Monday July 9th, Thomas Telford Basin, Piccadilly Village - Dukinfield Junction

 We had a long, hard slog out of Manchester today up the Ashton Canal. After a nice, mainly sunny day yesterday, it was perhaps inevitable that today started with quite heavy drizzle for an hour or so.

New development at Piccadilly

The first section of the Ashton has been gentrified, if that’s the right word for all the futuristic developments that have gone on over the last 10 years or so.

Some amazing architecture, mainly by inner-city redevelopment specialists Urban Splash, lines the canal on both sides as it climbs up the three Ancoats Locks.

Razamatazz at Ancoats Bottom Lock

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Old Lock Cottage, Ancoats flight

In amidst all this C21st razzamatazz, the old lock cottage (nicely restored, but empty) seems a bit lost.

Old lock cottage & new development, cheek by jowl at Ancoats

Entrance to New Islington Marina (Ashton Canal)

Between the second and third locks is the most unusual development – the “Chips” apartment block built as the centrepiece of the New Islington development of which the marina we used on both journeys on the Rochdale is the centrepiece. There is another arm from the Ashton Canal leading into another part of the marina, although as yet, sadly, boat free. There is a road running parallel to the canal and it effectively slices the marina into two parts. As the road runs at water level, it is unlikely they will ever be joined.

The "Chips" building

The “Chips” building (so called as it is said to resemble three fat chips stacked unevenly on top of one another) has to be one of the most remarkable developments we have ever seen. Not content with its shape, the irregular windowed sides bear in huge capitals the names of the various waterways around Manchester. Surreal!

The "Chips" Building

Awaiting rescue. Old factory nest to the "Chips" Building

After the third lock, surroundings degenerate into post-industrial grot – but still of interest to the industrial archaeologist. Indeed, the neighbour of “Chips” is a gently decaying old factory.

Bottom lock of the Beswick Flight, Sports City

After a couple of almost impossibly low bridges (we had to do an emergency stop and replace the chimney with the cloche cover) we arrived at the second flight on the canal; the Beswick (or Ashton as they are called now) Locks. This takes up through Sport City – the site of the 2002 Commonwealth Games. There is a fine legacy with the City of Manchester Stadium (now called the Etihad Stadium), the home of Manchester City, the National Cycling Centre, a large sports arena and the National Squash Centre.

Old lock cottage, Beswick Top Lock

Again, the restored and nicely maintained former lock cottage is dwarfed by large residential developments, attracted no doubt by the investment in the local infrastructure after the Commonwealth Games.

Former Stockport Branch, Clayton Junction

It is only a short distance between the four Beswick Locks and the start of the Clayton Flight – the largest on the canal with 9 locks spread out over the next mile or so. It has to be said this is a fairly nondescript length of industrial buildings (some derelict and some apparently thriving), some residential areas and nothing of real interest apart from the small stub, all that remains of the Clayton Arm, and the entrance to the Stockport Branch which ran for 5 miles from a point roughly half way up the flight.

We had immense problems getting into the top lock of this flight. The lock below leaked badly drawing water off the short pound in between, and having to fill the lock drew another lockfull off.  I couldn’t get the boat even into the bridgehole immediately below the lock, let alone into the lock chamber. Elaine had to open both top paddles, leaving the bottom gates open (shock, horror) and let the water run for a good five minutes before the pound had built up to the extent where I could crawl into the chamber.

Fortunately the pound above Clayton Top Lock is about half a mile long, but even so we had lowered this level as well, but it was still just sufficient to let me crawl along to the next short flight of 2 at Fairfield.

But before the short Fairfield Flight, two swing bridges intervene. At least it used to be two until a tragic accident last year when, at the first of the bridges, I believe some young teenagers were mucking about, managed to undo the locking mechanism and started to swing it backwards and forwards. Unfortunately a 15 year old schoolgirl was sitting on the side with her legs dangling over the bridge end and had her legs crushed. They later had to be amputated. British Waterways recently paid out £500,000 compensation for part responsibility. The bridge is key operated and either a boater left a key in the mechanism, the teenagers had a key, or the mechanism had broken. All in all a tragic incident. The bridge is now chained open.

Old boathouse for packet boat, Fairfield

Just a hundred yards further on is the second, identical bridge with the same operating technique. This one is still in use so BW (or C&RT as they now) must be happy with the operation of these bridges of which there are many, many similar types all over the network.

Approaching Fairfield Top Lock

Fairfield Locks were once duplicated and the second chambers still exist, used as overflow weirs. There is an old boat house between the locks which used to be home to a packet boat and a most graceful bridge at the foot of the top lock.

Beyond the top lock – and the top lock of the 18 locks on the canal – PHEW! – is Fairfield Junction where a branch to Hollinwood led off. Part has been re-watered and is home to a small marina and there are plans to fully restore the branch.

Turning right at the junction, we were now just a mile and half to journey’s end at Dukinfield Junction. The Robertson’s jam factory used to stand beside bridge 18; at least it was still standing 7 years ago when we last came this way. Now though, it is gone.  Heaps of demolition rubble cover the site and are testament to its closure and destruction about four years ago.

I feel as if part of my childhood has gone. Like many kids in the 1950’s and 1960’s I eagerly collected the tokens from the jam and marmalade jars my parents used to buy and send off for the wonderful enamel badges of the infamous golly***. How sad that something as innocent as that was tarnished by the politically correct claptrap that is part and parcel of modern life.

Laurel & Hardie visit the Ashton Canal

Beyond some attractive housing backs onto the canal and we enjoyed looking at the back gardens, some quite posh and some with a sense of humour; witness the small Laurel & Hardie statues that sit on a clump of grass at the end of someone ‘s garden.

Our old friend the M60 crosses on a large viaduct soon after, rather spoiling the upmarket houses. We have seen it so often on our recent wanderings – this must be the sixth time we have suffered its noise and concrete brutality. Thankfully, it should be the last.

The remaining mile takes the canal through the delights of Guide Bridge. With a large railway depot, marshalling yards and junctions dominating the canal on one side, and a collection of tawdry old mills (all apparently in one use or another), it is not a length to be savoured.

But salvation is soon at hand as the large, preserved mill chimney surmounted by a crown appears, heralding the arrival of Dukinfield Junction and journey’s end for today.

We have always had trouble finding somewhere to moor here before and we struggled at first to find somewhere again. Seven years ago we in fact continued along the Ashton Canal (which, incidentally, doesn’t end at Dukinfield Junction) for another half mile or so to its proper terminus at Ashton Old Wharf where we tied up quite safely and we thought we might have to do that today. But just past the junction we espied some mooring rings (although not quite in the right place to use at both ends) and finally tied up after a wearying day.

Mooring at Dukinfield Junction

At least the rain hadn’t reappeared after its early downpour, but it has been muggy and overcast for most of the time. Tomorrow we venture onto new waters again – the Huddersfield Narrow. We shall take it very slowly and enjoy it.

We’ll have to take it slowly as the first available booking to get through Standedge Tunnel is a week on Wednesday and we initially thought we would be there on Friday. So we have eight days to do nine miles and 42 locks.