Bingley 5-Rise

Today an amazing experience - ascending Bingley's 3-rise and then 5-rise staircase locks. We pair up with a new chum Rod, in his narrow boat "Enigma" for this. The locks in these things are the width of 2 narrow boats, so if you're on your own and the water starts to boil in on "rapid-fill", through the sluices and paddles, the boat can get a bit thumped about, even if it is tied up. Far smoother to wedge yourself in next to another 56 footer so that there's no banging about.

The lock system itself, I can do no better than to quote verbatim from the excellent canal guide "Canal Companion; Pennine Waters" by JM Pearson and Son Ltd (ISBN 0 9545383 4 X, if you've a mind, or sales@centralwaterways.co.uk ). He covers the 5-rise thus....


"the 5 rise changes the level of the canal by some sixty vertiginous feet, a thrombotic experience which the canal takes more or less in its stride, even if it leaves most canal users reeling. The staircase has stood its ground since 1774 and must be credited to John Longbotham, the L&L's chief engineer. Two centuries later it's the pride and joy of its resident lock-keeper, Barry Whitelock, an appropriately surnamed man who reminds you forcibly of Brian Clough in his pomp at Derby County, and who has a way of treating boat crews and onlookers (of which there are often hundreds at a time) as if they were taking part in one of Cloughie's training sessions all those years ago.

Most of the time Barry will supervise passage through the 5 Rise, working most of the complex paddle gear himself whilst keeping a paternal eye on proceedings etc etc".

We can vouch for all that - we were shepherded through like very minor violin players in the orchestral movement he was conducting, and we were all on our best behaviour.

A-top the Bingley rise, we spend the rest of the day cruising the 17 mile long, lockless pound following the 345 foot contour up the valley (Airedale). No locks maybe, but 19 (count them) swing bridges to negotiate. Remember yesterday, and the Dorset crew's pride in their "we stopped 2 cars and a van". Pah! We spit on your "2 cars and a van". Mum managed at one bridge at about 5 o'clock, 29 cars one way and 11 cars and 2 vans the other!!!!!!

We stay with Enigma for part of this run - it's easier if boats alternate the work - effectively stopping to open the bridge for both boats, allowing the other boat to shoot through unimpeded and head on the the next bridge, where they will return the favour for you. Therefore, by leap-frogging each other along the pound, we only actually had to manhandle half the bridges. They were fun - some fully mechanised, had Mr Silverwood and Mum starting the flashing "level crossing" lights and bells, and dropping barriers across the road.

It's a tired crew who finally moor up near a place called Thorlby to await the morning and (finally) the shopping opportunity of Gargrave.

Deefski