UK Canals - Journey reports

Grand Union Canal:Widewater Lock

Our last day of this cruise. Just three locks to do. After Cowley, worked by volunteer Lock keepers, We stopped at Uxbridge Boat Centre to discuss repairs to our Squirrel stove which has "burst". Then on to Harefield Marina.

Grand Union Canal:Willowtree

As the boat has been stationary for two days, casual engine running is not enough to keep the batteries charged.  Yesterday was only 3 hours, with little sunshine and no wind.  This morning at 5:00 am the low voltage alarm was operating and the inverter off, so the engine had to go on almost as soon as we were up.   Fortunately we had no neighbours in residence to annoy.  We are almost back from this epic cruise, almost the largest ring one can do.  Just one more night as although we could get back easily in one day, it means having to load up the car late in the day and experience the rush hour.   We stopped at Greenford for water and then found what we had hoped for, our mooring at the Park.  There were one or two small maintenance issues to deal with, but otherwise table and chairs out in warm sunshine.

Grand Union Canal:Kensal Green

We had guests to join us as far as Paddington, so left later than usual.  The weather was good.   The large number of moored boats throughout the canal was in stark contrast to previous trips, such that mooring was more or less impossible.   Hoping to stop below City Road lock for lunch we were about to be disappointed and then noticed the visitor moorings in the basin which were free, but obviously unattractive to continuous moorers because of access issues.   I have not used this site before.  It looks good for an overnight as well, with good edge and bollards.    Moving on, Camden was the usual mayhem with lots of folk out in the nice weather, jumping into Kentish Town road lock and sitting on the bank with feet dangling in the water.   Frightening trying to keep the boat off in the light wind which hovering for the next lock.   Busy with boats too.    Arriving at Paddington later than usual there was nowhere to moor until we found a spot right at the end of the basin with one ring only, so moored up using a chain on the adjacent pontoon.   Then we got told to leave by security.    There was another spot that we tried, but again no proper mooring rings and we had to move on.    Little Venice straight was full of course and CRT in their wisdom in the peak summer season had decided to improve moorings further on so these were all blocked off.   No alternative but to move on to Kensal Green.   Howeber, as we moved on, now into dusk and finally night, it became apparent that the whole area was on the fringe of the Notting Hill carnival with madness everywhere, boats moored all over and no sign of any space at Kensal Green Visitor Moorings.    Having spotted sme space on the Sainsbury Shopping moorings we reversed back and stopped there.  Not ideal at all.    Fortunately we had another guest who joined us at Paddington as our original ones had left.   So he too ended up at Kensal Green.   In its way it is not a bad spot on the proper moorings under ordinary circumstances.  There is grass, rings and it is fairly quiet.  The cemetery is opposite!   The No 18 bus stops nearby on the Harrow Road and goes to Euston, past Paddington.

River Thames:Limehouse

The alarm went off at 4:00 am for our trip down the tidal river to Limehouse.   Loads of motor cruisers has passed us yesterday, some evidently continuing on down river especially the bigger many layered ones, but others mooring up ahead of us.   We were last in line.   We were planned to leave half an hour before high tide, so at 5:05 we left our mooring in darkness.   There was no sign of any activity and Pat thought that perhaps we had the wrong time.   Then suddenly a whole load of stern lights appeared at once ahead of us and boats appeared behind.   We were all led into the huge barge lock with us in the middle.   Seemingly we were considered to have gatecrashed a motor boat club outing to Limehouse, for one of the skippers seemed offended that a narrowboat had been allowed into the lock with them all, and then remonstrated very angrily that we should remain behind until they had all gone.   A sensible enough suggestion in its way because were were inevitably going to be last because of the difference in speed, but the boats behind seemed very reluctant to move until I was out of the way, so we left anyway.    By Richmond, they had all disappeared and it was only there that we began to pick up the ebb tide giving us a speed somewhere between 7 and 8 mph.   It was raining and the visibility poor.    For most of the time we were the only boat moving in sight.  Only two boats passed us opposite direction and another two joined us at Limehouse for the lock.   The water was calm in consequence.    Reaching Limehouse we turned and stemmed the tide waiting for the lock, then when directed, being level with the lock entrance, just turned slowly causing the boat to drift in, increasing power progressively with the turn until straight in no problem.    This seems to be a much more certain method than trying to hug the downstream wall and turn because the notorious eddy effect is minimised.   One of the two cruisers tried this and got caught out, the eddy driving him to the opposite wall just as I had experienced at Keady the first time I was on the Trent.     For the time being we are breasted up with a widebeam on the "disabled" mooring pontoon, but hopefully we will be in good position for later on.   The motor cruisers all had booked places in the marina proper, so have effectively disappeared.

