Updates - March 2014

 
South Pennine Ring - General
 
Over recent years CRT have been reducing the amount of pre-booking required on the South Pennine Ring.  There are now only two places that need booking for the 2014 season  -  Tuel Lane Lock on the Rochdale Canal, and Standedge Tunnel on the Huddersfield Narrow Canal.

South Pennine Ring  -  Part 1
 
Map 1.  Tuel Lane Lock.  The 2014 hours and booking requirements are as previous years.
 
Pages 30, 32, and maps 7, 8.  The previous requirement to book accompanied passages of the locks in Manchester, and over the Summit, no longer applies.  We are not aware of the locks being padlocked at night, but this may change if circumstances warrant it in the future.
 
Map 4, and p40.  Please note the Bird I'th Hand pub at Warland has closed.
 
South Pennine Ring  -  Part 2
 
Pages 18, 24.  Maps 12, 14.  Bookings for Standedge Tunnel remain as in previous years.  However, there are no longer any restrictions on the Diggle and Marsden flights of locks.
 
Page 21.  CRT Instructions are -
Heading eastwards from Diggle to Marsden.  Boats are asked to be at the Diggle portal for 11.30am on the day of passage.  Once through the tunnel, boats are welcome to moor above Lock 42E for a maximum of 24hrs.  Further mooring space is available below Lock 32E which is between Marsden and Slaithwaite villages.
 
Heading westwards from Marsden to Diggle.  Boats are asked to moor above Lock 42E on the day before passage of the tunnel and not to proceed past the railway bridge until after 4pm.  This is to avoid the trip-boat which will be operating from the Visitor Centre into the tunnel until 4pm.  After 4pm boats can moor at the tunnel entrance ready for their passage the following day.  Passage preparations will start at 8am.
Note that the flight of locks 32E to 42E is no longer manned.
 
Page 32, map 17.  Huddersfield Broad Canal.  Number plates have been affixed to the bridges of this waterway.
 
North Yorkshire Waterways
 
Page 20, map 5.  Boaters' Facilities in York.  There is currently no elsan disposal on the 48hr visitor moorings near Lendal Bridge.  The public toilets in Museum Gardens, which used to house the boaters' facilities, have been demolished.  Planning permission for the new Starr Inn on the site was dependent on these facilities being fully replaced  -  they have not been.  Discussions continue!
 
The good news is that the water-point has been relocated nearer the river.
 
We are grateful to Mike Cadoux, Chair, IWA North Riding for this information.
 
Chesterfield Canal
 
Page 36.  Supplies.  Insert  -  Fennessy Fuels (Retford0 and Grimes Coal Merchants (Newark) will deliver coal and gas to boats.
 
Page 41.  Contacts.  Insert  -  Smokeless fuels, bottled gas.  Free delivery.  Fennessey Fuels, Bolham Lane, Retford DN22 6SU  01777 702428.
G&R Grimes, Willow Farm, Darlton, Newark NG22 0TF  01777 228273.