Skipton

Street View showed that there was a Tesco Express just a few minutes away so Mike and Alice set off after they had their breakfast (leaving the other two still to get up!) Soon they passed a man carrying a newspaper so checked with him where they could find one. Milk and squash were also on the shopping list. We might have bought some bread but there was a sign in the shop saying that their freezer had broken down and so no fresh bakery!

This was to be a day of no locks but rather a lot of swing bridges. There is a variety of types: a few, usually those carrying a lot of traffic, are mechanised but most are manual. One or two, just to catch the unwary, have mechanised barriers and wedges but then have to be swung manually! The first one we encountered today turned mechanically but the barriers had to be shut by hand.

The morning was often bright and sunny and pleasantly warm. Soon we arrived at the only swing bridge today that was difficult - all the others turned very easily indeed.

Very soon the scenery became quite rural and for the rest of the day we hugged the contours but with steep hills all around us.

After passing through Silsden, Alice and Jess declared that it was an early lunch time, so we pulled into the bank and had to use our mooring pins.

Off again and many of the fields are edged with traditional stone walls - the pattern made by the stones that protrude is quite striking.

Both girls joined Mike to walk along the towpath for a section where several bridges were close together - attempts to take 'natural' pictures were foiled by Jess as poser!

Factories and mills converted to apartments or offices and terraced houses all have a solid look about them - no wonder they have survived so well.

We stopped at Snaygill to fill our fuel tank and then in Skipton to fill that water tank as well as use the disposal facilities. (Christine popped to a nearby shop for some bread but a supermarket was just a bit too far away) Sadly the ice cream tug was not open!

The late afternoon turned extremely wet - clouds had been gathering over the distant hills for a little while. Mooring proved a bit difficult as the banks, although looking very solid, were rather shallow. We eventually found a spot (not quite into the bank!) with a good view of the River Aire in the valley below us

Later, after we had had dinner, Christine took a look outside and noticed how much the river had risen in the past hour and was beginning to flood the fields below us.

Alice's Blog

After breakfast I went to Tesco with Grandad and bought some squash and milk. I helped Grandad with a swing bridge. After that I played on the ipad and with my little sister Jessica. I took  some photos.Then it rained it was wet! I had dinner and wrote my blog.

12.9 miles - 0 locks