Today we have spent all day moving, and ended up where we started. We set off at about 8.30, in bright sunshine. First stop was at the water point by the Peartree Bridge pub, as we needed another load of washing done. We were there a bit longer than expected, because on checking the machine to see whether the wash part of the cycle was done, it was showing an error code indicating it couldn’t lock the door. We sorted that and got it going again. The tap was extraordinarily slow, so the extra time there was probably a good thing.
We shared Fenny Stratford lock with a hire boat in search of a pump out, with MK marina having sent them on to Willowbridge, as their machine wasn’t working. The crew was relieved to hear that Willowbridge was canalside, and they wouldn’t have to do a difficult turn in! We carried on to the winding hole below Stoke Hammond Lock, where we turned around, and reversed onto a bit of piling to moor up. We then walked up to the Soulbury Three Locks, which are currently closed for work. There’s a big coffer dam and a pontoon bridge across the canal.
The actual work is to rebuild the wall just below the top lock, and there was a work boat beached across the drained pound, and lots of people laying bricks.
The pound below the middle lock also has a very bad wall, with the gabions having disintegrated. I suspect that’s a job for another time though, otherwise the locks won’t be re-opening on Friday afternoon as scheduled.
We had lunch at the Three Locks pub. They don’t really have a sensible lunch menu, so we selected items from the nibbles and starter menus. Everything was very tasty, but a bit pricy. We walked back and retraced our steps. Somewhere along the canal was a scene which reminded me of the concrete sculpture of a sofa that’s on the Coventry Arm — except this isn’t a sculpture.
We’ve moored in the same spot as last night, just facing the other way. Adrian has been making a chilli as we’ve travelled along.
13 miles, 2 locks. (21 miles, 3 locks)
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