The Lost Four Days

As promised, here is Christine's account of the four days when your normal reporter was languishing at home:

Sat 21st July

Christine travelled up by train - 3.30hrs - to Cheltenham Spa Station - train very full but a booked seat and interesting people in adjoining seats made the journey pleasant enough - and the air-conditioning was good! Andrew was waiting right outside the station, having driven up from Devizes via a Majestic Wines for on board (boat!) supplies.

Then it was up the motorway, arriving at Glasson Marina, as the Satnav predicted just after 4 0'clock.Unloading completed, Andrew went off for a walk to explore the Dock area, meeting up with Christine at the Dalton Arms for an evening meal - a fairly typical pub menu, but their Steak and Ale Pie is homemade and to be recommended, and the service is good and very friendly.

Sun 22nd July: On to Hest Bank

Off back up the locks and a beautiful sunny day - 2.30mins. All against us as a boat had gone up just before, but at least they gave Andrew plenty of exercise as not only did he operate these heavy locks but also walked right up the flight.

 Left at the junction through Galgate, 5 miles to Lancaster, the rural scenery and the sun much enjoyed, then lunch in the centre of Lancaster. Onwards in the afternoon, out of Lancaster and over the Lune Aqueduct. Now Christine was trying to remember to take photos of all the bridges beyond this point since when Mike arrived on the return trip he could be expected to take his own photos from at the latest that point on (What is this thing he has about taking pictures of bridges - is it a reversion to a the male child preoccupation with collecting things? Well to humour him....)

Lancaster Castle

Lune Aqueduct

Lancaster has not made enormous use of its canalside but it is pleasant enough. There were a good number of people enjoying a walk along it to the aqueduct. At points a view could be seen across the city towards the castle across on the skyline. Andrew paused long enough for Christine to get off at the aqueduct for a few photos (Mike will expand later!)

River Lune from aqueduct

Out of the city the canal heads towards the coast. The views are limited because of housing on the seaward side, but is rural landwards. Enroute, various bridges were investigated as possible places where a meetup with Mike on the Wednesday could be planned.

2 miles further Take Five was approaching Hest Bank, where the canal is 300 yds(?) from the shore, down a side road, over the A road, over the railway line. There is good mooring, though the Sanitary Station is not functional. Here seemed an ideal place for Wednesday's meetup.

We moored for the night.After a brief walk to the seafront, not at this time very interesting because the tide was right out and there was just the vast acres of sand of the Morecambe Bay to see. Visibility was hazy. Christine returned to the boat to cook a meal, determined to do justice to Andrew's £2.50 chicken bought at Devizes market (it was good!)

Andrew continued a walk before an emergency call summoned him back to the boat because the gas bottle had given out, cooking had ceased, and the bottle needed changing ( a man's job!)

Mon 23rd July : To Tewitfield, the Terminus, where the M6 blocks the canal

Another sunny day, with a light breeze.
The canal continues along the coast, through Bolton-le-Sands to Carnforth.

We stopped

a) to go in search of a pie shop recommended in Nicolsons (to Andrew's disgust it is no longer there - now a Greggs?!) We had to make do with the Tescos that is just 100 yds from the canal

b) to have lunch

c) to use the Sanitary Station, the last before Tewitfield.

Onwards the last few miles. The scenery was very pretty. Despite the good weather, all was very green, the canal banks a mass of flowers, the margins a carpet of the little yellow water-lilies. Again the distant view was hazy.

At the terminus we found the winding hole, turned round and then retraced our steps a short distance to find a mooring spot- predictably the gang-plank was needed. We were glad that there was nowhere to moor near the terminus, which is only about 10 yds from the motorway hard shoulder. Going back slightly where the motorway is starting to go into a cutting was so much quieter.

We walked to look at the abandoned Tewitfield locks the other side of the main road, then sussed out the bus-stop for Kendal for tomorrow.

Tues 24th July : Bus to Kendal

Andrew had decided that he would get the bus to Kendal 15 miles away and then walk back along the abandoned line of the canal. Christine decided to explore Kendal. The bus journey was a little hair-raising - a double decker meeting another double decker on the narrow roads through the old villages demanded not only skill but also courage (foolhardiness!) from the bus drivers.

The day was extremely humid after a thunderstorm before they left- but at least it remained fine.
In Kendal, they parted company.

Christine had been told by Jude, a Quaker friend, that she must visit the Quaker Tapestry Exhibition in Kendal, and so seeing a sign near the bus station, she headed off. It was very definitely well-worthwhile. She was made very welcome and found attached an excellent cafe.Held in part of the old Meeting House, the exhibition tells the story of the Quakers from their early beginnings close by, as George Fox preached locally, to the present day, highlighting the continuing contribution of prominent Quakers to their generation and to the present day. There are 77 tapestry panels, each about 2ft * 1ft 6 in. Christine felt she had learnt a tremendous amount about the Quaker movement and their beliefs and convictions. The idea, in the 1980s, for the tapestries had come from a desire to tell the Quaker story to their children. The tapestries are beautifully designed and the needlework is amazing, but each includes a section completed by children. Jude was definitely right to recommend a visit!

Then it was a peruse of the mainly small shops in this busy, very attractive town. A walk down the main street brought her to the church, taking in a view over to the ruined castle on the hill the other side of the river. It is on that side that the abandoned canal started.

Welcomers on duty at the church were again keen to make a visit interesting, pointing out a rare grand tomb of a nine year old boy, and ancient glass. The church is vast - five aisles wide - expanded when Flemish workers came to the town and more room in church was needed for them!
Before catching the bus back, Christine walked back to the bus station along the river bank.

 

Andrew meanwhile, walked back to the boat arriving five hours after leaving Kendal, following the line of the abandoned section which hopefully will be restored to navigation in the not too distant future.

Wed 25th July : Back to Hest Bank

After evening rain, it now felt reasonably fresh and pleasant again. Now the return journey.
Mike had sent a text at 6.43 am to say he was on his way. Further texts later indicated his progress!
An hour and a half and we arrived at Carnforth. There were some slightly better views as there was less haze. At Carnforth, a stop again for the facilities and Tescos. On then to Hest Bank, arriving just after 12.

Mike's texts indicated he should arrive in about an hour's time, so another walk down to the beach. This time the scene looked entirely different because the tide was in! An information board told that way back, before the sandbanks and the River Lune altered their position and course, goods were unloaded from the canal at the point where we were moored, before being transferred to sea-going boats from a wharf off Hest Bank.

Our items were duly transferred from car to Take Five when as predicted Mike arrived.

Then he was off to leave the car at Glasson whilst Andrew and Christine pressed on to Lancaster where arrangements to meet up again had been made.

(For the rest, see Mike's blog!)