We were on our way by ten o’clock and the cooling towers of Ferrybridge power station loomed ahead as we passed through the flood lock. Just over an hour later Bullholme Lock appeared ahead. The light was on amber, but as no one was on duty we tied up and taking our BW key with us we inserted it into the control box, followed the instructions, pressed the buttons in the right order and the gates swung open and in we went and the good news was that all of the rest of the locks to Leeds would be just as easy, which was as well, as Jacquie, although over the worst of her cold was still feeling fragile.
A few minutes later we stopped at Castleford for coffee whilst the water tank was filling. Just after midday we turned sharp right after the flood lock at the junction of the Rivers Aire and Calder and headed towards Leeds on the Aire.
It was much less windy than yesterday, good cruising weather, we passed but didn’t stop at the Thwaite Mills Industrial Museum, marked by a restored steam crane and after five locks and ten miles and some impressively converted warehouses, we turned sharp left into Clarence Dock. What looked like a rather strange lighthouse was in fact the tower of The Armoury Museum which is right alongside the dock, brilliant.
We reversed onto one of the pontoons, the mooring is free for 48 hours complete with water and card operated electricity hook up. All the old wharfs and warehouses around the dock have gone and have been replaced by smart offices and apartments with restaurants and retail units at ground level and a Tesco Express just two minutes walk away. It is a safe and quite city centre mooring and the design is exciting, but it does look a bit grey and cold, but I guess a drop of sunshine and a few more people about and it would brighten up. 
There is a plaque on a wall with a plan showing all of the old warehouses and factories that used to surrounded the docks and a list of all the companies that were based here, that certainly helped to get a feel of what this area must have been like in its working heyday. 
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