Leeds to Lemonroyd Marina

Mon 22nd Aug  Leeds to Woodlesford

We waited for some light rain to clear before we set off this morning. We turned right out of the dock towards Leeds Lock, and saw that the lock was full. All we needed to do was open the gate. While we were pulling in to the side we noticed a person appear and start to operate the lock. We assumed they would open the gate for us, but we then realised that they had started to empty the lock!  It was a lady from a boat that was below, waiting to come up. The lady said “I saw you there, but didn’t realise you wanted to use the lock.”  Oh, well. At least we were not in a hurry.

Leeds Lock

We paused below the lock to use the facilities, turning upstream into the flow to do so. The river was still flowing well.

Giant Hogweed

A little further on we came to Knostrop Flood Lock, where the river flows to the left and the navigation channel is in the middle. To the right is an arm off to a freight depot. From the Flood Lock downstream to Knostrop Fall Lock is about half a mile, with the river and the artificial channel running side by side, the river reaching a weir, and the channel reaching a lock.  Between the two channels is a long thin piece of land with the towpath running along it. Except that everything has changed!  This description would have applied last year, but the Boxing Day floods modified the scenery somewhat.  Between the Flood Lock and the Fall Lock there is no longer an isthmus of land with a path on it. It has gone. There is now an island by the Flood Lock and another island by the Fall Lock, and the river channel and the navigation have merged into one, with some buoys to mark the route for boats.

Flood damaged island

Merged channels

Knostrop Fall Lock

Just after we left the lock, we passed Thwaite Mills Industrial Museum. We have never succeeded in visiting this place, as on all three occasions when we have passed, it has been closed.  There was a line of permanent moorers on the island, which presumably gives them some income to keep the place in a good state of repair.

Thwaite Mills

We passed under the M1, and through Fishpond Lock, where we gave out a "How do locks work?" leaflet, before mooring on some bollards at Woodlesford.

Under the M1

Fishpond Lock

Moored at Woodlesford

James went for a walk later, and found a bird hide. There were lapwings and egrets, some little grebes and gadwall, among other more usual breeds.  On the other side of the canal by some long term moorings, there was a pony munching away at the grass. It was not tethered or fenced in, and would not be diverted from the important task of grass consumption. James picked some blackberries – our first this season.

Lawnmower pony

Evening light at Woodlesford

3 locks, 4 miles

Tue 23rd Aug  Woodlesford to Lemonroyd Marina

It was a very warm day today, with a beautiful sky in the early morning.

Morning reflections at Woodlesford

We didn’t have far to go, and after using the rubbish and water points, we went through Woodlesford Lock, and phoned Marie at Lemonroyd Marina. When we arrived there 15 minutes later she was waving at us to show us which berth to use.

Woodlesford Lock

Into Lemonroyd Marina

She showed us round the site, including where to park the car.  A car was parked in a bad place on Boxing Day, when some of the parking area fell into the stream behind.

Parking hazard

We were collected by Enterprise and driven to Castleford to pick up our hire car.  We went to Pets at Home for some cat food and found it was no longer on special offer. We also went to B&Q and bought a lot of bathroom fittings for the new apartment in Aylesbury.  We managed to find our way back to the boat after two wrong turns.  Oh, for an Ordnance Survey map!

James crossed over the River Aire on a footbridge over a weir, and went for a walk round St Aidan’s bird reserve, which is RSPB, and used to be an open cast coal mine.  Lots of birds around, particularly in the sky, where he saw two pairs of snipe, or maybe the same pair twice. He came back along a wooded footpath along the riverbank.

Weir on the Aire

Footpath

Moored in the marina

Marina wildlife

1 lock, 1 mile

Wed 24th Aug  Lemonroyd Marina

  

We made good use of the car today, visiting Nostell Priory which is a large National Trust property, featuring a good collection of Chippendale furniture, and Robert Adam interiors.

This is not the house, but the stables

 This is not the house, but the coach house, and you can hire it for your 
wedding. If, like us, you are already married, you don't need to know this.

Globe artichoke flowering

Some other flower (!?)

Ah! At last! The house!

 Adam ceiling

 Decorative detail

 Chippendale furniture

Music Room

The ground floor entrance area

We then drove to Fairburn Ings RSPB nature reserve, where we have been by boat before, but there is nowhere to land. It was a very pleasant walk over old coal mining areas and slag heaps, which has several lakes and plenty of wildlife.

Fairburn Ings

 Trying not be noticed

No boating today

Next: a few nights away in Aylesbury