Saltaire to Bingley Five-Rise Locks
Above the Three-Rise Locks, after rounding a bend in the canal, you get a first glimpse of the engineering marvel that is Bingley's Five-Rise Locks - the steepest staircase locks on the longest canal in the country, built in 1774 and rightfully considered one of the wonders of our waterways. They lift the canal about 60 feet (16 m). It's very quiet at the moment owing to the water shortages leading to restricted opening times for the passage of boats. When working, it takes a boat about 45 minutes to travel up the staircase, assisted by lock-keepers because inevitably it's rather a complicated exercise!
At the top, there's a small canal basin to allow boats room to manoeuvre and wait for passage. Beyond that there are always a lot of boats moored so it's a colourful spot to visit. Crossing the swing bridge, I called at the Locks Café for refreshment and a welcome rest. It's only a walking distance of about three miles from home but it always feels much further, no doubt because I stop so often to take photos!
I then walked on just a little further to Hainsworth's Boatyard, where there's a track down to the main road. I decided I'd get a bus back, as I'd have been very weary walking the whole way back. As you can gather from my photos, it was quite a dull day. It was okay for mono photography but not so wonderful for colour.
Saltaire to the Five-Rise is an interesting walk with varied scenery and lots to see. I achieved my objective of taking some decent black and white photos for our club project, so it was a good exercise all round!
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