Wednesday May 30th, Glover's Swing Bridge, Burscough - Parbold

Not much to report today as we only cruised the short distance back to Parbold – just 3 miles and a solitary swing bridge. It took all of one hour!
Apart from a nasty niff coming from one (or both) of the two sewage works we passed, it was an uneventful journey. Along the way we crossed the tiny River Tawd (said by some to be the origin of the word ‘tawdry’ on a stone aqueduct.

As we approached the moorings at Parbold, we could see they were looking a bit full, so we were pleased when the chap on ‘Shanty Bay’ (who had moved out of the way for us at Burscough Sanitary Station a few days before) beckoned us over to the moorings on the off side where he was. These are, strictly speaking, long-term moorings, but there was plenty of space  and we tied up in front of him.

And that’s about it!



Parbold Windmill & Bridge

Tuesday May 29th, Rufford - Glover's Swing Bridge, near Burscough

So summer’s over then. A much cooler and cloudier start to the day than we have seen for a week or so. Fortunately we were able to enjoy what seems like the last day of summer yesterday at the wonderful Rufford Old Hall, a National Trust property just over the canal from the moorings, but about a half mile to walk to.

Exterior of Great Hall, Rufford Old Hall

Detail from The Screen

Garden Front, Rufford Old Hall

Having untied we cruised under the road bridge and turned right into St Mary’s Marina where we exchanged a gas cylinder and were able to empty a loo (for free – the loo that is, not the gas!). We had been warned off the other marina (Fettler’s Wharf Marina), the entrance to which is directly opposite St Mary’s, as they are a bit unfriendly to visiting boats – and don’t try to wind in the entrance or you’ll get shouted at!

Business successfully transacted we manoeuvred out and headed for Rufford Lock, as we regretfully retraced out steps up the arm and back to Burscough Junction.

Potato fields are everywhere – some in full growth (earlies), some just showing (maincrop). It must be a picture when the plants are in flower – purple, pink & white all around.

Plenty of water, Rufford Arm

Moss Lock, Rufford Arm

We passed a few boats we had seen moored up on our way down, they had just moved up a lock or two and tied up again. Can’t say I blame them. Otherwise it was as quiet as the proverbial church mouse.

Elaine worked her way up the locks steadily, enjoying, as I had on the way down, the wide variety of paddle gear. Fortunately, every lock was empty apart from the second from the top which appears to be always full thanks to badly leaking top gates. One boat was met at Runnel Brow Lock – the first moving boat of the day.

Just as we finished rising in this lock, we saw movement at the top lock and were surprised to see two more boats waiting to enter the arm (and two more round the corner waiting to join them). So, Elaine had a lot of help at the top (including the swing bridge). Two of the boats had been in Salthouse Dock with us (we had passed them near Crabtree Lane Swing Bridge a few days ago) and Elaine got a good bit of reassurance about the Rochdale Canal which is where we’re headed.

Glover's Swing Bridge

Once out of the lock we turned left at the junction and negotiated Glover's Swing Bridge where I was particularly pleased to delay two sporty Audis, the drivers of which looked a bit depressed at having to wait for a mere boat. Why is it that most examples of bad/inconsiderate/arrogant driving seem to be from drivers of Mercedes, BMW’s and Audis? Is it a German thing?......

Enough of the political incorrectness.

Mooring near Glover's Swing Bridge

Just through the bridge we tied up and enjoyed the sun which had by now made an appearance and was replicating the heat of the last few days.

Sunday May 27th - Burscough - Rufford

Another glorious morning, but this time without the stiff breeze of the last couple of days. This was, in fact, a two-edged sword as the breeze did help to take the edge of the heat.

Today we would be cruising new waters for the first time this year as we wanted to go down the Rufford Arm as far as we could. The Arm today gives access to the Ribble Link which utilises the tidal courses of the River Douglas and much larger River Ribble (huge in fact) to get boats to the newly navigable Savick Brook which leads through sea-doors and a series of locks to the lockless main line of the Lancaster Canal.

