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Can I have some advice about Manchester


frahkn

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I am planning a trip (a couple of months or so) for later this year and need some advice.

 

Part of the route will be from Marple Junction to Castlefield basin; a section of canal that I have never used before.

 

We are not young and I have a slight disability - we deal with this by taking our time and doing short days normally. I take the usual precautions but am not overly concerned about stories of 'bandit territory'.

 

Given the above, can anyone discuss potential problems, possible mooring sites (for a 70' narrowboat), decent pubs or indeed anything which I might find useful on this part of the trip.

 

Thanks very much.

 

Frank.

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The Ashton locks are not hard and most have hydraulic paddle gear for which a Handcuff key (Anti Vandal) key is required, these are readily available at most chandlers in the region. The Rochdale nine are quite heavy to work and a certain amount of agility is required on some of them.

 

I would definetly recommend you stop at Piccadilly village over night and tackle the nine when fresh.

 

An early ish start from Portland Basin at Ashton will see you down the eighteen locks in a fairly short day. Last time we went down we set off from Ashton at nine o clock and myself and other half with a little help from our 7 and 9 year old children were at Piccadilly for lunch (about four hours) and Castlefield for beer at four o clock.It is handy and a lot less work if you meet somebody to share the wide locks with.

 

The northern quarter pubs near Piccadilly offer a wide range of local real beer lots of them in the GBG. Castlefield has a few good bars, The Knott under the Railway arches at the top of Castlefield Basin being my favourite, you can walk back up from Lock 92 and get off the towpath right opposite it.

 

When you are coming down message me, as I live in the area and if I am free I will give you a hand with the locks.

  • Greenie 1
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The Rochdale 9 are going to be hard. Some lock approaches you can only do via the towpath as you cannot get the boat into the bank, others you have get off at the bow of the boat as there is no towpath, just a 10 foot pontoon by the lock. One lock has chain driven gates using a windlass, very interesting. When we went through (two 60 years young but agile) we needed help with two gates as we could not move them on our own, the water was high though, going over the gate tops at the top of the lock faster than out of the paddles on the bottom gates making a level difficult. getting someone to help may be a good idea I would next time.

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The Rochdale 9 are going to be hard. Some lock approaches you can only do via the towpath as you cannot get the boat into the bank, others you have get off at the bow of the boat as there is no towpath, just a 10 foot pontoon by the lock. One lock has chain driven gates using a windlass, very interesting. When we went through (two 60 years young but agile) we needed help with two gates as we could not move them on our own, the water was high though, going over the gate tops at the top of the lock faster than out of the paddles on the bottom gates making a level difficult. getting someone to help may be a good idea I would next time.

 

Although I didn't really like the Rochdale 9, I didn't really find them particularly difficult when I went down them last in 2015 (one 70 years old but careful). As there appear to be no bywashes, at least on some, of course the water comes over the gates, so I tried what someone had told me - open the top paddles until the water stops, then try again. And it worked. No more difficult than the rest of the Rochdale and C&H after that.

  • Greenie 1
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On the Ashton all paddles have handcuff locks so two keys are ideal to make reasonable progress. The Ashton is fairly pleasant these days. All the heavy industry was replaced by dereliction which has now been replaced by new build.

 

No one has mentioned the Marple Filght. The locks are delightful but the lock gates are challenging and some of the paddles rather heavy. The upper peak forest is quite shallow so the only way to move is slowly.

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Frank,

 

I should be around then, my boat is on the upper Peak and I would recommend that if you have time head up there and have a wander around Bugsworth it's well worth a visit. I have beed boating around the area for forty years, since the Ashton and Peak reopened and know the locks well so give me a call nearer the time and I'll ber happy to give you a ahand

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Frank,

 

Marple to Castlefields Basin is a very varied and interesting voyage ,enjoy your trip.If you need a break after the Marple locks ,I've always found Romily a good spot with the Duke of York a decent pub http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/60154/

 

Duckinfield Junction is a popular overnight stop but I've never been overly impressed by Ashton Under Lyne on the pub front.If you have got the energy to tackle the first 3 locks on the Huddersfield Narrow you could then visit the classic Stalybridge Station Buffet Bar,a true gem.http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/54880/

 

I've never found much between Duckinfield Junction and Piccadilly Village, but in The Village there is a very secure mooring and several great pubs in The Northern Quarter.If you appreciate Victorian pubs and outstanding real ale,a walk from there to the Marble Arch is well worth the effort. http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/26061/

 

I have always found the Rochdale 9 hard work,yet quite unique.Best done when you are fresh.

