Roaches Lock 15W (Huddersfield Narrow Canal) – Thursday 25th July

It has been a day of events (I was going to put dramas but that sounds a bit OTT!) 

We had a bit of a lie in and Penny made the tea but then dropped her bombshell saying that she and Jim had decided to leave us today.  I was very disappointed but do understand that it was the right decision.  Firstly they had the car right by the boat and secondly they had been planning on driving to north Devon tomorrow and were very concerned about driving down the M5 on the first Friday of the school holidays.  It was the usual scrabble trying to find all their belongings (we still have a windlass, a baseball hat and a pair of knickers on board!) and then the sad time when they drove away – I hate it when visitors leave us.

 

Saddleworth Aqueduct

Richard and I moved on down the canal passing the Saddleworth Aqueduct which is yet another wonderful structure.  Then our next event happened – Muffin fell in the canal!!  He has had a number of near misses but this time he missed!  He took a flying leap from the bank onto the boat which was too far away.  His snout hit the boat and he fell in and quickly started swimming towards the bank.  Richard was walking on the towpath and managed to pull Muffin out, who then shook himself and carried on as if nothing had happened!

We pulled over in Uppermill for lunch as we had come across Little John (the single hander) and we know how slow he can be.

 

Roaches Winding Hole

At Lock 19W we had our final event.  We usually keep in the middle of the canal at locks instead of waiting at the lock waiting point because it is so difficult to get to the side on this canal.  But as Little John was still in the lock and there were C&RT men working on the lock we pulled over.  By the time we had filled the lock from the pound we were in we were well and truly stuck!  The two C&RT men came and tried to help rock us off but Mary H wasn’t going to budge.  Richard had to go back to the last lock (with a two way radio) and let enough water in until we could get the boat free.  It took a good six inches of water to free Mary H.  I’m just glad that the C&RT men were there!

At lock 16E we had an extremely heavy shower and all three of us got rather wet.  It was still raining as we got to lock 15E so we pulled over at the moorings below the lock for the night.

 

Wool Road Moorings to Roaches Lock 15W

2.74 miles
9 locks