Bingley 5 rise - again

Yes, I know, I've posted about the Bingley Five rise before, but this time we walked there and took my boys to see it. We had great toasties in the cafe at the top. They don't skimp on the fillings!

Also, this time, the lock was in use, with a pair of boats working their way down through the rise (or should I call it a descent as they were going down?). Anyway, I got some good shots of the lock filling up. Lock gates hold back a lot of pressure. When the paddles were raised, the water fair torpedoed through.

From this one, you get a sense of how steep the rise actually is. What a feat of engineering! It was quite a task building a canal through countryside that isn't flat!

Dowley Gap Locks

Dowley Gap Locks, on the Leeds Liverpool Canal, is a two rise lock system which has been designated a grade II listed structure. It achieved this position for two reasons; its individual architectural and historic significance, and its value as part of the group of locks which adorn this stretch of the canal, including the three and five rise locks at Bingley.

The Dowley Gap 2 rise was built in 1773 and raises the level of the canal around twenty feet. Both sections of the lock are made of sandstone blocks and each has its own footbridge across the canal and its own railed staircase alongside. The lock gates themselves are made of  timber, with iron gearing for the raising and lowering of the paddles which release the water. They also have their own mini gardens of active foliage!

On the outer wall, near the staircase of the lower lock, is its name! And the white roses leave us in no doubt that we are in Yorkshire!

Grey door

I'm not sure why I found this door appealing. It  doesn't even look finished off; I'm sure that's grey underoat. Something attracted me though. Does anybody else feel it?

Incidentally, the door opens onto the Leeds Liverpool canal towpath, close to Dowley Locks, and the somewhat appropriate name of the house, is above the door!

Three mills

The area around Britannia Bridge is the part of town which was once Bingley's principal industrial area. It was developed after 1870, which is quite late, suggesting that the Bradford area was beginning to run out of suitable sites and forcing mill owners to look further afield. This whole area was dominated by textile mills with wharfs onto the busy canal.

Looking south from the bridge, Britannia Mill was a large scale worsted factory; worsted being the name to identify a particular type and weight of woollen cloth and the yarn from which it is woven. The main feature of a worsted yarn is the straightness of the fibres and the way that they run parallel to each other, but the weaving of the yarn leads to a slightly rough textured final cloth which is very resilient; ideal for use in carpets, as well as garments and hosiery.

In 2004, most of Britannina Mill was demolished. The parts remaining include two three storey sheds and the former mill office, all of which have been developed into canal side apartments for sale or rent. Also remaining is the mill chimney which is visible for miles around and helps to retain the industrial character of the location.

The chimney can be seen in it's entirety here...

It consists of a square shaft (mirrored by the square upright on the Britannia bridge), tapering to a concave section topped by a square.

And this is the view looking north from the bridge...

...showing chimneys from two more mills.

The obvious one, centre of frame, is Stanley Mill, also a worsted wool factory. Built in the latter half of the 19th century, it is still occupied by a textile manufacturer. The canal wharf is gone , but many of the original buildings still remain, including the chimney, which is also square tapered, but topped by a rather neat pyramidal opening! 

The other chimney, to the right, belongs to Argyll Mills; one of the most complete mill buildings remaining in the area.

Britannia Bridge

Hand in hand with the construction of the new A650 Bingley Relief Road came the construction of new bridges, one of which is the Britannia footbridge built to replace the existing footbridge between Britannia Street and Dubb Lane. The Britannia bridge extends over both the relief road and the Leeds Liverpool Canal and is much wider than its predecessor. It has become quite a landmark with its tapering, square, steel upright to which are attached cables to support some weight of the bridge.

From the Dubb Lane end, it reminds me of the mast of an ocean going sailing ship. Maybe a little grand considering the overall depth of the Leeds Liverpool canal, but somehow appropriate.

The far end has an old iron bollard which has been preserved from the original bridge as a reminder.

Bingley three rise

About quarter of a mile below the five rise staircase is the three rise. From here you can also see the footbridge which takes pedestrians over the A650 Bingley Relief Road and onto the Main Street.

The Relief Road was constructed in 2004 at a cost of £47.9 million. The most expensive part of the project was the diversion of a 150m stretch of the canal. This involved removing the Treacle Cock Alley pedestrian tunnel under the canal and also the Tin Bridge.

To the right of the three rise is the Damart factory; makers of quality thermal underwear :) The run off from the lock flows under the spur of the factory...

and this is the view from the top, with the factory on the left.

Y is for Yorkshire

Yorkshire is the largest county in England. Prior to the 1974 county boundary changes, it was divided into three regions; the East Riding, West Riding and North Riding. Now, Yorkshire is divided into four componants, rather more boringly named South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, East Yorkshire and North Yorkshire, the latter being by far the biggest area of land, though not the most heavily populated.

Yorkshire contains two national parks; the Dales and the Moors. Both are beautiful in their different ways. It also has a coast line. Further south, there is more industry, both current and historic.

I'm going to spend a few blog-days in Yorkshire, sharing some of my photos and thoughts about a rather special county, beginning here...

When I was in junior school, we used to do projects of our own choosing. Of course I did one on canals and I found a picture of the Bingley five rise locks. Ever since that day, I have had a background yen to visit them in person and, with a little help from a friend, on Saturday, I did just that.

The five rise is a staircase of five locks, with the bottom gate of one lock forming the top gate of the next. Because it is quite complicated to operate, there is a British Waterways employee on hand during the day. At night, the locks are locked :)

The photo above is taken from the top of the top lock, looking back towards the market town of Bingley.

And this is the view from the top lock looking the other way.

For the more classic view from the bottom and also a little more about the history of this lock on the Leeds Liverpool Canal, follow this link to JennyFreckles' blog, Saltaire Daily Photo.

To see more Y posts on Jenny Matlock's Alphabe-Thursday, follow this link.