River Thames:Teddington

Prospect of a warm summer day.   We did three locks self service this morning, Pat acting as lock keeper for the last one as a boat joined us.   Then at Molesey we stopped for a self service pump out.  As always, the flushing water hose is too short to reach, so repeated buckets down the toilet was all we could manage.  The river was busy with trip boats, the pseudo sternwheelers and paddlesteamers always seeming very popular.  Please don't tell me that the public really believe that there are the real thing.     There was plenty of room on the lock keepers moorings when we arrived at Teddington, but the spaces soon filled and it looks as if quite a few boats will be going down to Limehouse tomorrow.   We may have to wait in the river for the lock when we arrive there.   Then there will be loads wanting to moor, so we may well end up rafted out.

River Thames:Penton Hook

On the face of it a short day expected today as we were ahead yesterday.    We set off to escape the offside of Baths Island only to find a low bridge ahead, listed as 3 metres and actually too low to take the mast and windcharger in it's normal resting position.   I could have changed all that by removing the mast and chimney and by reversing the windcharger, but couldn't be bothered.   Additionally, there was a notice on the bridge saying no motorised craft beyond this point.   So just reversed out back into the main stream.  Bowthrusters make this easy!    Romney lock (the big one) was open for us all ready, so no long wait for the fill, or cycling of paddles.   Even so emptying is so very slow after being used to just fully opening the paddles on a canal lock and dropping quickly.   Old Windsor Lock was different with the bottom gates open, so a long wait there.   Arriving at Bell Weir Lock workmen were found working on the gates, so there was a half hour delay.  We were joined in the lock by a cruiser from the Medway.  Pat wanted to visit Sainsbury at Staines, so rather than chance not finding a mooring there we dived into the park morring we had used before upstream of Holm Island.  The cruiser had the same idea.  There was space but it was shallow and we ended up a couple of feet off the bank.  The cruiser was able to get into deeper water.   It seems that there is a mass migration of motor cruisers planned this weekend to West India Dock and may have a bearing on our plans to leave Teddington on Saturday morning.  The cruiser we moored with is bound for Limehouse also, but leaving tomorrow on the 5:00am tide.   Shopping done we carried on to Penton Hook Lock and moored just upstream where there are some bollards and a WiFi from neighbouring houses.

River Thames:Windsor

Each day we have a schedule worked out long in advance on the web based canal planner.   Given a journey details it gives us a daily schedule of equal duration so that we know whether a gien plan is workable.  So each day we have a target location for overnight mooring.   Lately however, moorings that we anticipate are not there or like today, already taken or perhaps discretion changes our mind.  No option then but to go on.    The cruise was pretty uneventful, through Hurley and Temple Locks, on to Marlow and then the long reach to Cookham.   Just before the lock cut a large barge turned ahead of us to lead down the lock cut.   It turned out to be the Magan Carta Hotel boat, one of the largest I have seen on the river.   Fortunately it stopped before the lock to await a passenger, so we were in the end not delayed, not that it would have mattered.    Boulters lock was pretty full with three narrowboats and a couple of cruisers and we were then turned away at Bray, being a smaller lock.   Our intended mooring was full and the fall back position had a small party setting up a picnic.   Alfie would have created mayhem for sure, so we moved on to Baths Island in Windsor.  This is also a nice place to sit out and does not have the stream of tourists walking past the boat as on the main bank.  A hot afternoon.

