UK Canals - Journey reports

Grove Bridge

Clear skies overnight gave us a chilly morning with low mist over the water. There was very little traffic during the morning so we made good progress. Only at Apsley did we meet opposite direction stuff, and most significant was a large barge and tug. We decided to stop early as a quiet sunny mooring turned up. Afternoon spent doing a bit of painting.

Winkwell

No holdups today. The pound between the two Ivinghoe locks had water in it and we had a friendly pair with nb Sammy Jo up Marsworth. Doing so well we carried on to Winkwell.

Grove Lock - Day 3

Pat found her shop yesterday afternoon, but said it was a long walk.  Up to the village triangle, turn right, then next left (long way) and follow it round!  At least she got back before the rain started.  Hire boaters passing then looked pretty miserable.

This morning we set off at daybreak to get our guest, Lauren, to the railway station to get an  early train back to London.   All of us had run out of cash, so a triple visit to Tesco cash machines at Wolverton was first on the agenda.  Once Lauren had been "seen off", we continued on.  We were still weaving our way through Milton Keynes by the time she phoned to say she had reached home safely.   Wind was becoming an issue by the time we reached Soulbury Three Locks at around 3pm, but manageable.  We thought we could make the Grove Lock in reasonable time and found the moorings above the lock free, tying up opposite the pub at 17:20.   Good TV, but broadband is a little disappointing here.

Day 2 - Yardley Gobion

We left our lonely overnight mooring at 7:10 and didn't see another boat moving until 10:00.  The weather forecast was bad with anticipated heavy rain at some stage, so we were anxious to get on.  We only passed two boats in Blisworth Tunnel and as we had made good time, moored up in Stoke Bruerne briefly to enable our guest to have a little look around.  On one hand it would have been better to carry on, for when we did move we found ourselves behind a Gayton hire boat extremely unfamiliar with locks!  It took two hours to descend the flight of 7 locks.  We continued after a brief water stop and found a mooring with good TV at Yardley Gobion.   Pat set off to find the local village shop.

Leaving Cutweb

It has to be admitted, six boats leaving the Cutweb Rally at the same time, and all going up the Stockton Flight was going to create a bit of mayhem.   We were last as we needed to fill up with water opposite the pub, however once moving, and with the assistance of a bankside crew, we were up to the top in 40 minutes.   Then we seemed to get caught up behind a convoy of very slow boats.  I know that the perception of speed is a bit of an illusion as one always seems to end up where you wanted anyway, but nonetheless, it's frustrating.  So by Braunston bottom lock these boats had evaporated and we joined one to do the flight, leaving it behind to traverse the tunnel alone.   Straight down Buckby to a mooring past the M1 noise where we are in good position to set off in the morning without too much delay (such as a lock flight with no water).

Blue Lias

Today our friends joined us and we enjoyed an escorted descent of the Stockton Locks. Blue Lias is a type of limestone, found locally, in which dinosaur fossils have been found.

Tomlow Bridge

 Yesterday,A chilly morning blue sky and little wind. That changed. But first we had to negotiate the Braunston Tunnel which was so warm inside that my glasses steamed up! We are entering water shortage territory and so were not surprised to find a lock keeper at the top of the flight down into Braunston who asked us to wait to pair up with another boat. We waited for a pleasant 1 and 1/2 hours before a single boat came up and we were allowed to proceed. Strangely, three other single boats passed us on the way down, one turning the lock around in front of us. So much for saving water! Out of the relative shelter of Braunston in its valley the wind was bad again with intermittent heavy showers. Finally we arrived at Calcutt where we had planned on getting the full house of diesel, gas and pump-out. Calcutt closes for 1/2 hour for lunch, but by the time we had waited at the locks for opposite direction traffic and then faffed around in the wind to get onto the wharf it worked out fine. Pressing on we reached our mooring for the night - a grassy bank with a tidy edge where we have stopped before. Now we are in good state to deal with Stockton Locks tomorrow.

A windy day

Drizzle and breezy this morning. As we came up in the top lock a Kate Boats hire boater was turning to return through the tunnel. He informed Pat that a wide beam was due to go through in our direction at 8.00am. We had just 12 minutes to beat it to the tunnel mouth. Who wants to be stuck behind a slow broad beam in a tunnel! As we got nearer to the tunnel entrance we spotted the boat in question. The crew were just releasing the mooring ropes and succeeded in getting by. The crew of the broadbeam seemed very cheerful and shouted across that they would be following us, but could not leave until 8.00am. Soon after entering we saw a bright light behind and assumed it was them. Imagine our surprise, therefore, some 5 minutes later, to see a light ahead. This turned out to be a Black Prince hire boat which we passed in the cathedral like central section. On exiting the tunnel we asked the tunnel keeper, who was stopping boats entering, how the two boats would pass in the tunnel. We don't know, of course, that it was actually the broadbeam behind but it was certainly going very slowly as the light was now dim in the distance. Apparently the boat was supposed to wait until given explicit directions to go. So if there was mayhem in the tunnel today, that would be why.

