Canal Cycle: 4 Canals 1 River and 3 Bridges

Today I finally did a bike ride I have been planning for a while. The plan was to cycle from the river lock at the end of the St Helen's Canal (aka Sankey Brook Canal) in Widnes, over the Mersey to Runcorn, along the Bridgewater Canal, across the Manchester Ship Canal and the Mersey again and then back along the St Helens Canal back to the start point.
I started near the Catalyst Museum and set off to look for the way up to the bridge. The Runcorn - Widnes Bridge or to give its proper name the Silver Jubilee Bridge is big. Usually it is a four lane road bridge with cars going quite fast, not somewhere I wanted to cycle. Today though they were working on the pedestrian footpath so one lane was closed to traffic. This was perfect for me and as I cycled over the bridge taking photos it felt like they had coned off a lane just for me.

Silver Jubilee Bridge

Over the bridge it didn't take long to get down to the basin at the end of the Bridgewater Canal in Runcorn. The basin ends at Waterloo Bridge. Before the Runcorn Widnes Bridge and its approach roads were built there were locks here. The locks have gone now and Waterloo Bridge provides a nice end to the canal.
I set off along the canal towards Preston Brook.

Runcorn Basin

End of the line under Waterloo Bridge

The towpath was good, a mix of tarmac and compact mud/gravel. For some of the way there was a cyclepath alongside the towpath. This was tarmaced but was full of clouds of midges. I had to put my glasses on and put my head down to go through them. The towpath swaps sides a few times along the route. The bridges on this stretch are rather nice brick ones. One had some very nice red sandstone at the base of it.

In no time at all I reached Preston Brook. The Bridgewater Canal splits into two branches here. The one I had just ridden down used to go to the River Mersey at Runcorn. To my right the canal heads to Preston Brook Tunnel and joins the Trent and Mersey Canal. To my left the canal continues on to Worsely and eventually to the Leigh Branch of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal.

A boat heading towards the Trent and Mersey Canal

I went left and followed the mainline of the canal. It hadn't taken me as long to reach Preston Brook as I had thought so I kept an eye out for the bridge I was to turn off at; I didn't want to miss it and end up in Wigan.
This bit of canal is dominated by the ominous tower of the Daresbury Laboratories. It looks like something from the Tripods or some 1960s sci-fi film. Luckily no death-rays fired out from it today, well it was the weekend.

Who is watching from the tower?

Not long after Daresbury the towpath declined in quality but remained fine for riding. The bridges had signs saying cycling was not allowed. I did my finest impression of Lord Nelson and carried on.

At Red Lane Bridge I left the Bridgewater behind and set off through the streets of  very nice houses in Walton. Heading North I found the Manchester Ship Canal, owned by the same company as the Bridgewater Canal but a bit bigger. I crossed the Ship Canal on Chester Road Swing Bridge which takes a busy road over the Big Ditch.

Manchester Ship Canal

On the other side I found myself cycling alongside what looked like a canal. I have found out this short stretch of water is all that is left of the Runcorn to Latchford Canal which was closed in the 1890s.

River Mersey

After a slight wrong turn I ended up on another bridge over the River Mersey. This one was not quite so impressive and had no traffic at all. Back on the correct side of the river I headed off in search of the St Helens Canal.

The St Helens Canal is largely disused. For long stretches of it there is just high reeds and rushes where the water should be. It does seem to be popular with cyclists though and there were a few of us along here enjoying the sunshine and midges. At Fiddlers Ferry there is some water again and a lock into the River Mersey.

River Lock at Fiddlers Ferry

There is a motley collection of boats and wrecks here. The thought of my picnic lunch kept me going, this is not the most exciting of stretches, stuck as you are between a hedge and a reed filled canal.

There is a canal in there somewhere

I was getting a bit bored so it was nice when the path opened up and I got a lovely view of the Runcorn-Widnes Bridge again. From the viewing platform by the river I could see how far I had peddled. I had by this point realised that I had got my kilometers and miles mixed up so would only be doing about 20 miles not 30. Still the sun was shining nicely now.

I reached the bridge I had walked to last time I was here (see blog). Back at the river lock I had my picnic and a sit down on the lock gates.

