Autumn Cruise: Day 6

We had a lovely evening with Andy and Helen last night.  They picked us up from the bridge and we went to the Wolferstan Arms in the next village.  The food was good enough, but of course the company was exemplary!  We had a lot to catch up on.

This morning we set off at 8.30.  A corner in Amington marked the most northerly point of our cruise.  Just before Glascote Locks, Adrian jumped off the boat to get some milk from the Co-op; a boat was coming out of the top lock, so I went straight in.

A boat was also coming up the lower lock, so that was easy, and as we went down a boat arrived below.  Before Fazeley Junction, we made a brief stop to remove a load of reeds from the weedhatch.  We also discussed whether we have ever done the Curdworth Locks going up — and didn’t think we had; we’ve always come down them, heading away from Birmingham.  The turn at the junction onto the Birmingham And Fazeley was much tighter than I’d expected.  It confirmed our suspicion that we hadn’t done that particular turn before, and I was so busy making it that I didn’t take any photos.  However, a towpath walker said “you’ve done that before — well done”, and I didn’t argue with him!  Work to convert the mill at the junction into flats appears to have been completed; a boat was turning at the winding hole straight after the Coleshill Road Bridge, which confused me for a moment, and then it was through the Drayton Footbridge.

I’d forgotten how lovely the next section of canal is.  Once the road has veered off it’s quiet, surrounded by gravel pits, and very serene.  There are long straight sections, and after the final bridge before the locks I could see a boat ahead, arriving at the lock landing.  When we approached several minutes later, we could see it was a single hander, who was taking his time.  So we decided to moor up and have a walk around some of the lakes of the Kingsbury Water Park, to give him a head start.  We walked around two of the lakes, and popped into a couple of the hides to see what was about — which was mostly swans, Canada geese, and coots.  It’s still a rather lovely area though.

Back at the boat we had a rather early lunch — Adrian had checked the dates on the tins of soup in the cupboard, and found one with a best before of 2016, so we had that!  We set off up the locks at 12.15.  The bottom few are a good distance apart.  When we got to the fourth lock up, the single hander was there.  He looked in quite a bad way, puffing and blowing as he climbed up off the boat.  I closed the bottom gate for him, and he opened a top paddle.  His boat had a push tug, which is a little workshop for welding and cratch cover repairs.  But he said he’d recently been diagnosed with a lung condition, and this was his first set of lock, to see how he got on; he’d decided four was enough (which we were quite glad about).  As we left the same lock, a boat was coming towards us, so we could leave the gate open — but the steerer told us there was almost no water above the next lock.  When I got up there, a lady was just about to fill the lock for her boat coming down.  There was very little water, and I wondered about the wisdom of taking another lock full out of the pound — but she pointed out that if we went up, it was unlikely the two boats would be able to get past each other.  I said I’d go and run some more water down, as as I passed he husband on the boat I could see he was aground in the middle of the pound.  Pounds were low all the way up the flight, so I opened bottom and top paddles on all locks all the way up to number 2, where I waited.  The pound between lock 2 and lock 1 is about half a mile long, so I didn’t mind pinching its water.  I waited for about 20 minutes, then had a phone call from Adrian saying he’d come up the lock and was edging towards the next one.  I walked back down, closing paddles as I came.

Above the next lock, there are massive workings on both sides of the canal for HS2.

At least the next few locks are fairly close together, because more water needed to be run down.  I ended up walking up and down that part of the flight many times, but those pounds are also shorter, so quicker to fill.

The whole flight feels as though it’s on the edge of failure (which it actually did on Friday, while a paddle was repaired).  Several locks have a paddle out of action, and gates and cills leak like nobody’s business.  It’s no wonder the flight is short of water.  By the time we got there, even the pound between locks 2 and 1 was a bit low.  We eventually got to the top, having taken just a few minutes shy of three hours to do the 11 locks.  And we’d been warned that the levels above the flight were also pretty bad — down by about 8 inches I reckoned.  It meant that when we went through the diminutive Curdworth tunnel, I thought I was going to have to get off and push, it was such a struggle.

