Wednesday June 20th, Todmorden to Hebden Bridge

We have had a most enjoyable stay in Todmorden, a welcoming town that offers everything for the boater. It has also been quiet, the number of boats that we saw passing us in 2½ days could almost be counted on the fingers of one hand, and easily on two.

In glorious warm sunshine we untied this morning determined to get some hard graft under our belts as, after all, it is all of 4 miles to our next mooring at Hebden Bridge (and another 9 locks).

However, one thing is noticeable. I could actually get on the boat today in a few of the pounds rather than walking the whole way!

We also saw a lot of walkers dressed in proper walking gear with their Ordnance Survey maps in plastic covers round their necks. This is a popular area for walking and there are plenty of signposts offering walks in all directions.

We did meet a couple of Shire Cruisers’ hireboats climbing up towards Todmorden in different locks. Both were having their first ever cruise on the canals and even though they chose a hard canal for novices they both seemed to be enjoying themselves!

Old Royd Lock

The scenery continues to delight. Views of open moors and hilltops were more restricted today but the canal is surrounded by thick woods tumbling down the steep slope on the offside, whilst on the towpath side, the infant River Calder, which at Todmorden joined the little stream that had kept us company down from the summit, again ran close alongside.

Between Old Royd & Lobb Mill Locks

The river historically provided the power source for a number of scattered mills along the valley bottom, many of which have survived, looking quite incongruous amongst all the sylvan greenery. They are always accompanied by a small collection of former millworkers’ cottages, the original owners of which would be bemused to see the transformation of their former cottages into attractive modern and very desirable residences.

The busy road and railway that have also accompanied us from the summit are kept at bay by the river and never become intrusive.

Leaving Lobb Mill Lock

Lobb Mill Lock is set in a glorious situation amidst the hills and a wonderful railway viaduct with the mill building that gave the lock its name now converted into luxury apartments. Here, Elaine got talking to a chap who had just walked down the towpath to take his granddaughter to school. He often sits on the bench by the lock and chats to boat crews. He didn’t have to walk far to get home as he lives in a substantial house (the former mill owner’s perhaps?) adjacent to the lock.

At Callis Lock, the Pennine Way tumbles down from the high moors beyond Stoodley Pike to cross the canal, river, road and railway before climbing up the other side to head towards Blackmoor Edge and near Heptonstall, above Hebden Bridge.

Geograph image of the old Callis Mill, the weving sheds beyond

The next lock, Rawden Mill Lock, is the nearest to Callis Mill. This is a famous name in canal restoration circles. In the early days of the restoration of the Huddersfield Narrow Canal, the Canal Society, who at that time were undertaking most of the work themselves using the old Manpower Services Commission scheme, set up another MSC scheme in 1982 to manufacture the many lock gates their canal (and the Rochdale Canal also) would need at the old weaving sheds at Callis Mill (the old mill having been demolished by "property developers").

Although the Canal Society had to give up their direct involvement due to a change in the rules of employment creation schemes, the former employees carried on for a spell under their own resources until the business was taken over by Hargreaves of Halifax, who continue to manufacture and install lock gates all over the country. They are currently working on 22 pairs of lock gates for the Cotswold Canal Restoration.

The canal now passes under the railway as it crosses to the opposite side of the valley and reaches the two Stubbing Locks – Upper & Lower – and the two closest spaced ones today. These herald the approach to Hebden Bridge, our destination for the day.

Between the locks, short rows of terraced houses spill down the slope to the towpath wall. The back yards between each pair of rows vividly bring home the cheek by jowl nature of life for the mill working families. A narrow alley is all that separates the back yards of the rows, and comes replete with dustbins, bikes, children’s toys, washing lines and sunbathing cats. All very Coronation Street’ish!

The canal passes some converted mills as it enters the town and crosses over River Calder, immediately after its confluence with Hebden Water. Following immediately after the aqueduct and Black Pit Lock are the main official visitor moorings. These, however, are interrupted half way along by a notice prohibiting mooring. It is opposite the old town wharf and slipway which today is merely used as a winding hole; hence the mooring prohibition.

The visitor moorings were full when we arrived – largely with continuous moorers. We pulled in on a fairly unsatisfactory mooring between the lock and the start of the official moorings and under a footbridge – never the best place to stop (especially overnight). However, one of the two apparent non-continuous mooring boats now decided to untie and pull back to the sanitary station before heading off for Sowerby Bridge.

Original mooring at Hebden Bridge

Naturally we were delighted at this, and as soon as they had vacated their space we movedforward and reused it.
We shall probably stay here until Friday before heading off to Sowerby Bridge and the end of the Rochdale Canal (although not for us as we shall turn round and do it all again the other way!).