On the northern side of the tunnel the wind had got up strength and I was fearful of trees coming down and also of needing to stop for any reason, because only by maintaining some sort of way, often crabbing to maintain direction, could we keep off the bank and any moored boats of which there were many. At Weedon we came up behind nb "Molly" moving rather slowly and the skipper kindly let us pass, but then speeded up behind us. So we climbed the Whilton Locks together. The higher pounds were quite low and we tried to moor just below the top lock. However, the water level was osscilating up and down with the use of the locks and we were periodically tipping. Furthermore, the lock keeper was being fairly strict in making boats wait for a pair at the top. Molly found a "friend" to go ahead, but when we had the chance of another boat to make a pair we took it and moored at the top instead where there was plenty of water. Chance for a little bit of boat maintenance!!

Stoke Bruerne

Sunday

From our overnight position we reached Fenny lock with its integral swing bridge in a few minutes. From there it was 45 minutes to the marina, a further 1 hour 10 minutes to Giffard Park and the same to Wolverton. Mooring up against a strong wind blowing up a side canyon within the apartment buildings I was holding the boat back when my feet slipped on the pea gravel and I was nearly pulled into the water. No damage done fortunately. This is an awful development in my opinion and I have possibly ranted about it before, but it has ignored the potential the canal offers and has no character. It always looks deserted. A piazza, some grass or small gardens and a cafe, shop or even pub would have given it more of a community feel.

Tesco was open and busy. Shopping done in an hour and we were off again. Turning Cosgrove Lock round we waited for a following Wyvern boater who made a very impressive entrance to the lock in a very strong cross wind, however getting trapped against the bank by the wind between the lock and the always moored trip boat which I have always thought is in an awkward position.

At the bottom of Stoke Bruerne Pat did a recce and found a single boat going up in the second lock. They kindly waited for us and we dropped out in the long pound to find a mooring. Apart from the wind, which can be troublesome, and the odd sharp shower it has been a warm mostly sunny day, at odds with the gloomy weather forecast. Tomorrow is supposed to be horrendous. I wonder?

Fenny Stratford

Pat went ahead to set the first lock but phoned me to say that there was no water below.  The top gate of the lock below was open and clearly the bottom gates leak badly.   So we shut the gate and opened a paddle in each gate above, making a mental note of the level we needed to get enough depth.   When this was reached Pat filled the lock below and we proceeded normally.   Total delay 40 minutes.   No problems thereafter and the pound at Ivinghoe which we have twice found empty previously was fine.  Here we joined  nb Rose for a couple of locks, then continued solo again to Leighton Buzzard for a top-up Tesco shop.  Our intention was to make Great Linford, but it became apparent that we would be very late and then it occurred to us that we would then, on Sunday, find the supermarket at Wolverton closed until 11 am, so there was no advantage in pushing on.   Wolverton is the last major supermarket on our route to the Blue Lias for the Cutweb Rally, so we have to be stocked up for about a week and with guests expected, so this shop is important.   So we stopped opposite the allotments just before Fenny Stratford where we know of good visibility for the Eastern TV transmitter which my GPS calls "Sandy".

Marsworth Lock 38

We made good progress this morning as far as Sewer Lock.  However the pound ahead had little water.  Pat went on to look at the next lock with a view to letting some water down, but the pound above was also down.   Fortunately British Waterways had already been notified and the boys were already on the case, informing us of an hour's delay.   Two boats arrived below us and then a third which leapfrogged and joined us in the empty lock waiting.  nb Daisy Rose was heading for Berkhamsted to meet friends, so we left them there and carried on.   We had Marsworth flight to ourselves and took 1 hour 15 mins to descend the first 7.   Scare stories of no water proved unfounded although the last pound was a little down but normal enough for this flight in my experience.   We continued on to the stretch above the last two Marsworth locks wherre we know we can get good TV from Oxford.

Musical Chairs

We left Harefield at around 8 am for Apsley, stopping first at the canalside Tesco for provisions. At Batchworth, we found two boats ahead waiting. Following them we were joined in the lock by a short narrowboat "Discovery" skippered by a total novice. A coal boat waited below. At the next lock we had to wait again for the two boats ahead, and by the time we had got into the lock, the coal boat "Archimedes" arrived and got precedence. So we joined up with "Archimedes". At Cassio one of the boats ahead had stopped for diesel, so "Archimedes" went ahead and we were now paired with "Shanti". This was a good partnership and in spite of having to turn most locks around, we reached Apsley as planned. David on "Shanti" hosted a glass of wine by way of appreciation. Tomorrow Marsworth.