Canal Walk: Scarisbrick

Today was just a short stroll on the towpath in the sunshine. 

Boats of the MMBC

The New Marina at Scarisbrick

Wooden Canal Boats

Wooden boat Lilith

My old boat the Pride of Sefton coming through the bridge. 

Blue Bells in the Woods

Arty shot of bark

This graffiti must be almost 30 years old now, it did say TED NUGENT 

Canal Photos Janurary

Parbold

Farmers Arms

Great Score

Martins Lane

Heaton's Bridge

Heaton's Bridge

Heaton's Bridge

Canal Cruise: Farmers Arms to Spencer's Swing Bridge

Today we met the Albatross at the Saracens Head. There is a new sign by the Nudey Navvy which tells you all about building a canal. At long last Halsall is getting its recognition as the starting place of the Leeds & Liverpool Canal.

The new sign at Halsall

While we drove back to Southport Albatross carried on to the Farmers Arms. There were some electricians working on the bridge, there had been problems with the key. We met up again at the pub but didnt stay long. We carried on through the swing bridge by the Slipway. Again Albatross carried on while I moved the car. We met once again at the Blood Tub.

At the Farmers Arms

Albatross approaching the Rufford Branch

Albatross passing by the Rufford branch.

A huge fish from the Ship (Blood Tub)

Bridge control panel

We left Albatross after Spencers bridge, they continued on their cruise and we walked back to the car. Our own holiday is about to start, the Tavistock and Bude canals await.

Canal Cruise: Canal Walk Scarisbrick to Melling

As part of the on-going mission to take the Albatross to the Albert Dock today we were going from Heatons bridge at Scarisbrick to Hancocks bridge near Aintree.

My role today was opening the swingbridges. This end of the Leeds & Liverpool is infamous for its swingbridges. Today there were six to get through.

I dropped the captain of the boat off at Heatons Bridge and while the crew sailed on towards Lydiate I drove up to Maghull.

I parked by Dicconsons Bridge and walked towards Coxhead Bridge, where we planned to meet up.

Today was a perfect day for being on the towpath. The sun was shining, the flowers blooming, the fish jumping and the butterflies fluttering by.

The towpath was busy with walkers, cyclists and anglers.

I noticed a small pile of oyster shells by the side of the canal. Clearly something had collected them up and eaten them here. What would do this? Some kind of bird or maybe even an otter!

Oyster Shells

I was approaching Coxheads Albatross was arriving from the other direction. Not only are there too many swing bridges on this canal they are all different. They are all opened in different ways. the trick is to pay attention and read the instructions.

The first bridge was an easy one, all electric. You just put the key in and press a button. The barriers close and the bridge spins round. Once the boat has gone through you press another button and the bridge spins back and the barriers go up. As long as you remember to hold the button down you dont have any problems.

Through the bridge and back on the boat we all headed off to Maghull. The next swing bridge we came to is Bells Swing Bridge by the Running Horses pub (which was open for business). This bridge is electric but the difference with this one is you have to move it yourself. the trick is to pay attention to the display and when it tells you its ready push the bridge open. I am not sure why they couldnt make the bridge move itself like the other one...

Next is Methodist Swing bridge, once blown up by the IRA. This one you need to close the barriers yourself then open the bridge with the key and control panel. It was at this bridge that the local kids found us and subjected us to a barrage of questions. "Eh lad how fast does your boat go?" "Lad, where are you from?" "Have you got a cooker on there?" "Are you going to Liverpool?" "Are you going to Leeds?" "Your boats dead slow, lad"

They followed us up to the next bridge, Shaws Swing Bridge. This bridge is just a foot bridge so there are no barriers to close. You just open the anti-vandal lock with a handcuff key. The kids took great interest in the key, asking where they could get one, whether they could have mine etc They wanted to ride on the bridge when I opened it, I tried to get them to help me open it instead but it was obviously more exciting to ride on it as I pushed it open. Luckily none of them fell off or were squashed.

