Monday 29 August 2016

Happy Birthday Graham!

As I am typing this I realise that I gave up work two years ago today - I can’t believe it has been that long – how did I ever have time to work!

7.00am and the CRT are arriving and are busy getting all their stuff together for the chaperoned trips through Standedge Tunnel – we had better get up.  And the sun is shining.

After being measured we are introduced to John who is going to escort us through the tunnel.  Hard hats and life jackets on and we are ready for the off.

The tunnel was surprisingly dry compared to other tunnels that we have been through other than the ventilation shafts where water pours down – John called these the cardiac arrests as they give you a drenching of cold water as you go underneath.  The tunnel walls vary as you travel through from granite like rock to limestone and the more recently added brick arches.

Yesterday somebody told us that they started to dig the tunnel from both sides and it didn’t meet in the middle hence the reason there is an S-bend half way through, but John told us it was because the granite was so hard to dig away that the workmen took a detour around it carrying on through the softer limestone.

It took us a total of 1 hour and 40 minutes to complete the 5686 yards which we were told was a good time (the fastest being 1 hour 10 minutes).  We had to stop at three points through the tunnel for John to call back to base to confirm that everything was ok.  We (or rather Steve) did hit the sides about three times – I’m glad they told us to take the cratch cover off the top of the boat as if we hadn’t it would have been ripped!  I also thought the hard hats were a bit over the top but Steve managed to knock his off his head three times!

Once through the other end the surrounding countryside opens up to parkland and the start of the locks descending down to Ashton-Under-Lyne.  We are 645ft above sea level at this point and by the time we reach Ashton-Under-Lyne we will have dropped 334ft.

After two locks I asked Steve where his life jacket was…..he had taken it off and left it at the end of the tunnel!  As I walk quicker I volunteered to go back for it – thankfully it was still there!

Lots of people on the towpath today as it is bright and sunny and it’s Bank Holiday Monday.  Not many volunteers to help but I did enlist a couple of guys to help me when they were watching me struggle with the odd gate or paddle!

We made our way to Saddleworth where we stopped to grab some lunch and moored next to “Hectors House” who invited us to join them for a glass of wine that evening so we had a wander up the High Street and went next door to meet Hector and Sally.  I recalled seeing their boat somewhere before and during our conversation we realised that they had passed us coming out of Liverpool as we were stuck at the top due to the lack of water in Sid’s Ditch.

Getting ready to go - we have the canal tunnel in front of us, the railway tunnel just above to the left and where you can a wall fence half way up is the road going around the outside of the hill.

Being waved off!

And in we go.

Looking back I can still just see where we came in.

Granite rock.

and the limestone - you can see how tight the tunnel is.

John calling back to base to confirm all is ok.

You can see how low it is in places - it's no wonder Steve lost his hat a couple of times!

The brick arches at the start of the S-bend.

Concentrating!

Another battle scar to add to the collection - I'm glad we did this before we do our painting in September.

Thank you Thomas Telford - it was an experience.

And out the other end.

Lovely countryside.

The locks are so close together on this stretch of the canal that there is no point in me getting back on the boat.

Another boat - a rare sight - this is the trip boat that offers 1 hour rides from Saddleworth.

Moored up at Saddleworth - It's a shame the moorings are lined by trees as it is sunny out there but pretty chilly under here!

Another impressive church.