Bike & Lock (with picnic)

Today I rode along and over the River Mersey, the Bridgewater Canal, the Manchester Ship Canal, the Runcorn to Latchford Canal, and the St Helens Canal.

The ride was about 18 miles/30km. The towpath/track was good throughout. I dont think I would bother doing it again but I am glad I did it today.

Canal Maps, Treks and Events

Today is the Solstice, the longest day of the year. I'm still not sure if we have already had our Summer; I hope I haven't missed my chance to go walking and cycling in the sunshine.

Google Maps and Canals

The most exciting news for a long time is that Google Maps are going to start mapping the canals and river footpaths and cycleways. It has been very frustrating using GoogleMaps to plan walks and bike rides along canals. At the moment google cannot see towpaths, so to get from point A to point B on a canal may take you via point C,D, and E, on the road. I look forward to planning bike rides and being able to quickly get directions and distances and times on an easily accessible website.

I have tried to create my own maps in Google of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal. My maps are useful but they do take time and effort on my part and I am a naturally lazy person who gives up on things like this, which is why the maps are mostly incomplete. So to have Google do the hard work, and produce a more accurate map than me is a good thing.

This could however take a lot of traffic away from canal websites like mine and others who are based on helping people plan canal routes. And traffic is the life of a website. Not just for the advertising that pays for it, but for the interaction with other people who like canals and can be encouraged to use them.

Hopefully towpathtreks.co.uk and other sites can use the new google maps feature to continue to promote the canals and enhance our service.
http://www.metro.co.uk/tech/902687-google-maps-to-begin-charting-britains-canals-and-rivers
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/jun/19/google-maps-uk-rivers-canals?newsfeed=true

Burscough Canal Heritage Week

This week is the Burscough Canal Heritage Week 2012. Last year the weather was hot, sunny with a couple of showers. The forecast for this weekend is not as optimistic. Last year there were a good collection of former working boat. Burscough Canal Heritage Week 2011 blog I intend to head up to Burscough on Saturday to see whats going on and take some photos. It is hard sometimes for heritage events not to look twee and irrelevant, but at Burscough Wharf the new development shows that canals are very much a contemporary feature in English life.

Other Days Out

Sunday is the Africa Oye in Liverpool so I will be there for that, weather permitting.

Next weekend I am off to the east end of London to have a walk and see what the canals around the Olympic site look like.

I have a medium sized bike ride planned around Runcorn Widness, and I am hoping for the weather to do that over the next few weeks.

Liverpool to Leeds Bike Ride

Riding from Liverpool to Leeds along the canal seems to be increasingly popular. Most recently Adam Hope and the Burnley Boys have ridden from Liverpool to Burnley and then Leeds over two days.
Here is their account of the ride:
http://hop3y.com/2011/09/10/liverpool-to-leeds-on-the-canal-done/
They weren't very lucky with the weather or punctures but if the photos are anything to go by they enjoyed themselves. They got in the local papers too: http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/9242428.Burnley_cricketers_raise_over___3_000_from_canalside_trek/
Just as impressive as the ride itself is the money they raised for cancer charities, if you feel like it why not chuck them a few quid here: http://www.justgiving.com/teams/burnleyboys
You can also read Adam's and other people's comments on the ride here:
http://www.cyclechat.net/topic/79605-leeds-and-liverpool-canal-charity-ride/page__st__30__p__1835657__hl__leeds+liverpool__fromsearch__1#entry1835657

Well done to everyone who has done the ride!

Canal Cycle: Crooke to Leigh 20 miles

For a few years now the Leigh Branch page on www.towpathtreks.co.uk has been empty. This was because I had not been along it to take any photographs to put on there. It had always been my plan to cycle the 7 miles of this branch, and this weekend I did just that. The Leigh Branch links the mainline of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal at Wigan directly to the rest of the national canal network at Leigh where it meets the Bridgewater Canal head-on.  

I drove to the canal with the bike on the back of the car. I am worrying less and less about it falling off and causing a horrific car crash and maybe worse scratching my paintwork. I parked on the road by the Crooke Hall Inn pub. There were preparations being made for some sort of village fair. The Leeds & Liverpool Canal Short Boat Kennet was in town for the day too. An added bonus. 

