Sunday July 8th, New Islington Marina - Thomas Telford Basin, Piccadiily Village

We spent yesterday recuperating after Friday’s deluge. Fortunately it was that rarity – a dry, sunny & warm day. We managed to work out the instructions for the very new washing machines in the Boaters’ Facilities Block, and got all the washing done and dried. All our still wet gear from Friday was outside drying out and we resorted to the good old-fashioned trick of stuffing newspaper inside out boots to help them dry out.

Today we had a really exhausting day. Just one mile and two locks. The perfect antidote to Friday’s effort.

We managed to wind successfully and pull in at the facilities block to empty the loos before making the turn back onto the Rochdale and the last lap to Ducie Street Junction.

Two locks intervene before the junction and the first – Ancoats Lane Lock, number 82 – is a bit of a bugger. What is now a major road crosses at the tail of the lock, and it is easy to see where the original brick bridge has been extended at both ends.

However, the extension on the upstream side has been done at such a low level that to get to the bottom paddles and wind them necessitates the lock worker to crouch down, giving a fairly good impression of Quasimodo while doing so. It doesn’t do anything for the back, I can tell you! Needless to say the balance beams have been shortened to accommodate the widened bridge and are opened and closed using the old chain and windlass trick. Fortunately, you don’t have to bend over to get the gates open & shut.

Royal Mill

There is a pleasing mix of old & new with the magnificent Royal Mill looking over affairs. First built in the late 1700’s and extended in the early C20th, it is now being converted to apartments and offices. Next to that is a modern development of more flats and shops.

Brownsfield Lock, with former Avro factory in mill building behind

It is only a short distance to the last lock before the junction – Brownsfield Lock. Adjacent to the lock is Brownsfield Mill where the UK’s first aeroplane factory was situated, operated by the Avro Company between 1910 and 1913.

There is no access to the adjacent road bridge from the towpath side (access being provided only on the off-side). However, rickety railings are provided to allow the lock worker to walk, very, very carefully, across the top gates.

Flag Wharf with its "fixed" lift bridge

Once through the lock (our last broad lock, probably, until Braunston on our way home!!!!) it is only a short distance to the junction. An old arm of the canal leads to a basin and converted warehouse (and now dominated by a huge and very nondescript modern apartment block). The basin is separated from the canal by a lift bridge (which appears to be permanently closed) and although full of water looks very sterile.

At the junction, we pass on the opportunity to knacker ourselves again on the infamous Rochdale 9 and turn left, under an original bridge and through a short tunnel under a brand new block of…yes, you’ve guessed it…flats, onto the Ashton under Lyne Canal. .

Entrance to Ashton Canal at Ducie Street Junction

Another sharp turn to the left takes into a wider area with the remains of old basins all around us. One remains surrounded by dereliction although secure mooring pontoons are provided (although we’ve never known anyone use them), whilst another has been cosmetically restored, being blocked by a fancy new footbridge that might let a model boat through.

Former Corporation Wharf with unused pontoon moorings

Remains of Whittle's Croft Wharf

Store Street Aqueduct

The Ashton Canal heads straight across Store Street Aqueduct and heads into the attractive surroundings of Piccadilly Village, a quite extensive residential redevelopment of the 1980/1990’s. Another old canal basin has been incorporated into the development to form an attractive adjunct. Here, secure moorings are available for no more than two boats, and fortunately for us, it was empty when we arrived.

We had always planned to stop here before tackling the 18 locks and 6½ miles of the Ashton Canal, particularly as we arrived here on a Sunday and didn’t want to make the trip up the locks at a weekend.

Entrance to Thomas Telford Basin with Ashton Canal behind

The pedestrian and vehicular exit from and entrance to Piccadilly Village is by a coded keypad and if you want to leave the boat (as we did, to get a paper) you have to catch someone who lives in the development and get the code. They are quite happy for boaters to have the code, indeed the very pleasant young lady we met up with was most interested in where we’d been and where we were going to and insisted on personally showing us the shortest route into Piccadilly Station where there is a Smith’s, M&S and a Sainsbury’s.

A nice quiet cruise for us today setting us up nicely for the work ahead as we climb up the Ashton and Huddersfield Narrow Canals, through Standedge Tunnel and down the locks the other side to Huddersfield. Narrow Locks!!!!

Mooring in Thomas Telford Basin, Piccadilly Village