River Thames:Hurley Lock

Leaving at our usual time we were joined in Caversham Lock by another early bird taking his boat to Shiplake for facilities.   Not that it effected us, the pumpout at Shiplake was out of order apparently which along with Mapledurham also out of action might have been a problem for some.   Of course there are always the boatyards.    It was a pleasant day becoming quite warm as time went on.   We passed Henley and Temple Island with evidence of a large festival site being dismantled on our right.   The intention was to moor above Hambledon Lock, but the mooring we thought was there isn't.  So no option but to carry on and in the end we reached Hurley.   Had a word with the lock-keeper and he sold us a mooring in the little weir stream above the lock for £8.50.   It's a lovely spot with its own little lawn for sitting out and away from the main towpath, so quiet.   There is a farm shop just over the bridge past the church which is quite well stocked and dangerous if on a diet.

River Thames:Caversham

We left our rural mooring early as usual and had Benson Lock all to ourselves.  Then the long reach to Cleve Lock, passing Wallingford.   Just before the mainline railway bridge there is an unmarked left turn easily missed although it doesn't look as if failure to take it would result in too much trouble, just make negotiating the bridge a little difficult with a goof flow running.   By the time we reached Cleve Lock the lock-keeper was on duty.   Below we encountered the swimmer and man on a board again and the board paddler joined us in Goring Lock.  The swimmer has to get out and walk!.  The female swimmer wants to carry on to Southend, but the Port of London Authority won't let her.  Does not sound a very good idea to me.  The fast catarmarans, the other trip boats, the tide, and the water itself do not make for a safe experience.   Putney is their limit.   Our planned destination was Mapledurham, but we need shopping, so carried on to Tesco at Kings Meadow Reading.   A narrowboat was just leaving as we needed a mooring and the whole exercise took us two hours.   Being now ahead of schedule and there being no convenience mooring downstream we returned through Caversham Lock to the moorings by the park on the Caversham side.

River Thames:Shillingford

Pat went ahead to set Sandford Lock as early in the morning it is on self service.  If the lock is already full the gates will not open unless the paddles are up.  They wern't and it takes ages for the automated sequence to run.  Soon we were through and on our way.  We needed to offload rubbish above the lock at Abingdon Facilities, but Pat also wanted to find a newsagent in the town for which we needed to moor up.   Early in the morning one might expect all the moorings to be taken which they were except for one boat which right on cue left its moorings as we approached.   The nearby field was busy with a horsey event.  A stream of horse boxes and other vehicles were arriving.   We were not stopping of course, and left to continue on.    Along the way we passed a long distance swimmer accompanied by a guy on a paddle board with all their luggage on it.  A strange sight to be honest and wondering quite what kind of assistance this guy could give if needed.   We arrived at Shillingford Hotel in due course and moored outside for lunch, but then moved back to the bankside mooring in the shrubbery that we have used before.   The water is deep and the bank just about manageable for Alfie.   Later in the afternoon the swimmer and the man on a board passed us still going strong, if that's the right work.   Perhaps we will pass them again tomorrow.   Also this afternoon we watched a narrowboat go aground cutting the corner opposite the timbered house.  Well and truly stuck there resisting all efforts to get off, the boat resting midships.   A hire cruiser took pity and towed them off eventually.

River Thames:Sandford Lock

Another long line of moored boats to pass again this morning, then four narrow locks before we reach the Thames.   There is also a standard Oxford Canal lifting bridge to negotiate.  It has been fitted with a BW key lock on the towpath side.  You have to pressdown on the bridge to get the key to turn and then the bridge will lift itself on its counterbalance.   There is a chain to pull it back down again with to retrieve your key.  Seems a very sensible and simple way of making this type of lifting bridge work, especially for a single hander.    We were warned by a passing boater that Dukes Cut is very overgrown.   Actually not really any more than usual in my opinion, but to find moored boats in there definitely is a problem.  We only just managed to get past an opposite direction narrowboat in consequence.   The Thames was welcoming as usual with a beautiful display of lockside flowers.   The contrast going to CRT water could not have been more stark, if going the other way.   One might think "Is this how CRT would treat the river if it gained control?"    The bow rope snagged when using it to steady the boat on arrival at Kings Lock and snapped.    A bowline sorted that temporarily.    Osney moorings were full, so we continued on below Folly Bridge where a rowing regatta was in progress.   Boats all over the place and heaps of onlookers too.  We descended Iffley Lock and moored between the white bollards at Sandford Lock.    There is wind here and the wind-charger is humming, 1 - 3 amps and the rain has started again.

