Appley Bridge

Today's Canal - Leeds and Liverpool

Our first priority today was to do the weekend shopping, mainly at Tesco, not far from the canal. However, we were both rather late in getting up so it was nearly half past eleven before we set off. We had to move up a couple of boat lengths to the water point before we could go much further. The next water point at Deans Lock is very awkward to tie up to use so better to do it now.

The more observant of our readers will have realised that we were still pointing in the wrong direction, towards Liverpool and not Wigan. This meant finding the next winding hole which was about 40 minutes away, through a couple of powered swing bridges - and then back again.

Christine stayed alongside the second one after the first time through so that she could open it again after Mike returned from winding. Alas, she was engaged in deep conversation with an interested onlooker so Mike still had to hover before being able to pass through. At least it saved Christine from one of her leaps to shore at the bridge landing.

An hour and 20 minutes after casting off we were back at Burscough Wharf once more but this time no stopping.

Soon after passing the centre of Burscough we could see a wide beam approaching ahead. There was a line of moored boats some of them also wide beam. Although the canal is basically quite wide, patches of reeds can reduce the passing room rather a lot so we pulled lover to the oncoming boat have as much room as possible. As soon as we were alongside it rafted up to a moored wide beam without giving any notice. Ambush is an occasional fuel boat (a restored historic barge once typical of the area) so presumably it was a pre-arranged delivery: their Facebook page indicates that they do ask people to book.

At Lathom Junction with the Rufford Arm we went straight on, noting the rather careful inscription of its date.

Yet another swing bridge. As with all those we passed through today, it was mechanised. Knowing which is which is in advance is important to us as our standard procedure is that Christine normally does those that use a 'key of power' whilst Mike does the others!

We stopped for lunch at the Ring O' Bells Visitor Mooring, just at the end of an angling match. Fishing must have been poor today as they were all uniformly glum! The large pub looks rather forlorn as well. Perhaps it was catching.

Another wide beam - always at a narrow place. This time Lady Teal, a hotel boat that we had met earlier in the year on the Rufford Arm. This was their last trip of the year with guests. When we saw them last they were entertaining family for a weekend.

A photo of the former windmill in Parbold is as obligatory in a canal blog as one of the telegraph poles on the Coventry and Shroppie canals.

It is a while since we last had a new entry into our Unusual Boats Gallery.

Wide beams seem to be like London buses - you don't see one for days and then they come in threes! This one was the trip boat out of Parbold and again at a very narrow place such that we had to stop and reverse to allow them to come through. 

We arrived at Appley Lock. The present lock replaces two which were in a channel alongside the one used now. The locks and gates can still be seen but are gradually decaying.

A

As we came into Appley Bridge where we aimed to moor for the night, we saw this sign and did not know quite what to make of it. OK, so we recognised the sign for canoe portage points but what do the arrows mean? There was now evident specific feature in the bank which was a standard stone wall and, in any case, why portage at this point: no lock for some distance and a wide bridge to pass through?

8.8 Miles - 1 Lock