Wending to Wales: Day 31

It was gone 8.15 when we set off this morning, with Adrian going down to set Cape Top Lock.  There was a boat coming up the bottom one, so we could swap in the middle.

The crew of that boat had useful info to impart: the moorings right outside Warwick Tesco were full, but there was a gap between two boats just before the bridge.  Before getting there, though, we passed the now closed Kate Boats base, where there’s massive building going on, both sides of the canal.  The new places opposite have been given features matching the Kate building, such as grey bricks over the windows and a circle of grey bricks in the gable end.

We stopped before the Tesco bridge and walked down to the supermarket to do a decent sized shop, including fresh stuff and more wine.  Just before we set off again, the boat that was moored in front of us went past, and we followed them all the way to Radford Bottom Lock.  We also passed Momentous, who’ve done just slightly fewer miles and locks than us, since we saw them on the bank holiday weekend!  We teamed up with Atlast at the locks, and gradually worked our way up.  I walked the whole way.  Before Welsh Road Lock, the conveyor that was over the canal at the HS2 works has been taken down, and is now in bits in the field.

Adrian, being on the boat and more able to see over the hedges, could see tunnel portals.  We’d caught up with another boat, who had waited at the lock for his locking partner who must have stopped without telling them.  We then followed up.

At Bascote, the single boat was going up and two were coming down so we waited again.  Then the single boat said we should do the staircase ahead of him.

The wind was beginning to get up (there’s a weather warning for a storm much further west).  We carried on to the rings just before Bridge 26 at Long Itchington.  It was gone 2pm so we had a late lunch and then did a circular walk down to Long Itchington village, and back via the cycle path and the canal.  I’m about to make the batter for a toad in the hole, and a crumble.  The blackberries on our route have been a real disappointment; most of the hedges we’ve stopped by have had no brambles and all (but loads of rose hips and hawthorn berries).  So today we actually bought some blackberries to go with our apples.

9 miles, 12 locks.  (349 miles, 281 locks)

West Mids Meander: Day 3

We had a nice evening with Catherine and co, and the moorings at the top of Braunston are very quiet, although boats kept coming past until about 8pm.  This morning it was a little bit Misty to start, and just as we were about to set off a boat came through the tunnel.  We paired up with them for the locks, much to the dismay of another boat moored there, who were also preparing to set off.  By the time we got to the lock by the Nelson we began to meet boats coming up.

We completed the six locks in under an hour, even including having to re-tie a boat from outside the boat yard whose stern rope had frayed right through and was across the canal.  We saw a boat test boat, Momentous, going the other way.  Adrian jumped off at Butcher’s Bridge to walk up to the village butcher, while I carried on to the water point by the Stop House to fill the tank, get rid of rubbish, and start a load of washing.  By the time we were setting off again and turning left at the junction, the sun was out.

The shared Oxford/Grand Union section was very busy, both with boats moving and boats moored.  One of them was Erin Mae.  We turned right at Napton Junction and a couple of boats were coming out of the top Calcutt Lock so we could go straight in.  We knew there were two boats behind us, so waited.  The first moored up but the second joined us in the lock.  It turned out to be Braidbar no 91, a 51ft 6in boat which was repainted last year.  We met boats coming up at each lock, so we flew down.  The other boat was returning to Ventnor Marina, but we carried on.  We had lunch on the move, then set off down the Stockton Locks, where a couple of boats were just coming out the top lock.  I’ve always liked the Stockton flight, and although it had clouded over it was still very pleasant.

We were following a boat down, but also met boats coming up, so progress was pretty quick.  We caught up with the boat in front at Itchington Bottom Lock.  We tied up for the night on the rings just beyond Long Itchington, having done seven hours of boating.

