This statue of a canal worker standing on Pottery Changeline Bridge in Wigan is very realistic. This was the beginning of today's walk on an unexpectedly warm and sunny day in March.
Allan, looking very fit and raring to go,is posing by one of the bridge rollers which has been replaced over the years.
This is Bottom lock, #87, the first of 23 locks known as the Wigan flight.They climb over 200 feet in less than 2miles, taking an average of 6 hours to negotiate!
That sounds like hard work and didn't take us that long on foot.
Ancient and Modern.
This unusual double barge glides slowly past one of many redevelopments of old canalside buildings along this stretch.
No towpath beneath Britannia Bridge, hence the pathway for the barge horse.
Oops, that's Allan, not the horse.
Some of the locks are so close to the bridges that they need a special winding mechanism to open the gates.
Lock 74.
In just under an hour of gentle walking, we have passed thirteen locks! We were very glad not to be on a barge today!
Sadly, we didn't see any boats going up or down this magnificent flight.
Note the huge slag heap by the locks, a reminder of the part played by the canal in the coal mining industry,and in the Kirkless Iron and Steel Works.
Kirkless Hall Bridge is dated 1816. That was the year the canal was excavated!
The last lock of the 23-lock Wigan flight.
There aren't any more for quite a few miles!
We slapped on the sun-cream....yes,in March!!....and ate lunch on the grass verge of the lock outside this pub. Then we went inside for a welcome cuppa.
