UK Canals - Journey reports

Postscript

We arrived home back in SE London today to find a letter awaiting us to inform us that we had won the Lister Marine Trophy at the IWA Festival. As we were not present at the awards ceremony, the actual tropy will be sent on to us. How about that then! Think it was for the most "meritorious journey to the Festival". Since leaving Harefield on June 29th the computer thinks we have travelled 670 miles and negotiated 616 locks in 345 hours of cruising. There's nothing particularly clever about that, but then we have had fun!

Harefield and Home

A cool bright morning. A reluctance to get going. It was nearly 9 am when we started off. All the locks were with us, many with open gates - speeding us on to the end of our summer cruise. As if on cue the red light came on on the toilet control indicating a pump out was needed - the last was on the Birmingham & Fazeley Canal. At Rickmansworth, just below Batchworth Lock, the historic boat "Roger" was broadside across the canal in the wind (blowing kind) just on the other side of the bridge. I called in at the canal centre and informed the occupants who enlisted our help in getting our boat to drive the rear end back. It had been aground after its ropes had been cut in the night. Happens about 4 times a year we were told. Just below the bridge is a very useful TESCO with a wharf for transferring heavy items like cases of beer and canned food - which we availed ourselves of. Thus we arrived back at Harefield and our home mooring. So sad we are to have ended our journey that we intend to stay on the boat one more night. Actually the car battery is flat and needs charging - must remember to disconnect it first next year!

Croxley Green

It was pouring with rain this morning so our departure at 07:10 was in full wet weather gear. This produced the desired result – within an hour the sun appeared and the rest of the day, though windy, was quite pleasant. On reaching Apsley locks, Pat set off ahead to visit Sainsbury’s whilst I remained behind to work the three locks single handed. Cassie after a while decided that she would follow Pat believing her to be preparing the next lock, so she disappeared off ahead. I caught up with her at the next lock; one poor little lost doggie obviously very pleased to see her “Dad”. In fact the lock working was easy, opposite direction boats meant that I need not close gates and locks were either open or in my favour. Pat returned with her load of shopping just as I exited the third lock. Continuing on we encountered a BW team of two greasing lock gear at Nash Mills and a very happy band of Americans on an Avechurch hire boat taking water who offered to work the lock for us. Much jocularity. As we had made good progress thus far, we elected to moor up at Croxley Green above Common Moor lock where we hoped TV reception would be good. It was.

Berkhampstead

Not a bad meal last night, in fact best sausages & mash I’ve had. We slipped away at 7:10 this morning after heavy overnight rain. An autumnal chill in the air, with blue skies. After Leighton Buzzard the wind picked up and by the bottom of the Marsworth Flight was making progress through locks more difficult. Lots of rope needed! Otherwise the day was perfectly routine with little to report. Bulbourne workshops look very sad now that they are vacated by BW. The place is rusting and rubbish lies about. The huge gantry crane is idle. Sad to see another bit of history going. I don’t suppose it will be long before all lock gates are imported from the far east and another skill is lost. There was quite a bit of traffic about between 10:00 and 13:00, but then it died away and we saw very little else moving either up Marsworth or down to Berkhampstead. We have moored up by Canal Fields and purchased a small load of smokeless fuel from Ivor & Mel Batchelor moored a couple of boats away. Nights are getting colder now!

