Relaxed route: Skipton, Gargrave and Return – 23 Miles, 6 locks, 12.5 hours total
The picturesque Yorkshire village of Gargrave is situated on the southern edge of the Yorkshire Dales National Park. The village is small and pleasant, with most of its Victorian era houses made of traditional Yorkshire Stone. Despite its size, the village offers some local pubs, a supermarket and chemist, a fish & chop shop and a very popular café (and sweet emporium) called ‘The Dalesman’ which is an experience in itself. A really lovely feature of this route is the number of swing bridges that you’ll encounter along the way; one of which sits beside an interesting memorial to the Polish crew of a WW2 bomber that crashed nearby. Next to the canal, between Silsden and Gargrave, you’ll also find the villages of Kildwick and Lower Snaygill, both of which have pubs close to the canal; then between Snaygill and Gargrave you’ll find the large market town of Skipton which is often referred to as the ‘gateway to the Yorkshire Dales’. Here you’ll be able to visit the wonderful medieval Skipton Castle, the famous Skipton Market and a wealth of independent shops, cafés, bars and restaurants. Continue to Gargrave then turn around just after Higherland Lock before returning to Silsden.
Intermediate route: Bingley, Saltaire and Return – 18 Miles, 22 locks, 13.5 hours total
To the south of Silsden you will find two iconic canal landmarks – the Bingley 5-Rise and the wonderfully historic textile mill village of Saltaire. The Bingley 5-Rise staircase locks were built in 1774 and are all joined together without ‘pounds’ in between them, making them the steepest staircase locks in the UK with a gradient of about 1:5 (a rise of 59ft 2in over a distance of 320ft) and a volunteer lock-keeper is normally on hand to help you navigate through them. The Bingley 5-Rise are followed by the lesser known 3-Rise locks. To the south of Bingley, Saltaire is a World Heritage Site named after Sir Titus Salt who built this rather amazing village to house and employ the workers in his textile mill. Salt wanted a totally new 'state of the art' mill with all of the latest technology, so in 1851 he closed his smaller mills and brought everything to Saltaire to create a 'super-mill'. With its Italianate architecture and fascinating history, Saltaire is a really great place to visit. Numerous swing bridges dot the canal between Skipton and Saltaire adding extra interest to the route and there’s a handful of convenient canalside pubs. Saltaire is located on the outskirts of the town of Shipley where you can turn around (just after Junction Bridge 208) in order to return to Silsden.
Active route: Apperley Bridge and Return – 27 miles, 32 locks, 20.5 hours total
Follow the ‘intermediate route’ shown above, through the staircase locks at Bingley followed by a visit to Saltaire village, then continue to Apperley Bridge. Between Saltaire and Apperley Bridge there are just 5 locks and 5 swing bridges to negotiate, so it’s pretty easy going. Mooring near the marina, there are a couple of pubs within walking distance and a modern café overlooking the marina itself. Up the hill, along the residential streets, you will also find a fish & chip shop, an Italian restaurant, a ‘micro-pub’ and an award winning Indian restaurant. Turn around at Apperley Bridge Marina and return to Silsden.
Very Active route: Barnoldswick, Foulridge Tunnel and Return – 48 miles, 30 locks, 24 hours total
NOTE: This route cannot be achieved over a 3 night break and requires a minimum of a 4 night break to complete.
Follow the ‘relaxed route’ to Gargrave above, visiting Skipton en route, then continue west to the traditional market town of Barnoldswick. Surrounded by grassy hillocks with mountains in the distance, this stretch is particularly picturesque, with just a couple of short lock flights to negotiate along the way. Between Silsden, Skipton and Gargrave there are numerous swing bridges but that changes after Gargrave, as you pass over the Priest Holme Aqueduct and the Yorkshire Dales begin to border the navigation. At East Marton you will find sheltered moorings, a popular café / restaurant and a local pub before passing under a lovely double-arched bridge, a great place to stop mid-way between Gargrave and Barnoldswick. After Greenberfield Locks you arrive on the outskirts of Barnoldswick with the low Rolls Royce factory to the right of Coate’s Bridge, plus a couple of large supermarkets within walking distance of there. The town centre is most easily accessed uphill from Long Ing Bridge (no. 153) and offers a variety of independent shops, pubs, cafés and restaurants; with a pleasant market square in the middle. Further along the canal you’ll find a pub next to Salterforth Bridge and yet another at Foulridge Wharf (for a bit of Dutch courage before entering the tunnel, perhaps).
*For people who prefer not to include the tunnel in this route and wish to turn around at Barnoldswick, the cruising time will be a total of 22 hours, rather than 24. Turn just before Long Ing Bridge (No. 153) to return to Silsden.
*The Foulridge Tunnel is 1630 yards (1.49km) long and has no towpath, although you can walk across the top of it if you want. Passage through the tunnel works on a traffic light system which allows each boat 20 minutes to get to the other end. There is lots of condensation in the tunnel, so you could get pretty wet as you pass through if you don’t wear waterproofs and a hat! Turn around after the tunnel, just after Wanless Bridge (145), and return to Silsden.
