Last week we had our first adventure of the summer holidays with our visit to the narrowboat. Anderton in Cheshire was our starting point this year and is famous for the Anderton Boat Lift but more of this in another post I think. Having done the Anderton Boat Lift on a previous trip, and only having a week this year due to other planned adventures, we decided to do something else.
Many years ago when I first met Mr P he lived on a narrowboat in this part of the country and we are quite familiar with many of the canals here. Our choice of route was also influenced by a lack of water this year due to the glorious summer weather we have had, meaning that some parts of the canal were closed ( the very hilly with lots of locks parts). So we decided to visit some of our past haunts, including going in to Manchester city centre.
This also meant that we would only do one lock in the entire route (twice, once on the way out and once on the way back) and it is only a stop lock. A stop lock is placed where two canals join as sometimes the water levels are different in each. It also often means that you only go up or down a few inches – a bit disappointing when it is the only lock of the trip, but it also makes for a wonderfully relaxing trip for the lock operators (often me and Grandad P). Unsurprisingly I did not take photos of the extremely disappointing lock!!! Fortunately we did have some excitement in the form of three tunnels instead – Barnton, Saltersford and Preston Brook.
Tunnels are definitely interesting. Sometimes drippy. Sometimes the roof is covered in cobwebs. Sometimes you can see through to the other end. Sometimes they are slightly bent so you can’t see through. Some of them have vents to allow the engine fumes to escape and some of the vents are large and cathedral-like, in the middle of the tunnel when you least expect it.
Here is a link to my Instagram account where you can find some (edited) tunnel video from our return journey through Preston Brook tunnel this time. You are spared the singing – the video has no sound!!!! Preston Brook is the longest of the three and takes about 20 minutes to get through. Entrance to the tunnel is timed because there isn’t room for boats to pass inside. From one direction you can enter on the hour and from the other you can enter on the half hour. This avoids meeting someone coming the other way!
Tunnels do tend to play games with your head too…. well, they do with my head!!! Because the headlights only hit what’s in front of them you really notice if the roof lowers. Sometimes it lowers in steps that are deliberately painted white so you can see them. You do not notice when the ceiling gets higher again. This means it can feel like the walls are closing in and the tunnel is shrinking!!! And if it’s a tunnel that you can’t see the end of it can feel like you are going in to the centre of the earth too!!
I think this is why we usually sing in tunnels. It lightens the mood and makes us focus on something other than the walls closing in!!! It no doubt lightens the mood on any other boats in the tunnel too – you are often following another boat through.
I’ll be posting some more soon about our recent canal adventures, minus the singing and mind altering tunnels!!!
madebypatch 
Bet you were glad of an engine so you didn’t have to lie on your back and walk your way through. What a marvellous holiday.
Yes! Known as “legging it”. Although if you listen to Thing 1…. my legs would probably not reach!!