Before the Ribble Link was completed as part of the Millennium openings, the Arm saw very little traffic. It is busier now with boats travelling to Tarleton where it joins the tidal Douglas and back, as well as two recently opened marinas at Rufford.

There is always a sense of anticipation when you approach new waters. The adrenaline starts to pump a little faster as well. The fact that the locks were the same length as the majority of the Leeds & Liverpool locks at 62’ long meant that we would just fit in.

When we traversed the length from Wigan to Leeds and back again 4 years ago, we ended up pumping 35 litres of water from our bilges due solely as a result of the horrendously leaking top gates as we descended. Understandably, Elaine was a bit apprehensive about the same thing happening again, but as it happened the locks on the Arm didn’t leak very much at all (which says a lot about maintenance - or lack of it - on the L&L main line) and she coped admirably, bless her!

The area around the junction is just as you would expect a canal junction to be. A small community sprang up around the junction to service the boatyards and drydock that were established there, and much survives.

Rows of period cottages and houses, stone walls, cobbles, a swing bridge, dry-dock, and the first two Lathom Locks, complete with unusual paddles. Why Lathom Locks? I don’t know. The community is known as Burscough Junction. It’s one of life’s mysteries.

Dry dock & canal cottages

Lathom Locks & swing bridge from Junction bridge

Unusual paddle gear x1

Unusal paddle gear x2

Unusal paddle gear x3, Jack Cloughs in use on the Rufford Arm

Notwithstanding the mystery, it’s an enchanting spot and very photogenic. It deserves to be far better known than many of the more well-known junctions further south.

Unusually for such a remote length of canal, the locks and the top lock swing bridge are secured with full anti-vandal devices and have to be laboriously unlocked and locked again. Why? Do the farmers of this highly fertile area of farmland have some hidden compulsion to walk some distance form their farms to the canal and open paddles in the middle of the night? Another mystery.

After the flurry of activity around the junction with its swing bridge and two locks, it quietens down a bit thereafter and locks and bridges with names such as Runnel Brow Lock, Moss Lock, Chicken Lock and Prescott Bridge punctuate the arm’s lonely journey across what presumably was once marshland and is now wonderful land for potato growing. Fortunately John Prescott, that parliamentary mangler of the English Language, has nothing to do with Prescott’s Bridge.

Two railway bridges cross the canal, the first the Wigan to Southport line, the second the Liverpool to Preston line. The Southport line boasts a separate arch for the towpath walker.

A second swing bridge heralds the approach to Rufford which, with its lock and two new marinas, is now quite the spot for a Sunday afternoon stroll.

Southport line railway bridge on the Rufford Arm

Just after the Rufford - Parbold road bridge is the last winding hole on the arm that can accommodate 60’ boats. Here it was then that we turned and tied up on the visitor moorings. No mooring stakes needed here (for the first time since we left the Trent & Mersey weeks ago) – rings are provided as well as piled banking. We hope to stay here 2 nights so we can visit the adjacent Rufford Old Hall, a wonderful half-timbered building where we can get free entry with our National Trust membership.

Mooring at Rufford

Saturday May 26th - Downholland Cross - Burscough Junction



Near Halsall

Another glorious morning dawned today – warm sunshine offset by a stiff but pleasant breeze. In this sort of weather, any length of canal looks lovely. But this utterly remote and peaceful section of the Leeds & Liverpool is quite enchanting.

Long open views across farmland are available in all directions and the growth of the crops in the fields since we came by just over a fortnight ago is nothing short of astonishing. One particular field caught my eye – over the last fortnight the ears on the sheaves of barley have really grown out, and the combination of the sunlight and the breeze sent pale green, shimmering waves across the silky tasselled ears. Magic.

What is he doing?........