Trencherfield Mill, Wigan

With my bike off the car and loaded with water and wine gums I set off to Wigan. I had a look for the 33 mile post but the undergrowth was too thick to see it. At Pagefield Lock the towpath improves dramatically and is nicely paved. I soon arrived at Wigan Pier, some care has to be taken on the cobbles there. Going towards Leeds at Pottery Changeline Bridge it is possible to stay on your bike, coming the other way most cyclists will have to dismount to negotiate the tight turn and slope. Already there were a few boats about, out enjoying the glorious weather. Henhurst Bridge #52 has been replaced since I was last in Wigan, it looks good as they have tried to give it some of the style you see on other canal bridges while still being a modern concrete bridge. I took a quick photo of milepost 35 and set off to the junction.

The bridge which takes the towpath from the mainline over to the Leigh Branch is a modern footbridge. On the mainline side there is a ramp up to the bridge. On the Leigh side it is a series of long steps. Something I didn't notice, too busy looking at the sign post there. Luckily I had hold of the handle bars albeit by the bar-ends and after a bit of a panicky wobble I found the brakes and slowed down to go down the rest of the steps at a more suitable speed. 

anti-vehicle gate

Due to the subsidence in the area caused by coal mining most of the bridges on the Leigh Branch are relatively new or have been altered. No nice old stone bridges here. Along the Leigh Branch there are some anti-vehicle gates, which while only being a pain for cyclists must effectively ban wheelchair users from the towpath. The towpath is excellent here. I was doing my usual road speed along the towpath, passing boats going through the locks. 

Scotman's Flash

Scotman's Flash is an impressive sight. These flashes or lakes are caused by the land sinking after mining. Scotman's Flash is the largest and was being used by canoeists and yachts as I passed. The towpath and canal are up above the flashes on what now looks like an embankment. It is a popular area for bird watchers, cyclists, dog walkers and fishermen. 

anti-vehicle gate

At Moss Bridge the towpath switches sides. Something that may catch out some as there is a path on both sides for a while. Luckily I had done my homework and was expecting this change over. There is another anti-vehicle gate before Moss Bridge. A little further on the towpath switches sides again at Bamfurlong Bridge which is not a bike friendly bridge. At the Dover Lock Inn there are the remains of two locks. These were replaced by locks in Wigan when subsidence changed the levels . The pub looks quite nice so I will have to return one day to review it. The towpath here looks like it is in the middle of being upgraded. It could be a very good cycle path one day. 

Cabin Cruiser and Converted Lifeboat

Towards Leigh I saw a converted lifeboat that I have seen in Salthouse Dock in Liverpool and more recently at Burscough for their Canal heritage Week. I passed by the famous Plank Lane lift bridge. The area has seen a lot of work in recent times. The Britannia pub has now been demolished and the lift bridge looks either new or refurbished. There is a wide area of water next to the lift bridge which is going to be a marina. At the moment there are no pontoons though, and no obvious way of getting to the water from the bank.  Good to see some development on a stretch of canal that has in the past had a bit of a reputation. 

In the Leigh the sun was still shining brightly. The Waterside Inn was busy with people sat outside drinking. There were a few boats moored there too. While I had a breather and did some tweeting a day hire boat pulled up and a group of studenty types got off. They had got lucky with the weather and I forgave them calling a heron a stork. 

Leigh used to have a couple more canal pubs, the Ellesmere and the Bridge Inn. The Ellesmere is now a shop or clubhouse of Leigh Centurian's rugby club. The town is a rugby town, Leigh RMI RIP. The Bridge Inn gets a good review in my canal guide but is now closed and doesnt look much like reopening ever. 

the Ellesmere

the Bridge Inn

After a quick refuelling of Lucozade and a Marathon (Snickers) I headed back to Wigan. The ride back went well. I didn't feel as tired as I have on some of my usual morning rides in Liverpool. I was however suffering from not having any sun screen on. This left me with white hands and red arms. There was a slight wobble on the towpath that reminded me how close to the water I was, and politeness almost saw me and a fellow cyclist have an embarrassing crash. He was coming the other way and we both left the narrow path to allow the other to pass. In both giving way we both ended up heading towards each other, luckily we sorted ourselves out before we got too close. 

