It took Alisha and I five weeks to travel from London to Leeds by narrowboat. Along the way we stopped off for a few days at Windsor, Marlow, Oxford and Leicester to do some sight seeing. Some days we rose at dawn and drove till dusk; other days we just went a few miles to the next town.
We travelled 353 miles, through 164 locks and 35 moveable bridges, across 11 aquaducts and through 4 tunnels. 121 miles of the journey was on large rivers. At least that’s how the Canal Planner website reckons it. Longest journey I’ve made by boat so far.
It’s great to arrive in Leeds, my old home city. We arrived just in time: the River Aire is in flood and we’re stuck in Clarence Dock with the flood lock’s gate shut and chained behind us. The water in the canal is rushing along fast and high, glad we’re not driving in it. We’re on the floating short-term moorings next to the Royal Armouries museum, with water taps and electricity available.
Time to relax, enjoy being settled for a while and start looking for work in Yorkshire. For the next few months we’ll stick around Leeds.
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