Long soporific straights are punctuated by a succession of stone bridges, most of which have an adjacent pub. At Halsall Warehouse Bridge, an open area of grass has been provided with seating and a wooden sculpture of a man. I leave it to the reader to decide what he’s doing with his hands….

In the cutting, a vivid red azalea spilled over the high wall to provide a stunning burst of colour among all the greens.

Progress slowed as we passed Scarisbrick Bridge – the starting point of a long line of linear moorings of both the Mersey Motor Boat Club (their other moorings are at Lydiate) and the caravan park just beyond. Here we passed Andy Hoyle on ‘Achilles’; Andy is a fellow Facebook contributor.

Crabtree Lane Swing Bridge

We had been following another boat that had passed us about 5 minutes before we set off, and inevitably we caught up with them at the first swing bridge – New Lane Swing Bridge. Here they opened the bridge and allowed us to go through first, and we returned the favour at the next one – Crabtree Lane Swing Bridge. Here is seemed like the M1 all of a sudden as another boat appeared from the Burscough direction.

The breeze, gradually increasing in strength, blew Elaine across the cut to the off side before she could pass through the bridge, but she made a great recovery and got through fine. One of the boaters asked why she didn’t use the bow-thruster. Her reply was short, pithy and to the point… “I am the bow-thruster”! It’s true, but she’s usually in the kitchen….

Once through and with me back on board, it was but a short distance to Burscough where we wanted to use the sanitary station. Before we got there we exchanged greetings with the couple from the house where we had helped them re-secure the straying boat when we passed by in the opposite direction.

Fortunately, the boat occupying the only available space on the sanitary station mooring was just finishing as we approached Burscough Bridge, and as they pushed across to the moorings on the other side, we moved in to take their place. Having emptied the loo and got rid of the rubbish (including the bags containing the contents of my weed hatch excursions on Thursday), Elaine nipped to the bakers and Co-Op whilst I watched over the water tank filling. The baker’s shop, right next to the canal is a marvel and Elaine bought a lovely crusty white loaf and two chocolate brownies – Yummee!

Whilst waiting, we were advised that a fishing match was taking place from just in front of the long term moorings adjacent to the sanitary station right up to Burscough Junction. We had wanted to moor just before the junction in our usual place so as to enable us to explore part of the Rufford Arm tomorrow.

We decided, once the water tank was full, to forget about mooring at the Junction and tie up somewhere beyond towards Parbold. However, just after passing through the rail bridge, we saw an empty length without boats or fishermen and dived in straight away.

It has been a thoroughly wonderful morning’s journey. Nothing spectacular, but just lovely.

Friday May 25th, Melling to Downholland Cross

Ah! “The Bridges of Maghull County”…… Doesn’t quite have the ring about it as does “The Bridges of Madison County” and I doubt whether Meryl Streep and Clint Eastwood have ever been seen in a romantic clinch on the banks of the Leeds & Liverpool Canal.

However, in today’s hot bright sunshine even these commuter villages/small towns for the metropolis of Liverpool looked attractive. Since we passed this way a couple of weeks ago, the hawthorn or May Tree blossom has blossomed, so to speak, and with the spring flowers and shrubs in the gardens it was rather pleasant.

It was nice to be able to get back to our normal cruising mode with not much distance covered and a bit slower than the mad dash out of Liverpool yesterday, and we took the opportunity to top up the suntan.

Bell's Swing Bridge, Maghull

Methodist Swing Bridge, Maghull

Once in the built up area of Maghull, the swing bridges come thick and fast, four in the space of a mile and a half. Each has a different method of opening and closing and you need your wits about you to remember which bits of equipment you need for each one.

Shaw's Swing Bridge, Maghull

At Shaw’s Swing Bridge, an elderly gentleman of the road managed to swing his legs (and tinnies) out of the way before I started to open the bridge – he even leant on the bar to help me open & close it. Despite being drunk out of his skull, he was perfectly charming and helpful.

