Blackburn and Clayton-le-Moors

We were promised a reasonable day apart from occasional showers - in fact it remained pleasant, largely sunny, all day.

Top Lock before leaving

We set off in good time - today's cruise has three parts: a long level pound to Blackburn locks, six in the flight and then another long pound - further than we could go today.

War Memorial and Clock in Wheelton

Cobbled Terrace Street

Dressers Arms

 But first, here are some photos from our walk last night to the Dressers Arms in Wheelton. There were several industrial style terraces with cobbled streets. So far we have not really found out much about the basis for these developments other than some slight references to mills and quarries. Certainly, the Dressers Arms appears to be a reference to stone dressing.

There are many bridges on the Leeds and Liverpool and most are of a consistent design - usually it is the more recent ones that give variety. The original bridges are just wide enough to take the wide beam boats for which the canal was designed. Today it is rare to see anything on the move that is that wide but of course this morning we had to encounter one - a maintenance dredger - at a bridge hole!

The canal was again generally very scenic and the blue skies enhance the view!

Nearly an hour after setting off we made our first encounter with the M65 - we will do so several times again today and tomorrow as both the canal and the road use similar routes through the Calder Valley and the edge of the Pennines.

At Riley's Green, the house beside the bridge has a special view along the canal - not sure if this was originally part of the canal operation, although it is adjacent to a former wharf.

As we approach Blackburn, the canal level is well above much of the town, crossing at one point on a substantial embankment. Blackburn Rovers stadium can be seen to one side.

Blackburn Rovers

Blackburn Locks

We worked ourselves up the first two locks on our own but another boat which had left the Top Lock earlier than we did this morning spotted our arrival and waited for us to join them for the remaining four locks in the flight. Just as we reached the top a boat was waiting to come down: nbAshdown, one of the blogs on our regular reading list. Alas we missed taking a photo!

After the next bridge we tied up on the mooring rings as an Asda store is nearby - Christine also visited last year. She and Andrew went shopping whilst Mike minded the boat. They returned with, amongst other items, urgent replenishment of our coffee stocks as well as fresh baguettes for lunch. The latter were soon pressed into action along with bacon and brie!

After lunch we had a level cruise through the rest of Blackburn and then in and out rural and built up areas. All in all, the L and L is a good cruise and has lost almost all of the tattiness which was once its hallmark. In general it also feels quite safe.

A number of impressive information boards describing the canal towpath walk have been installed and so far they seem to have avoided the dreaded graffiti.

Eanam Wharf

Eanam Wharf seems largely to have turned its back on the canal. Although we could that most of it was in active use, there was little access from the waterside - although it has recently had a canal festival.



Daisyfield Mill

Last year (http://takefiveboat.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/blackburn-and-rain.html) we bemoaned the state of Imperial Mill (a little further on) which still stands derelict but it was good to see that at least this one, Daisyfield Mill, has been put to a new use as studios for Granada Television News.

Although sponsoring canal-side art is sometimes a controversial subject, there are many cases where the environment has been improved by its installation. This one unfortunately passed by too quickly for us to take in all the detail, but this one a little later is much clearer.

The hills started to make their occasional presence felt on the sky line.

Rail lines sometimes join the canal and the road to provide transport links between the many small industrial towns in this area.

A group of shire horses and their foals gathered in a field alongside the canal.

and the ducks . . .

Scenic views became more frequent and when, just after five o'clock, we spotted some mooring bollards in an isolated spot with an unimpaired view, about as far from the motorway as we could expect, we pulled in - albeit a little earlier than expected.

View from overnight mooring

18.2 miles - 6 locks