We were aiming for the moorings by Wiggins Hill Bridge.  We’ve previously stopped by the Cuttle Bridge Inn’s car park, where there have normally been loads of boats and spaces were at a premium.  Today however, there was no-one moored there.  We’ve also seen people moored the other side of the bridge, where the road is further away and there are fields over the towpath bridge — so we went through.  This proved to be a mistake, as the lack of water meant it was impossible to get the stern anywhere near the bank.  So we’ve moored with a moat round the boat, the stern several feet out.  We just hope the levels don’t drop any further.  We now have a chicken roasting in the oven.  For the past few days the gas has had the telltale smell that the bottle is running out, and sure enough it’s just run and and we’ve had to change it.  The bottle has lasted a year and a day.

11 miles, 13 locks.  (89 miles, 50 locks)

Autumn Cruise: Day 5

It was a beautiful morning, sunny and still but quite chilly, especially in the shade.  We set off at about 8.15 and we soon passing the old Hartshill yard.

It was a little over an hour to the top of Atherstone Locks, and as we came through the bridge a volunteer lock keeper jumped up and open the gate of the top lock for us.  He then worked the bottom paddles while I went and topped up the second lock.  The blackboard at the top of the flight said there had been one boat up so far, and we were the first one going down.  There was another lock keeper at lock 3, so the same thing happened there.

Then at Lock 5 we started meeting boats coming up, so that each lock was ready for us.  At lock 8, the boat coming up was Percy, with Nev and Rachel heading for the Ashby, so it was nice to have a quick catch up with them.

The lock below was one of the few that didn’t have a boat coming up.  Then at the bottom lock, a motor boat, Victoria, was coming up — and because they had a butty with them they immediately turned the lock for that.  The steerer was under instruction, so it all took rather a long time.  I felt sorry for the boats following them up the flight.

Even with that slight delay, we did all eleven locks in an hour and forty minutes, which is exceptionally good going.  We stopped at the water point at Bradley Green to top up the tank, get a load of washing on, and have a cup of tea.  We carried on through Polesworth, and then just before Alvecote we saw James and Debbie on Ernest (formerly Lois Jane) as they tied up.  We stopped just beyond the next bridge, before Alvecote Marina, at about 1.30.  We walked up through the nature reserve to the Golden Tower of Leaves at the top of a former spoil heap.  It’s been there since 2011, but this is the first time we’ve been up to it.

We walked back along the towpath, hoping James and Debbie would still be there — but they weren’t.  Back at the boat, we washed and dried one side of the boat at which point it tried to rain, although not very successfully.  This evening, we are seeing Helen and Andy Tidy

10 miles, 11 locks.  (78 miles, 37 locks)

Autumn Cruise: Day 4

For some reason we were both awake early this morning, so decided to get up.  Consequently, it was about 7.30 when we set off, on a rather murky morning.  We were a bit worried that we’d be too early for a space on the moorings near Tesco in Rugby, but in fact we had a choice, opting for the one beyond the water point.  It was on the park side, so marginally further to walk to the shop, but it wasn’t on a bend like all the others.  It was still before 9am when we set off again having done the shopping.  The next bit of canal through Newbold and Brinklow is very familiar but pleasant enough.  At Stretton Stop there were a couple of boats to come through the narrows, and a man on the offside from where the little swing bridge is operated.

The man let us through too; it turned out he was from a boat moored a bit further along and was just waiting to get back across the canal.  The next few miles are some of my least favourite.  They just seem to go on forever, but at least the sun had come out.

At Ansty, where everything is on a bend, we met a hire boat coming the other way under the motorway bridge.  Rather than just steering round the corner he decided to try to stop; I managed to steer round him, and he then went straight into the bridge, across the canal.  Eventually we arrived at Hawkesbury junction.  An Anglo Welsh boat was coming through the bridge, and the lock was in their favour, so I went to drop off a bag a rubbish at the bins.  For some reason there was a volunteer lock keeper, even though this lock has a fall of less than a foot.  He worked the lock while none of the five people on the hire boat even bothered getting off, but when it was our turn I suggested that as it was the only lock of the day, I’d quite like to work it myself.  Adrian then did the turn round the junction.

Charity Dock was its usual mad self, although not any madder this time, and then we passed Marston Junction, the start of the Ashby.

On the outskirts of Nuneaton, they are building the most enormous warehouse I have ever seen.  It dwarfs the ones by the M1.  This is its short side.

We paused in Nuneaton so Adrian could post a birthday card that should really have been on its way already.  Then we passed one of the most photographed telegraph poles on the canal, and moored up in a lovely sunny spot just before the bridge ahead of Springwood Haven.

