Bridge 132 Leeds Liverpool Canal

[Peter Thornton]

Has anyone had problems around bridge 132, on the outskirts of Burnley?

We passed there a couple of weeks ago and saw something going on with some youths scuffling. On the way back a couple of days ago we came under rocket attack!

Luckily the youths concerned were too concerned with hiding from my camera to aim it properly.

Other than that we have had an uneventful trip through the “badlands” and would recommend the Leeds Liverpool to anyone wanting to venture North.

Edited October 6, 2017 by Peter Thornton

[Pluto]

You mean New Hall Bridge - I can never get used to the bridge numbering system. The area is now one of the poorest through which the canal passes, with a large Asian population, together with a white population, of which a few are extreme rightwing. Consequently, there can be problems in the area, though I have noted a rise in the number of Asian families using the towpath for taking a walk. There will occasionally be problems in the area, but it is unusual. I don't think we have had any problems when passing with Kennet. From a canal history view point, there used to be a dockyard on the Skipton side of the bridge, though you wouldn't know by looking at the site.

[Neil2]

Yes it's a pretty miserable section of the canal and the last time we came through that area some kids threw sweetcorn at us which was a bit odd.  I know I am biased but the Lancashire side of the L/L with Wigan, Blackburn, Burnley, Colne  can be a rather depressing experience compared to the Yorkshire side, where towns such as Barnoldswick, Skipton, Bingley & Shipley  seem to have made a better job of reinventing themselves     

[Aguila]

Barnoldswick? In Yorkshire?

Heaven forbid !!!

[Jim Riley]

6 minutes ago, Aguila said:

Barnoldswick? In Yorkshire?

Heaven forbid !!!

Exactly. They walk upright and speak fluent English. Their arms can reach the bottom of their pockets.

[Sanddancer]

Yes not one of the most picturesque of places but interesting in the history of canals and industry, spent 6 months in the area and not one sign of problems except from certain boaters who are more like a  pikey than anything else.

[jonathanA]

Had small stones thrown at us around there when we moved the boat to Burnley but that was 7 years ago...  no problems since, there are sometimes some interesting characters on the two path furtively passing herbal tobacco to each other but invariably a cheery hi or wave gets a friendly response. 

[Peter Thornton]

Went through Wigan today. There was a dodgy looking character on the towpath, looked like a drug dealer waiting for clients.

Saw a family walking group later, with him in the middle of it. Seems he had been waiting for them - just shows how easy it is to jump to conclusions when you get into this frame of mind!

our time on the Leeds Liverpool comes to an end tomorrow. It’s a lovely canal with great scenery and lots of interest. We’ll miss it all, except perhaps those big heavy locks .......

[Pluto]

19 hours ago, Aguila said:

Barnoldswick? In Yorkshire?

Heaven forbid !!!

Living there, I describe it as 'no man's land', as it was in Yorkshire until the 1970s alteration of county boundaries, but is now in Lancashire.

[larryjc]

13 hours ago, Peter Thornton said:

Went through Wigan today. There was a dodgy looking character on the towpath, looked like a drug dealer waiting for clients.

Saw a family walking group later, with him in the middle of it. Seems he had been waiting for them - just shows how easy it is to jump to conclusions when you get into this frame of mind!

our time on the Leeds Liverpool comes to an end tomorrow. It’s a lovely canal with great scenery and lots of interest. We’ll miss it all, except perhaps those big heavy locks .......

Did the whole thing this year including a fabulous trip into Liverpool.  However, we had some scrotes throw stones down on us from a disused railway brdige just outside Liverpool.  Reported to the police and I think they sorted it as all was Ok when we came out.  Have to say its not my favorite, a bit of a Curate's egg: Wigan to Liverpool - lovely.  Wigan Flight very hard work, Burnley was revolting in places and then there were the endless swing bridges but it was very pretty in places and very preaceful compared to others.

[Aguila]

4 hours ago, Pluto said:

Living there, I describe it as 'no man's land', as it was in Yorkshire until the 1970s alteration of county boundaries, but is now in Lancashire.

"no man's land" is a but unkind! 

I like the place but I wish they would sort the road out going down to Lower Park Marina.

Am still nursing a hangover gained in the Fountain Inn 3 nights ago ......

[Neil2]

On 10/7/2017 at 14:53, Aguila said:

Barnoldswick? In Yorkshire?

Heaven forbid !!!

If for some reason you wish to be defined by the administrative local government boundary set up in 1974, and I can't think of one single reason why you would, then fair enough.  But just because some civil servant reckons you live in Lancashire now doesn't alter the fact that the old traditional county boundaries still exist and Barnoldswick is definitely in Yorkshire.  

An example of why we should ignore modern administrative areas is Sedbergh, which is in the Yorkshire Dales National Park and the "county" of Cumbria.  But it is the historic county of Yorkshire. You just try telling Sedbergh folk they are now "Cumbrians"... 

[Jim Riley]

But who would admit to being a Yorkshireman? Short i'th arm, long i'th pocket, strong i'th arm, weak i'th yed.

[Pluto]

13 minutes ago, Neil2 said:

If for some reason you wish to be defined by the administrative local government boundary set up in 1974, and I can't think of one single reason why you would, then fair enough.  But just because some civil servant reckons you live in Lancashire now doesn't alter the fact that the old traditional county boundaries still exist and Barnoldswick is definitely in Yorkshire.  

An example of why we should ignore modern administrative areas is Sedbergh, which is in the Yorkshire Dales National Park and the "county" of Cumbria.  But it is the historic county of Yorkshire. You just try telling Sedbergh folk they are now "Cumbrians"... 

Yes, but really those from Cumbria, Lancashire and Yorkshire are really Northumbrians if you go back a bit further.

[Neil2]

2 minutes ago, Pluto said:

Yes, but really those from Cumbria, Lancashire and Yorkshire are really Northumbrians if you go back a bit further.

Haha - when I moved to Inverness in the 1990's I was told by a fanatical SNP supporter that being from Yorkshire made me essentially Scottish...