Blackburn

It was a very hot, sunny, Monday morning as we left our quiet mooring in Rishton and made our way to Blackburn, a town built around the cotton mill industry. So having to find new business for employment now.

We passed this canal side factory building, which had Imperial painted over the canal facing frontage. Could have been a cotton mill, maybe someone will be able to tell me. It seemed to be largely deserted now although there were some signs of life in parts of the building.

Eanam Wharf, an attractive, well maintained building.

And the wharf house, which I think was empty.

Loved this bridge, unfortunately the reflection didn't come out as well as I would have liked, there was a bit of breeze on the water.

Looking over the town from the canal embankment.

There are 7 locks down through the town. On some of them the bottom gates were fitted with a mechanism like this, so the gate opens and closes by turning the windlass.

Nearly missed these lovely stone steps up to the lock, as they were hidden under a modern bridge.

Mind your head!

A rather ugly concrete bridge hiding the old stonework and those lovely steps.

We stopped quiet early and moored at Riley Green where Ian got down into the engine and changed the oil and filters and topped up the batteries.

Tuesday again dawned bright and sunny.  At Withnall Fold we stopped to look around the estate village built there to house the workers in the paper mill beside the canal. Again it is no longer working as a mill, but used as industrial units.

The chimney has been preserved and saved from demolition.

The estate workers cottages were built along 3 sides of a square, the first one being completed in 1848.  A school was built in one corner, it is still there and being used, it was playtime when we were there.

A statue of Thomas Blinkhorn Parke, legend has it that he was very fond of hare pie, and this carving shows "the one that got away".

After working through Johnson's Hill Locks, we stopped at Botany Bridge, Chorley.  We can leave the boat here, while we go back to London for Ian's dad's funeral and to spend some time sorting out the house. 

12 miles, 14 locks