We left them behind and carried on in peace through Maghull up to Maghull Swing Bridge. This one you have to close the barriers yourself, unlocking them with the handcuff key, then open the bridge using the water mate key and the control panel. I managed to stop a good number of cars here, always satisfying.

Leaving Maghull behind the canal enters the countryside. With the sun still shining you wouldnt think we were heading to Liverpool. This bit of canal is every bit as nice as any on the system (as long as you ignore the floating cans and bottles.

Even with the new canal at the docks in Liverpool there are not many boats on this stretch. This means the canal is quite weedy. Not just weed, whole rafts of yellow water lillies. There was even someone harvesting water cress from the edge of the canal. If you eat water cress in a Liverpool restaurant you know where it comes from!

At the last swing bridge we caught up with another boat heading the same way. They had just gone through the bridge so I still had to open it. This bridge is manual. You have to use the handcuff key to open a guard which then lets you use the watermate key to unlock the handbrake. The instructions say a quarter turn but I eventually found you need to turn it more than that. Once you have undone the two locks and lifted the handbrake you can push the bridge open.

Melling Stone Bridge

We were now 3 miles from my car so rather than carry on to Hancocks Swing bridge where Albatross is spending the night I jumped ship and walked back. On the way back the questioning kids asked for another ride on the bridge, but sadly for them I didnt have my key.

Tomorrow Albatross will go through to Eldonian Village and spend the night there. Tuesday we will be going down the Stanely Dock branch and into the docks, then along the new canal to the south docks for a couple of nights. Then back home to Nantwich.

Canal Cruise Parbold to Scarisbrick 6.5 miles

Today I was press-ganged into the crew of the Albatross to help with the swing bridges. We were moving the boat from Parbold to Scarisbrick. In a couple of weeks the Albatross will be going to Liverpool and down to Albert Dock via the new canal.

There were plenty of boats on the move, the new canal linking the docks in Liverpool seems to be bringing boats to this quiet stretch of canal.


The swing bridges are easy as long as you read the instructions! We did have to wait while I slowly remembered to hold the button down rather than just press it. The worst bridge is the one by the Slipway. It really should be replaced with an electric one. The best bridge is Glovers Swing Bridge which even puts the barriers down for you and has traffic lights!

The weather wasnt so great, windy and a bit chilly but by the time we got to Scarisbrick the sun had come out and it was warm enough to take a couple of layers off.

Its been 10 years since I sailed on this stretch of canal and 20 years since Albatross was last in these waters. It was nice to be back on the water and great to see so many boats on the move.

Canal Walk: Wigan - Scarisbrick 13.5 miles

Its a gloriously sunny day so a longer walk than usual was called for; 10 miles from Wigan Pier to Burscough Bridge. The train from Southport to Wigan follows the canal and crosses it more than once. It was while looking at the canal I noticed that the towpath at Appley Bridge was still closed to walkers. Not a good start to the day but the stoppage would be three miles into the walk so I carried on as planned.
Turning right out of Wigan Wallgate it is a short walk down hill to the old terminus of the Leeds Liverpool at Wigan Pier. The original 1770 warehouses are still there, now hemmed in by two very busy roads. The area around the pier is being redeveloped so I walked up to Wigan Bottom Lock (#87) to see if I could see any progress. Trencherfield mill has scaffolding on it and is now closed to visitors. There was a boat approaching the lock, the first of many boats enjoying the sunshine. I turned around at the lock and headed back to the pier. The museum is now closed and the area quiet once more. Near the pier is a milepost marked as 34 miles to Liverpool. The plaques are replacements and the location is wrong, this post is 34.5miles from Liverpool and should be a half mile post.
Leaving Wigan by canal the view is dominated by the JJB Stadium on the left and a large basin on the right. The hedges are now fully grown and the mileposts I found over winter have disappeared again like Brigadoon until autumn. I had a brief stop by the disused Crooke lock to feed a horse and put a plaster on my bleeding toe. The woods around Crooke and Gathurst were perfect for such a warm day providing shade and a beautiful leafy backdrop to the canal.
At Dean Locks the signs warned of the towpath closure and the lack of diversion. So I went onto the island between the duel locks and had my lunch. There were quite a few cyclists who went past only to turn reappear once they had been foiled by the closure.
As I ate a boat was descending the lock, I thought about asking for a lift past the closed towpath but not wanting to hurry my food I decided to head back to Gathurst and find the station.
The journey from Gathurst to Appley bridge on the other side of the closed path takes 4 minutes at most and costs £1, had I got on the second carriage I could have avoided paying but the inspector had just enough time to sell me a ticket before I had to get off.

