In 'Journeying through the Standedge Tunnel', Susan Gebbels looks at the building of the tunnel, its heyday, its demise and final restoration in the 1990s.
Whilst travelling around the inland waterways network I have been interested to see dates, inscriptions and shapes cut into the stones that form the canals, especially around the lock chambers. The smaller hand chiselled inscriptions are Masons’ marks, more specifically, Banker marks.
I bought Blackbird, a 40ft narrow boat just over a year ago and have just completed my first year as a Continuous Cruiser. It’s been a wonderful time (mostly)!
The navigational section of the Lancaster canal is 41 glorious miles whose beauty is hard to beat. As a waterway it has so much to offer and delight: an exciting passage to reach it via The Ribble link, stunning countryside, panoramic views of The Lake District and Morecambe Bay, a branch that connects it with the sea and two lively and historic cities to discover.
The first step to becoming a sailor seemed quite clear, learn to sail. Unfortunately this was not as straight forward as it sounded, sailing lessons were expensive, and I didn’t know anybody who could sail let alone anyone who had a boat.
