This then is Leg 3, however as it turned out it became a Leg 3a and Leg 3b. All becomes clear at Todmorden the half way point on the planned route. Picking up the trail from new Tuel Tunnel where I ended Leg 2 , Sophie and I start from Tuel Lane Deep Lock, which replaces the former Locks 3 and 4. This is the deepest inland waterway lock in Britain, with a drop of around twenty feet. It has two sets of lower gates so that water can be saved when shorter boats pass through – information courtesy of penninewaterways.co.uk .
It is a rather cloudy day, but still, hence the wonderful reflections on the canal water accompanies us whilst approaching beautiful tunnels and bridges.
The Rochdale Canal Company gets its own marker posts. The first community reached is Luddenfoot, one of many on this route that expanded with industrial growth facilitated by the Canal opening in 1804. Non of the mills still operate, with the wharfs and warehouses now mainly residential properties. Along this canal are a number of well constructed cobble water run off points, Spillways, where there is provided a footway to avoid getting too wet.
Brearley and its Bridge is the next village. Given how unpopulated the area is now, it is quite a view to see the large Brearley Baptist Chapel which not surprisingly has now been converted into residential flats. Passing through the wonderfully named Mytholmroyd, where I learn from a sign post that Ted Hughes, Poet Laureate, grew up until aged eight and that a number of his poems are inspired by the locations in the village and along the canal. We have to leave the canal edge for a short distance outside Hebden Bridge as the canal passes through a curved tunnel under a restored road bridge. The walk into Hebden Bridge passes alongside the residential moorings at Mayroyd. Sophie stands with her usual poise inspecting the lock.
The walk through Hebden Bridge is lovely.
The River Calder is not far away from the canal and at some points the two run side by side. Most of the canals I’ve walk so far have been fully navigable. Having seen a lock on the previous leg being worked on by the Canal and Rivers Trust, I now come across Shawplains Lock which is closed for repair. To make sure barges do not enter from the high side a barge has been moored diagonally across the canal.
Just before getting to Lob Mill Lock, I met a man converting what was an area storing horse muck into a vegetable plot. The area is just beyond the red brick building in the photo. Beyond that and where there is a very fine green strip of land he told me that there used to be the Beeton Rope Works and as he was digging over the land was finding significant rubble !! Further along the canal there Woodhouse Mill is on the left, again converted to flats with the chimney stack still standing.
The halfway point of the walk is reached at Todmorden, with a great piece of Art installation. Exiting Todmorden is through a tunnel showing the wear and tear of the towing ropes and passed another lock where the tail gates have been replaced with a guillotine gate.
I had done very little research about what I would find on this walk and the Todmorden Great Wall (The Great Wall of Tod) is a magnificent surprise. A local passer by let me know that it was built in 1881 from about 4 million bricks. Research back home says it was a retaining wall, possibly due to the subsidence of the hillside, but also to support the enlarged station goods yard, including sidings for the Fieldens’ Waterside Mill.
Stopping now for Lunch is where I notice that Sophie has badly sliced one of her claws and is bleeding. She is such a resilient dog to pain that I have no idea when she did it, as there had been no complaints to management during the walk. So my first use of the first aid kit is not for myself but her, having to clean the wound and then bandage the foot so we can abort the walk, retrace our steps the short distance into Todmorden and catch the train home for a Vets appointment.
10 days later, after Sophie had had to have her Claw removed we are back at Todmorden station to complete the journey to Rochdale. I have seen many ducklings on recent walks. Today is was the turn of goslings. The next highlight is the ornate Skew Bridge that carries the Manchester to Leeds railway across the canal at a very acute angle.
Gauxholme Locks and this fine Stone Canal Warehouse, built in 1798, are passed next. There are only a few barges moving on the water this early in the season. This one makes a good foreground for Hollins Mill, Walsden a former spinning mill and weaving shed built in 1856-8 by Abraham Ormerod & Bros. The canal has been steadily climbing for a while now and the height gained does become clearer. At Lock 35, Warland Upper Lock I finally leave Yorkshire and head into Lancashire.
The summit is reached with Longlees Lock at the east end of the summit pound and West Lock Summit and the Summit Pub (closed on a Monday!) at the western end
What a surprise an almost empty section of canal, after the next downhill lock. The Canal and Rivers Trust chap was on hand. He had to go and open up gates etc… to allow the canal to refill from the reservoir above the summit. It was not a very long stretch and although it was know for some of the lower sections to drain out occasionally, this one did not usually do so. Anyway he said it would take about 20 minutes to fill up, so I headed to the western end for lunch and to watch. His guess was pretty good and 20 minutes later the barge wating to come down could enter the lock and then drop down to a canal full of water again.
The canal continues down to Littlebourgh. Rock Nook Mill is derelict following a fire. Apparently it was constructed in 1886 for Fothergill and Harvey, a company that produced technical textiles, as the company grew and expanded. Originally, fabrics were woven from natural fibres such as cotton and the company produced the first khaki drill for servicemen’s uniforms.
This rather amazing house is actually sandwiched between a terrace and a mill. It is Clegg Hall and has a remarkable history. Built in 1618 as a moated manor house, reputed to be haunted by the Clegg Hall Boggart, from 1818 to 1869 it was a public house called the Horse and Hounds, but generally known as the Black Sloven, during the 20th century it continued to fall into ruin, suffering fires before being completely restored during 2005-11. As we enter into Rochdale the evidence of the many mills that existed in the town become apparent along the towpath.
On entering Rochdale there is seen the Chimney and derelict remains of Norwich Street Mill. Off to the right is a short section of what was the Rochdale branch that headed half a mile into the centre town. Today it ends at the bridge with the remainder filled in, evident from the green field on the other side. And so an eventful 2 stage Leg 3 comes to an end with a stroll into Rochdale centre to catch the train home.