Mooring at Downholland Cross

Once through the bridges, it was a nice gentle cruise to Downholland Cross where we tied up for showers, a salad lunch and a nice relax in the sun.

Only found out today that fellow blogger & Facebook devotee John Slee was in Salthouse Dock on ‘Epiphany’ for the last few days we were there. He managed to get some good piccies of us as we mawmbled around in Canning Dock waiting for BW to arrive, and also as we left Mann island Lock. Thanks, John.

Waiting in Canning Dock

Leaving Mann Island Lock & entering Mann Island Basin

In Cunard Tunnel

Thursday May 24th, Salthouse Dock, Liverpool - Melling

Well; we’re on the move again. It has been a lovely stay of 13 nights in Salthouse Dock, but in a way I suppose we were glad to be moving again.

Despite a 3-day trip to Hereford soon after we arrived as a result of the sad death of my beloved Auntie May, we have managed to get to do most of what we had planned.

The new Museum of Liverpool (now open) from the new Link

We visited the new Museum of Liverpool, the Walker Art Gallery (with a Rolf Harris exhibition) and the awesome and majestic Anglican Cathedral. There, we climbed (part of the way by electric lift) to the top of the tower where, with the sun shining, there were stunning views in every direction.

View from Cathedral Tower

Liverpool Cathedral

Imperial War Museum, Salford Quays

We also had an all-day cruise on the Mersey Ferry ‘Snowdrop’ up the estuary to Eastham where we entered the Manchester Ship Canal and journeyed past Ellesmere Port & Runcorn all the way to Salford Quays. There we had a couple of hours to explore the stunning new buildings that have been and are being erected all around the old Manchester Docks, before being transported back by bus.

Certainly, one of the highlights for us was a visit to the Empire Theatre to see “Dancing In The Streets”. Those of you who know your Tamla Motown will recognise the title as a hit for Martha Reeves & The Vandellas, and the musical showcases the many hits of Tamla Motown in a non-stop singing and dancing extravaganza. It was wonderful.

We’ve also eaten well, especially the first night (at Gusto in Albert Dock) and the last night (at a wonderful tapas restaurant named appropriately Tapas Tapas).

Waiting for Mann Island Lock

Also, over the last few days we have been glad to see a bit of summer with some lovely hot, sunny days, the conditions when we manoeuvred out of our berth today were significantly better than when we came in!

There were five boats leaving today, and we all had a wait of half an hour or so in Canning Dock waiting for the British Waterways gang to arrive. Once they did, we were soon through the two locks and heading through the southern and central docks to Stanley Locks. Isn’t it wonderful how much better everywhere looks with the sun shining. It was a really lovely cruise.

Bascule Bridge, Stanley Dock

The passage up the locks was slow – there were only two BW guys and no-one of the two boats in front seemed to helping, whilst the boat we shared with (one of two Claymore hire boats) had 8 chaps on it – we had plenty of help!

Nevertheless we eventually reached the canal’s main line and set off back towards Bootle, Litherland and Aintree.

With the fine weather, the towpath was much in use by the local community and once again everyone was delighted to see boats on the canal. However, there did seem to be a lot more rubbish in the canal, and our progress got slower and slower and by the time we got to Litherland we needed to pull in and have a weed hatch experience. One full bin bag later, we were on the move again. We had collected a length of slim plastic conduiting, some of that horrible plastic strap stuff that they secure parcels with and a whole host of plastic bags.

Under way again we were playing catch up as the rest had gone on. By the time we got to Bridge 6, they had already gone through but the BW guys were waiting for us and we were soon through. The final length through the outskirts of Aintree was soon completed, despite the nagging feeling that there was something else clogging the prop.

The other boats had just gone through Bridge 9 which the BW guys had to close again to release the traffic that had built up, but after about 5 minutes we were through, waving farewell to the guys in blue who do so much to make the trip for boaters into and out of the docks so memorable. Thanks guys!

