Potato Wharf (Clarence Dock) Leeds

2 Locks, 1 Mile. Now moored at Clarence Dock (Potato Wharf).

Granary Wharf dry docks now part of a new complex in the heart of Leeds.

We have been blessed with a beautiful day today, clear blue skies and sunshine. The only downfall was the biting wind in exposed places. With it being such a glorious day it was too nice a day to waste at the Royal Armouries Museum so it was off into the city with camera at the ready.

Granary Wharf redevelopment.

Like so many places we have visited, Leeds has a 300 year old history just on the canal and river navigation alone. Coal was a big factor with the Leeds Corporation Electricity Dept having a power station at Kirkstall which had its own very large wharf, now Fallwood Marina and a long forgotten about power station in the city which was reached by a lock in the bowels of the labyrinth below Leeds Railway Station on the River Aire.

Clarence Dock or “Tattie dock” as the boatmen called it for its regular potato cargo's.

Wool, potato’s, produce and grain also figured in the growth of Leeds around the River Aire and the Leeds and Liverpool Canal. Boatmen of old knew Clarence Dock as “Tattie Wharf” due to the preponderance of potato cargo’s through the wharf. Many of the old warehouses have been lovingly converted to office or apartment blocks to retain the canal/river side image. Some, like the Tower Mill alongside our previous mooring above Office Lock have not been so fortunate. The street facade has been retained along with the 3 towers which were actually very elaborate chimney’s but the rest is being demolished in preparation for another new development.

All that remains of Tower Mill. They are actually chimneys. A new apartment building is to be built around them retaining the street facade.

There is a lot of activity around the Royal Armouries Museum this week-end with  a re-enactment of the Civil War taking place and lot of people wandering around in period costume. We will visit the museum tomorrow.

Re-enactment of the Civil War at the Royal Armouries Museum.

When it came time to move from Office Lock to our present mooring we found that BW had assigned a lock keeper to Office and River locks for the day so we got assisted passage. The lockie told us he had been helping out at the Bingley 5 Rise. Since we arrived at Clarence Dock about 5 other boats have appeared which is probably the most boat movements in one day that we have seen since leaving Liverpool. There are not many spare moorings left now.

1839 locks, 3741 miles, 68 tunnels, 127 swing bridges and 53 lift bridges since Nov 2006