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.