Mooring at Melling

We were now only a few minutes away from our mooring just through Bridge 10 which this time caused no problems at all. After over 6 hours on the go we were finally glad to get moored up! Mind you, there was still another trip down the weed hatch to disgorge another half full bin bag of gunk!

Friday May 11th - Melling to Salthouse Dock, Liverpool

After a quiet nights at Melling, we were ready for the long day that would take us into the heart of Liverpool’s docks. Sadly, it was a horrendous day weather wise. Instead of listening to the weather forecast (which was pretty gloomy) we would have done better to have listened to the shipping forecast!

We untied in a howling gale which, as we removed the mooring pins, threatened to take the boat across the cut – we had to hold onto the ropes for dear life to get back on. By now the rain was lashing down – horizontally.

After a temporary hiatus at Bridge 10 while we decided what we equipment we needed to operate it (both BW key and handcuff key are required) we managed to get under way, somewhat crab-wise in what was a gale force wind. Why don’t they invent glasses with built in windscreen wipers? With the rain driving across, it was all I could do to see where I was going!

After passing under another motorway – this time the M57 – we arrived at Bridge 9 to meet up with the two other boats with whom we would make the passage into the docks – ‘Winding Down’ and ‘Lyra’. We had shared locks on the Kennet & Avon with Bob & his wife on ‘Lyra’ back in 2006. By now the rain had more or less stopped but the wind continued to howl.

Passing through Hancock's Swing Bridge (9), Aintree

We had been told to be at Bridge 9 for 9.00am. This appears to be a cunning ploy by BW to make sure everyone is there for 9.30! About half way between, at 9.15 the guys arrived in their van and checked us all – apparently one boat hadn’t turned up (and needless to say, hadn’t let BW know either).

We were soon under way again and heading through Bridge 9, Hancock’s Swing Bridge, operated for us by the BW crew. The canal quickly turns round the famous Canal Turn of the Aintree Racecourse (famed for the annual horse racing jamboree that is The Grand National) and along its course for some way. Sadly a high wall has been built alongside so little or nothing can be seen of any racing free of charge!

Thirty minutes later we arrived at Bridge 6 – Netherton Swing Bridge - again operated for us by the gang. Then we would be left to our own devices for the next couple of hours as we entered the entrails of Liverpool and Bootle’s suburbs.

Two years ago we were able to take quite an interest in the journey. This time, because of the high winds and intermittent heavy showers, it seemed to be a blur – or was that the rain splattering on my glasses I wonder?

The towpath was very quiet compared to two years ago. Mind you I don’t blame people for not being out and about – it was foul weather after all. But all proceeded smoothly and we arrived at the sanitary station at Litherland to empty the loos and get rid of the rubbish. We didn’t bother with water as there is water supplied at the berths in the docks.

Under way again and the canal passes through the centre of Bootle – a mixture of 1960’s high rise flats, terraced housing and industry – old and new. Some lovely old factory buildings have survived the years and ‘grace’ both sides of the canal as it nears Vauxhall and the junction with the Stanley Locks branch.

Waiting at top of Stanley Locks

Here we pulled in behind the other two boats expecting to see the BW gang getting the locks ready. A volunteer lock-keeper in his red fleece was there and he explained that we would have a wait of half an hour or so as they had been called to deal with a swing bridge problem at Lydiate. Apparently at Bell’s Swing Bridge, a fault had occurred and the barriers would not rise after the boats that had come out of Liverpool yesterday had gone through. There were a lot of very unhappy motorists queuing up on both sides….. Tee-hee!!

After an hour, during which time we ate the sandwiches Elaine had prepared for our lunch, the gang arrived and got the boats moving down the locks. The passage down is interesting, with the prospect ahead of the huge Tobacco Warehouse and distant views through the bridges of the Wirral side of the estuary.

