Wandering Canuck

A gorgeous end to August: clear blue skies, light breeze, and some wonderful people.

Rang in the very light 8 at Sprotbrough yesterday morning before church. Lots of interest in the canal experience and the travelling ringing experiences as well.

I decided to extend my stay here for the day and do some serious scratch restoration on the boat. There are some that will need more work, but that does mean the boat isn’t a shiny marina queen. Canal boating is a contact sport, and there is just no way to avoid the bumps and scrapes.

I’ve stowed the car for a week, and am now making my way back to Castleford Junction on the South Yorkshire navigations and then the Aire River. The goal will be to try and ring a few times this week, and then get ready for the next set of crew when I think we’ll try and climb the Huddersfield canals. I’m now looking for the small special moments: fresh blackberries (some of which made the scratches referred to above); fresh corn on the cob; an apple from the tree beside the lock, etc. All part of the experiences!

“Humber Princess” a 700 tonne oil barge exiting Waddington Lock, with the Waddington ship breaking yard in the background

Conisbrough viaduct, over the River Don

The end of summer really wasn’t, with a ‘shorts and t-shirt’ type of day for the trip from Rotherham to Sprotbrough. The canal/river here is very wide and deep, because there is regular traffic of the last oil barge working the inland waterways. I met this barge at Waddington lock, and thought it prudent to get out of the way…

The trip was idyllic, in the weather (just a slight following breeze), and with little traffic. It is a busy day if I meet 5 boats, so different than doing anything by car. I’m moored across from the “Ship Inn”, which is also a landing for a large party boat (60+ people) which I saw twice yesterday: once with a kids pirate birthday party, and one last evening with another rambunctious group.  Not an issue, and it is great to see that there is some commercial traffic. Went past Conisbrough viaduct, which is a very striking railway viaduct, now in use as a bike/walking trail. The viaduct emphasizes the massive effort to make structures to support the railways in the late 1800’s, and also the effort that was made to make these structures aesthetically appealing. The detail in the brickwork, with carved stone inlays is really different than the plain, utilitarian bridges of precast concrete that are made today. I’ve seen this constantly: the Victorian era always seems to make an attempt at making the utilitarian with some aesthetic appeal. Cast iron seems to be always with some shape and form other than simple rod and plate.

Barnby Dun was alternately enchanting and disappointing. A delightful village, but one where almost everyone is away. No ringing for the main service, though they were about the mot welcoming congregation I have ever met. Promises for ringing then for evening prayer: not! Major monsoon winds on the mooring. Arggh.

Then,on towards Doncaster. The lock was delayed because divers are working on an hydraulic leak. No sweat: I ate blackberries. Then up to Doncaster and good visitor moorings: lots to see here, but the church is in major restoration so bells and organ out of commission. Fantastic old germanic organ spec, but good to see (not hear).

To fetch the car tomorrow, so no major changes.

First major shipping tanker just went by. Good to see, finally, some commercial traffic. Important  for the success of maintenance of the canals.

All good, as the weather has moderated somewhat.

As I moved along from Selby, I am reminded of the time of year. How things have changed over the last week. 25 km/h winds, intermittent showers, and on-again-off again clothing layers. Autumn is near! (well it feels like that already!).

Selby canal was absolutely quiet, and I only met 2 boats on the Aire River as I headed towards Knottingly. I turned left at the junction and made my way to Eggborough, amidst very large power stations and an operating coal mine (colliery). These power stations remind me of the Wabamun area in Alberta: apparently they produce a very significant portion of England’s electricity. They are very clean-burning, though, with only apparently steam exiting the tall chimneys. I’m sure there is more, but that is all that is visible. I moored overnight amidst heavy showers and rock-the-boat winds. Fortunately, my friends Nick and Christine were back in the area, and took me out for a wonderful Thai dinner.

Then yesterday, onwards. I was blown along the last canal built in Britain- dead straight, and with lots of mechanical bridges. I prefer the old hump-back stone and brick ones: they don’t require the misery of ‘tying up- operate the bridge-move quickly through-tie up-operate the bridge-untie and move-on process’. In the wind.

I am in Barnby Dun overnight and hope to ring here this morning. Love the village name, and the church is a small village one. Then on to Doncaster to get supplies, and also to do a little train journey to fetch my car. All is well.

I’ve enjoyed North Yorkshire greatly. There is so much history (from before the Romans, through the Vikings, and then ‘modern’ history of the English since 1066 or thereabouts. The museum (Yorkshire Museum) in York presents this very well, and there many artifacts that illustrate the great length of the historical past.

The weather has been somewhat less settled for the past week, after the remnants of Hurricane Berth blew through. Many showers made navigation less comfortable (and I’ve been spoiled since April!), and the accompanying winds (less common here) have made navigation more tricky. However, I’m back in Selby, having come down the Ouse River from York on the highest tide of the year. With guidance from the lock keeper at Selby, I turned from running with the ebb tide, back upstream, then entered Selby lock. Nary a bump or a scrape, but the experience wasn’t without some moments of concern.

chemists’ shop, replicated in the York Castle Museum

York street scene, also replicated in the museum

I’ll spend a day here, hopefully ringing in Selby Abbey tonight, then back across the Selby Canal to the River Aire.

The street scene was very cool, as the lighting and sound effects played through a whole day in about 30 minutes. Candles in the windows, rooster crowing, thunderstorm, newsboys in the morning. All very well done.

the Shambles: old street in York