Services around Manchester (rubbish, elsan etc)

[jennywren]

I'm currently at the top of the Peak Forest canal near Portland basin, plans to head into the city centre up the Ashton canal at the weekend and then hang round there for a bit before heading up towards Rochdale. I know there's an elsan disposal and water point at Fairfield junction (hopefully still there? I know the elsan is because I walked up there but whilst I had a scout round for the water point, I think it's above the lock? and that's the one place I didn't look) and facilities at New Islington marina (but can you use them if you're not moored there?) but are there any others?

In particular is there anywhere to get rid of rubbish? CRT map showed a rubbish disposal point between lock 2 and 3 on the Ashton, but again, I had a scout round whilst I was in town the other day and didn't see any sign. Got rid of what I could when I stopped at Marple, but two weeks and a bit of a spring clear out and it would be nice to be able to get rid of my mounting pile of rubbish.

Any useful local knowledge would be much appreciated.

[pearley]

Water point in large black cabinet on offside above lock and Elson inside decrepit brick building. Distinct shortages of rings to tie to.

Water, Elsan, Rubbish and Pumpout at New Islington available for all boaters. 

No water or other services on the Rochdale now until Littleborough.

Don't know how up to date your guide book is  but water gone at Slattocks, Summit and Walden but full services at Todmorden.

If you want to dispose of rubbish then you can stop between locks 2 & 3 on the Ashton and walk across to New Islington, its only a short distance. Plenty of bins around Piccadilly above the Rochdale 9 top lock.

Edited May 11, 2017 by pearley

[ditchcrawler]

Don't they just put the rubbish in the canal in that area? 

[jennywren]

20 hours ago, pearley said:

Water point in large black cabinet on offside above lock and Elson inside decrepit brick building. Distinct shortages of rings to tie to.

Water, Elsan, Rubbish and Pumpout at New Islington available for all boaters. 

No water or other services on the Rochdale now until Littleborough.

Don't know how up to date your guide book is  but water gone at Slattocks, Summit and Walden but full services at Todmorden.

If you want to dispose of rubbish then you can stop between locks 2 & 3 on the Ashton and walk across to New Islington, its only a short distance. Plenty of bins around Piccadilly above the Rochdale 9 top lock.

Ah, probably why I didn't see the water point at Fairfield if it's in a cabinet-I'd have been looking for a usual stand pipe type thing. Good to know, thanks. Rings not so important, I've press ganged some crew who will meet me at Ashton locks, so if I can't tie up to fill up I can wait for them and someone can hold the boat if needed. Guess rubbish I'll load my trolley up when I get near New Islington then.

Don't have a guide book, use the CRT maps-which despite being online are still always out of date-but I did know there were no more up the Rochdale until Littleborough. Kind of got to hang round the area (need job to save money to get boat fixed or it's not getting me the 200-odd mile journey back down south where I need to be in a few months) but proving tricksy trying to plan round lack of services, although not surprising since it's not exactly a busy bit of canal. Luckily mostly everywhere up the Rochdale is commutable into the city centre so manageable as long as you can figure out where they are in the first place.

[silverlode]

I'm stuck on the first bit of the Ashton canal with an empty water tank, so I'm going to have a scout around the Islington area. Can the marina be accessed from both branches of the canal? Also I heard the marina had been closed, anyone know if that's true? If so, I wonder whether the water point is still accessible.... 

[Jamboat]

As far as I'm aware New Islington doesn't close until August so services should be available but you can't access it from the Ashton, well not by boat anyway. The next water afaik is Stretford Marina. 

[silverlode]

2 hours ago, Jamboat said:

As far as I'm aware New Islington doesn't close until August so services should be available but you can't access it from the Ashton, well not by boat anyway. The next water afaik is Stretford Marina. 

Thank you! I popped round to New Islington, it's only a couple of locks up. Such a shame it's closing; I was hoping to moor there. Don't suppose you know why? 

[Jamboat]

I'm hopeless at copying & posting links on my iPad but Dean, a member on here & who moors at New Islington started a thread a couple of weeks ago re the closure, evidently closing for 12 months to drain & do some works, the moorers have been given notice

If you do a search for New Islington Marina you should be able to find the thread. 

[frahkn]

On 5/11/2017 at 17:26, pearley said:

Water point in large black cabinet on offside above lock and Elson inside decrepit brick building. Distinct shortages of rings to tie to.

Water, Elsan, Rubbish and Pumpout at New Islington available for all boaters. 

No water or other services on the Rochdale now until Littleborough.

Don't know how up to date your guide book is  but water gone at Slattocks, Summit and Walden but full services at Todmorden.

If you want to dispose of rubbish then you can stop between locks 2 & 3 on the Ashton and walk across to New Islington, its only a short distance. Plenty of bins around Piccadilly above the Rochdale 9 top lock.

It's probably only me but I found it difficult to open the water cabinet and in the end, had to use a spare watermate key (one never used since it was cut). It opened the water but not the elsan, my usual key did the reverse! Otherwise I enjoyed the Ashton flight.