Linslade

Last evening, after arrival, MF’s back went pop. Must have been in an unusual position trying to enter the cabin front doors avoiding the rubbish bag. Usually this is symptomatic of prolonged strain in an unusual position and I would suspect it was caused by the tension steering through the long Blisworth Tunnel. Next time I must learn to relax. Anyway, in spite of some medicine taken in the Boat Inn, a rather bad night was had and quite a lot of pain this morning. I recall from past experience that there are some manoevres, that can relieve the situation, but I can never remember what they are. Maximum relaxed flexion of the spine; hanging upside down; supporting the pelvis with a cushion whilst sitting all spring to mind. Quitting the job in hand is not an option, so we set off just after 7am. As we entered the top lock at Stoke Bruerne, a boat appeared seemingly single-handed with the remark “Am I glad to see you”. This turned out to be Ian, a retired headmaster in a boat he had owned for 24 hours and with no narrowboat experience at all. This was his first BW lock, although he had some experience of Thames locks in a small cruiser. We shepherded him down and he shot off into the distance, although we caught up with him temporarily at Wolverton when we overtook him moored up taking a phone call. He then followed on. Rounding one blind bend under a bridge we saw 3 opposite direction boats and warned the first of these that there was a boat behind us. So he slowed down and caught the two behind unawares. It looked like a multi-vehicle pile up but without the collisions. Boats were at all angles across the cut. Milton Keynes seems to go on for ever, but eventually we reached Fenny Stratford with its mid lock swing bridge, and then the solitary Stoke Hammond Lock before the Soulbury Three. The wind by now was quite strong and blowing across the locks, so that the boat wanted to change sides half way up in each lock. Quite a challenge for novice boaters I would say. However, the back therapy is working and MF was almost his usual agile self. We moored up for the night at the attractive Globe Inn in Linslade. Will we be able to get a meal? Pat has gone to investigate…… Bad news and good. They are fully booked but could fit us in if we went now……..

Stoke Bruerne

Our plan today was to start early enough to be able to reach the top of Watford Locks about ¼ hour before the lock keeper came on duty. This was a ploy designed to ensure that we were at least in the queue and therefore with a good chance of being amongst the group to be let down first. This worked. We left at 7 am from Crick Wharf, passed through the tunnel and found ourselves second in line as the lock keeper arrived. So really no delay at all. To speed our descent I was staying lockside and helping with the paddles, then rejoining the boat to move it on to the next chamber. The last of the three chambers of the staircase had very leaky top gates, and as the boat moved back (as they do) when the chamber was empty, the fountains of water poured onto the counter and over the engine bay trapdoor overflowing slightly into the cabin. Just a puddle on the floor which was easy to mop up and a damp mattress cover, but quite a lot of water in the engine bay which is going to be difficult to remove because of oil contamination. The weather was deteriorating from the gorgeous warm sunshine of the last few days and it wasn’t long after joining the Grand Union Mainline at Norton Junction and starting down the Buckby Flight that light rain started to fall. Apart from the second lock in the flight where two boats were coming up, all were against us so progress was slow. At the bottom we had the long cruise to Stoke Bruerne including Blisworth Tunnel (3057 yards). For most of the way we were now in the dry, however, but first with the noise of the M1 motorway and with the trains on the West Coast Mainline shadowing us for the whole way to Blisworth. Blisworth tunnel was quite foggy, so it wasn’t until we were within ¼ mile of the end that we saw the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel. Of course it was raining heavily at the other end, but we managed to get a mooring even though we have used one of the disabled person’s bollards. Thinking that the Museum closed at 4 pm, and it being 3:55pm I did not go straight away, but then Pat told me it closed at 5pm. So I went along clutching my £3 entrance fee, but was told “No way”, it was now 4:40pm and entrance is not allowed after ½ hour before closing time. Pity that. At least I feel I have made some effort, albeit feeble, to support the Museum.

Today 19.8 miles 14 locks in 8 hrs 55 minutes

Crick

All the best laid plans etc….. We set off as planned timing out arrival at Debdale Wharf Marina for 9 am. And indeed, arrived shortly after. After a satisfying 103 litre diesel uplift we continued on to the bottom of the Foxton flight to find 2 other boats waiting. “An hour and a half”: we were told. Well at least there’s a little shop there and plenty of interest to idle away the time. Two Americans on a Jannel Cruiser arrived and we got chatting. It was their first narrowboat holiday and they were enjoying it. I explained the workings of the Foxton Flight as we stood on the bridge in the sunshine. I suppose the big thing about this flight of two 5 chamber staircases is that there is only room for one boat to pass in the middle, and when there is a lot of traffic the most expedient way of handling the traffic from a volume point of view is to let a squadron (collective noun for narrowboats?) of boats up or down alternately. This inevitably means long waits, but quicker for the majority in the long run. Otherwise there is nothing difficult about the technicality of working the locks provided one uses common sense. We reached the top at about midday, so no hope now of getting to the Watford locks at the other end of the long pound before they shut. So we opted to stop at Crick where there are plenty of good moorings thanks to the annual boat show, and good pubs in the village. We arrived at 6.30 pm and set off for the village as soon as the boat was settled. The first pub we came to was the Red Lion and what a lovely welcome! Firstly they have Marstons Pedigree on draught and secondly asked us if we wanted a tab as we were eating. No table numbers either, just a very friendly and personal service. The meal was excellent, so there is a strong possibility that it will get our best pub meal of the summer award.

