Bingley to Foulridge ish

 Eventually we reached the top of the Bingley Three Rise. Over in the background is a Co-op if you need topping up with wine.

  

Side paddles have either winders or a lifting beam.  The lifting beam is bit of a terror to use.

While waiting for the locky to turn up a hire boat arrives so we share a lock or five.

 Its a another 60 feet that we have risen up plus the 30 feet at the three rise.

 

At the top of the rise are some visitor moorings which we shall use tonight.

 

  With all the facilities at the top of the rise we stop for the night and use the showers.  Not one of the best but warm enough for a change. Nice view back down to the town.

 Underway next day with views over the valley

 and we soon pass the home of Puffer Parts.  We called in but didn't have the bits and pieces we were after. Cant win them all.

 The first of today's swing bridges.  They really are a damn pain.  I would hate to try and travel here on my own.  The moorings for the bridges are almost always on the wrong side with no means of mooring on the side you need to be on to operate the bridge.

 A lovely day with gentle hills to one side and woods on the other

 Long views over the valley.

 The canal wanders with loads of sharp turns so that the same view remains for ages. Somewhere out there is Silsden town.

 The start of Silsden. New houses everywhere.

 Stopped at Silsden boats and picked up a gas bottle.  Lee went off to see what shops had to offer and I pulled in to put the kettle on.

 Back out in the country.  Views down to places we have already passed

 and views ahead for miles

 Kildwick is in the distance.

 Some bridges its impossible to get to as a singleton with boats moored right up to the bridge.

 Through Kildwick with the village right up to the canal

 Out of the village and it must be quite lovely round here in the summer months.

 lots of woods

 The view astern

 Moored up in Skipton.  Good moorings and quiet.  Only minutes from the centre of town. Plenty going on including

 a Beer Festival which was held by sheer coincidnece on the day we arrived and the rest of the weekend. Over 60 beers on tap along with a cafe serving four different sorts of pies and peas.

 The main room held the wine and cider stalls.  It seems to have been a great success.

 The next day we go to the other side of the canal to top up with water

 A little further on and the arm going of to the right.  No turning up there for me so we carry on.  The water bus dropping off its passengers.

 The Ice Cream Tug.

 Looking back to the arm going off to the left.

 Bum.  First swing bridge and its broken.  The barriers are down but wedges under the bridge are stuck.  Three boats on either side waiting to get through and CRT on their way.

 Somewhere to moor for the night.

 The view out of the galley window.

 We cant quite get into the side

 The wind has got up and the boat weaves about a bit as we go along

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 Its getting flat up near the top of the canal

 Ahead too the view is similar.

 Off wandering in Gargrave.  A lovely village a plenty of walks roundabouts.

 Must be a story behind these windows.

 The River Aire as it goes through the village.

 Another day and we stayed in Gargrave a couple of days due to the wind.  Its still blowing a bit. Hire boats going passed flat out.  Told them to slow down and and I am told how are they supposed to know how fast to go.  Pity they find it difficult to read the booklets.

 The top of the final locks lifting us up the Pennines

The last part of the trip has been very windy and windy. Extremely sharp bends several of almost 180 degrees.  The double bridge at East Marton is rather unusual.

 East Marton church and next to it loads of humps and bumps in the fields that look like the remains of the old village.

Finally the view from the bows.  We have moored up for the night at Barnoldswick.