Pre-Crick: Day 5

Our mooring last night was very quiet.  We set off this morning at 8.15, and there were quite a few boats moored round the corner, so I’m glad we stopped where we did.  I always like the little pool between Bridge 10 and Crick Tunnel.

We passed one boat in the tunnel, which as usual was dry until the last few hundred yards when it was very drippy indeed.  As we left the tunnel, we looked at the signs on the towpath, to identify our Crick show mooring.  To our surprise, our name hadn’t appeared by the time we got to the next bridge — and we were even more pleased when we spotted it the third boat down from the road bridge, which is a single mooring not a doubled up one.  Basically, a much better mooring than we’ve had for the last few years.  But we weren’t going onto it yet.  We stopped at the water point to fill the tank and get some washing going, then carried on north.  At recent Cricks, we’ve escaped for a night, gone to Bridge 27, and then used the winding hole at Bridge 28 to turn and go back; this time we were going further, so it was quite exciting to go beyond that winding hole!  At one point, there are a couple of glamping pods with hot tubs, this one had its fire going, although I’m not sure if this is to heat the pod or the hot tub.

There are many lovely places along the summit level, and the hawthorn blossom is spectacular this year.

We didn’t pass many moving boats for hours, but then we saw quite a few, including some heading for the show.  There are also lots of moored boats; I came over a bit Brenda from Bristol as each one appeared round the next corner: what, another one?  But one of them was quite interesting — what looked like a former Anglo Welsh boat called Bluebell.  We hired an Anglo Welsh called Bluebell on the Llangollen in 1997 — could it be the same boat?  Having fished out an old photo from back then, it certainly looks like it.

We moored on the rings at Welford Junction at just before 1pm.  Adrian had been working all morning, and had a call at 1, which was why we really needed to be stopped.  A slight issue was that neither of his phones had much signal, although mine had enough for a video call.  While that was going on, I washed the roof which was a disgrace, particularly after the tree sap from the other night, and also did a bit of prep for repainting round the Houdini hatch.  I also dusted the towpath side of the boat and cleaned the windows.  When I put the plank back on the roof thought it turned out to be swarming with ants.  There then followed a bit of an ant massacre, as they all seemed to fry on the hot roof.  The next job was sweeping the chimney, and blacking the stove.  I then took a walk along to the junction, to look back to where we are moored.

Next to our mooring are some steps down the embankment, where you can see the River Avon flowing under the canal.  At the bottom is a sea of stinging nettles, so this is the best photo I could get.  The river is the boundary between Northants and Leics, so we are just moored in Northants, while the boat in front of us is in a different county.

12 miles, 0 locks.  (44 miles, 23 locks)

East Mids Exploration: Day 2

We haven't had the wall to wall sunshine of yesterday, but we've still had a really good day, thanks in no small part to our locking companions. We set off just before 8am; I walked up to set Buckby Bottom Lock, which was half full, and also raised a paddle on the next one up. The bottom half of the flight all had water cascading over the bottom gates. Adrian brought the boat along, and we'd spotted another boat approaching. On occasion in the past we've waited for boats, only to find they turn into the marina! But in this case we were in luck: a boat to share with (an interesting one, at that), and an experienced and chatty couple on board too.

We got into a good rhythm of setting a lock ahead, and in the top half of the flight we met boats coming down. We completed all seven in an hour and forty minutes. We made the turn onto the Leicester Line and the bit which always looks and feels uphill, to Watford Locks. There were a couple of boats coming down, and there were already uphill boats in the pounds above the two single locks; we helped the downhill boats at the bottom lock, so it didn't really feel as if we had to wait at all. As we went up the staircase four, our friends from Buckby were behind us.

