Bumbling around Barrowford and Barnoldswick

Last night we were moored at the top the Barrowford flight of locks with splendid views over the town of Nelson, the reservoir and the hills around.

This morning when the rain had stopped we set off across the fields to the village of Barrowford. You know you are in the dales when the streets are up and down, everything is built of stone, and you can hear water running.

Barrowford has all these, it is very pretty with the River Calder running along beside the High Street.

The village garage, where petrol is served by the man, see the pneumatic tube to ring the bell when you drive up.

toll house

unusual gate along the footpath

Our journey along the summit of the canal took us first of all through the Foulridge Tunnel. It is a one way system with traffic lights to show when we could travel through. It takes about 15 minutes, we followed 2 boats in.

It's quite a wet tunnel, but with some lovely calcite formations.

At Barnoldswick we stopped  and walked down  to the village there too.

The village square is attractive, surrounded by shops and  built over the area once occupied by the Co-Op stores. A new supermarket is nearby.

We found the old site of the Bancroft Mill, which was a weaving mill built quite late on, in 1920 and working until 1978.  All that is left on the site is the old steam engine house, the engine is in working order and runs on a few days of the year. Sadly not today.

Just three locks today, going down now through the beautiful green countryside of Greenberfield. And still in the sunshine.

We have moored up tonight in a quiet, peaceful spot with sheep for company on the field beside us and the sun shining through the gap in the hills. It is just disappearing now at 9pm.

Tuesday
4 miles, 7 locks

Wednesday
7 miles, 3 locks, 1 tunnel