 

Agree with the previous posters that when in Castlefields a trip to either The Wharf or The Knott Bar (or both !) is worth doing.

http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/77988/

http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/54247/

 

Hope this helps.

Edited by Quaffer
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If Captain Birdseye can't make it on the day, the local superannuated lock wheelers will turn out , Marple and/ or Rochdale and Ashton send me a message. They do it for a pot of tea at half time.

Quaffer- It's DUKINFIELD , named after a bloke , nothing to do with a Quacking bird on a grassy place

 

Bill

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If Captain Birdseye can't make it on the day, the local superannuated lock wheelers will turn out , Marple and/ or Rochdale and Ashton send me a message. They do it for a pot of tea at half time.

Quaffer- It's DUKINFIELD , named after a bloke , nothing to do with a Quacking bird on a grassy place

 

Bill

My apologies to anyone in the area offended ,I was just getting over excited thinking about the great pubs on that routecheers.gif

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Frank,

 

I should be around then, my boat is on the upper Peak and I would recommend that if you have time head up there and have a wander around Bugsworth it's well worth a visit. I have beed boating around the area for forty years, since the Ashton and Peak reopened and know the locks well so give me a call nearer the time and I'll ber happy to give you a ahand

 

Thanks again, we have been to Bugsworth some years ago (in fact we were moored for a year at New Mills in a previous boat)

and intend to make it part of this year's trip as well. Similarly, we have moored overnight at Castlefield - just never done the bit in between the two.

 

Frank.

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If Captain Birdseye can't make it on the day, the local superannuated lock wheelers will turn out , Marple and/ or Rochdale and Ashton send me a message. They do it for a pot of tea at half time.

Quaffer- It's DUKINFIELD , named after a bloke , nothing to do with a Quacking bird on a grassy place

 

Bill

 

Thank you very much Bill, we can certainly manage tea or something stronger at half time.

 

I doubt your lock wheelers are more superannuated than me!

 

Frank.

 

Quaffer,

 

Thanks, this is just the sort of info which I wanted.

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If you need to moor at the bottom of the Ashton flight in Piccadilly you are too long to get to my favourite spot which is Telford Basin but there are rings on the right (coming down) just after the aqueduct which are not a bad spot .

 

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@53.4798959,-2.2285779,57m/data=!3m1!1e3

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If you need to moor at the bottom of the Ashton flight in Piccadilly you are too long to get to my favourite spot which is Telford Basin but there are rings on the right (coming down) just after the aqueduct which are not a bad spot .

 

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@53.4798959,-2.2285779,57m/data=!3m1!1e3

 

Thanks for that NickF, I mentioned the boat's length in case there were issues like this.

 

A stupid question and I am sure it is clearer on the ground but from the Google photo I cannot see where the canal continues next!

 

Frank.

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The canal continues underneath a building where it says "The Green" on the map. When you emerge from under the building you are on the Rochdale. I would strongly suggest you don't moor between there and Castlefield Basin or maybe two locks short of Castlefield at a push.

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The canal continues underneath a building where it says "The Green" on the map. When you emerge from under the building you are on the Rochdale. I would strongly suggest you don't moor between there and Castlefield Basin or maybe two locks short of Castlefield at a push.

 

Thanks - I can see it now that you have told me where to look!

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  • 2 months later...
  • 1 month later...

Just to report back.

Did the Marple flight in the rain so couldn't properly enjoy them but, apart from being "heavy", there was no problem.

The Ashton flight were fine, a nice run all in all, moored on the rings just past the aqueduct as advised and had no difficulty.

We had a volunteer to help us down the Rochdale nine, he met us at the top lock and was a godsend - absolutely brilliant guy - I wonder how we would have managed, as first timers, without him. The locks were truly awful, water over the top gates on some, dry pounds on others and the company varied from drug dealers and their clients to a profoundly surreal (in the circumstances) crocodile of about 60 Chinese folk on a guided tour. They happily stood in the broken glass and used needles and took photos of the boat.

