Monday 12th October - Warings Green Wharf to Lapworth Lock 14
This morning we left our mooring and cruised gently up to the bridge so that Dave could go to Wedges to stock up on provisions. We then continued on our way towards the Lapworth Locks. All was quiet and gentle, very pleasant!
Once you get into the flight of locks they are very close together and the pound of water between the locks is quite short. Here I met a 70ft boat coming up the flight and had to move across into the quite large pool / pound of water available for any transitting narrowboats needing to wait their turn - these mini-reservoirs are also very useful for providing an immediate water source to the locks. The only problem is that these pounds can get very silted up and it is best not to go too far into them.
We moored up just after lock 14 where there are some visitor moorings and just before the rain started. Dave visited the canal shop which is behind us and bought carrot cake, very good indeed!
4.25 miles, 13 locks, 2 moveable bridges, 3 hours 6 minutes.
Tuesday 13th October - Lock 14 to Tom O’the Wood
We woke to a much brighter morning and began our way down towards Kingswood Junction. Here we have a choice - carry on for Stratford-Upon-Avon, turn left for the Grand Union Canal, then left for Birmingham or right for Warwick. I wonder...
Today we have turned left onto the Grand Union and then right again heading towards Warwick. We continued a short distance to the Tom o the Wood moorings and stopped to put on water. Then as it was still warm and sunny we decided to moor up for the night, go for a walk and have lunch in the pub!
We walked out to Baddesley Clinton. Baddesley Clinton is one of the finest moated manor houses in England, nestling in a lovely setting and boasting excellent period gardens, it has been described as ‘the perfect late medieval Manor House’, the manor occupies an island hemmed in on all sides by a wide moat. It is well known for its three secret priest holes built to give refuge to Jesuit priests during the reformation.
The tower of St Michael’s Church is worth noting; it was added around 1500 by the lord of the manor, Nicholas Brome, as penitence for murdering the local priest. The story goes that Brome arrived home unexpectedly one day and surprised the priest in the act of tickling his wife under the chin. Brome assumed they were having an affair and slew the priest on the spot. He escaped punishment for murder with the aid of his powerful friends and was granted a pardon by the king and Pope. However, to atone for his deed, Brome built towers for the church here and at nearby Packwood. These are known locally as the 'Towers of Atonement’.
On our way back we passed a gentleman collecting blackberries, and then we saw this holly bush absolutely laden with berries, very pretty against the blue skies.
1.5 miles, 6 locks, 1 hour 48 minutes.
Wednesday 14th October - Tom o the Wood to Cape Locks
A beautiful start to the day as we left our overnight moorings and headed for Hatton Locks. As we got to the top lock we met up with another boat nbTincanali and we worked through the locks together. We worked through the locks and completed them in 3.5 hours, very happy with this!
We were very lucky to be helped down the first half of the locks by John on his bicycle and then by David who took over and helped us down the last half. A good team working well together resulted in a fun and fast decent in to Warwick.
We moored above the Cape Locks and after lunch walked in to Warwick to have a look around. This is St Mary’s Church right in the middle of Warwick. The historic church of St Mary was founded as a collegiate church (administered by a 'college' of a dean and canons) in 1123 by Roger de Newburgh, second Earl of Warwick. As we walked past girls and boys were arriving for a choristers practice.
Warwick Castle is a medieval castle developed from a wooden fort, originally built by William the Conqueror during 1068. Warwick is the county town of Warwickshire, England, situated on a meander of the River Avon. The original wooden motte-and-bailey castle was rebuilt in stone during the 12th century. Today it feels like stepping inside a theme park, not to our tastes at all!
7 miles, 21 locks, 1 tunnel, 4 hours 24 minutes.
Thursday 15th October - Cape Locks to Radford Semele
A very pleasant cruise today, spent most of the day cleaning inside the boat whilst Dave drove. Dave did a shop in Tesco in Leamington Spa and then we continued out of the town to Radford Semele, another favourite mooring of ours.
After mooring up we went for a walk along the Offchurch Greenway, we explored this a little last time we were here, but this time we walked further along it.
The Offchurch Greenway follows the route of the disused railway between Rugby and Leamington and runs for about 1.5 miles and is a very pleasant walk with stunning views over the countryside.
At the top of the rise we found a group of protesters against the HS2. It appears that large swathes of woodland along the road and the Offchurch Greenway will be felled to allow construction of a service road to help build the HS2 line. Along side this 127 trees along the Greenway have been marked with the orange symbol showing that they will be removed. More information is available from
www.standforthetrees.org
A stunning sunset this evening, looking back towards Leamington Spa.
4.5 miles, 2 locks, 3 hours 6 mins
Friday 16th October - Radford Semele to Bascote Railway Bridge
An early morning visitor to the boat hatch this morning, hopeful for something to eat but no luck here! Good job Toby didn’t see it, he really doesn’t like swans!
We were working our way up these locks when we met two boats coming down, I stayed back fully expecting both boats to pass to my right, but one of them cut across my bow to my left - best laid plans...
We moored for the night just before a disused railway bridge. This is the same disused line between Rugby and Leamington that we walked along yesterday. Here the canal appears to narrow and I have discovered that this was the site of Bascote Wharf although there is no evidence of buildings or equipment left.
This time we headed along the disused railway to Long Itchington, crossing the River Itchen which the village gets its name from. A lovely Warwickshire village which it is believed that Elizabeth 1 once stayed in!
4 miles, 10 locks, 3 hours and 42 minutes.
Saturday 17th October - Long Itchington to Birdingbury Wharf
We left our mooring at 9am today so we could get through the two locks and put on water at the Blue Lias Inn before meeting friends, Di and Mark at the Stockton Locks. Di and Mark are from nbEnbilulu which is currently moored in Calcutt Marina and they kindly offered to meet us at the locks and help us up them.
We made rapid progress up the locks, one boat and three people working the locks was pure genius!
We made very good time and continued to Birdingbury Bridge and The Two Boats Inn where we had lunch together. It was lovely to see them and we were very grateful for the help they gave us!
Dave took Toby for a walk and found a huge open space for him to run around in. Toby loves to run and then roll around in all the grass - he looks as though he is lying down he is actually rolling over and over!
2 miles, 10 locks, 3 hours.
Sunday 18th October - Birdingbury Bridge to Flecknoe Bridge
Woke to a grey morning and I decided to walk with Toby to Calcutt Locks, a little muddy underfoot but generally a pleasant walk.
Willow Wren Training is the leading canal based RYA and MCA approved training centre based at Nelson’s Wharf on the Grand Union Canal in Warwickshire providing a range of waterways related training courses.
We are walking over the entrance to Ventnor Marina. It is a large Marina with 260 berths in two basins with separate entrances.
After turning left at the junction we moored up just before Flecknoe Bridge, this part of the canal is very busy with boats moving constantly in both directions. There was also a long line of boats which looked as though they were moored for the winter months, a very pleasant place to moor really.
We went for a walk along the canal, across on a footbridge and then a footpath up to Flecknoe and the Old Olive Bush pub. The footpath was clearly way marked but as the farmer had just been ploughing the field the actual path was non existent! And yes we strode out across this very brown muddy field!
From the village we could see the line of the canal and several narrowboats dotted along it. A lovely view off in to the distance.
5.5 miles, 3 locks, 2 hours 48 minutes.
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