Once down the locks we set off under a long and low road bridge into Stanley Dock. Through the bridge we could see the wind making significant waves in the dock; they got worse as we moved out of the shelter of the two massive warehouses either side of Stanley Dock.

Approaching the Bacule Bridge

Ahead the bascule bridge separating it from Collingwood Dock was now free of its scaffolding and plastic sheeting that had covered it 2 years ago. Fully refurbished (but not to operational standards), it is a remarkable sight.

Jesse Hartleys' Clock Tower

In Collingwood Dock the orange buoys that mark the passage begin, and make a fool proof way of navigating your way through the various docks. Next up is Salisbury Dock, marked by Jesse Hartley’s magnificent six-sided Clock Tower, now in need of some restoration. Straight ahead through the sea lock is the tidal estuary.

The route swings south and into the remains of Trafalgar Dock where two graving docks survive – ‘graving docks’ is the ‘nautical’ term for dry-docks. Part of Trafalgar Dock was infilled and a concrete channel has been excavated to take boats through to the next dock – Waterloo Dock. Here an old warehouse has survived and has been converted to apartments along with several ranges of new build apartments, built in a similar style.

The meeting of Waterloo and Prince’s Half-Tide Docks is through a narrow newly built concrete bridge. By now the wind was blowing really hard, and a sudden gust took the boat almost broadside into the side of concrete bridge. Fortunately some judicious steering and a quick burst of higher revs saw us glide by with only a couple of inches to spare!

New skyline at Prince's Dock

We were now at the start of the area where the refurbishment and new buildings have reached so far. The architecture is spectacular, and only gets better. It is like Brindley Place in Birmingham, but about 30 times bigger in scope and scale.

Almost hidden under a very modern footbridge are the entrance gates to the first of the two new locks built for the Liverpool Link – Prince’s Lock. Last time we had to mawmble around for a few minutes for the BW gang to arrive, something I didn’t want to attempt in a wide expanse of water in a howling gale. Fortunately, and with a sense of utter relief, I saw the gates swing open and we charged straight in.

The highlights come thick and fast now. We were now right in front of the iconic buildings known as The Three Graces – the Liver Assurance Building, the Cunard Building and the Port of Liverpool Authority Building. The canal link plays ducks and drakes with them passing through two tunnels. The first – St Nicholas Tunnel – has a long curve to the right as you pass through, but at least you know you won’t meet anything en route!

Passing the 3 Graces with Museum Tunnel on left

You emerge above ground for a short distance with a superb view of the buildings before diving into the much shorter and straighter Cunard Tunnel, giving a slightly different perspective, before curving around to the left and entering Museum Tunnel which, as the name implies, passes under the futuristic and brand new Museum of Liverpool which only opened last year.

We then entered Mann Island Basin, an oddly shaped area overlooked by a massive new office and apartment building (under construction two years ago). From a certain angle and distance it resembles the prow of an old ocean liner. The basin leads to Mann Island Lock. This is a curious lock which has a rise or fall of only a couple of feet (depending on tides, it can work both ways and has a second set of gates).

The route now essays a slalom course through Canning Dock, Canning Half-Tide Dock and Albert Dock, passing a number of historic vessels tied up to the docksides and forming part of the collection of craft operated by the adjacent Maritime Museum.

In Canning Half-Tide Dock you seem to be aiming straight for the sea doors into the estuary when, at almost the last moment, an entrance appears in the far left hand corner. You pass under Hartley Bridge and there you are in Albert Dock.

Albert Dock with Museum & Liver Building in the background

This is a remarkable survival and the first are of Liverpool’s Docks to be restored and given new uses in the late C20th. This was the bonded warehouse area and the massive brick built blocks are supported on rows of huge cast iron columns. The buildings have all been put to new use – retail, restaurants, bars and night clubs and residential and office use.

We crossed the dock, passed under a bridge and entered Salthouse Dock where the moorings are an which is to be our home for the next fortnight or so.

