ducklings Archives - Susie and Stephanie's Big Adventure

We were up early for our push to the finish line, as we needed to get to Aspley Basin in time to try and arrange for an engineer to sort out a few little issues we were having with the boat.

We were helped through the first lock by the CRT who had arrived to reset one of the lock stones which was sticking out and scratching boats. They gallantly worked all the locks and leaned on the boat to keep it from touching the offending stone.

There was a first for the day when an otter swam past me and up the canal before diving and disappearing. It looked like a dark brown furry baby seal with a rounded face. I tried to fire up the camera, but couldn’t organise it fast enough for a photo. It was probably a refugee from the adjacent river. I was really suprised and wondered if I’s mis-identified it, but an internet search revealed that there are indeed otters in the river round here: http://www.examiner.co.uk/news/west-yorkshire-news/how-greenstreams-improved-huddersfields-river-4985849

We also saw another family of ducks with 5 ducklings who tried to run across the water to get the crumbs of bread I threw for them.

The locks down from Linthwaite were very pretty, until we came into Huddersfield. The industrial outskirts of the town were not very nice, and apart from Milnsbridge, where there is (shallow) mooring, I didn’t fancy stopping for long.

Footpath, Boat Path (past Kirklees College) looking forward

Central Huddersfield is, however, rather interesting by boat. It’s certainly a different view from anything I’d ever seen before. This particular stretch through a channel just wider than the boat was particularly unusual, it really looks like at one side we have the footpath (not the towpath, just a footpath) and on the other side the boat path. Most of the people who passed us seemed slightly bemused to see a boat on the path, and several told us we were the first barge they’d ever seen on the canal.

Boatpath, footpath looking back

The approach to the University, through a channel which was barely as wide as the boat was unusual.

With 200 yards to our destination I thought we might not make it. Is the channel wide enough for this boat? and is there any water in it?

We reached our destination just after 4pm, Mum was waiting for us as we came out of the final bridge. We parked up, packed up and were driven at the dizzying speed of 30mph (10 times faster than we’d been going all week!) back to Ashgrove for our first night on dry land.

Arriving at Aspley through a very low bridge

Time and Distance:

Started at 9.10, arrived at Aspley at 4.10, 15 locks and 2 3/4 miles.

Travelling time: 6.25 hours

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We were joined again this morning by Mum and Alastair. Mum’s family originally came from the Saddleworth area and she’d spent a lot of time round here as a child so it was going to be interesting for her to see a different view of the countryside.

These ducklings were very cute

However the first order of business was to photograph these very cute ducklings who were having a dustbath with Mum, while Dad had a stand off with 2 Canada geese.

Once we finally got going, the countryside was indeed very pretty and we also passed beside some beautiful back gardens which is always a joy.

The canal went under Saddleworth High Street and straight into a lock at the end with the most unusual lock beam mechanism we’d seen so far,

The light at the end of Saddleworth High Street Tunnel – old and new tunnel linings

Stephanie winding the lock beam closed. It was very stiff and we hope the CRT will grease it before we come back!

After stopping by the museum car park for lunch, we set off to do the final flight of locks up to the east end of the tunnel. The houses fell away and the view got wider.