Grafton Regis again

I decided I would stay up here until I go to work on Friday — which meant I needed to do some washing as I was running out of clean clothes.  I’d originally planned to go home on Saturday, so hadn’t brought much with me.  So I got the washing machine going and then set off to Stoke Bruerne.  The forecast suggested it would be ok in the morning but rain in the afternoon, so I was under way but about 9.  There are lots of fields of sheep and lambs round here, and in one the farmers had arrived with a trailer of new arrivals, presumably for, the lambing shed.  They were trying to make sure the ewes and the lambs knew who belonged to who before leaving them to get on with it.

I turned around at Stoke Bruerne bottom lock, I think disappointing a boat ahead who were waiting in the lock.  I reversed onto the service mooring to fill the water tank, as the washing machine had been on.  This also gave me chance to get the washing out, make some tea, and dump rubbish.  As it was still quite early and not yet raining, I decided to go back to Grafton Regis, where some of the nice moorings were available — the ones with the view both sides, one of which I stayed on for a night last week.  I was all secure by about 11.30, so I started to write up yesterday’s boat test.  One of the lambs in the field on the towpath side decided that in spite of having a whole field of grass to eat, he’d prefer the string that’s been used to fix a hole in the fence.

Before long it began to rain on and off.  I had some lunch and continued to write.  In early afternoon I felt I needed a walk, and the rain was only light.  I walked back to Bridge 57 and up the lane, past Grafton Regis church, which sits right on top of the hill.

There are some nice houses up there, with fantastic views across the valley.  The old part of the village is set much further back from the A508 than I’d expected too.  I walked a loop at the top, taking one lane to the main road, going along it for a bit, and then the next lane back.  Back at the boat I finished my boat test and even got the check call done with the builder.  At about 4.30 I lit the fire, having been ok without it all day.  I need to get that washing dry by the morning!

6 miles, 0 locks.  (7 miles, 0 locks)