Oxford Canal:Thrupp

We left our mooring early in the rain.   Pat set off earlier to give Alfie a walk and I picked her up at the next but one bridge.  Slow because it was moored boats all the way.  Very few boats seemed to be on the move, no doubt because of the rain.  Northbrook Lock was painfully slow.   Yawn!   One of the bottom paddles was out of service.   The last pound past Enslow was very shallow it seemed and we were glad to get on the river below Bakers.   At Shipton Weir Lock Pat got chatting to a dog walker who thought we would be very lucky to get a mooring at Thrupp.  He told her that the "liveabords" have a phone network and exchange moorings between each other when they have to move on.   However, our luck was in.  There was a mooring and a half past the (now electric) lift bridge in roughly the same place we were at last when Grannie had her accident.   The half was quickly filled as well.   CRT have publicised a new regime to come into force week after next.   A £25 charge per day for overstaying.   The puzzle is that it has always been the case as far as I was aware, but never collected I suppose.  Just wondering how exactly they are going to collect the £25, or force overstayers to move on.   

Oxford Canal:Lower Heyford

On the move again!  Our first task was to reverse the boat back to the facilities block for water.  We were off the bottom of the gauge.   It took a while to fill the tank, so were were later than usual in making headway.   Yesterday an observer noted that Banbury Lock was very congested.  Boats arriving to lock down first have to negotiate the lifting bridge and there is only limited space between there and the lock, so if an usuaually large number of boats make it through the bridge there is nowhere for boats ascending the lock to clear.  Mayhem!    So we were not surprised today to see boats moving early.   There was a new wharf (new to us) in the pound below Grants Lock offering pump out  for £15, but it was closed.   We made it down to Aynho Wharf for pumpout and diesel.  Not cheap, but they made the point that their diesel has anti-diesel bug additives already in.   The stuff is expensive.   A few boats passed us while we were moored and we met them all again at Somerton Deep Lock.   A queue of five with a moored boat in the middle.   The wind was being a bit troublesome for some hire boaters and the lock is not as fast as one might expect.  We spent an hour and a half there.   As the wind seemed to be getting stronger we were looking for a windy place to moor to test the wind generator, but with hindsight the best place to get this would have been before Somerton Lock.   Too late, however the best we could do was below Upper Heyford Lift Bridge on the corner after by the railway line.

Oxford Canal:Banbury

A straightforward descent of Claydon Locks, only one opposite direction boat at the bottom in our favour.  Pat was as usual working ahead and me with leaving the lock as single handed, closing the mitred gates on my own was no problem without too much delay.   They can be acessed from the roof in the tail of the lock.   Below Elkington's Lock moored boats attending the Cropedy festival were evident and a solid line stretched down from there to Slat Mill Lock, a distance of about 2 1/2 miles.   Some were breasted up which made passing the few opposite direction boats tricky. Excavators were seen busy tidying up the new Cropredy Marina, now in water but with the dam still in place.  There doesn't appear to be much in the way of service facilities yet though. Past the village, the festival site was packed with tents and caravans and the towpath from there back to Cropredy was very busy with a stream of people going back and forth like a load of worker ants all going about their business.  Once past all this we were soon in Banbury and found a mooring opposite Sovereign Boats.   There were spaces opposite the shopping centre we discovered later and there seems to be quite a rapid turnover on the moorings there.   We expect to be  here for a few days.  

