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.
 

Updates - March 2013

 
All Richlow Titles
 
Contacts Pages.  CRT Telephone Numbers

With immediate effect the telephone number for all CRT regional offices will be 03030 404040, only.  A central hub will redirect calls to the required region.  Calls to the previous numbers will result in having to redial.  Signs along the waterways will gradually be changed.
 
Direct telephone numbers for lock-keepers, to ascertain tide times etc, will remain in use.
 
 
South Yorkshire Waterways
 
Map 12.  Long-term Towpath Closure, Rotherham
 
From 15 April 2013 to 23 December 2013  -  the towpath will be closed for land-based visitors between Centenary Way Bridge (Rotherham) and Halfpenny Bridge (at the foot of the Tinsley lock flight, Sheffield)
 
The lock-landings at Ickles Lock, Holmes Lock, Jordans Lock, and Tinsley no.11 Lock will still be open for boaters to use.
 
The closure is to carry out major towpath improvements by Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council, to create a cycle route between the town and Sheffield.  A 2.5 metre-wide path, with a waterproof hard surface, will be installed.  Signposts will be installed along the route, and in adjacent areas, to spread awareness of the waterway.
 

  


This the first phase of a project which will eventually lead to more towpath improvements at both ends of this first section. 
 



South Pennine Ring  -  Part 1
  
Page 6.  Summit Pound of the Rochdale Canal
  
First paragraph.  Delete the requirement to book passage of the summit pound of the Rochdale Canal (although CRT do ask that boaters check with them about water supplies after a dry period of weather (oh, if only!!)
 
Page 7.  Summit Passage of the Rochdale Canal.
Page 20.  Summit Navigation Notes
 
From 2013 there is no need to pre-book passage over the summit, between Locks 36 and 37.  Please note, there is strictly NO MOORING between Locks 38 and 44.
 

South Pennine Ring  -  Part 2
 
Page 7.  Standedge Tunnel
 
Final paragraph.  Addition  -  CRT do not allow petrol-powered, or fibreglass, boats to pass through the tunnel.
 
Page 7.  Bookings for the South Pennine Ring
 
Second paragraph.  Delete  -  the summit pound of the Rochdale Canal.
Amend  -  to Manchester 17 Locks.
 
Page 10. Cycling
 
CRT has recently allowed cycling along all of their towpaths unless there are specific "no cycling" signs.  As a result cycling is now allowed on the towpath of the Huddersfield Narrow Canal, however some sections are narrow and there are a lot of low bridges and blind spots.
 
If cycling the South Pennine Ring, we do not recommend using the river bank between Cooper Bridge and Kirklees Locks on the Calder & Hebble Navigation.  It is too uneven, narrow and dangerous.
 
Please be aware, pedestrians have priority on towpaths.
 
Page 20.  Standedge Tunnel
 
Add  -  as above for final paragraph of page 7.
 

Updates - January 2013

 
North Yorkshire Waterways
Page 50.  River Foss.  Castle Mills Lock
The email for IWA North Yorkshire, to arrange operation of the lock, has been changed to
castle.mills@waterways.org.uk   See Map 15.
 
 
South Pennine Ring - Part 1 of 2
Page 7 and Map 4.  Rochdale Canal.  Add - there is strictly no mooring between locks 38 and 44. (In a CRT email dated 5 December 2012).
 
 
Lincolnshire Waterways
Page 53.  Bardney Boat Club.  New entry - contact details bardneyboatclub@hotmail.co.uk
Location, on Maps 4 and 5.
 
 
 

Updates - July 2012

 
South Pennine Ring - Part 1
 

New Manchester moorings on the Rochdale Canal

 

Map 8.  Islington Marina at Ancoats is now open for business. A side arm has been constructed off the Rochdale Canal opposite Redhill Street between locks 81 and 82.

The new Marina presently offers visitor moorings free of charge for up to two weeks and is ideally located for exploring the City Centre. It is equipped with a deluxe sanitary station complete with showers, washing machines and pump out equipment. Long term moorings can be arranged by phoning 0161 839 2999.

Looking back to the Rochdale Canal which runs left to right in front of the former warehouses. The new sanitary station is on the left and visitor moorings on the right.

Eventually new development will surround the waterspace.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
Looking across to the long-term moorings, the waterspace is very attractively laid out.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Since reopening of the Rochdale Canal, passage of the long flight of nineteen locks above Piccadilly has been supervised and boaters have to book to pass through locks 65 – 83 which have been kept locked as an anti-vandalism measure. As the new marina lies above lock 82, Brownsfield Lock 83 and Ancoats Lane Lock 82 are no longer locked so the marina can be reached at any time from Ducie Street Junction.

"Manchester" and "Rochdale" Locks
Map 8. For boaters booking the passage British Waterways formerly named locks 65-83 the “Manchester 19 Locks” - amusingly they have re-branded locks 65-81 the “Rochdale 18 Locks”, even though there are only seventeen of them!

Updates - May 2012 (3rd)

 
South Pennine Ring - Part 1
 
Page 6. Bookings and Operating Hours - Rochdale Canal
 
All bookings (Tuel Lane Lock, Summit Passage, Manchester Locks) are taken via the C&RT Manchester & Pennine Waterway office, see p41.
   
Page 7.  Tuel Lane Lock Operating Hours  -  Summer 2012
 
The lock is always operated by a lock-keeper.  Duty hours are Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday 8.30am until 5.00pm.  No booking required, just turn up.
On Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday there is no lock-keeper on duty.  Passage on these days is possible between 8.30am and 3.00pm but must be booked giving 48hrs notice.  Contact details as above, on p41.