Anchor Inn, Salterforth

We'd not planned to travel today, but the gas had run out the previous evening. Will's been baking much of our own bread and using the honesty box eggs to make cakes. We'd therefore got through the second bottle a lot quicker than anticipated. Luckily Lower Park Marina; a favourite of Vicky's parents, was within a day's cruising distance. We passed Sarah and Dad's regards on to Wayne and James and they sorted us out with gas, water and, red diesel at £1.10 per litre.

It was a really enjoyable stay at Salterforth Visitor moorings pontoon (limited to two days).

Will was very keen for Vicky to visit the cellar of the adjacent Anchor Inn with him. Vicky's stepmum Sarah had also recommended it, but neither would tell her why. Early Friday evening we bought drinks and once there was a lull, the landlord snuck us down the stone steps behind the bar. Opening a large wooden door, his handheld floodlight exposed a closed off vaulted passageway from whose ceiling hung pencil thin stalactites a good 2m long. Some of them even joined thicker trunks of stalagmites rising from the stone floor. What an amazing surprise! It was beautiful in a ghostly sort of way and we were very grateful for our private viewing.

The building had existed since 1655 as a watering hole under several different names. Where we were standing was the old pack horse trail. The publican pointed out the step where the gentry would alight from their carriages and the coachmans' entrance to the rear. When the canal was constructed, earth was banked up above the level of the pub. Street level became the cellars and another storey was built directly on top to become the new pub! With this sort of history, it is no wonder Anchor Inn is a Grade 2 listed building. Happily, the dog friendly business that has recently reopened under new management seemed to be thriving. We visited twice to support this!

The following day was an adventure...
Dale View Riding Centre was less than a mile away so we set off in the hope of arranging a ride. Having hauled ourselves up a very long steep hill, we were told that unfortunately, the stables had a long waiting list and only one horse suitable for adults. We'd suspected this might be the case, but the walk was worth it for being able to say hi to the horses and the views over the valley.

Returning to canal level we quenched our thirst at Anchor Inn before going on a little quest to find an interesting old stone waymarker. Will had seen it on another boater's FB page but it took the power of the internet and persistence to find the location of this ancient artefact.

The dogs were keen to get out when we arrived back. When walking them we bumped into Brenda; a local who we'd met and chatted to several times previously. She revealed she was on the way to her smallholding to feed the animals. Will knew Vicky would love to help and he had the confidence to ask whether she could go with Brenda. Happily Brenda took Vicky under her wing and chatted away about how she and her partner Howard had gradually accumulated a plot of 2 acres over the course of 50 years. In an assortment of closely packed, well maintained sheds and stables lived Boer Goats, African Geese, Zwarbtles and Dorset Sheep, a couple of feral cats and best of all, two Miniature Mediterranean Donkeys called Max and Bruce. It made Vicky's day being able to pet and feed them. People are so kind!Okumaya devam et