We could see our mooring berth away to the left, but it was at this moment that the wind decided to blow a real holy. Our first attempt to get into the berth had to be aborted as I was in imminent danger of clouting either the boat we would be moored alongside or the pontoon. Fortunately it was only the latter that got a glancing blow as we reversed madly back into the centre of the dock. As we did so, the wind produced the two strongest gusts of the day and the boat tilted quite markedly to one side each time. Scary…..

The second attempt was more successful and we glided into our berth without a care in the world! We were soon tied up (why oh why did BW only provide 50 foot mooring pontoons). It had been our intention to turn and reverse into the berth to take advantage of the views across to Albert Dock, but the wind had put paid to that idea. However, although we are facing the dock wall, we can at least get on and off the boat at the bows without any worries.

Well; we made it in the end. We shall be here until our booked passage out of the docks on the 24th. Hot showers await and tonight we shall splash out on a special meal at Gusto – the lovely Italian restaurant in Albert Dock. We’ve earned it today!

Our mooring with part of Albert Dock & The Liverpool Eye in the background

Thursday May 10th, Downholland Cross - Melling

We only had a short distance to do today, but one full of swing bridges. We had a bit of a lie in as we didn’t want to hit the bridges in Lydiate & Maghull during rush hour. Once under way we soon arrived at the first swing bridge of the day where a minor country lane crosses the canal. Here BW has provided an all singing, all dancing all electric bridge. A bit over the top considering the amount of traffic that uses it, and compared to the ones ahead.

A pleasant rural interlude lasts for a couple of miles before we start to hit the northern outposts of Liverpool’s built up area. Lydiate is the first up, at first keeping itself solely to the eastern bank leaving the canal as a sort of buffer between the houses and the countryside. It also heralds a flurry of swing bridges that are that awkward distance apart – a bit to near to jump back on for and bit too far for comfortable walking. I walked as Elaine tells me I don’t do enough walking and I always do as I’m told!

Each of the 5 bridges today involves a different procedure. We’ve already had a full electric job. The first of Lydiate’s bridges – Bell’s – needs a BW key to operate the traffic lights and barriers, but you have to push the bridge open manually.

The next – Methodist – needs a BW key to unlock the barriers (which have to be closed and opened by hand), but the rest is push button technology.

The third – Shaw’s – just carries foot traffic and is just locked with the handcuff key and is then pushed shut & open again. Sadly the two bars that cone together to allow the handcuff mechanism to go through are bent too far apart to allow the handcuffs to go through and is thus left unlocked.

Finally we can get on board again for a short length before the last bridge. By now we were in the built-up area proper, travelling through a mixture of light industrial and residential areas as Lydiate seems to meld into the neighbouring suburb of Maghull.

Eventually we arrived at the last swing bridge of the day – Maghull Hall – which is in some way the worst of the lot to operate. First the barriers have to be unlocked from the handcuff devices and pushed across a busy road if you can get a reasonable space of time to do it in. Funnily, the barriers don’t lock in place as usual, but just sort of sit across the road. Impatient motorists have been known to get out of their cars and open the barriers themselves and drive across while the poor boater hopes they haven’t got the bridge open too far! Once the barriers are across, the BW key operates the opening and shutting. By the time you finish, there is usually a long queue of cars on both sides waiting to cross.

Breathing a sigh of relief, we set off on the last lap of the day’s journey. A railway bridge more or less marks the end of the initial built-up area as a short rural section intervenes. Enjoy it while you can as it’s the last we’ll see of green fields for a few days.

The M58 briefly intrudes on a long flyover adjacent to some quite upmarket residences. I hope they’ve got quadruple glazing as they’ll certainly need it!

The tower of Melling church peeps above the trees on top of its low hill and marks good moorings if you don’t want to risk going onto the formal meeting point for the convoy into Liverpool at Bridge 9. We stayed here 2 years ago and we did so again, enjoying the last peace and quiet before we arrive in the docks tomorrow.