Oxford Canal:Claydon

We set off first thing to have a good run up the Napton Flight and almost immediately saw a boat following us, obviously with the same idea.   For the most part the locks were empty for us, so progress was rapid, Pat working ahead as usual so that the boat had an unbroken run from lock to lock save for the need for me to close the top gates with the boat stationary in the lock throat.   A quick nip back to the bottom gate to lift a paddle for the boat behind seemed a small favour for them by way of compensation for beating them to it.   At Marston Doles Top we closed up just too soon for a coal boat arriving at the lock and later found that its passage had pulled out all the mooring pins of a boat moored at the back of the line.   The Oxford Canal in this section seems as shallow as ever.   Progress is slow and the bank effect when passing another boat requires serious compensation or cutting the power to avoid running the bow into the opposite bank.  Further on it seems not so bad.   The wide views that could be granted over a huge swathe of countryside are denied us by the huge hedges that have grown out of control.  Such a shame.   Machines are available to keep hedges under control, but once they grow to over 12 feet high chainsaws and chippers become necessary at great expense.   Our plan put us at the top of the Claydon Flight for the night.   Tomorrow Banbury if we can get through Cropredy that is.  Its the music festival this weekend and I am expecting the canal to be congested.

Oxford Canal:Napton

A sunny morning which degraded into high overcast in the afternoon.    Traffic built up early as we joined the busy Oxford section of the Grand Union at Braunston Turn.   About an hour to Napton Junction where a couple of boats ahead left for Calcutt Locks.  Bridge holes became more popular with opposite direction boats until the Bridge Inn when we had a clear run again.   We will leave Napton Locks till the morning.   There is no rush and we are well placed to be in Banbury by Friday.  We have after all done Banbury to Napton in a day before now.

Oxford Canal:Hillmorton

A little chillier this morning and the canal was steaming.   Again we missed a lot of traffic starting early.  Just past Stretton Stop there is a dismal cutting and then a short open part with popular moorings.  The difficulty was that there was an unbroken line of moored boats round the curve and overgrown vegetation on the offside making passage single file only and no way of seeing what was round the corner.  We were lucky.  There were no boats coming the other way, but soon after a stream of opposite direction boats.   I could imagine the mayhem that would occur if two lines of boats met in the middle.  Throw in an inexperienced boater or two and the fun can just be imagined.

Single lane traffic here

  This was not the only place where overgrown vegetation is becoming a problem.   The picture shows one point where for over 100 yards reeds and overgrown bushes have rendered the canal one way only.  Untrimmed vegetation is also obstructing the views on corners in places.    The situation has become so gross that I cannot imagine how precisely CRT can go about fixing it, other than in a few hot spots because there is so much generally building up through lack of "stitch in time" and the disposal of trimmings must be a real headache.   We stopped at Rugby Tesco for the usual shopping and then proceeded on to Hillmorton.   The locks were quiet and we had a chatty volunteer lock-keeper open the bottom lock gates as we approached.   We must have been lucky because there has been a lot of traffic.  Over 100 boats passed through one day at the weekend apparently.   

Oxford Canal:Hawkesbury Junction

Still raining this morning.  The windgenerator had been humming all night and the batteries were up at 84%.  So it does work when the wind blows.  We set off early of course, the better to get a clear run at the flight ahead which worked.  We reached the top after 2 hours.  Then just another 3 hours to Hawkesbury Junction which turned out to be 4 due to multiple occurrences of moored boats and a couple of trips down the weed hatch.   By the time we had arrived the weather had changed for the better.   Tonight, a meal at the Greyhound.  Booking strongly advised.

Coventry Canal:Bradley Green

Just three locks this morning to Fradley Junction.   It was all very quiet.  Plenty of moorings available as we passed, but as soon as we got established on the Coventry Canal the opposite direction boats appeared with monotonous regularity and usually in bridge holes or other tight spots of which there were many due to the overgrowth of vegetation in places.   4 3/4 hours saw us reach Fazeley Junction where we stopped for water.   The wind was quite strong and I didn't pay enough attention to getting the bows onto the bank so that Pat could get a line ashore and then got caught out on the stern ending up with the boat across the canal with oncoming traffic.   15 minutes later we were on our way again and to our surprise there was no queue at Glascote locks.  This put us ahead of plan and we carried on until rain stopped play at 14:45, nearing the bottom of the Atherstone flight.   We should be in good position for the morning providing that there aren't a similar load of idiots trying to beat the queues.

