Narrow Boat Albert: Ashton Canal

Showing posts with label Ashton Canal. Show all posts

Portland Basin

On Sunday morning we left Piccadilly early to get up the Ashton Canal to Portland Basin. The Ashton has a long history of being difficult for several reasons including security and rubbish. The guides point out that security has been much improved over recent years (there are high security fences over many sections) and we found no problems at all. However, its reputation for having lots of rubbish was well founded.

The environment close to Manchester city centre was good but from the start we hard some difficulties. We had to let down some water from the pound above to fill the first lock and getting over the cill was a problem. We were followed by NB Bleasdale so we only had to unlock the paddle mechanisms but all have handcuff locks.

Ashton Canal near Piccadilly

As we progressed slowly up the flight, we picked up debris on the propeller. It got gradually worse and just after the Manchester City Stadium I had to take my first trip down the weed hatch. The first item out of the hatch was football supporters scarf. A passer-by asked if it was City or United. Neither I reported - Middlesborough. Maggie said she was relieved that the supporter was not still attached. The debris was mostly polythene bags but it also contained copper wire.

City of Manchester Stadium

Lock 11 Ashton Canal

On several occasions we ran over objects that felt and sounded like shopping trolleys. We also collected a traffic cone in the prop but that came out easily without a removing the weed hatch.

Powerful flow down the bywash on Lock 13

At Lock 13 we were greeted by a powerful bywash at the lock entrance. We assume that this was because BW were trying to send some water down to the lower pounds. The only way to get through the flow without being pushed into the wall was to enter the lock at some speed.

Water sports at Fairfield Locks, Ashton Canal

At the top of the flight a group of young people were having a great time in kayaks. We were impressed how they moved over when requested. We took on water at Fairfield "Junction" and watched BW removing rubbish from the lock. They were unable to use the "spare" former duplicate lock to send down water because the paddle mechanism was blocked with rubbish - mostly logs. We found the Ashton Canal locks surprisingly benign although the amount of rubbish was a big issue.

Along the section between Fairfield and Ashton there are a number of low bridges. One took us a by surprise but we squeezed under with the chimneys removed and the exhaust folded down. It turns out that the bridge we had most trouble with had only 6' 4'' headroom.

An Ashton Canal Shopping Trolley

Mill and River Tame, Portland Basin

We decided to moor up Portland Basin Marina for the night. Five pounds gave us a secure quite mooring.

Portland Basin, Junction of Huddersfield Narrow, Ashton & Peak Forest Canals

Boat Identified

In my earlier post about Stoke Bruerne in 1976, I wondered about the identity of the butty with David Blagrove's name on the cabin. Following a clue from Bob Westlake it appears that it is Elton which is now in the hands of the Wooden Canal Boat Society.

As it says on their site:

By 1968 even Willow Wren were unable to compete with lorries using the expanding motorway network. “Elton” was sold to David Blagrove, a teacher and diehard canal carrying enthusiast, who used her to carry coal for retailing from the boat.

It appears that Elton has been at Portland Basin on the Aston Canal for some time and has been used as floating storage for much of the societies equipment. She did however sink in November 2003 but was raised again.

Elton was built in 1936 by Walkers of Rickmansworth. Her history is on the WCBS web site.

Change of Plans - to Lymm (April 24)

Yesterday we spent a full day in Manchester. The morning was spent cleaning the boat, which was beginning to look a little grubby after its long journey north.

Mooring at Castlefields

Three of the four railway bridges at Castlefields

Late in the morning the GRP cruiser Dancer, from Coventry, arrived in the basin. They took on water and moored-up behind us. They, like us, were planning to go up the Ashton to the Peak Forest and Macclesfield canals. However, they had recently been in touch with BW and found that there was an unscheduled stoppage on the Ashton Canal. Apparently, a large wire had been caught under a lock gate and it had badly damaged a sill. We hoped that it would be cleared by Friday because we had planned to pick up Steve’ s cousins half-way up the Ashton flight for a trip on Albert. However, late in the afternoon, we found out that the flight would be closed until at least Tuesday (April 28) when BW plan to issue an update. BW is planning to dewater part of the flight to make the repairs and needs Environment Agency approval to do this. Because of our commitments at home, we cannot wait until Tuesday to find out what is happening so we decided to change our cruising plans. We are now not doing the Cheshire Ring but returning home the way we came. However, we will definitely try to explore the Caldon Canal; it was on our reserve list.

This is the first time since we began serious boating in 1996 that we have had to change our cruising plans so we cannot really complain. We just hope that this is not the start of a run of bad luck.

Pevril of the Peak pub, Manchester

Detail of the fine tiles, Pevril of the Peak pub, Manchester

Tonight we are at Lymm again. So what happened in the meantime?

Well yesterday afternoon we went around the Art Gallery in Manchester and viewed the Leonardo Da Vinci drawings. In the evening, we went to a Halle orchestra concert in Bridgewater Hall. They played a programme consisting of Schubert's 5th symphony, Haydn's Sinfonia Concertante, and the Franck symphony. We really enjoyed it. The acoustics in the hall are particularly good.

Today we met up with Steve’s cousins who cam in from Rochdale and Diggle. They cruised with us to Sale where they caught the Metro home. It was great meeting up with them. Just before we left Castlefields, the ex-Cowburn & Cowpar boat Swallow arrived. Steve helped her manoeuvre onto the water point, wind, and then moor up behind us. We were treated to a tour of the back cabin and engine room of Swallow by the ownedr David Lowe. Like many other working boats, she had been at the Easter gathering at Ellesmere Port.