Beating the Heat on the River Aire
Date:
From:
Knottingley
To:
Castleford
Waterway:
Aire & Calder Navigation + River Aire
Travel Time:
2 hours
Distance:
6 miles
Contents:
Knottingley to Castleford
There are some days on the waterways when the weather becomes the dominant character in the story. Today was one of those days.
With temperatures forecast to reach record-breaking highs across the UK, we left Knottingley at 11am knowing that this would be a hot and demanding cruise. However, with John keen to reach Castleford in time to visit his mum, staying put wasn’t really an option. Armed with sun cream, umbrellas and plenty of water, we set off along the River Aire in search of a little shade and, hopefully, a cooling breeze.
Conquering Ferrybridge Flood Lock
Our journey began with a short cruise along the Aire & Calder Navigation before we approached Ferrybridge Flood Lock.
As we neared the lock, John casually reminded me that I would need to climb down the lock ladder to rejoin the boat once it had passed through.
Now, it is fair to say that climbing lock ladders is not one of my favourite boating jobs. In fact, standing halfway down a ladder with a river swirling beneath me is probably somewhere near the top of my list of things I would rather avoid altogether.
Taking each rung very slowly and carefully, I eventually made my way down while John did his best to keep the stern of the boat close enough for me to step aboard safely. It’s one of those boating tasks that always looks much easier than it feels.
Searching for a Breeze
Leaving Ferrybridge Flood Lock, the Aire & Calder Navigation merges with the River Aire, and we were hopeful that the open water might provide a welcome cooling breeze.
Sadly, the river had other ideas.
There was very little breeze to be found and what air movement there was felt more like opening an oven door than standing beside a river.
Thankfully, we had prepared as best we could. Factor 50 sun cream had been liberally applied before we set off. John had secured his golfing umbrella in the Brolly Mate attached to the tiller, creating a patch of precious shade at the stern, while I sheltered beneath a UV umbrella whenever possible.
Boasley, meanwhile, was receiving the full VIP treatment. Fresh water was always within paw’s reach and John regularly soaked his coat with water in an attempt to keep him comfortable as the temperature continued to climb.
A Straightforward Passage at Bulholme Lock
Bulholme Lock proved refreshingly straightforward and soon lifted us back onto the Aire & Calder Navigation.
The only minor complication came at the bottom gates, where a couple of the indicator lights on the control pedestal weren’t working. It simply meant taking things a little more slowly and carefully, making sure each stage of the locking process had completed before moving on to the next.
Fortunately, there was a CRT van parked nearby, so I was able to let the member of staff know about the faulty lights before we continued.
The Search for a Mooring
After topping up our water tank at the nearby water point, all that remained was to find somewhere to moor for a couple of days while John visits his mum.
Given the length of visitor moorings available at Castleford, we expected this to be the easiest part of the day.
It wasn’t.
With boats moored at varying distances apart, finding a gap that was just the right size proved surprisingly difficult. The first potential space was slightly too short, so John politely asked a neighbouring boater if they might be willing to move forward a little. Having recently painted their gunwales, they understandably preferred not to.
The next gap looked perfect. Unfortunately, just as John began manoeuvring towards it, another boat arrived and moored ahead. The remaining space still appeared large enough, but as we eased in it quickly became apparent that there was not quite sufficient room and our boat touched the neighbouring craft (John apologised to the other boaters).
Shortly afterwards, the other boat continued on its journey and John was able to reposition our boat, giving us plenty of room to secure ourselves properly.
A Shady Retreat
With the boat finally tied up securely, we could at last relax.
This looks like a good spot for Boasley and me to spend the next couple of days while John is away. There is enough shade to provide some respite from the relentless sunshine and, as temperatures continue to soar, that shade may prove invaluable.
For now, we’ll be staying put, keeping cool and waiting for the heatwave to pass.