At the top, we realised that we'd been quite fortunate to get up the locks so soon; a seventh boat was just joining the queue to go down. We carried on through Crick Tunnel, which as usual was dry at first,mother fairly wet at the northern end, passing one boat inside. Fizzical Attraction was moored up, with Yvonne and Roger on board; just time as we drifted past for a quick chat with Roger about their new boat. Then we made our way along the twisting turning summit pound. Last time we were here, in May, it was a riot of white blossom; now there are berries on the hedgerow bushes, and the fields are harvested. One of the circular bales of straw had some kind of bird of prey sitting on it.

The sky was pretty black at times, but the threatened rain never arrived. We moored on the rings at Welford Junction, where we spent a very quiet and dark night in May. Then, I went and found where the River Avon goes under the canal; this forms the boundary between Northamptonshire and Leicestershire, so I know that we're moored a few yards into Leicestershire.

17 miles, 14 locks. (54 miles, 23 locks)

 

Pre Crick: Day 5

We were awake early again today, perhaps because we knew that how far we'd get really depended on how long it took to get up the locks at Watford; sometimes, especially with all the traffic for the Crick Show, the wait can be hours. As it was, we were up early and set off at 7am. We arrived at the bottom of the locks half an hour later, before a lock keeper was on duty. These days, the locks are left as self service when there's no keeper, rather than being closed. No-one else was around, so we set off up the flight. The pound between the first two locks was very low, so I ran some water down. By the time we were ready to go into the staircase two volunteer lock keepers had arrived. There were also boats arriving at the bottom and the top; the boater at the top was annoyed he'd have to wait, moaning at the lock keeper that it wasn't his fault it was Crick week. They told him he could come down the individual lock at the top after we'd gone up, and he'd have to wait there. Meanwhile, we just got on with climbing the seven locks, four of which are in a staircase.

By the time we got to the top, there were five boats in the queue to come down. We were shortly at Crick Tunnel, which as usual was dry at first, then quite wet at the northern end. As we slipped through Crick, we were trying to identify our mooring spot; I forgot all about booking until the closest zone was sold out, so this year we'll be down near the tunnel. It didn't really matter today, because we were carrying on and will return tomorrow.

It was a rather cloudy dank day, and seemed to get chillier as the morning went on. We wanted to fill the water tank and do some washing, so we're on the look out for water points. The one at the top of Watford Locks had a CRT work boat moored on it, and we thought we'd be in the way if we went alongside -- not to mention that it would be tricky getting the hose pipe across. The lock keeper told us it was there because some routine maintenance had been planned -- pressure washing of the lock gates and reprinting the cill markers. He said they'd managed to persuade the powers that be that it probably wasn't a good idea in the week before the Crick Show! The Yelvertoft water point had two boats on it, so we carried on going. The canal twists and turns, and is very rural, with plenty of fields of cows and sheep. In places, the hawthorn blossom was spectacular.

Quite a few boats were going the other way, some we recognised as Crick regulars. One appeared to have no-one at the tiller -- indeed it didn't, as the steerer was at a wheel inside at the bow.

We stopped for lunch at Welford Junction, then decided that as it was still early we'd head along the Welford Arm, mostly because it was there, and because there was a water point there. We haven't been along the arm since 2008, in our Debdale days. It seems the junction is an awkward distance from everywhere!

We'd seen a number of boats turn up the arm, so when we got to the only lock there was one boat going up and another waiting.

At the end of the arm we stopped at the water point, and waited while another boat finished filling his tank. We also started a wash load and got rid of rubbish. Once we'd watered up we turned and headed back.

We moored in the same spot at Welford Junction, except facing the other way. The sun has come out, and there's very little to be heard apart from birdsong. I reckon the nearest road is the best part of a mile away. I can see why people who want to work on their gunwales like this spot, as the bank is very low down; we've had to lengthen the rope on our fenders so they can reach! After we'd moored up, I went into the neighbouring field to find the aqueduct, which takes the canal over the infant River Avon (yes, that one); here it's nothing more than a stream, but it also forms the border between Northamptonshire and Leicestershire, and we're just on the Leicestershire side.

18 miles, 9 locks. (41 miles, 23 locks)