Huddersfield Narrow From Aspley Basin

Hello again, Sorry for the gap in Blogs.  I think the hectic schedule knocked the stuffing out of me and I needed a bit of time off but I am back now. Hope you all missed me :0)
Well, as you know last blog we were on our way up the Huddersfield Narrow Canal heading for the centre of Huddersfield, which is the furthest we can go before we have to turn around.
Well, we've done it and are now on our way back at a much slower pace thankfully!  
So you are going to get blogs every few days now; ie when we move cos we are resting for a couple of days between flights of locks.  I think we may be getting old!!

The Reed Path

So..........Aspley Basin - Slaithwaite
The thing we have learned on this canal is don't bother trying to pull in anywhere unless you can see other boats have been there before.  Just because there are rings, DOES NOT mean it is deep enough to moor.  Don't moor up to open or close locks as if you do manage it, you will get stuck in the mud trying to get out.  In fact you cant moor anywhere on this canal other than the BW mooring sites and some of them don't even bother!  It is such a shame. because the scenery alongside this canal is breathtaking and it would have been lovely to have been able to stop in some places for a couple of days but it is just impossible!  I am most unhappy about the situation, I cannot begin to tell you.

Pretty

Milnsbridge

Aspley Basin, excellent for facilities, there is diesel , gas, coal, Sainsbury's and Hudds town centre which is brilliant for the nightlife.  Its just not pretty. :0( We didn't stay there long.  There are 2 mooring sites, one in the grounds of the University, which is ok if you want to get on and off your boat via the roof.  Not sure if its due to lack of water or it was made like that but not the place to be if you want to be able to see out of the windows on both sides of your boat.  




The other is just past the marina opposite Sainsbury's.  Considering you are in the centre of Hudds, it is reasonably quiet apart from one night when the police helicopter was flying round and round and round till god knows when.  The next day the towpath was full of police mucking about jumping over walls etc. We moved shortly after that 10 or so locks to Milnsbridge, purely because its the next place where it is deep enough to moor .  This is a nice little town, with all the necessaries and a really nice cafe that does a sterling fry-up.

It was worse than this on the way up!!! The lock was
underwater and the towpath was flooded!!

Next day we are up and off again heading towards the lovely Slaithwaite,
I would live here for the rest of my days if I could. Its lovely.  The high-street runs along the canal, there are 2 charity shops, a butchers that do the best steak and onion pies we have EVER tasted, a laundrette, co-op, proper local grocers and a narrowboat converted into a cafe.   On the way there, we go past the Titanic Spa, its a huge converted mill that was originally built the same year as the Titanic, hence the name.  Then its Lock 17!!.  Our first experience of this area the pound was so flooded that the towpath was 4 inches under water and you had to paddle to get to the lock paddles.  The picture was taken on the way back.  A lot better dont you think lol.

This is Yog when we first got to Slaithwaite, in bright sunshine, hot hot hot.  To the point YOG HAD SHORTS ON!! He also burned his legs whilst sunning himself on the roof of the boat.  
When we returned a week or so later, it was POURING and has been for days lol. But we have a clear day tomorrow and are going to have an amble back to the resivoir where we moored on the way up.  Another 10 locks out of the way.