Autumn Cruise: Day 7

We treated ourselves to a fry up this morning as we had the eggs from the lock cottage at Welsh Road.  We set off a bit later than usual at 9, and headed along to the bottom lock at Hatton.  A Kate hire boat was just about to go into the lock so we partnered up with them.

We had a good run up the locks, although there we two boats ahead of us so we usually had to wait for them to exit the lock above before we could turn it.  We got on well with the Kate Boat crew — two brothers and their wives doing the Warwickshire Ring.  About a third of the way up, reinforcements arrived in the form of Catherine, Nigel, Grace, and Matthew, so between us we had more lock workers than we knew what to do with.  Hatton never ceases to impress, especially the ‘thick’, where the locks are close together.  You can see right back to Warwick Church from there.

Towards the top we began to meet boats coming down.

We reached the top of the locks in three and a half hours — probably about average time for the flight.  There were plenty of gongoozlers about, and the cafe at the top was very busy.  We pulled in on the visitor moorings and had lunch, mostly brought by Catherine.  When we set off again, Matthew was keen to steer; in fact he steered all the way from there to our mooring just before Kingswood Junction, and he made a very good job of it.  He’s only ten, but has a real feel for where the boat is going.

Today was Catherine and Nigel’s wedding anniversary, so we all went off to The Navigation for a meal.  The menu consisted of Sunday roasts, but they were all very good.  We had starters and mains, as Catherine had brought a big chocolate cake which we had somehow not yet made a start on, so we walked back to the boat via the locks, and had tea and cake.  They departed soon afterwards as they have work and school in the morning.  It’s been a very enjoyable day.

8 miles, 21 locks.  (73 miles, 72 locks)

Going West: Day 2

We've had a really good day of boating today. We set off in rather cool conditions at 8am, and arrived at the foot of the Hatton locks less than half an hour later. There was no-one else around, so we set off, having to turn the first few locks. Then we caught up with a little trail boat, who waited for us at the next lock so we could share.

A couple of locks later we caught up with another boat, which was also short, so I suggested we tried three boats in the lock. It worked well. Between locks, the steel boats went side by side into the next one, with the plastic boat coming in last.

At a few locks we met boats coming down, which often meant quite a lot of boats in small pounds. All the crews got on very well, including Smuggler the dog.

I worked the first half of the flight, then we swapped over -- mostly because Adrian had a call to make, and it was easier on the bank than on the boat. We saw a number of volunteer lock keepers, but none of them did much to help. A couple said they'd set a few locks ahead, but did just one before vanishing. Then another suggested we were doing it wrong, but Adrian assured him we knew what we were doing, and he disappeared.

We were at the top at around noon, and we stopped on the water point, as we haven't filled up since before our August weekend. We started a wash load at the same time, and Adrian walked down to the cafe for some slices of cake for later. We also made lunch. Once the tank was full we set off again. There was a brief rain shower, but I got much wetter in Shrewley Tunnel -- the one that has a horse tunnel alongside at the northern end.

We continued to Kingswood Junction, and moored up just before the junction bridge. Adrian had more work to do and calls to make, so as we're going north on the Stratford Canal tomorrow, I walked the two miles south to Lowsonford to see the Anthony Gormley statue by Lock 31, opposite the Landmark Trust barrel roofed cottage. I thought it looked great.

On the way back I picked a few blackberries. I had nothing to put them in so hand to hold them in my hands all the way back. Halfway, I realised blackberry juice was dripping down me -- it looked as though I'd hacked someone to death!

8 miles, 21 locks. (21 miles, 43 locks)