Advertisement
Published: July 24th 2013
Edit Blog Post
An amazing footbridge by Castlefield Basin.
It's curved in both plan and elevation. Supported by a single arch, like a bowstring girder, but leaning upwards and towards the inside of the curve at 60 degrees. It depends on torsion for its structural integrity. 27 locks, 333 in total.
From Castlefield Basin we briefly joined the Rochdale Canal, then turned right at Ducie Basin onto the Ashton and finally right again onto the Peak Forest Canal, heading southwards now on our return journey.
The Rochdale 9, apparently only called that by boaters who haven't done the other 83 locks! The canal links Lancsashire and Yorkshire. Whilst financed by Yorkshire money, building actually started in Manchester; there was no way that Yorkshire was going to be at the end of the line so lock numbering was reversed, starting with Lock 92. The Rochdale 9 are notorious so the previous evening we contracted a mutually beneficial arrangement with Sally and Chris for us to go up the flight together. The canal passes between the backs of talls buildings and underneath numerous elaborate railway viaducts, always below street level, the smell of pigeons quite strong. The final lock of the 9 is in the Piccadilly undercroft, with a forest of concrete-covered columns supporting the 18-storey Rodwell Tower office block. We had to wait quite a while here as the previous boat had managed to
Close to Castlefield Basin.
Three railway lines run overhead and they're supported either by brick viaducts or these huge columns. There are 5 small basins under here too - they used to be arms to different canals but are no longer used. We preferred the safety of Castlefield Basin, however splendid the architecture here. drain the pound. Sally suggested that now was the time to lock the bow doors and hide valuables; the down-and-outs of the previous 8 locks, with whom you could pass the time of day and enjoy a laugh, had been replaced by a more menacing presence altogether and the same small groups were going to and fro, sizing up the situation. Sally, a very street-wise lady from Hackney, had travelled the canals in this area several times – she pointed out the drug dealer as we finally emerged into the fresh air at Ducie Basin, told us of the time they moored in that area and watched the pimps at work, and also gave us some advice for the Ashton, which we were just about to join: school holidays start today - keep the bow door locked and don't moor until well beyond the 18 locks. They had experienced gangs of children swarming over their boat in locks and also riding their bikes across the top of the boat as it rose up in the lock. We took their advice and had no trouble – better safe than sorry.
The Manchester end of
the Ashton has been gentrified – Picadilly Village and others provide apartments for many hundreds and it's all very easy on the eye. The rest of the Ashton is a very industrial canal. I have no problems with that; the smells coming from the works, the derelict and broken sites, the cleared areas that are wildernesses are all part of canal history. However the amount of rubbish and glass in and around the canal was horrendous – food containers, plastic bottles and bags – human waste, not industrial. Add to this the stench of Canada Goose poo, which could have spawned its own guano industry – well, I won't be rushing back to the Ashton. Noteworthy sightings include occasional glimpses of the Pennines on the horizon, the stadium built for the Commonwealth Games, the velodrome, the National Indoor Tennis Centre and the Etihad Stadium (sorry Man City supporters – no photos at John's request!) All 18 locks had their 4 paddles fitted with anti-vandal locks, which just about says it all. We were happy to reach the litter-free Dukinfield Junction and Portland Basin and turn onto the Peak Forest Canal – still some floating debris but a different atmosphere altogether.
We motored quite a way along the Peak Forest – the suburbs were replaced by several miles of trees overhanging the canal. We finally found a little place after 11 hours motoring and eating our two meals on the hoof – we were too weary to notice that we were under a flight path!!
Advertisement
Tot: 0.094s; Tpl: 0.014s; cc: 10; qc: 30; dbt: 0.059s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.1mb