TRIP REPORTS : THE YEARS BETWEEN BOATS

THE CHESHIRE RING AND THE LEEDS & LIVERPOOL

August 1984

Part 3 : Johnson's Hillock to Skipton & back

Wheelton, at the top of Johnson's Hillock locks
The top lock	Lock-tail bridges	The eponymous pub

07:08 next morning brought a misty start. Johnson's Hillock locks, always attractive, were beautifully kept and the new windlass proved very helpful on heavy ground paddles. We stopped for breakfast above Johnson's Hillock top lock, where in 1972 we'd started our first hire-boat holiday with a company called Castleline Cruisers (Read that trip report here.). The pound to Blackburn was shallow but had good flora - including a huge concentration of harebells right by a factory wall - and fauna including ducks of many varieties, geese (both domestic and Canada), hens, bantams and, in neighbouring suburban gardens, two tabby cats fishing.

In Blackburn locks

Above Blackburn 2^nd lock we stopped for shopping & a pub lunch, the latter except for Peter who returned to chase children off the boat, then turned his attention to a towpath flood caused by a silly boater, and helped the lock-keeper to bring levels back under control. The pound above Blackburn locks had changed a lot due to a new motorway. Bridges had been added or altered, swing bridges renovated and there was a lovely new aqueduct. Trouble had obviously been taken to respect use of local materials etc..

Wendy picked up a hitch-hiking angler for the last 2 miles into Hapton, where we moored at 19:28. He didn't have a towel. After dinner we played Boxo again. Ian won.

Hapton

Soon after 06:00 Jason got up very efficiently and did the weed-hatch - we seemed to have picked up some floral tributes and fishing line. We set of but almost at once were stopped by broken throttle cable. We rang Frank Dye and he took a long time to get to us so far (60 miles) from base. We saw some very attractive dogs here, including a pair of English setters.

On the summit

We had lunch on the move once Frank had replaced the broken cable. We noticed quite a lot of canalside improvement in Burnley, and some of the private gardens are now open to the water. We stopped to take on water above Barrowford top lock (that flight was as pleasant as ever, and not yet spoiled by the motorway that now crosses it) then went on to moor at 20:18 at East Marton, bridge 160, although the log doesn't indicate whether we patronised the Cross Keys on this occasion.

A less misty morning than usual brought an 05:57 start. Jason & Wendy saw lots of wildlife through Marton Pool, including four heron. At Skipton wharf we stopped for shopping and launderette. We lunched at the Royal Shepherd and had a good welcome from Don & Juanita, the landlords who remembered us from past visits. We had a pump-out at the boatyard on the wharf (including unblocking it, a legacy from a previous hirer). We set off again around teatime, and began retracing our course, mooring at 20:26 past Banknewton bottom lock.

Banknewton locks and a breakfast-time visitor.
In Marton Pool	East Marton

We had a lie-in and didn't start until 08:53. We met many boats at the locks today. Brunch was eaten on the move along Marton Pool. Peter insisted that as we were brunching US-style, we ought to drink Vodka Martinis. So some of us did. We made a mid-day beer stop at the Cross Keys, East Marton (Theakston's), then continued, once again in company with Kelly III. We stopped at Salterforth bridge, on trhe summit, to take on water.

	Greenberfield locks
Seen on the summit	Foulridge tunnel

Jason & I wanted to moor at Barrowford bottom and walk into the village for the pub with the people from Kelly III, but were overborne by Peter & Wendy for a number of reasons, one of which was the proximity of a sewage works. We ended up at a reasonably rustic piece of embankment, near Brierfield at 19:56, in enough depth to be able to moor on an even keel for once. We ate Peter's excellent dinner outside in the well-deck.

Summit feeder
	Barrowford locks

Hapton

near Clayton-le-Moors

near Clayton-le-Moors

To my surprise (slight annoyance?) we'd not been vandalised or pillaged, or even cast off, in the night. The start was delayed until 07:24 by me dropping various things in the bilges, including the tongs I was using to retrieve the other things! Eventually Wendy, the mop and the shorter pair of tongs were all pressed into service and between us we "restored the thing". (Peter and Wendy had had some practice the previous morning, rescuing the spanner with mop & magnet). This eventful life eventually had to be abandoned for mere cruising.

Church Kirk

near Rishton

near Rishton

We reached Rishton at lunchtime and stopped for a pub & shopping. Then on to Blackburn, stopping again by the lock cottage to take on water and chat with a pleasant lock-keeper and his colleague. Later we found some helpful gongoozlers to exploit at Johnson's Hillock locks and moored once more at Walton Summit junction wharf at 18:05. After a barbecue some of us went to the Top Lock (Magnet Ales). At the end of dinner, Wendy forgot to take the wine-box off the cabin roof, but it was still there next morning.

Blackburn

Blackburn locks