Alisha and I had decided to buy a winter mooring to make life easier for a few months. We’ll have a base and won’t need to keep cruising the canals looking for the next mooring. We’ll be hooked up to electricity and rarely have to run the engine or switch the diesel heater on so we’ll save on fuel. Plus, Clarence Dock is conveniently located in Leeds for work and getting to the railway station. This is the view from the flood lock at the entrance to the marina.
Leeds is a ghost town for boats, hardly any narrowboats have passed through and there seems to be nowhere for visitors to moor in the city for more than two days at a time. That was quite a disappointment after having travelled up north through so many towns and cities with sizeable liveaboard communities. There are free 48 hr visitor moorings at Clarence Dock, and £3 a night 48 hr moorings Granary Wharf, both with electrical points, but that’s it.
Maybe when spring comes Leeds will be busy with boats again. Until then, we’ll take a break from travelling and relax for a while.
This is the mooring we’ve staying on in Leeds over winter. Ours is the blue narrowboat with the cream roof, second from the left, between a dutch barge and a tug. Just outside our door is Mumtaz restaurant, which does superb Pakistani food.
Opposite is the Royal Armouries museum, where the photo above was taken from.
If the river Aire is likely to be in flood, these flood gates at the entrance to the marina are closed.
We’ll definitely get a winter mooring next year, it’s so much more convenient to be on mains electricity and have water and facilities nearby during the colder months.
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