11 miles, 19 locks.  (36 miles, 33 locks)

Autumn Cruise: Day 5

It was sunny first thing this morning, and has stayed sunny all day, getting very warm this afternoon.  We were both awake early so got up and set off at 7.30.  Not surprisingly we had the Hillmorton Locks to ourselves — apart from a woman who mistook Adrian for a volunteer lock keeper and demanded to know why the book swap wasn’t open yet.  He’ll be cautious about wearing that fleece in that particular blue at locks in future!

We plodded back towards Braunston, with the number of boats increasing the closer we got.  We passed the Moomins on Maleluca, then Linda, Richard and Muffin on Mary H, looking very smart in the new livery.  A bit later we passed Achernar moored up.  The narrow approaches to Braunston were thankfully free of too many boats, then we turned right at the triangular junction.

We were now on the stretch of canal which is shared between the Oxford Canal and the Grand Union — and which is the subject of one of my favourite bits of Canal trivia: going along it, you can be going both north and south at the same time.  For example, we’d come from the North Oxford Canal, so if we considered ourselves still to be on the Oxford we’d be going south — Rugby to Oxford; but if we considered ourselves to be on the GU we’d be going north — London to Birmingham.

The countryside is very pleasant, with lots of freshly ploughed fields alongside the canal.  It was really nice to be back on these waters.

We got to Napton Junction, where the boat in front of us continued straight ahead onto the South Oxford Canal.  A boat then came out of the junction just as I began my turn.  He indicated there was another behind him so I stopped taking photos and concentrated on keeping over to the right.  We all got where we needed to be without incident.

We had lunch as we covered the short distance between the junction and Calcut Locks.  Adrian worked us down; it was a quick passage as the top lock was full and there was a boat coming up further down.  It was then just another half an hour or so to the Stockton Locks.  The only excitement was that we passed Kate Boat’s at Stockton Top Marina just as new hirers we’re being released at 2pm.  Having been at the tiller just a couple of minutes, the steerers were somewhat nervous.  At the locks, the top one was full and there was a boat coming up the second.  We also met another boat a bit further down.  It meant I was able to go ahead each time and open a gate of the next lock.  It wasn’t until the eighth lock that we found one empty.  I’ve always liked the Stockton Flight.  It’s pretty, has the distinctive candlestick paddle gear, and is a pleasure to work.

Adrian had a call at 4pm, so we needed to be moored up by then.  We made it to the bottom of the ten locks in plenty of time, and have moored on the rings at Long Itchington.  It’s quiet, sunny, and warm.


18 miles, 16 locks.  (56 miles, 39 locks)

North West Passage: Day 32

It was another misty morning. With not a great many miles to do today we didn't leave until quarter to nine. A dog walker who passed as we set off for the two Cape Locks said they were at the bottom to come up, so we could leave the gates open. In Warwick, a CRT crew were constructing a coffer dam around a weir. Each metal support was floated across the canal by a guy using a big blue floating box, and it was then pushed into the canal bed by two guys jumping up and down on it.

We stopped at the Tesco moorings in Warwick and went to do a decent sized shop that should see us home. We then did another short hop to Bridge 40 in Leamington Spa, where there's a new water point. The whole area has changed beyond all recognition, with new student accommodation alongside the canal, and a small landscaped area with the water point in it. I'd already set the washing machine going when we found the tap was the wrong size, and wouldn't take the standard connector.

We set off again through the outskirts of Leamington and then Radford Semele. At the bottom lock, a lady had brought some American friends to see a lock; they were delighted to see our demonstration of how a lock worked. We went up two more then stopped on the water point at Fosse Wharf, where the tap is the correct size, and had lunch while the tank filled. A couple of boats passed so we followed them up the next lock; one then stopped for lunch while the other waited for us at Wood Lock. This whole section is very pretty.

We got on with our locking partners very well. The last locks we did together were the four at Bascote. The top two are a staircase.

The other boat was planning to continue on to Napton, but we stopped in a pleasant spot at Long Itchington, on the embankment over the aqueduct. The sun has been out for most of the afternoon, and it's even been fairly warm.

9 miles, 12 locks. (375 miles, 261 locks)