A Walk Along the Glasson Waterway in Lancashire, UK

The last time I was in Lancashire I was able to go for a walk along one of the inland network of British waterways.

Galgate Marina

UK has a good network of waterways and normally there is a path next to them to walk along. I went for the walk on the Glasson branch, which is a part of the Lancaster canal of the British waterways.

Galgate to Lancaster waterway

While walking from the Galgate towards Preston side and then further taking a detour towards the Thurnham Hall side I observed that there are lot of Britishers who love to do boating or just to laze around in the sun where they have moored their boats. And in the evening either they play with their dogs or open a wine bottle and enjoy the scenery.

A house along the waterway

From Galgate one can walk till the Lancaster town which is about five miles along the waterway and is a beautiful trek to do. Else one can go in the opposite direction towards Garstang which is seven and Preston 24 miles from Galgate.  Another route that one can take is the Thurnham Hall upto Glasson Basin which is about 3 miles from Galgate.

Glasson Branch towards Thurnham & one of the six locks

The Glasson branch has six locks and a tidal sea lock to control the flow of water. You would be surprised that Galgate not only has berth holder facilities that are available but even  laundry is available. Galgate is just couple of miles from Lancaster University.

Also read other posts on Lancashire:
Lancaster to Morecambe Trail
Ashton Memorial - The Taj Mahal of the North
Lancaster Castle or Her Majesty's Prison
Clitheroe Castle, Lancashire
Spotting a Seal in Morecambe
Lancaster University Seen From a Different Angle
The Hidden Gem of Lancaster University

Skywatch Friday - Sunset at McLeodganj, Himachal

This is my first post under the Skywatch Friday. These photos were taken at McLeodganj in Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh.

Sunset at McLeodganj

McLeodganj is the seat of the Tibetan Government in Exile. Both the photos were taken on the western side of the market and are very close to the Tsug-La-Khang complex.

Sunset at McLeodganj

And what a beautiful sunset it is! This post is part of Skywatch Friday.

Water Tank at City Palace, Alwar

The water tank is located next to the City Palace and the Cenotaph of Bakhtawar Singh, also popularly known as Moosi Rani ki Chattri in the city of Alwar in Rajasthan.

Water Tank, City Palace, Alwar

I believe the tank used to serve the needs of the palace though most of the water needs were met by the Siliserh Lake from where the water was brought to the city in channels to meet the requirements of the city. Also the tank was meant, probably, to provide cooling effect to rooms in the Vinay Vilas palace as I saw rooms facing the water tank had jaalis (grills) for passage of cool air. The palace in the city was the living quarters of the king during the peace times but in times of war they used to move to the Bala Quila (fort) which is high up on the nearby hill overlooking the city and the palace.

Water Tank, City Palace, Alwar

What is interesting is the fact that the scenery is pleasing to the eyes and more so the pictures that come out what with the green tinge of the water and the reflections of the surrounding hills and the chattris (cenotaphs). The green tinge is of course due to the fact that the water is stagnant leading to the growth of green algae and there is no cleaning of the tank. I even saw some poly-bags lying in the water tank.

Water Tank with Moosi Rani ki Chattri and the City Palace

There are two floating boats meant to act as fountains with lights but I found them non-functional during my visit.

Also read:
Bala Quila – Alwar’s Way of How Not to Promote Tourism
Cenotaph of Bakhtawar Singh of Alwar
Siliserh Lake near Alwar, Rajasthan