Gargrave walk 4

Nearing the halfway point of our walk we regained the canal bank, and having almost reached our objective, we stopped to eat our picnic lunch. It was an overcast day (as you can see from my photos) but warm and very humid so we were glad to rest. This was a busy mooring spot beside Williamson Bridge at East Marton. One of the boats was serving ice cream, so I took advantage of a cooling refreshment.

We had come to see the unusual double-arched bridge at East Marton. It was transformed from the original old single arch packhorse bridge when the A59 road was constructed.

Our route back to Gargrave took us along the Pennine way, through fields of sheep and buttercups

and finally back down the hill, with Gargrave's church tower firmly in our sights. It was a walk, as I said, that I'd wanted to do for a long time and we all agreed that it was a most pleasant and picturesque ramble, quite easy but nonetheless rewarding.

Gargrave walk 3

There is another series of locks on this part of the canal along with some canal basins which allow boats to turn and moor. It's called Bank Newton. At one time there was a canal carpenter's yard and workshops here. The old buildings have been converted into residential property, rather nice.

Just beyond Bank Newton, our path diverged from the canal for a while. The canal takes a series of bends following the contours of the land and our footpath took a more direct route. We passed a grand Georgian farmhouse, known as Newton Grange, which was built in 1800 for Richard Greenwood, 'a gentleman'. It now operates as a wedding venue, with surrounding buildings (some older than the main house) converted into luxurious holiday lets. 

It's a pretty area, with hedgerows full of flowers like this wild rose below

and some curious sheep...

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!

A walk from Gargrave

This was a walk I had intended to do for a long time, finally achieved in the company of a couple of friends. We set off from Gargrave, which is a sizeable village about 30 minutes drive from Saltaire, up the Aire valley, past Skipton. Both the River Aire, the Leeds-Liverpool Canal and the Pennine Way footpath pass through the village. It is chiefly notable as a bottle-neck on the main A65 road from Leeds up to the Lake District. A long-running campaign for a by-pass has so far not been successful.

There has been a settlement here since Roman times and in the early 1800s cotton was manufactured here, taking advantage of the river and canal. The parish church of St Andrew dates back to 1521 and was restored in 1852, though there is evidence for a church on the site well before that. The village has a few shops and cafés catering for walkers, cyclists and passing travellers.

Many of the houses look quite old and have some nice detailing.

Our walk began along the towpath of the canal, at the Gargrave locks. We lost count but I believe we passed eleven locks on the stretch we walked.