Today, 23.3 miles and 10 locks, and 10 hours 10 minutes but that includes the waiting.

Kibworth Top Lock

As stated in the future trips section we had hoped to reach Foxton Locks today. We left Birstall early enough at 6:50, but progress was slow, particularly after Aylestone Mill where the river and then the canal appeared shallow and slow. Popular folk law in the area suggests that it is unwise to attempt to moor up anywhere in the Leicester area, so we were commited anyway to try and get as far as Kilby Bridge which we did by about 13:00 hrs. We pressed on from there with the intention of trying at least to get to Debdale Marina for red diesel by 17:30. However, with 12 locks and several miles cruising at what could be little better than 2 mph there was little chance of this, so we stopped just after Kibworth top lock where a good mooring offered itself. The weather had been sunny all day and the travelling most pleasant with no problems. There was very little traffic about with only around 7 boats passed all day and no real hold ups at locks. The locks from Kings up to Double Rail Lock are all fitted with BW key operated locks which rather supports the belief that there is a vandalism problem in the area. Indeed two locks have had their padlocks smashed already. As usual we were operating our "rope it and open it" plan for uphill working in large locks with Pat working ahead on the few short flights. For this I step off the boat in the lock approach carrying the centre rope which I use to slow the boat to a stop on a rear bollard. Pat opens the ground paddle in the conventional way after first having retrieved the bow rope and secured that. I then get a line on the rear of the boat and all paddles are opened up fully. Adjustments are made as the boat rises, and if all goes according to plan the boat is very stable in spite of the strong flows. Tomorrow then we have to get to the marina for fuel and then Foxton Locks. Where we get to after that will depend on cumulative delays if any, but we are unlikely to get down Watford Locks as I had hoped as they close at 17:00hrs.

Zouch

We left Sawley visitor moorings this afternoon where the boat has been for the last week. The Trent and Soar are at normal levels again now. We reached zouch visitor moorings in just under 3 hours.

Birstall

Up early, although we needn’t have done so – just force of habit. After stopping for water at Barrow-on-Soar, we met up with nb Patricia Ann with whom we shared the passage to Birstall. There is good shopping up in the village a very short walk away, and a lovely country park for the dogs to root about in. The Mulberry Bush pub has moved up-market since I was here last year. Then it was 2 meals for the price of one, typical pub food. Now it is more of a restaurant with bookings essential at the weekends and with a renowned chef. The menu we sampled was simple but the food clearly locally prepared and to the highest standard equal to any up-market London restaurant and all at pub prices, although the wine list was more on the expensive side. Highly recommended.

Today was 6hours 25 min with 14 miles and 9 locks. (incl flood locks which were open)

Zouch

We arrived back at the mooring at about 12:30 and were underway by just after 1pm. The Trent and Soar were quiet after a week with no rain, and the keeper operated lock at Sawley was passed without problem. A quiet day the lock keeper told us, yesterday (Sunday) he had dealt with 220 boats. Travelling the Soar onto the Grand Union one is constrained to some extend by the advice of local boaters never to spend the night in the Leicester area for fear of vandalism. How accurate this advice is or whether it is just ‘folk law’ I do not know, but if taken it means positioning overnight at Birstall then making for Kilby in one day. We would not have been able to reach Birstall on the Monday with only half a day left, so this meant two short days. Our first stop, therefore was at Zouch where there are good quiet moorings above the lock.