15th and 16th of July 2016. To Foulridge via Gargrave.

On Friday we made an early start out of Skipton. We saw a fellow paddle-boarder on the way; he had also paddled around Skipton the previous evening.

We now have just over a week to get through Wigan and to our marina so we had good intentions for making progress. However, it was really miserable and cold; Robin even put his winter hat on!

After 4.5 miles, 4 swing bridges and 3 locks we stopped at Gargrave for a Scooby walk. As soon as we did, the rain started and we decided to stop for the day, not having the heart to go on. Its July for goodness sake!

On Saturday we got up at the usual time and just as we were finishing breakfast the nice couple who we had shared locks with the day before came past. We set off after them and we shared the next 9 locks. Although cloudy, the morning was dry and this is a very beautiful stretch of canal.

Our companions stopped at East Morton and we went on to the three Greenberfield locks. Last time we were here, we moored at the bottom. This time there was a posse of WPs there, including this rather eccentric vessel.

It was nearly 4pm by the time we got to the top lock so we stopped at the little café there for a late toasted sandwich lunch. After that it was a 2 hour straight run to the moorings at the Foulridge tunnel. We are at the summit of the Leeds and Liverpool canal now and we enjoyed the views and some late sunshine.

Jo, accompanied by Scooby, has her feet up while enjoying the view at the sharp end.

At about 5.30pm we crossed into Lancashire (will the weather be any better now we have left Yorkshire?). Tomorrow we go through the tunnel and up the Barrowford locks where we pause for the night before making a run through Burnley on Monday.