TNC On Tour 2002 Page 17

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The Tuesday Night Club on Tour

Tour 2002

17 - Castleford to Shepley Bridge - Aire and Calder Navigation Wakefield Branch, Calder and Hebble Navigation.

Saturday 13th July 2002

This was a crew changeover day, which had been set for Wakefield, so we made a reasonably early start at 08.10. Lovely clear morning after the rainstorms of yesterday. We had wanted to meet up with John Stead, NB "Lord Of The Dance" in Fairies Hill Cut moorings, but it was a day out for John and some fellow moorers, they had gone up to Kings Road Lock to get a cheap tanker load of diesel, so we said that we would meet up as we passed.
It was straight across at the cross road junction above Castleford Flood Lock, continuing up the Wakefield Branch of the Aire and Calder Navigation. The first lock you come to is the bypassed Fairies Hill Lock. This is rather confusing as this lock looks in perfect working order, in fact it is, as here the old course of the navigation forms Fairies Hill Marina.
After having passed under the M1 and at 09.45, Kings Road Lock came into view and we spotted John Stead's narrowboat "Lord Of The Dance" in the line of moored boats below the lock. We stopped for an hour and had a chat with John and his fellow moorers from Fairies Hill Marina. John Chapman went away having decided to spend the next winter at Fairies Hill!
At Stanley Ferry we took the new aqueduct, built in the 1980's modernisation. We had decided to rendezvous with Linda and Roger Hare in Wakefield around lunch time. Eventually we homed in and the changeover was set as Wakefield Flood Lock. Linda arrived a few minutes after the boats and soon Peter Arlidge was snaffled up by John Chapman as extra Frogmoore crew. Actually this was to give the two young lads some company away from us us "Old Farts"! Neil soon was off to Wakefield Westgate Station to pick up the waiting Roger Hare. After a very quick lunch Linda departed with Trevor Burridge, to give him a partial lift back home, dropping him off at Hillingdon Station. At 13.00 we were off again with renewed vigour. The lads aboard Frogmoore certainly got stuck into the locks, wielding Earnest's rather oversize handspikes.
We carried on until 17.20 and stopped on the Marina controlled towpath visitor moorings just above Shepley Bridge Lock and Marina. The venue for that evening was the previously visited Ship Inn (a reasonable foody kind of establishment), just over the other side of the river by Shepley Bridge Lock.

Approaching Castleford Flood Lock. Aire and Calder Navigation.

Hargreaves dry dock at Castleford. Aire and Calder Navigation.

The sad sight of the laid up Hargreaves pusher tugs at Castleford. Aire and Calder Navigation.

Castleford Flood Lock. We go straight on up the Wakefield Branch of the Aire and Calder Navigation.

Moored barges before Barnsdale Road Bridge. Aire and Calder Navigation Wakefield Branch.

Railway Bridges before Fairies Hill. Aire and Calder Navigation Wakefield Branch.

Woodnook Lock. Aire and Calder Navigation Wakefield Branch.

Remains of old side cut lock to the River Calder, just before King's Road Lock. Aire and Calder Navigation Wakefield Branch.

King's Road Lock. John Stead and his mates are moored below. Aire and Calder Navigation Wakefield Branch.

King's Road Lock. John works the lock for us. Aire and Calder Navigation Wakefield Branch.

Birkwood Lock. Aire and Calder Navigation Wakefield Branch.

Leaving Birkwood Lock. Aire and Calder Navigation Wakefield Branch.

We have just passed through the Stanley Ferry Aqueduct. Aire and Calder Navigation Wakefield Branch.

Stanley Ferry. Aire and Calder Navigation Wakefield Branch.

The view above Stanley Ferry. Aire and Calder Navigation Wakefield Branch.

Looking back at Stanley Ferry. Aire and Calder Navigation Wakefield Branch.

Broadreach Lock. Aire and Calder Navigation Wakefield Branch.

Leaving Broadreach Lock. Aire and Calder Navigation Wakefield Branch.

Approaching Fall Ing Lock, the start of the Calder and Hebble Navigation. Aire and Calder Navigation Wakefield Branch.

Fall Ing Lock. Aire and Calder Navigation Wakefield Branch.

Fall Ing Lock. Calder and Hebble Navigation.

Leaving Fall Ing Lock. BW seems to of had a clear out of boats from above this lock. Calder and Hebble Navigation.

Approaching Wakefield Flood Lock. Calder and Hebble Navigation.

Wakefield Flood Lock. Calder and Hebble Navigation.

Leaving Wakefield Flood Lock, now on the River Calder. Calder and Hebble Navigation.

Wakefield, looking back on the River Calder, below the flood lock. Calder and Hebble Navigation.

River Calder, Wakefield. Calder and Hebble Navigation.

Looking back at the "99 Arches" railway bridge in Wakefield. Calder and Hebble Navigation.

We are just leaving Thornes Lock. Calder and Hebble Navigation.

Passing out of Thornes Flood Lock back out onto the River Calder. Calder and Hebble Navigation.

Looking back at Thornes Flood Lock. Calder and Hebble Navigation.

Broadcut Low Lock. Calder and Hebble Navigation.

Looking back at the M1 viaduct. Calder and Hebble Navigation.

Leaving Broad Cut Low Lock. Calder and Hebble Navigation.

Moorings for the popular "Navigation" pub. Broad Cut. Calder and Hebble Navigation.

Broad Cut Top Lock. Calder and Hebble Navigation.

Looking back from Broad Cut Top Lock. Calder and Hebble Navigation.

Looking back at Broad Cut Lock. Calder and Hebble Navigation.

Horbury Cut. Calder and Hebble Navigation.

The Bingley Arms pub at Horbury Bridge. Horbury Cut. Calder and Hebble Navigation.

Figure Of Three Locks. Calder and Hebble Navigation.

Bridge 29. Calder and Hebble Navigation.

Mill Bank Lock. Calder and Hebble Navigation.

Looking back at Mill Bank Lock. Calder and Hebble Navigation.

Thornhill Double Locks, Dewsbury Arm to right. Calder and Hebble Navigation.

Thornhill Double Locks. Calder and Hebble Navigation.

Site of old power station at Thornhill. Calder and Hebble Navigation.

Thornhill. Calder and Hebble Navigation.

We have just passed out of Thornhill Flood Lock back onto the River Calder. Calder and Hebble Navigation.

Greenwood Lock. Calder and Hebble Navigation.

Calder and Hebble Navigation.

Passing out of Greenwood Flood Gates onto the River Calder. Calder and Hebble Navigation.

Looking back at Greenwood Flood Gates from the River Calder. Calder and Hebble Navigation.

Shepley Bridge Lock. Calder and Hebble Navigation.

Shepley Bridge Lock. Shepley Bridge Marina above. Calder and Hebble Navigation.

The Tour Continues...

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