Back in Wigan I saw a headless mill worker, not a ghost but a vandalised statue. Its a shame that some locals have done their best to spoil the recent improvements to the area.
I like the lock keepers house in Wigan, by the bottom lock of the Wigan Flight. It is dwarfed by the huge Trencherfield Mill behind it but looks nice and unaltered. I can remember mooring outside it in 1983.

There are some new flats near Wigan Pier. The area is improving still. It is a world away from what it once was. I hope it can keep the progress up and doesn't slip back. It certainly seemed a popular place for people of Wigan to hand out.

I left Wigan and went back to Crooke. As I approached Crooke Hall Inn I could hear the sound of live electric guitar. Arriving back at the car I found the village fair in full swing. There was a band on and stalls and rides etc. It was all a bit warm for me to enjoy it though. Had I not had the car or bike with me I might have had a quick pint in the Crooke Hall Inn. But as it was I just strapped the bike back up on the car and had a quick wander down to the Kennet with the last of my water and another Snickers (Marathon). On Kennet I said hello to Mike "Mr Leeds & Liverpool Canal" Clarke. He has written every book worth reading on the subject. One day I will find something he doesn't know. 

All in all I would recommend the Leigh Branch to cyclists. If they continue to improve the towpath it will be an excellent ride. I would consider doing a ride from Wigan to Manchester sometime.

Kennet and other boats at Crooke

Ambush and Viktoria

As soon as I can I will get the photographs from my ride on the Leigh Branch Page of towpathtreks. It can take a while to get all the info on there. But they will be here asap: http://www.towpathtreks.co.uk/LLC/leigh_branch.html

Canal Cycle: Liverpool to Wigan Pier, 34.5 miles

March is my month of rebooting my New Year resolutions and doing lots of things that may not be enjoyable but are good for me. As part of my Big Plan to sort myself out I decided to start biking again. I haven't been out properly for ages. What better way to kick start the cycling habit than a 34.5 mile ride from Liverpool to Wigan? A statement of intent. 

The Start of the Canal in Liverpool

I woke up nice and early and got my bike ready, packed my lunch, stuck a waterproof in as a last minute addition. The streets were quiet and I got to Eldonian Village and the current terminus of the Leeds & Liverpool Canal about 9am ish.  There weren't many people about, a couple of drunks by the locks on the Stanley Dock Branch and a couple of dog walkers. The towpath is great at the Liverpool end, nice new tarmac so I was zooming along. Zooming for me is about 14/15 mph. Not so fast really but fast enough for me. I made good progress and it was only at bridge 7D that I had to stop and dismount to get through a anti-vehicle gate. The ones in the preceding 7 miles had been either open or just wide enough to cycle through. This one was an old one and had to be negotiated on foot.  

On the way I noticed a couple of mileposts I didn't think I had seen before, the 7.25mile quarter post and the 8.5mile half mile post. It didn't seem to take too long to get past Aintree Racecourse and up to Melling, leaving Liverpool behind. As far as The New Running Horses in Maghull the towpath is fine and I could make good time. After a quick stop to check my phone messages I was off again. From Maghull onwards the towpath is not so great. It is either grass or grass with a narrow rut in the middle. I dont know which I hate more. The grass is hard going, it makes my knees ache. The rut allows you to go faster but if you dont pay attention you can come out of the rut and start to wobble, which if you are a foot away from the canal is at times a bit of a wake up. Some bits of the rut were deep enough that my peddles caught on the grass either side. Pretty much from Maghull to Burscough the towpath is grass or grass and mud; about 10 miles. I was only managing 7 mph on the grass, even less on the really manky bits.  

I stopped at Halsall Cutting, 18 miles along the canal for a break, and inadvertently ate half my lunch. It was 11am though so we can call that elevenses .  It had drizzled a bit but by Halsall it cleared up, the wind was cold though and if I stopped too long anywhere I cooled down and my hands got cold. After what seemed like forever I got to Burscough. There was a shameful mile that I got off and walked, lycra clad races sped past casually on the road. If I did this again I would ditch the towpath and take to the roads between Scarisbrick and Burscough. Not with the full on lycra Tour De France get up though. 

Scarisbrick Marina

In Burscough I caught a passing glimpse of the new development in the canal depot. There was some upset at the depot buildings being demolished, but it looked very nice as I passed. There is a bar there too.

