North again: Day 4

Remarkably, there were only two boats on the moorings at Foxton Junction last night, us and one other beyond the water points.  That’s in spite of there having been a stream of boats past all afternoon.  This morning, we thought we’d wash the towels so started the machine before we set off.  As the tap was only a few metres away, we topped up the tank again too.  We got under way just before 9.

We haven’t been beyond Foxton since 2016, so quite a lot of this route feels new.  I have done a few boat tests at Debdale Marina, but even that seemed further away from Foxton than I expected.  Just after the marina, the canal is a Site of Special Scientific Interest, and the reeds take up quite a lot of the canal.

I liked the way a tall white House sat up on the ridge of a hill, and then there was a horse enjoying a field of buttercups.

There are occasional breaks in the reeds, and boaters use these for moorings which must be very quiet and secluded.  We crossed the Smeeton Aqueduct and headed for Saddington Tunnel.  It’s not that long, at 881 yards, and is also wide; but it’s the overgrown approach to the tunnel where you’d have more difficulty passing another boat than inside it.

We stopped after Bridge 73, choosing the second of the places marked on the Waterway Routes map as it was more open and sunny.  We’d done less than two hours boating, but that’s the joy of being retired!  We needed something for lunch, so we walked from the bridge across the fields to Fleckney, where there’s a very good Co-op.  The village also has a duck pond, and a village sign which uses the medieval spelling of its name.

This afternoon, I have done more podcast work and tweaked an article I’ve written.  Then we thought we’d try out the tiny drone we bought at Crick, taking it to the field between the canal and the village.  More practice is needed because neither of us could keep the thing airborne for very long, and then during one of my flights it ended up in the reeds on the far side of the canal.  I went over and investigated, and having got the boat pole from the boat, managed to fish it out.  It’s had a dunking but all its lights were still flashing, so we’d let it dry out and see if it still works.

A bit later we spotted two Spitfires going over, and they were followed by a Lancaster.  Adrian found they were on their way to the Midlands Air Festival, so we might well see them come back again.  Not the best photo, because it was getting further and further away — but you can still see the shape.

5 miles, 0 locks.  (23 miles, 10 locks)

Totals since moving on board: 62 days, 319 miles, 238 locks.