Gargrave walk 2

Several boats were passing up and down the canal as we walked. We found we were walking faster than they were travelling, since they had to pass through so many locks. Many of the locks on this stretch are quite close together and have the services of lock-keepers to assist with their operation. It can be quite important to conserve water on the canal and inexperienced boat crews can cause a few problems.

Just outside Gargrave there is quite a complicated bit where river, canal and railway converge. The canal is carried over the river on the Priest Holme aqueduct and the railway (Leeds-Settle-Carlisle line) goes over a road, the river and then the canal. The road/river bridge has several arches. As I took my photo, one of the long mineral trains sped past. These have to pass through Saltaire, further down the line, too. They have many wagons and really make a rumble!

The metal railway bridge over the canal frames the older Priest Holme bridge in the distance. The aqueduct that carries the canal over the river lies between the two bridges.

The Priest Holme Bridge, looking rather lovely with its perfect reflection, takes a minor road over the canal. It is a 'changeline' bridge, meaning that the towpath changes from one side of the canal to the other. The bridges were constructed to allow the barge-towing horse to follow the towpath.  

You can see the ramp is made of stone setts, which would have helped the horse to keep its footing.

On the other side we came across some Canal and River Trust workers, making safe the parapet that had been damaged by a vehicle collision. They were quite jovial and didn't mind having their photo taken!