21 miles, 1 lock.  (68 miles, 26 locks)

Autumn Cruise: Day 3

It was a lovely sunny morning as we set off before 8.30, round the corner to Buckby Tol Lock.  It needed to be emptied, but we were soon up and passing the junction towards Braunston.  In the tunnel, it at first looked as though there was a boat coming towards us, but I soon realised it was someone with a white navigation light at the stern.  When we got to the top lock they were just going in, and we joined them.  It was a couple on a very nice little Armada hire boat, which was new this year.  Adrian went and had a look on board as we waited for one of the locks, and was impressed.

There were lots of boats coming up, and we ended up swapping with boats at all locks except the bottom one.  At one of the locks I couldn’t get the gate open.  It turned out that a bit of pole had jammed itself across the corner.  Both boats went out of the other gate, and we told the uphill boats what was going on, and suggested one of their skippers tried dislodging it.

All the traffic meant a bit of waiting at each lock, but the couple we were sharing with were lovely, and we all chatted away.  It’s only September, but the shop at the bottom lock is already gearing up for Christmas.

Our lock partners were stopping in Braunston as their son was coming up and they were going to the Admiral Nelson for a meal.  They don’t have to be back until Saturday morning.  We gambled on the water point at the junction being free, which it was; we got a wash load going as the tank filled, and I also popped into Midland Chandler for a bottle of Craftmaster carnuba wax, because we really should give the boat its autumn polish while we’re out.  The next bit of canal is a real favourite.  There’s nothing particularly special about the scenery, but it’s just so typically English, with ridge and furrow fields, rolling countryside, and the view back to Braunston church.

The alpacas were on the bit of grass right by the entrance to Barby Moorings.

At Hillmorton Locks, there was one boat waiting to go in the top lock.  Only one of the pair of locks was operating, and a sign said this was because one of the bottom pair was out of action, so they were trying to regulate the flow of boats.  They went down, a boat came up, and then it was our turn.  We also managed to swap with a boat at one of the middle locks.  But we then found ourselves fifth in the queue for the bottom lock.  I went to get ice creams from the Bistro while we waited.  We ended up being there about 40 minutes; the boat ahead said there had been a long queue at the top when they arrived, so it had taken them about three hours.  CRT were working on the broken lock, which had apparently had its top gate hit by a boat.  It looked as though the collar had broken, and the guys were using huge spanners to put things back together.

The reason everything was taking such a long time was that the working lock also had one top paddle out of action, and the volunteer lock keeper was being very gentle with the working one.  Once down, we carried on to the moorings by Rugby golf course, it being about quarter to four.

14 miles, 10 locks.  (47 miles, 25 locks)

Autumn Cruise: Day 2

We had an understanding with a boat that came and moored behind us last night, that we’d go up the locks together this morning.  So seconds after I’d opened the back doors, our neighbours appeared, and by 8.15 we were setting off.  There was a delay of a couple of minutes while a CRT man ran some water off the pound above the bottom lock, and then we were off.  All the locks needed turning, but we made good progress.  Our companions stopped in the long pound as they wanted to visit the museum, but we carried on — meeting some volunteer lock keepers at the top two locks.  We then moored in the village, as Adrian had a call to do at 10am.  We slotted into a nice space, and within a few minutes, all the boats around us had left!  While Adrian was on his call, I had a walk around and bumped into Kathryn, who came along for a chat.  Before long we were setting off again, through the tunnel and into Blisworth.

We made good progress along the Stowe Hill Pound, with the sun coming out at times.

We made a brief stop at Rugby Boats for a top up of diesel.  We took on 50 litres, but the price is still £1.50 a litre.  The new houses on the far side of Weedon have come on a lot — at least, some of them have because they’ve already got people living in them.  Some of the others are still only shells.  The residents of the house closest to the canal waved enthusiastically.

We passed lots of boats going the other way.  I got the impression that one man has just picked up his boat from Whilton, because he asked me if he’d passed on the right side!  We got to the bottom of Buckby Locks just after 3.30.  This was our target for the night, but as it was relatively early and the weather was nice, we decided to go up the first six, especially as two boats were coming down the bottom lock.  We had to turn some of the locks, but we also met a couple of boats coming down.

We moored up in the long pound, where it’s much quieter than down the bottom, and we have a nice outlook onto a field of sheep.

