To Crick: Day 18

A slightly worrying moment when I fired up the engine this morning — it was a bit spluttery, which is unusual.  Revving it a bit seemed to bring it back to normal, so I’m  hoping it was just the aftermath of the fuel works the other day.  We set off at 8.30, and were almost immediately at Norton Junction.

We turned left onto the Leicester Line, which is quite a tight turn from this direction — then stopped straight away at the rather awkwardly placed water point just through the bridge.  We got more washing on so we’re now up to date, and got the tank filling.

It’s not a particularly fast tap, so even though we’d put some water in at Braunston yesterday morning it took a while — in fact the washing machine was onto the spin cycle before we left.  There’s a mile or so to Watford Locks, and there was one boat waiting when we arrived.  I went and checked in with the lock keeper, who said there was a boat coming down the second lock, then the first boat would be coming up and we could follow.  A single-hander also arrived behind us.  The wait was quite short, and we were soon on our way up the two single locks at the bottom.

The lock keeper who was at the bottom lock stayed there to help the single hander, so by the time we were in the staircase of four locks we were left to our own devices, which was quite nice.

The single lock at the top was ready for us when we got there.  The whole lot only took about 35 minutes.

Then we were on the lookout for a mooring, preferably around Bridge 9.  Lots of the usual spaces were very busy, so when the piling just through the bridge was free, we jumped on it.  Since then a boat has moored behind, and one briefly moored in front, until Adrian assured them they’d be able to get on their booked Crick Show mooring today if they wanted to.  We were expecting Andy and Helen this evening, but they’re stuck at the bottom of the locks because the lockie said there wasn’t enough time for them to get up the flight before closing time.

This afternoon, we washed the roof of the boat, which was badly in need of attention, and then did the towpath side.  We’ll do the other side when we get to Crick tomorrow, assuming it’s accessible.

3 miles, 7 locks.  (109 miles, 132 locks)

Pre-Crick: Day 4

I reckon doing one night shift is worse than doing three — I was in bed by 8pm last night, but was awake early this morning.  Consequently we were off at 7am.  It was a bit cloudy and rather chilly, but at least the flag irises were adding some brightness.

Adrian had a work call scheduled for 9.30 so we needed to be stationary in a place with a decent signal, so we stopped just past the big new A45 bridge, in a place we moored a few times before the road was built over the adjacent field.  About an hour later we set off again, then stopped below Buckby locks for another call at 11am.  We had lunch after that and set off again at about 12.30 up the flight.  We were following two pairs of boats up, but there was nothing for us to pair with.

By the time we were in the third lock, we’d met four single boats coming down.  One of the locks has no bar to lift one set of gate paddles meaning they’re out of action, and another has one ground paddle completely missing.  However, the sun had come out and the temperature had shot up.

At the top lock, Sheila from Salodin walked up, being moored round the corner.  It was great to have a brief catch-up with her, and of course we’ll see her at the Crick Show.  We turned onto the Leicester line — the moorings in all directions at Norton Junction were busy — and carried on to Watford locks, getting there a bit before 4.  I wandered up to find the lock keeper and get us booked in.  There was a boat coming down the bottom lock of the staircase and the two singles were set for it, so they asked us to wait until they were down.  We used the time to put some water in the tank, but within about ten minutes they were down and we could go up.  With two lock keepers on duty, I had to strategise just to get to wind a paddle myself!  Adrian made a great turn from the second lock into the staircase, which is a tricky one.

We fair sped up the locks, and with a boat arriving at the top we could leave various gates open.

At the top, we carried on a bit.  When a lovely length of piling in a sunny position with no boats on it presented itself, we moored up for the night.  Bridge 9 is visible ahead; I think in the past we’ve moored the other side of it.

13 miles, 14 locks.  (32 miles, 23 locks)

To Crick: Day 1

We drove up to the boat first thing this morning, with the journey seeming to take quite a long time.  Briar Rose was back in the water at Heyford Fields, and moored on the far side of the marina.  As well as blacking, we’ve had a full engine service (I do the oil changes myself but it’s good to have a proper once-over every now and again) and we’ve had a new prop to replace one that was full of dings.  It was about 10.15 when we left the marina, and turned left for Crick.  Of course the good thing about starting from Heyford Fields is that it’s two thirds of a day closer to Crick than our home base.