Coventry Canal:Bradley Green

Just three locks this morning to Fradley Junction.   It was all very quiet.  Plenty of moorings available as we passed, but as soon as we got established on the Coventry Canal the opposite direction boats appeared with monotonous regularity and usually in bridge holes or other tight spots of which there were many due to the overgrowth of vegetation in places.   4 3/4 hours saw us reach Fazeley Junction where we stopped for water.   The wind was quite strong and I didn't pay enough attention to getting the bows onto the bank so that Pat could get a line ashore and then got caught out on the stern ending up with the boat across the canal with oncoming traffic.   15 minutes later we were on our way again and to our surprise there was no queue at Glascote locks.  This put us ahead of plan and we carried on until rain stopped play at 14:45, nearing the bottom of the Atherstone flight.   We should be in good position for the morning providing that there aren't a similar load of idiots trying to beat the queues.

Trent and Mersey Canal:Woodend Lock

We have it now first hand why sensible people with the choice do not go boating in August.  It is mayhem.  All the hire boats are out.  We passed a convoy this morning obviously just released at the beginning of their hires.   We haven't found the source yet.   The vegetation on the offside of the canal is really due for trimming but as yet is growing out rapidly obsuring corners and narrowing the cut.   We have had two near collisions today on account of poor visibility.  Fortunately we were travelling very slowly anyway, though possibly because of a bit of rope and plastic bags round the propellor.   However, starting early we had a clear run through the only two locks of the day, Hayward and Colwich, both notorious bottlenecks.  We soon caught up with a hire boat going very slowly, mostlikely inexperience because they ran into the bank at the sharp turn after the aqueduct at Bridley Bank.  We passed.  We stopped at Rugeley for shopping and a few minor maintenance issues.  Then carried on slowly through the traffic.   The three locks down to Fradley Junction where we turn off onto the Coventry Canal are also notorious bottlenecks, so we elected to stop for the day before them and tackle them first thing in the morning.    As it happens there seemed to be very little traffic.   I expect everyone is planning the same and it will all kick off at 6 am tomorrow!    More heavy showers and intermittent sunshine.

Trent and Mersey Canal:Great Hayward

8 Locks today.  Four through Stone and the remainder spread out on the way to Great Hayward, junction with the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal.   No traffic until leaving Stone, then a procession of hire boats returning to base.   All the locks were against us.  We were obviously following other boat(s) and in fact caught up with them at Weston Lock where we had a short wait.   It seemed quite a windy day, but Great Hayward is mostly set in a wooded area and the few open moorings were all taken, so still no opportunity to test the wind generator in a "good blow".   We moored up for the day at 12:00 midday and went to the newly refurbished "Canalside Farm shop" for an ice cream and ended up spending £18.   So much tempting food!   Then with more time on my hands did an engine oil and filter change and sat out in the sun with a beer.   Thunder and showwers later.

Trent and Mersey Canal:Meaford

We left our mooring under an overcast sky but with the prospect of a warm day ahead.  Good progress to Stoke top lock, the deep one, deeper as the sides were built up to combat subsidence.   No other traffic, so we made good time.  The canal below the flight must be much deeper because we just seemed to scoot along.  Trentham Lock was in our favour and Barlaston reached after 4 hours.  Pat wanted to visit the nearby Londis store for some fresh salad and then we decided to move on.   After the bridge progress suddenly slowed.  The towpath banks were seen degrading and the water shallower.  Of course the shallower the water, the more disturbence there is in the water by the passage of boats and so a vicious circle gets set up, more erosion, shallower water.   There is no sense in trying to go faster.  All you can do is to drift along.  Nearer to Meaford Locks works were in evidence with a new towpath and metal piling with signs of dredging.   Excellent!   We found ourselves second in the queue at Meaford top lock with a regular alternation of boats up and down until we reached the bottom when it all went quiet again.    We have stopped here for the night.   Mooring 6/10 and TV from Sutton Coldfield.   It was now hot!  Chairs out and a beer (or two).