On a grey, wet Saturday last year, our family and a group of other bloggers joined Wynsors, The Canal & River Trust and Bingley Walkers are Welcome for a walk along the Leeds & Liverpool canal. Our walk would explore the canal, and help us get to know Bingley Five Rise Locks. Bingley Five Rise Locks are really exciting, as they are the steepest staircase locks, on the longest canal in England.
Wynsors want to encourage families to spend more outdoors doing little activities, regardless of the weather, as long as everyone is wearing the correct clothing and footwear. The saying: ‘There is no such thing as bad weather, only the wrong clothes’ springs to mind, and I have to say I agree with it. Although, I do have trouble with strong winds, mixed with rain!
Canals are an easy, and convenient way to escape busy lives, take some time out and breathe. They are perfect for families, cyclists, boaters, anglers, the old and the young. They are home to wildlife including kingfishers, otters, ducks, herons, swans and geese, and jam-packed full of history. We walked along the canal, fed the ducks, spotted wildlife, practised our animal sounds, discovered the locks, found some bogs and talked about how canals are changing.
Our walk finished a little early (there were quite a few babies) as the rain went wild and the wind started to blow – a great excuse to take shelter in The Potting Shed Bingley. A family friendly, interior-person loving, fun and tasty place to eat.
I had such a great time getting to know the Leeds & Liverpool Canal, and so did our boys. Rufus also loved sharing the ‘Quack Snacks’ with himself. Thankfully they were just oats!
A little tip on feeding ducks:
I had a great chat with The Canal & River Trust representative about the effect that feeding bread to ducks has on canals in England. She said that every year, the weight of 22 double-decker buses of bread is removed from canals they are entrusted with. I couldn’t believe it! Bread soaks up water, sinks to the bottom and causes blockages – it isn’t the best thing for ducks either. She suggested oats and frozen peas as much better alternatives – for both the environment, and canals. What a difference such a simple change could make.
E xx
Many thanks to Wynsors for inviting us along to this event, for providing us with fantastic goodie bags, snacks, lunch, and encouraging us to get outdoors as a family.
We did this a couple of months ago in Lancashire and it was fab, always nice to get outdoors. We were in with the wildlife trust so go to hear some interesting tips from them! Looks beautiful on your walk. We had friends who lived with the Bingley Five Locks at the back of their house and used to walk along it when we visited, it’s such a great sight to see! xx
Hayley! How cool that you have been to Bingley Five Rise Locks! I’m so glad you had a brilliant time on your walk too. I agree, it is always nice to get outdoors, especially when it’s fresh! x