That's really all there is to say. We had a wakeful night, someone on watch throughout, checking the river water level at regular intervals. It eventually peaked about 2 am, just an inch or perhaps two below the level of the defensive stonework at the top of the flood lock. If it had risen any more then no-one knows what might have happened - it is possible that the canal could have flooded from either end as, we later learnt, the river below the weir was up to the top of the Stanley Ferry Aqueduct, just a mile or so further back along the canal.
By 9 am, the level had dropped almost as dramatically as it has risen, now some four feet or more below the high point. However, it is likely that the further reductions to safe navigable levels will be quite slow.
After a morning of doing very little - surprise, surprise - we eventually decided to walk into Wakefield along the riverside footpath. The first section last night was in the middle of the flood plain! The weir in the city centre was flowing well although, again, the evidence of much higher flood levels yesterday was evident everywhere.
After a little shopping and using Wetherspoons for wifi (not a freebie this time, alas) we bought a length of timber to fashion into a handspike - we also took a look at an actual mechansim on Wakefield flood lock to see how it works and what size it needs to be. Then, the only imaginitive thing to do, was to walk back to the boat the way we came.
The exciting part of the day (!) was a short boat movement back to the water point to fill up the tanks! Afterwards, Andrew walked down to the aqueduct and saw for himself the extent of the rubbish which had collected, including a tractor tyre deposited on top of the footbridge! He also learnt that there was a lot of worried boat people around there last night!