16 miles, 13 locks.  (33 miles, 15 locks)

Autumn Cruise: Day 1

I really like the mooring by Stantonbury Bridge.  I heard an owl hooting last night.  This morning was quite chilly, so I had porridge for breakfast, then went out for a long walk.  I started off through Stanton Low park, where there are the ruins of a church.

I crossed the park and came up on the towpath near the Black Horse moorings, and continued along to the former railway bridge which we’ve been under many times but never over.  It’s now a walking and cycle path, and I was surprised how non-overgrown it was up there.

I walked through the edge of the newish housing development and out into the other half of Stanton Low park, taking in a visit to Asda, to get a few things that there’s now room for in the fridge.  By this time the sun had come out and I wished I hadn’t worn a jacket but had taken a hat.  Back at the boat is started a chilli for dinner, then had a chat with the owner of Ascot and Beverley (who’s no longer trading as a fuel boat), and then set off about 12.15.  I plodded along these familiar waters, which are pretty full of boats these days.  I did like the name of one particular widebeam though.

At Cosgrove lock, I’d spotted a Wyvern boat ahead of me and hoped they might wait.  But a boat came down the lock and they went straight in.  By the time I got there they were almost ready to leave.  I turned the lock, and as I did so noticed another boat coming along, so I went in, pushed over to the other side and waited for them.  As we were getting ready to leave, a boat was coming to go down, which made things easier.

I pulled into our marina — making use of the fact that a double space next to us was unoccupied — and tied up just with the centre line.  I got the hosepipe out and started filling the tank, and took some rubbish up to the bins, at which point I saw Adrian’s car pulling up to the gates.  Once he was on board with his stuff, and the tank was full, we set off again — we’d been in the marina about 20 minutes.

With our holiday now properly started, we’ve come along to the moorings below Stoke Bruerne locks, where it’s quite busy.  It’s odd, because places en route which are normally full of boats have been almost empty.

10 miles, 1 lock.  (17 miles, 2 locks)

Autumn Cruise: Day -1

I wanted to get a decent walk in this morning before the Queen’s funeral got under way, so I headed along to the aqueduct and down the steps, but this time took the horse tunnel under the canal.

I followed the path alongside the Ouse.  The All Trails route I was following wasn’t quite long enough, so I added a loop which took me under the A5 and back again, under two contrasting bridges.  The second one carries the road over the river, and indeed over much of the valley.

When I got back to Wolverton Mill, which is now flats, I took the bridge over the Ouse.  The park here is huge, and really well used by dog walkers and runners; it’s a fantastic resource, and because so many of the paths are paved, it’s good in all weathers.

Once over the river there are some nice views of the aqueduct in the distance.  I followed a path across the fields, and came out by Cosgrove Lock.  It’s ages since I’ve had a look down the Buckingham Arm, so I walked part of that too.  The first bridge has had its upper half rebuilt, presumably to allow machinery across it, and the section of canal beyond is now in water, albeit a foot or so below the real level.

Back at the boat I watched the state funeral and some of the procession through Westminster.  The day had cheered up weather wise, and I fancied a change of view so I set off at about 1.15.  Along at Galleon Wharf, the huge brown slugs that Pip on Oleanna mentioned the other day are still very much there.  Not entirely sure what they are.

I met a few boats on the move (it’s been very quiet on the water and the towpath this morning) and through Wolverton there was a burnt out cruiser floating almost across the canal, its bow rope having come adrift.  Fortunately a towpath walker was making an effort to re-tie it.

There were lots of moored boats, particularly near the Grafton Street Aqueduct, and both sides of Bridge 74.  But there were only two moored where I was aiming for before Bridge 75 (well, three depending on how you count the breasted up pair Ascot and Beverley).  I decided I’d go and turn around first, so plodded along to Great Linford.  There are some new houses going up before Bridge 76; I can’t remember what stage they were at the last time we came this way.

There was a boat moored in slightly the wrong place by the winding hole before the bridge, so I opted to go through and use the one just beyond.  It’s huge, so I was round very easily and heading back. Fortunately I also managed to do it before a widebeam I’d seen setting off had managed to get that far.  Just before I got back to Bridge 75 it began to drizzle, but it didn’t come to much.  I was soon moored up, in time to see most of the procession along the Long Walk at Windsor, and the committal service at St George’s chapel.

6 miles, 0 locks.  (7 miles, 1 lock)