Relaxed route: Saltaire, Gargrave and Return - 42 miles, 28 locks, 27 hours total
Cruise south along the Leeds & Liverpool Canal, through numerous swing bridges and lots of lovely countryside dotted with quaint cottages, historic warehouses and factories. Tackle the famous Bingley 5-Rise staircase locks, plus the lesser-known 3-Rise locks – the Bingley 5-Rise locks have the highest gradient of any locks anywhere on the UK canal system. Continue south to the impressive mill ‘village’ of Saltaire to moor up and admire the work of Titus Salt who had the village built to house his workforce and his mills. Turn around at Shipley and retrace your steps, bypassing Silsden en route to the market town of Skipton, followed by the attractive village of Gargrave which is edged by the Yorkshire Dales. Return to Silsden. A really fabulous canal experience with some stunning scenery along the way.
Intermediate route: Leeds and Return - 44 miles, 54 locks, 31.5 hours total
Head south through the Bingley 5-Rise locks – steepest in the UK; stop at the impressive Saltaire village for a good look around; enjoy some time in Shipley then continue into the centre of Leeds. The canalside City of Leeds also sit on the south bank of the River Aire and across the river you’ll find ‘Call Lane’ which is a redeveloped industrial area with lots of bars, restaurants and music venues. During the industrial revolution Leeds was a major mill and engineering town and dotted around the City you’ll find plenty of interesting architecture including some ornate Victorian shopping arcades, especially in the Victoria Quarter, and there are plenty of museums and galleries to visit if you wish. Known as the ‘foodie capital of the north’ Leeds also has a diverse food scene – from street food to Michelin starred restaurants. Turn around here and return to Silsden.
Intermediate route: The Weaver’s Triangle, Burnley and Return - 63 miles, 44 locks, 32 hours total
Head north along the scenic Leeds and Liverpool Canal from Silsden and through some of its many swing bridges, surrounded by the beautiful Yorkshire countryside. Stop at the market town of Skipton for a wander around before continuing to the pretty village of Gargrave. Having visited Gargrave, carry on along the canal past East Marton and to Barnoldswick. Soon after Barnoldswick, pass through the long Foulridge Tunnel which is just short of 1500m long. After the tunnel continue west through the locks at Barrowford, after which you approach the outskirts of Burnley. On one side of the canal you’ll find the outlying villages and suburbs that surround Burnley and on the other you’ll find countryside, with the giant Pendle Hill in the distance (famous for being the home of the Pendle Witches who were executed for witchcraft in 1612). Cobbled streets meet the canal alongside terraced houses and old wharves, many under renovation. Just four miles ahead of you lies the huge Burnley Embankment which carries the canal over the town and includes an aqueduct at its middle; the Embankment is 820 yards long and sometimes known as the ‘straight mile’. At the end of the Embankment the canal turns to the right and it is here that you find the Weaver’s Triangle which has tall brick chimneys, old loading wharves and historic canalside warehouses, engine houses and spinning mills – one of the best preserved 19th century industrial districts in the UK. The Weaver’s Triangle visitor centre is also worth a look around. The town centre with its multiple shops, pubs and restaurants is within walking distance of the canal from here too, with the best access gained from bridge 130B (but not bridge 130BB). Turn around just before bridge 130 and return to Silsden.
Active route: Riley Green and Return - 106 miles, 56 locks, 48 hours total
Follow the route to Weaver’s Triangle (as shown above) and then continue past Blackburn to the small village of Riley Green. Cruise through Gannow Tunnel (512m long) as you exit central Burnley, which is followed by a smattering of canalside houses, mills and warehouses alongside the green corridor of the canal. Further ahead, just past Hapton, the local scenery offers lovely views across the Calder Valley and distant Pendle Hill; in contrast, a motorway runs quite close to the canal in places on its opposite side. Emphasising the hilliness of the countryside here, the canal begins to meander after you reach Clayton-le-Moors - stop at bridge 114B for access to the town and nearby pub. From here onwards, the views can be a mixture of beautiful countryside and built up industrial areas; some in a state of disrepair and others having been redeveloped. Exceptional views of the valley can be had between Aspen Bridge and the Dunkenhalgh Aqueduct, which takes you right over the M65. Next, the canal passes through the village of Rishton which has local shops and takeaways, then the canal swerves round to the west and back into more countryside on its approach to Blackburn where it becomes more built-up once again. There are 6 wide locks to negotiate at Blackburn, plus quite a few shops and places to eat out in the town centre. Blackburn was once thought of as the ‘weaving capital of the world’ - the main hub of England’s 18th and 19th century textile industry; now it has bars, museums, galleries and theatres as well as a large ‘mall’ at its centre. Leaving Blackburn, the canal enters woodland and beautiful countryside before arriving at the small village of Riley Green where there are moorings and a local village pub. Turn around at the wharf here before mooring up to walk over the bridge and into the village. Return to Silsden.
Relaxed route: New Springs (Wigan) and Return - 135 miles, 72 locks, 60 hours total
Intermediate route: Hebden Bridge and Return - 133 miles, 144 locks, 81 hours total
Active route: The Two Roses Ring - 183 miles, 214 locks, 109 hours total