By Flore Lane Bridge is a funny little house, which I’ve always thought of as being 1970s, but it could be earlier.  Over the past couple of years it has been completely gutted, but now it’s finished, and looks fantastic, with modern floor to ceiling windows, glass balustrades, and stylish furniture. It’s an upside down house, with the living accommodation upstairs and the bedrooms below.

We soon got to Buckby Locks, having had lunch on the move.  Bizarrely, we ended up sharing with three different boats.  Boats were coming out of the bottom lock as we arrived so we went in and waited for a boat we could see in the distance.  It turned out to be Snoozy Bee, with a chap on board who was also going to the show to help Gary and Dave from Boating Leisure Services.  The next couple of locks also had boats coming down, but then we needing to turn a couple.  We’d also caught up with a single handler, so we did a couple of locks with him.  At the top lock there was already a boat waiting to go up, so we went with them as the single handler said he was planning to moor at the junction.  We turned right onto the Leicester Line, and continued to Watford Locks where there was no queue and the lock keeper said we could go straight up.

It had been nice and sunny all day but by now was also warm.  We carried on to through Bridge 9 and moored up in a nice sunny spot.  The M1 isn’t too close, there are sheep on the other side of the canal, and Home Farm is through the towpath hedge.

11 miles, 14 locks.

Big Trip - Day 32

We had a great evening with Debbie and James from Lois Jane last night, and we can confirm James's reputation as an excellent chef -- particularly as I'm awkward in not liking curry, so he did chicken stroganoff for one in addition to the main menu!  We walked the long way down from the top of the flight to where LJ was moored at the bottom, to see the site of the inclined plane; but we came back the short way in the dark at the end of the evening.

Our mooring at the top of Foxton was right opposite the access arm to the inclined plane, so was a wide expanse of water.  It looked particularly nice in the morning sunshine before we set off.

Although it was sunny, there was also a chilly breeze.  But I was determined not to put another layer on, and it warmed up as the day went on.  The first section of canal from Foxton is lovely, with wide reaching views of the Leicestershire farm land and distant villages.

The first major feature is Husbands Bosworth Tunnel, 1170 yards long, and very straight so you can see the far end.

At Welford Junction, we resisted the temptation of an excursion up the Welford Arm as we've done it at least twice before.  Instead we crossed the aqueduct over the River Avon, and so into Northamptonshire.  Shortly afterwards we passed the bloggers, Jeanie Deans.

The last time we travelled this stretch was in March 2008, when we went to Market Harborough and back on Debdale.  I distinctly remembered the Bridge 32 had looked on the verge on falling down back then, and was pleased to see it had been beautifully rebuilt.  I've just looked up the 2008 photo to compare with today's.

Before long we passed through Yelvertoft and past the marina which wasn't there in 2008.  Then the familiar shape of Crack's Hill came into view, and we were at Crick.  This feels like home waters, having been to the boat show by boat for the past two years.  As we passed the marina we had a brief chat with John and Ali on Triskaideka.  We moored up and walked to the Co-op in the village, mostly because we were down to our last bottle of wine.  As it was only 3pm and quite sunny, we decided to go a couple of miles further.  So it was into Crick Tunnel, the longest on this stretch at 1528 yards.

We passed one boat in the tunnel, who's adopted a strange method of getting through.  He had his bow up against the wall, and as we approached came to a complete halt so his sterm swung out in front of us.  After we'd bumped our way past each other, he carried on, diagonally across the tunnel, with his bow pinned to the wall.  I do wish people would realise that the best way to pass another boat in a tunnel is to keep going; if you stop, you lose all steering and one end or the other will end up in the way of the other boat.

We moored up in the stretch between the railway bridge and Bridge 9, with Home Farm visible through the towpath hedge.  It's a nice sunny spot; the only slight downside is that the M1 is audible.  We're only about half a mile from Watford Locks.  A number of boats have been past, including Ellen who are presumably heading back to Crick.

20 miles, 0 locks.  (413 miles, 249 locks)