Summer is acummin in

At lunchtime last Friday, we left Selby basin and moved towards West Haddesley and the river Aire, tying up at Gateford landing. It was such a beautiful place and so quiet; we spent Saturday and Sunday there.

The landing consisted of a stone wall leaning back toward the bank and was built to enable barges to be loaded with sugar beet. People walking by stopped for a chat, they were surprised to see a boat moored up; a lot of them told us that not many boats stop there.

We walked around Tunnel wood and wondered how it came by that name. The ground was covered in bluebells, it looked lovely. Myra had walked around it in the morning, when the banks of the ditches were covered in Primroses that really stood out against the other vegetation; in the evening they did not look quite so good. On the Sunday, we untied and left after dinner, the next bridge that we passed through was called Paperhouse Bridge.

It was named after a farm nearby where barges would unload and reload various cargoes and when the work was done, the farm occupants would read the newspaper to the bargees.

Onwards and through the flood lock and out onto the river Aire for the four mile trip against the stream to Beal lock. Moving away from the pontoon the stream was hardly noticeable, it had lost a lot of power since our outward journey last Tuesday. Very few boats moving over the weekend, lot may it remain that way! Very enjoyable evening run watching sheep and lambs, including two black lambs, along the banks. Moored on the pontoon at Beal lock at 8.20pm under a lowering sun which was slowly making orange tints over the trees and meadows.

Weekend weather – very warm and very sunny.

The 2008 journey thus far: 85 Locks & 220.5 Miles & 18 Swing Bridges

Journeys using bus pass: 4