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Index

Tour 2003

Index

16 - Salwick to Glasson Dock. Lancaster Canal and Lancaster Canal Glasson Dock Branch.

Friday 5th July 2003

Neil decided to miss the hoards at Bridge 26 (rather busy this Lanky Canal) and leave a bit smartish, so shoved off on his own at 08:00. We past Bilsborrow at 10:15. Dull sort of day, hardly any sun, with a black cloud hovering behind us, but no rain.
Peter Wright did a classic TNC departure - jumped off at bridge hole in Garstang, with out us stopping. Not far after we eventually found the Sanitary Station and water point. We tried out our new "smart" key fob for the Sanitary Station - common only to Lanky - a small black pod to wipe over pad near door, which throws a solenoid bolt. Water Point still BW keyed post. Water fill up from 11:55 to 12:20.
At the junction with the Glasson Branch (14:50) we decided to go down as the original paddle gear on the locks (scissor paddles on gates and wooden stock racks on ground paddles, all equipped with large windlii) looked fun and would relieve the boredom setting in from Lanky Stone Bridge Spotting.
There was only two of us left, Neil and Martin C. Martin steered and Neil got a bit of exercise. We arrived in the large Glasson Basin at 17:15 and did tour round past the yacht moorings. We moored up by mistake on long term moorings by the "Victoria", but the mooring looked vacant, so we took our chances for an overnight stop. Neil did some centre rope splicing, combining the about to fail one in use, with the failed one from last year.
Linda decided to have a flexi day the next Monday, so was coming up tomorrow morning for a couple of days trip up to Tewitfield. She was going to try out her new Brompton foldy cycle to pick up car on Monday evening.
Impressions of Lanky so far........... Tons of GRP cruisers, not many narrowboats, it seems the last resting place for narrow beam Freeman's. All the cruiser have to overtake narrowboats and seem to go around at about 6MPH. Canal seems to get prettier the further you go up.
Lanky stone bridge spotting has become Martin Clark's favourite hobby. He was trying for a picture of all of them and is thinking of a new website :
http://www.lankybridges.com 
The pub (Victoria) was a bit full when we arrived at 08:00, so Neil grabbed only available table. We both ordered pies and were somewhat startled when they arrived in under 5 mins! probably a "ping" job, but OK never the less. We came to the conclusion that this was somebody else's order. The beer sampled was from local Dent Brewery. We left the pub early and had a wander around, including vantage point above village, where you can see the Lune estuary and onwards to the Vickers sheds in Barrow and back to Blackpool Tower. Lovely clear evening, so superb views

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M55 Motorway Bridge. Lancaster Canal.

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Roots Bridge No 30. Lancaster Canal.

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Marina at Swillbrook. Lancaster Canal.

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Pendle Marina at Swillbrook. Lancaster Canal.

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Pendle Marina and Swillbrook Bridge No 32. Lancaster Canal.

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Being burned off by one of the locals at Woodplumpton Aqueduct No 33. Lancaster Canal.

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Whinnyfield Bridge No 34. Lancaster Canal.

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Bell Fold Bridge No 35. Lancaster Canal.

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Moon's Bridge No 36 and Moon's Bridge Marina. Lancaster Canal.

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Hollowforth Swing Bridge No 37. Lancaster Canal.

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Hankinson Bridge No 40. Lancaster Canal.

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White Horse Bridge No 42. Lancaster Canal.

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Coming into Billsborrow. Roebuck Bridge No 44. Lancaster Canal.

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Old Nell's tavern and Guy's thatched hamlet "thingy".........are we getting too close to Blackpool? Billsborrow. Lancaster Canal.

http://www.guysthatchedhamlet.co.uk/

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Bilsborrow visitor moorings - The White Bull and Roebuck pubs. Lancaster Canal.

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Bilsborrow visitor moorings and sanitary station. Lancaster Canal.

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Winding point before Myerscough Hall Bridge No 45. Lancaster Canal.

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Myerscough Hall Bridge No 45. Lancaster Canal.

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Ibbettson's Bridge No 48. Lancaster Canal.

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 Lancaster Canal.

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Looking back at Calder Aqueduct No 52. Lancaster Canal.

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Looking back at Catterall Basin and Catterall Bridge No 53. Lancaster Canal.

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Ray Lane Bridge No 54. Lancaster Canal.

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Dimples Bridge No 58. Lancaster Canal. Lancaster Canal.

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Bonds - outskirts of Garstang. Lancaster Canal.

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Wyre Aqueduct No 61. Lancaster Canal.

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Th' Old Tithebarn pub beside the basin. Kepple Lane Bridge No 62 beyond. Garstang. Lancaster Canal.

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Kepple Lane Bridge No 62. Garstang. Lancaster Canal.

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Moss Lane Bridge No 63. Garstang sanitary station. We got to try out our new security key fob. Garstang. Lancaster Canal.

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Fylde Water Board Water Main Bridge No 63 A, Cathouse By-pass Bridge No 63 B and Cathouse Bridge No 64. Garstang. Lancaster Canal.

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Cathouse By-pass Bridge No 63 B and Cathouse Bridge No 64. Garstang. Lancaster Canal.

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Bridge House Marina, just up from Bridge No 64. Garstang. Lancaster Canal.

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Private marina just above Bridge House Marina. Rest home for immaculate Freeman cruisers.  Lancaster Canal.

