Day 7 – The Start of the Huddersfield Narrow

And so onto the Huddersfield Narrow.

Ashton under Lyne looks grotty from the canal, and the first half of Stalybridge isn’t very pleasant although unlike later on it was easy to get off the boat at lock landings.

 

This was the day of Supermarkets.  We went under the Asda Tunnel (I suspect the frozen food section as it was very cold) in Ashton-under-Lyne, passed Aldi at Lock 4W and parked up for lunch in Stalybridge outside Tesco’s after 6W.

I popped in for a few essentials and some hot chicken thighs for lunch, and then popped back in to pick up everything else we’d thought of over lunch. They do good Staffordshire oatcakes in the bakery section, not quite as nice as the ones we got in the One Stop in Barlesdon, but still an excellent lunch snack.

After lock 6W the canal became much more pleasant, less plastic bags in the water – having to get my arm down the weed hatch to dis-entangle anything from the propeller was my constant fear.

The countryside because more picturesque as it because less urban. The locks were hard.  Deep, stiff paddles and with severe byewash. It was very difficult to get off the boat at lock landings. We grounded it a few times and I had to scramble to get off the boat getting more involved with brambles that I ever like to do.

We were exhausted by the time we pitched up at our destination below Roaches Lock (15W). We moored up in the designated spot opposite the winding hole and made the most of the evening sun by opening the hatch so Stephanie could feed the ducks and geese.

The pub we parked by is reputedly very good, but we were too tired to check it out.  Perhaps on the way back…

 

Time and Distance

14 locks 5 miles and 1 lift bridge
Started at 9.15, finished at 6.45, stopped for about 1 1/2 hours at Tesco’s between 6W and 7W.
8 hours.

< Previous Post : Map of the Journey : Next Post >