I had missed about a mile of towpath by taking the train but it was all part of the adventure.
Leaving Appley Bridge I passed the 3 Appley locks, one deep and two shallow and the site of my childhood stickleback fishing days.
Next stop was Parbold where I had a sit down and a drink to let my feet have a break. Not long after Parbold I began to feel a bit weary so when I reached the junction with the Rufford Branch I stopped for another break and to use the BWB facilities.Afterr somesurreall heckling from children I pressed ontowards Burscough bridge. My break by the top lock had recharged my batteries so instead of catching a train at Burscough Bridge station I passed through Burscough and walked on to Heatons Bridge (#28) 3 miles further on. Here I stopped and had a well earned pint and a welcomed burger and chips. I had traveled about 13.5 miles and due to my boots being 2 sizes too small got a couple of blisters.
I recommend this walk, the Southport to Wigan line follows the canal from Burscough Bridge to Wigan and is useful for getting to and from walks. I saw the more boats on the move today than I have for a long time, but still the canal is quiet in comparison to other navigations. If my feet let me I have another walk planned for tomorrow...

Canal Walk: Scarisbrick

Another sunny day, it must be a record! Just a small walk to stretch the legs today. I parked at the former wharf by Hulmes Bridge (#26). Again no sign of the half mile post near Weaver's Bridge (27) but there were boats on the move today; one barge, one narrorboat, one cabin cruiser, an inflatable dingy and an inflatable kayak. I walked as far as the next half mile post by the stop lock at Such Hey Wood and then back to Scarisbrick bridge.

Just along the road from the canal is a medieval stone cross. It was once part of two lines of crosses from Scarisbrick Park to Ormskirk and Burscough Priory. Its not much to look at but it is one of the oldest monuments in this area.

Walking back I stepped down into the field alongside the towpath. These fields were fertilised with the waste of Liverpool, brought up by boat from the city. As a result the fields are full of fragments of pottery, glass, stone and metal. No sign of the clay pipes like the ones I have found before but I did find a metal hook and lots of decorated pottery, willow pattern was common. Easy pickings for the (very) amatuer archaeologist.

Photos

Canal Walk: Heatons Bridge

This afternoon it was sunny enough to be tempted out to the towpath at Heatons bridge (28). I was looking for some mile stones, today it was 21 and 22. The car park at Heatons bridge was full, a popular pub for a Sunday drink. Walking north to Martin Lane bridge (29) I passed a couple of people on bikes and some dog walkers. The field boundaires were the same as the 1894 OS map but there was no sign of milestone 22. I turned around and walked a mile in the other direction to look for milestone 21. On the way I passed milepost 21 and quite a few mallards sat sunning themselves on the side of the canal. Unfortunately again I was unable to find the milestone even though I could be confident of standing in the right place. Although its only early April it was too warm for my fleece so I turned around again and went back to the car.
On the way home I stopped off at Hulmes bridge (26) to look for the half mile post (19.5miles). I walked south up to Halsall Warehouse Bridge (25) passing milepost 19 then turned around to walk back past Hulmes bridge and on to Weavers bridge (27). There were a few people fishing and Vagabond from Riley Green was heading back north. No sign of the half mile post in the brambles, soon the hedge will be green again and I will have to wait until autumn to look for it again.
No luck with the milestones and mile post spotting but a nice short sunny walk on a day that was predicted to be rain and sleet!