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Bell's Bridge No 68. Lancaster Canal.

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Snape Wood Bridge No 69. Lancaster Canal.

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Permanent caravan site near Davis Bridge No 70. Lancaster Canal.

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Davis Bridge No 70. Lancaster Canal.

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Winmarleigh Bridge No 71. Lancaster Canal.

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Kiln Tree Bridge No 72. Lancaster Canal.

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Hornby Farm. Lancaster Canal.

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Corless Bridge No 76. Lancaster Canal.

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 Lancaster Canal.

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Bridge No 78. Lancaster Canal.

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Ethel Grange Bridge No 84. Lancaster Canal.

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Double Bridge No 85. Lancaster Canal.

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We pass "Anna" the miniature Leeds and Liverpool Short Boat as we arrive at the Glasson Branch Junction. Bridge No 1 Junction Bridge to the left. Galgate. Lancaster Canal.

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No 1 Junction Bridge and First Lock. Lancaster Canal.

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Original wooden shafted paddle gear. Another point of note is NB Earnest's quick release anchor in a dustbin on the well deck.  Glasson Dock Branch. Lancaster Canal.

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Looking down from First Lock. Glasson Dock Branch. Lancaster Canal.

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No 1 Junction Bridge and First Lock. Glasson Dock Branch. Lancaster Canal.

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The original scissor cloughs on the bottom gates of First Lock. Glasson Dock Branch. Lancaster Canal.

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Leaving First Lock. Glasson Dock Branch. Lancaster Canal.

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Second Lock. Glasson Dock Branch. Lancaster Canal.

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Second Lock, looking back up. Glasson Dock Branch. Lancaster Canal.

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Leaving Second Lock. Glasson Dock Branch. Lancaster Canal.

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Looking back up at Second Lock. Glasson Dock Branch. Lancaster Canal.

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Third Lock. Glasson Dock Branch. Lancaster Canal.

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NB Earnest approaching Third Lock. Glasson Dock Branch. Lancaster Canal.

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Leaving Third Lock, we meet another Boat!!!.............the Glasson Dock Branch is shunned by the locals........all those complicated locks. Glasson Dock Branch. Lancaster Canal.

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Fourth Lock.  Glasson Dock Branch. Lancaster Canal.

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Approaching Sixth Lock, the last down to Glasson Basin. Thurnham Mill Tavern is just beside the lock. Glasson Dock Branch. Lancaster Canal.

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Sixth Lock and Thurnham Mill Tavern. We never visited this place, but it looked OK. Glasson Dock Branch. Lancaster Canal.

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Looking back up to Fifth Lock. Glasson Dock Branch. Lancaster Canal.

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Thurnham Mill Tavern. Glasson Dock Branch. Lancaster Canal.

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Thurnham Bridge No 6. Glasson Dock Branch. Lancaster Canal.

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Looking back up at Sixth Lock and the Thurnham Mill Tavern. Glasson Dock Branch. Lancaster Canal.

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The view through Brows Bridge No 8 into Glasson Basin. Glasson Dock Branch. Lancaster Canal.

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Looking back up at Brows Bridge No 8 and the majestic hills beyond. Glasson Dock Branch. Lancaster Canal.

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Glasson Church. Glasson Basin. Glasson Dock Branch. Lancaster Canal.

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The exit lock into the tidal basin. Glasson Basin. Glasson Dock Branch. Lancaster Canal.

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The far corner. Glasson Basin. Glasson Dock Branch. Lancaster Canal.

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Official visitor moorings are the naff ones to the left, at this time the towpath was closed to this point! We moored beyond on the unused Long Term Moorings, just beyond the old fishing boat. Glasson Basin. Glasson Dock Branch. Lancaster Canal.

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Glasson Basin Yacht Company. Glasson Basin. Glasson Dock Branch. Lancaster Canal.

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The Victoria Inn. Glasson Basin. Glasson Dock Branch. Lancaster Canal.

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The exit lock into the semi tidal basin. Glasson Basin. Glasson Dock Branch. Lancaster Canal.

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The exit lock into the semi tidal basin. Looking back up at  Glasson Basin. Glasson Dock Branch. Lancaster Canal.

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The semi tidal basin. Glasson Basin. Glasson Dock Branch. Lancaster Canal.

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River Lune estuary. Heysham Nuclear Power Station beyond.

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The mouth of the River Lune estuary. The dot on the horizon are the Vickers sheds at Barrow.

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Looking up the Lune estuary. Lancaster University tower at the base of the hills. 

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The excellent "Lock Keepers Rest" cafe. Also popular with bikers as well as narrowboaters............why they even do veggie stuff for Linda. Glasson Basin. Glasson Dock Branch. Lancaster Canal.

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The main road at Glasson Dock. 

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On the far bank of the Lune estuary is the hamlet of Sunderland, with only a tidal road reaching it.

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The outer semi tidal dock. Glasson Basin. Glasson Dock Branch. Lancaster Canal.

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The swing bridge over the lock approach. Glasson Basin. Glasson Dock Branch. Lancaster Canal.

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The Dalton Arms on the far side of the outer harbour. Glasson Basin. Glasson Dock Branch. Lancaster Canal.

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NB Earnest at rest. Glasson Basin. Glasson Dock Branch. Lancaster Canal.

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NB Earnest at rest. Glasson Basin. Glasson Dock Branch. Lancaster Canal.

The Tour Continues...


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