Maybe the experience will mellow with time but as of now, I would not do it again.

Frank.

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I must say, while there is the odd stiff paddle or gate, and some of the lock access is from staging which is not full length, I have generally always found boating through Manchester perfectly pleasant and by and large one of the nicer urban canal sections. Certainly on a pair with Birmingham at worst.

As said, a number of the locks have lost their bywash meaning the water will come over the gates unless you draw a bit off. Not an issue if 60ft or below or really if climbing, but if decending with a full boat I guess you just open the lower paddles till the water is below the top of the top gate before you close it.

 

Daniel

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58 minutes ago, frahkn said:

Just to report back.

Did the Marple flight in the rain so couldn't properly enjoy them but, apart from being "heavy", there was no problem.

The Ashton flight were fine, a nice run all in all, moored on the rings just past the aqueduct as advised and had no difficulty.

We had a volunteer to help us down the Rochdale nine, he met us at the top lock and was a godsend - absolutely brilliant guy - I wonder how we would have managed, as first timers, without him. The locks were truly awful, water over the top gates on some, dry pounds on others and the company varied from drug dealers and their clients to a profoundly surreal (in the circumstances) crocodile of about 60 Chinese folk on a guided tour. They happily stood in the broken glass and used needles and took photos of the boat.

Maybe the experience will mellow with time but as of now, I would not do it again.

Frank.

I've just come through Manchester and agree the Ashton flight was pretty okay (though I was glad I had help and wasn't single handing). Moored on the towpath just past Store Street aqueduct for quite a while and didn't have any problems whatsoever. I was considering going down the Rochdale 9 to Castlefield for a few days and the grimness of it put me right off. I thought it seemed pretty okay once you get a bit past Oxford road, but before there it was pretty horrible. The locks under the buildings are especially not nice, and particularly didn't fancy doing it by myself.

Was it a CRT volunteer who helped you?

I tried to get help from them recently when I was in Manchester, as did the couple on another boat who ended up moored behind me (although up the Rochdale towards Failsworth rather than down) and neither of us had any luck. The couple on the other boat told me they had given them two weeks notice, and the person on the phone had said they were sure they wouldn't have any problems since they'd given them plenty of notice-but they then heard nothing. I had the same experience-I gave them several days I could do it and a good four days notice and never heard anything back, though I know I've seen volunteers helping other boats up the flight. Worked out alright, as we went up together-thank goodness, I got significant stuff round my prop several times, including a piece of wire at one point, and got grounded really badly once because the wind blew me into the shallow side (it took the efforts of several people to get me off) and I don't think I'd have managed without help.

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1 hour ago, DHutch said:

I must say, while there is the odd stiff paddle or gate, and some of the lock access is from staging which is not full length, I have generally always found boating through Manchester perfectly pleasant and by and large one of the nicer urban canal sections. Certainly on a pair with Birmingham at worst.

As said, a number of the locks have lost their bywash meaning the water will come over the gates unless you draw a bit off. Not an issue if 60ft or below or really if climbing, but if decending with a full boat I guess you just open the lower paddles till the water is below the top of the top gate before you close it.

 

Daniel

I don't think they ever had bywashes, excess water being led through a spillway, or airhole, behind the lower gate and into the paddle culvert. All the locks on the Yorkshire side had this system, and conventional bywahes were only fitted to the locks from around Littleborough, which were the last to be built. The Manchester locks were built earlier as a link to the Ashton, so had the integrated bywashes, which rely upon the correct height of head and tail gate to operate properly. The head gates need to be slightly lower than the spillway, while the tail gates need to be slightly higher.

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2 minutes ago, Pluto said:

I don't think they ever had bywashes, excess water being led through a spillway, or airhole, behind the lower gate and into the paddle culvert. All the locks on the Yorkshire side had this system, and conventional bywahes were only fitted to the locks from around Littleborough, which were the last to be built. The Manchester locks were built earlier as a link to the Ashton, so had the integrated bywashes, which rely upon the correct height of head and tail gate to operate properly. The head gates need to be slightly lower than the spillway, while the tail gates need to be slightly higher.

Maybe your right, I have never really thought about it, and cant recall there being spillways behind the lower gates, but certainly I have seen such slipways before on other locks. I have seen water coming over the tail gates, but that could well poor gate height.

Daniel

 

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