Tuesday May 8th, Burscough Junction - Downholland Cross

Mooring at Burscough Junction

Yesterday, after all the local boaters had got back to their marinas (some at break neck speed) after the Bank Holiday weekend, everything quietened down nicely although there was some heavy rain last night.

Ainscough's Flour Mill

Under the railway bridge we passed Ainscough’s former flour mill – a majestic building that still lies empty and in need of some tender loving care. It is a shame no use has been found for the old mill, presumably the economic climate is still against its conversion to flats. It has a lovely canopy stretching almost the full length of the building supported by some charming wrought iron brackets.

We just managed to pull in on the moorings for the new sanitary station at Burscough Bridge. A day boat was tied up right in the middle of the specified moorings. However, the new facility was sparkling clean and is housed in an attractive group of buildings which house, amongst others, a popular bakery.

On the move again, we only managed to make it through the bridge before coming to a halt. There was a boat adrift and was right across the canal. We managed to nudge it back to its apparent off-side mooring where, with the assistance of a dressing gowned chap and his pyjama clad wife from the apartments adjacent to the canal bank, we managed to tie up its one rope and secure the other to a T-bar on the bank.

It had apparently been left on the offside private land yesterday and the owner/user had just left it.

Hopefully nothing else would happen to delay our progress…..

Crabtree Swing Bridge & The Sl
ipway pub

By now the sun had disappeared and dark clouds were now spluttering with rain as we approached Crabtree Swing Bridge – the one bridge that had caused me to scratch my head over the operating procedure two years ago. Fortunately it has now been converted to an all singing all dancing full electric job.

However, very soon after comes New Lane Swing Bridge and here I must confess I turned bright red with embarrassment. It is a semi-automatic one in that you have to unlock the mechanism, manually close the barriers and then press buttons in the usual way. All went well until after I had closed the barriers and tried to extract my BW key. It wouldn’t come out! For several minutes I was trying to slam the control box lid down and turn the key, but it wouldn’t have it.

It took Elaine, holding the boat into the side, to call back to me “are the barriers locked properly?” Of course one wasn’t and until it was, the mechanism wouldn’t let me take my key out. At least the system prevents barriers just swinging across the road when the wind blows.

Well done Elaine!

After that faux pas, nothing untoward happened as we wended our way through a quiet peaceful farming landscape dotted with farms and their associated buildings. Nothing remotely industrial comes near the canal, and it is all rather pleasant. The landscape is very flat hereabouts and very reminiscent of the Fens, but with the advantage of being raised slightly above ground level rather than down below high flood banks.

Near Halsall

By now the sun had reappeared and everything looked charming.

There is a succession of stone bridges, all with their familiar Leeds & Liverpool whitewashed stripe slightly off-centre denoting the centre of the canal channel. Remarkably there is a pub at or close by virtually every one. If you want to have a slightly “meandering” pub crawl this is the length to do it in.

Every now and then there is a line of moored boats, either some official on-line permanent moorings or a boat club or at one point, a large caravan site. For once we didn’t begrudge the slow progress past the moored boats. We have plenty of time in hand before we need to be at the final mooring before our passage into Liverpool.

A new marina near Scarisbrick looked to have plenty of spaces. I wouldn’t have thought many boats would be out at this time of year, especially as the Bank Holiday is over.

Cutting near Halsall

Unusually, a shallow cutting occurs between Halsall and Haskayne. It is thought that this is where the first excavation of the canal took place in the early 1770’s.

Mooring at Downholland Cross

When we returned from Liverpool two years ago, one of the boats that had been in our “convoy” out of the docks moored in the vicinity of Downholland Cross, and we thought at the time that it would make a nice quiet place to tie up. So when we reached there this morning, we pulled in. All we could hear was bird song. Lovely!