Bartimaeus

There was a stupendous chimney near our mooring. It had been built to last. I had just taken a picture, when I remembered that we were not going that way. We were going to reverse to the junction and turn there.

Several very old boats were mouldering opposite the junction but there was still space for Shane to turn. In the usual “what are the chances” scenario, just as he had spun round to face the right way, we saw another boat coming under the bridge directly opposite. I wondered how much space he needed and moved to the front to communicate. I could see the boat was very short so that was good. He was relaxed and said he was just turning at the junction and he signalled the way he would go round and he would follow us through after. It was just a test run for a day hire boat that had a new gear box.

 We have seen very few boats on the Huddersfield canals but a sunny Saturday brought a few people out, or perhaps it is just that the Peak Forest canal is busier.  There were no locks today but we did have a lift bridge. I went to get a windlass and saw a boat was coming the other way and thought we could ask if any keys were needed to operate it. The driver said it needed the anti vandal key and it was currently as they had seen us coming. Then I recognised the man and boat name Bluebell and called “Are you by Bike and Boat?” He confirmed he was and I gave him a thumbs up and he said we’d see his other boat just on the other side of the bridge. Shane was puzzled by this exchange and I explained it was a boater whose Facebook page I followed and they made jewelry. I had only started following them this month and noticed they were quite near to where we were heading and was hoping we would meet.

I went out and did the bridge and Shane signalled I could stop winding as it was high enough. He tilted his head on the way under but fitted alright. I locked it up and we were on our way again.

He had to duck again as we went through a bit of a tight tunnel/ bridge. It would have been quite spacious if there had been no footpath pushing us to the side. Is it my imagination or is it higher on the other side too?

It had a bulge inside too, making it trickier to Shane’s annoyance. It wasn’t the only one that caught us out. The asymmetry with the towpath below is something we have met before but not for a while. Lining up can be hard but they are cute. 

They aren’t all small though and there was no danger of bumping head on this bridge. It is high but on a curve and with a side footway, just so you don’t relax too much.

Blue skies seemed to be on the other side of that one. It was a lovely day to travel and we saw little flocks of long tailed tits and parakeets at one point. Both were quite noisy and long tailed. A cormorant dived in front of us and the autumn leaves keep showing off (and clogging the propeller). It is a very pretty canal for the most part.

 I was annoyed when I drove under one and despite being a foot from the side there was a scraping noise. I don’t know how I was supposed to know that was too close. I had been working hard on lining up as it oddly changed to become narrower on both sides, with a smaller arch and a change on the towpath side, part way through. I thought I had accommodated for the changing profile. 

We did see some modern bridges too, even then an arch is elegant and this one was easier to drive through. I didn’t like the straight iron ones though, not picturesque in my view.

We moored up short of the Marple locks and went for a walk. Shane recalled walking across this aqueduct while I drove, on an earlier time here. It was nice to get the view when walking. I won’t get to see these arches from on the boat.