Saturday 19 May 2012

Todmorden to Manchester Canal Walk 19th May

Canal walk Saturday 19 May Todmorden to Manchester
It was a gloomy morning as we met up at Victoria station. We were delighted that our usual gang of four was augmented by Jackie and Declan. To our amazement we later  learned that Jackie was Declan’s gran; Jackie didn’t look old enough to be anyone’s gran; honest !
We alighted from the train at Todmorden and started by a look around the market; declared as ‘disappointing’ by a knowing Sue; none of the stalls seemed to have very much of anything to sell.
We set off soon passing a milepost that read ‘Manchester 22 miles’; deep breaths all around ! The first section was the most scenic as the hills crowded in on the summit pound between Todmorden and Littleborough.
It was then downhill all the way; we nearly lost Tracy and Linda at our lunch stop; the girls stopping at the ‘Sandbrook’ rather than ‘The Blue Pits’; well it sounds similar said Linda; and it’s on the canal. It actually turned out to be a good stop as we forsook the carvery and ate our sarnies in the outside area.
We proceeded through Castleton to Chadderton and the well appointed ‘Rose of Lancaster’; most of our party returned by train to Manchester from this point; but myself and Tracy continued on the final seven miles to Piccadily basin thereby completing the ‘South Pennine Canal Ring’. Now it’s off to the ‘Liverpool to Leeds Canal’ and the Peoples Republic of Wigan for the next walk.
John H

More Photos HERE