Post Crick: Day 10

We set off a little after 8am, just after another boat had passed us going in the same direction.  Our Plan A had been to stop on the water point at the top lock and get some washing going, but if the other boat was going down the locks we’d go too.  As it happened, he was going to the water point, and as the top lock was full we headed into it.  Then a boat which had been moored at the far end of the lock landing showed signs of life and indicated that they’d come with us.  It turned out they were boat movers taking the boat down to Whilton Marina, and had still been in bed when they heard us go past!  We made good progress down the locks, in lovely warm sunny conditions.

By lock 12, there’s a little hut containing eggs for sale.  I wish I’d taken a photo when I looked in it yesterday, because there was a goose egg in there.  Today, it was gone.  Half a dozen hen’s eggs are £1, which we thought seemed quite cheap, and goose eggs are £1 each, we thought seemed expensive in comparison.

At the bottom of the locks we paused to get the washing machine going (during the washing part of the cycle, when the machine is heating water, the Travel Power needs the engine at about 1600 revs, so we need to be stationary).  It only takes about 15 minutes, and that times was used by Adrian going to get ice creams from the marina shop.  Once we were on the move again, there was an idyllic scene if you ignored the M1 alongside the canal, with fluffy seeds coming off the trees like snow.  The air was full of them and they were making a carpet on the water.

When we got to Weedon, we tied up opposite the boat yard, because we wanted to visit the Ordnance Depot.  I’ve been before but Adrian hasn’t.  We walked down from the embankment and under the canal and the railway line.

The depot dates back to 1802 and was used to store arms, cannon, and gunpowder.  What’s now the boatyard was the start of an arm which still runs through the site.

There’s a little visitor centre, staffed by very enthusiastic volunteers.

The buildings are now used for businesses.  We had lunch in a cake cafe which only opened on Saturday; there are also gyms, motorsport places, pet food shops, antique centres and a bookshop.  It’s well worth a visit from the canal.

We made one further stop, at Rugby Boats, where the diesel is now up to £1.50 basic price.  We took on 54 litres; the guy there was telling us about a woman who had bought a boat that had huge diesel tanks at the bow, and turned out not to have much diesel in them.  She asked them to stop filling when it got to 500 litres!  We plodded on along the very familiar canal, and stopped about 3.30 at the stretch of piling a little before Bridge 46.

11 miles, 7 locks.  (99 miles, 53 locks)