September Cruise: Day 3

We had a lovely evening with Catherine and family, who brought fish and chips from their village.  Also yesterday evening, the boat I was supposed to do a boat test on earlier in the week came past, so I arranged to go and see it this morning.  They needed to be away in good time, so I was there at before 7.30.  I got all my notes, and Andy the photographer is arranging to see them separately.

Back at BR, we had breakfast while it drizzled, and then we set off at about 9am.  It was very murky.

It was also very misty inside Braunston Tunnel, so that we were nearly at the other end before it was visible.  We passed two boats, right at the far end.  At the locks, a boat was waiting that we’d seen go past yesterday evening, clearly (as the price was still in the window) just having been picked up from Whilton.  Yesterday, the guy had also clearly just fallen in, as he was wet and carrying some of his clothes.  The couple had never boated before, but were managing very well and were quick to learn.  We had a really fast transit down the locks, meeting uphill boats at every one and hardly having to wait at all.

At Braunston Junction we turned left, heading for Napton.

We like this section; today there were lots of moving boats, but not as many moored ones as usual.  At Napton Junction, we carried straight on.

We had a boat in front of us at the locks, who turned out to be a single hander.  The volunteer lock keeper worked the bottom lock for him, then we came up.  At the second lock, he’d gone in and I closed the bottom gates for him; he made no effort to get off his boat, so I said I’d go and get the next lock ready for him — leaving him to do the one he was in!  It turned out there was a boat coming down the lock above, so that all worked well.  Of course we saw the single hander at every lock, and in spite of the slightly tetchy start, we were getting along well by the end.  It’s a very pretty flight, one of our favourites, with great views, and the sun almost came out.

Around the middle of the flight, the water buffalo were in the field, but quite a long way away.

We got to the top lock about 4.30 — so quite a long day.  There’s a nice collection of old buildings there.

There was no room on the moorings just beyond the lock, so we carried on a little way where there was some piling, and a few other boats.  There’s a lovely outlook across the fields, and there doesn’t seem to be a road anywhere near.

14 miles, 15 locks.  (36 miles, 29 locks)

Autumn Cruise - Day 21

There was a fantastic sunset through the trees last night.

This morning it was misty again.  We didn't need to get going early, as the Claydon locks are opened only at 10am at the moment, because of water shortages.  Even so, while we got ready two boats went past.  When we got to the bottom of the flight, it appeared we were sixth in the queue.  It turned out that one of the boats wasn't going anywhere, so we were fifth.  In the event, the first boat was allowed to start up the locks at about 9.45, and we entered the bottom lock at 10.30.  By then boats were coming down, and we met southbound boats at every lock and got to the top in 45 minutes.

The summit pound was quite shallow, and going seemed very slow.  We went through the most northerly lift bridge, and then through the Fenny 'tunnel', which used to be a tunnel, but had the roof taken off.  There's a lovely little bridge which takes the towpath from one side to the other; it has a big road bridge towering over it.

We stopped for lunch at Fenny Compton, where there was plenty of room.  One of the boaters I'd taked to on the Claydon flight said the summit was a bit like a ghost town, and so it was: all the moorings you'd normally expect to be full were almost empty; we passed just a handful of boats going the other way, when normally you'd expect dozens.

Adrian went to the little shop at the Wharf Inn for eggs, then we set off again.  It was a beautiful day (if anything, too hot!) and the rolling Warwickshire countryside looked lovely.  At one point on this quiet, winding summit, there's a sign showing where the planned high speed rail line will cross the canal; as good a reason as any against it, I would have thought.

As we approached the end of today's journey, a hare ran alongside the canal.  I don't remember ever seeing one before, but they're easily identifiable as they're so much bigger than a rabbit.

We moored up at the top of the Napton Flight of locks, at Marson Doles.  There are restrictions with these locks too, and we're fourth in the queue for the morning.  Not long after we'd moored, a helicopter flew low along the canal and landed at the property on the offside.  It frightened another hare (or maybe the same one), giving me another opportunity to get a shot of it.

Once the temperature had dropped slightly, we washed the towpath side of the boat, which had got very dusty over the past three weeks.

12 miles, 5 locks.  (344 miles, 196 locks)