Aire and Calder Navigation

Tuesday and the hottest day of the year. 

Look at the early morning sun on the buildings. 

And the reflections on the canal. 

So, what better than an Italian breakfast to celebrate such a day. 

And then, refreshed, off we go. It's wonderful to see all the old buildings being reused and reimagined. 

Warehouses that were once run down and empty, rejuvenated. 

Second lock of the day and it's automated. Only one problem, if you follow the instructions they say something like: wait for the water level light to illuminate. There are no lights! They've all been blanked off probably because they kept getting smashed. Still, take it slowly and everything works in its own good time. 

Our navigation book warns that we are now on a commercial waterway and to watch out for enormous sand barges and oil tankers. Well, the only large thing we've seen all day is the barge above transferring mud and silt to new flood defences. And, since the book was written, many of the canalside facilities have closed. 

Now, here's and old business that has closed down and reopened - Thwaite Mill. Now an industrial museum. 

One of the deep locks 13ft 6in. A long way down. 

Now into open country where we saw Cormorants, Grey Heron, Moorhen, Lapwing, Gulls, Swans and Ducks and ... 

... can you see it? 

A Little Egret. There were 2 or 3 around but this was the closest we could get. 

The biggest problem taking photos on the move is that, particularly with herons, we get near, they take off, fly ahead of us, land, we approach, they take off ... and eventually fly in a big circle and land way behind us again. Except for swans and ducks which head straight for us in attack formation to get whatever food may be going. 

We arrived at Castleford early evening and moored on the wrong side of the canal hoping that no one would notice and in the hopes that we can move to the visitor moorings in the morning.