There was a fishing competition on, so every five fisherman had to shift his long pole off the towpath to let me past. Luckily they didnt go beyond the railway bridge by Ainscoughs Mill. 

The Rufford Branch

At the Rufford Branch junction I decided to have a proper break and eat the remains of my lunch. I should have rested more but got cold so pressed on. Noticed another new milepost, 25.25miles. After seeing number 27 though I gave up looking for them. My head had, as football commentators say, dropped. I was spending more time looking at the mud than the surrounding scenery. I thought about giving up and getting the train. But I knew the towpath improved towards Wigan so thought I would carry on as far as Parbold and see how I felt there. At Parbold I decided it was less than 10 miles so I may as well carry on. But I did stop for a quick breather at every (full) mile post I saw. The towpath improved again towards Wigan until it finally turned into a proper cycle path again. My speed increased again back up to 12mph. I am never going to break any speed records, but towpaths aren't about that anyway. Thats what I keep telling myself. 

Wigan Pier

I havent been to Wigan for ages but have heard about the redevelopment of the Wigan Pier area. As far as I could see nothing much has changed. The warehouses look a bit tattier and there is an air of abandonment. One new addition is sculpture. On Wigan Pier was what from a distance looked like a hoodie leaning against the wall. But the board next to it explained she was one of the women who sorted coal. There were four statues originally, but 2 were stolen in 2009. They have no scrap value so either the thieves were stupid or they love this sort of art. They didn't do much for me. The Orwell pub has re-opened, so that can go on the pub guide again. 

I left the canal and went to the station and got the train back to Liverpool. I got off at Edge Hill rather than Lime Street so I could free wheel downhill home rather than struggle up it. 

The ride was hard work for me. I really hate riding on grass. It was interesting to see how things change along the canal. There was a change from the hungover individuals in Liverpool to the happy families in Appley Bridge. The accents changed from Scouse Liverpool to old Lancashire. One fisherman informed me that "Gates th'open". It is good that such accents remain. 

Canal Bike Ride: Liverpool to Aintree and back, 20 miles

It took me until the Thursday of my week off to actually get my bike out and get myself down to the canal here in Liverpool. By the time I had got to the canal at Eldonian Village the sun was out and it was nice and warm. The towpath at Eldonian was quiet, just a few dog walkers and some lads fishing.  The surface itself is good, loose gravel, a bit crunchy but good enough. It wasnt long before I caught up with some boats that were leaving Liverpool. Workers on their tea break were sat in the sunshine and watched the boats go by. I quickly left them behind and headed off towards Bootle. Just outside Bootle a pitbull dog had an unexpected bath in the canal, not the last dog to do that today. 

In Bootle I stopped to take a photo that I hope will be the same as one of my postcards from the early 1900s. 

The locals were sat drinking their cans of Tennents and Excalibur and having a laugh. From the 3 mile point the towpath is at its best. Its like flapjack, very smooth and, apart from the wind being against me, it meant I could increase my speed a bit. I should say I am not the fastest cyclist and I get slower on the return trip but I did manage to go what passes for fast for me. 

Leaving Litherland behind the canal is very quiet, lined with trees on one side and a tall hedge on the other. The canal itself is covered in lillies. Coots were arguing and feeding their young. The juvenile coots on the towpath look like something from Jurassic Park. Little dinosaurs running to the water. 

the new Bridge 2G

Up to Aintree, still not many people around, a few parents out with their kids, dog walkers and a couple of people sitting with their cider. 

I went as far as Hancocks Swing Bridge, this is the first bridge of the assisted passage for boats into Liverpool. There were 3 or 4 boats waiting for their turn to sail to the Pool of Life. 

I turned around at the spot where the 10 mile milepost should be. I tried my camera out on its new handlebar fitting. It works well but my camera needs more memory if I am going to be doing a lot of videoing. Its a shame my camera wasnt on when a cocker spaniel was prancing about on the towpath and pranced too close to the edge and went in for a quick bath. 

The wind was against me on the way back, which was annoying because it was against me on the way out too. I plodded my way back, passed the fishing men and the winos who had moved down to the towpath to roll their cigarette. 

The first 10 miles of towpath are very good for cycling, the only hassle are the anti motorbike barriers. 


http://www.towpathtreks.co.uk/LLC/liverpool_canal.html