats
Ancoats	near Ducie Street junction	The Rochdale Canal

We started at 07: 00 on a day that was to turn out hot for most of the time, cooling down later. Above Ancoats top lock we had to wait half an hour for the overnight padlocks to be taken off, then we went on to Ducie Street Junction and the Rochdale Canal. We had to wait at Dale Street wharf for a couple of hours while a pound in the Rochdale Nine was re-watered after maintenance work. Peter visited some theatrical contacts in the city.

On the "Rochdale Nine"

When it was time to set off again, we shared the locks with nb Prince, which was built by Nurser for Barlow's in 1941. The idea was that the two of us would work through each lock and then wait for the following lockful of three boats to send down another lockful of water. We got through some very dodgy pounds by various means including, at one point, us clawing past Prince (who was hard aground on a draught of 2'9") in order to give her a snatch. The main problem on the flight was very dodgy gates - half-a-dozen new sets would make a lot of difference.

"The tank" and a tanker

It was mid-afternoon when we reached Castlefield junction and turned onto the Bridgewater Canal, and not long after when, at Stretford Waters Meeting, we turned into the Stretford and Leigh Branch the original main line to Worsley, later extended to Leigh). We crossed the Barton swing queduct and tied up for some sight-seeing. We were lucky to see the "tank" swing for Harker's tanker Dovedale H, which we would have missed if we'd not been delayed on the Rochdale.

Worsley Wharf

Packet Boat House, Worsley

On the Leigh Branch

Continuing, we watered at Worsley wharf and continued to Leigh, where the Stretford and Leigh makes an end-on junction with the Leigh Branch of the Leeds & Liverpool, mooring soon after (at 19:57) in desolate scenery. Mining subsidence here means that the canal, once at ground level, now stands on an embankment crossing a barren moon-like landscape.

It was hot weather again as we started at 0700. At Plank Lane lift bridge, a large, keeper-operated one, we ate breakfast while waiting for the bridge-keeper to come on duty, then continued through the two Poolstock locks to Wigan junction, where we joined the main line and set off up the long flight of locks in company with Kelly III. A nice flight, but heavy and slower than usual because of anti-vandal locks on almost every lock. We got hotter and hotter. The climb took us fractionally under 4 hours.

Up we go!	The ascent of Wigan Locks	Looking back to Wigan
Lock number	Gate winch	Nearly there!

At the top of the flight we enjoyed a pub lunch, and then the lovely country towards Johnson's Hillock. This canal was quite as beautiful as we remembered it from hire-boat trips in the '70s, and hadn't burst out in bungaloid growths. We saw a great many foals on this stretch, and some older horses being ridden. At Adlington we did some top-up shopping, including a long-arm windlass. I was suffering after trying to moor to a wasps' nest!

We moored at 19:21 at the wharf at Walton Summit junction, immediately before Johnson's Hillock locks and had another barbecue. There were a great many campions along the hedgerows.

at Wigan

Jack Cloughs

at Banknewton