Easter Cruise Spring 2024 Week 9

 Monday 22nd April - Welton Haven Marina

Today it has rained non-stop so we haven’t moved, just walked along the towpath with Toby every so often.  

Tuesday 23rd April - Welton Haven Marina to Braunston above Lock 1

We woke to a much nicer morning and soon began to prepare the boat for moving on.  

We got to Welton Marina where we were going to stop for diesel.  Very easy, come under the bridge and make a right turn onto the service pontoon, no wind so it was all very straight forward.  

Then we carried on to Norton Junction where we turned right under the bridge onto the Grand Union heading towards Braunston.  The house on the corner is very picturesque with a delightful outlook over the canal in all three directions.

Toby in his favourite position on the stern watching everything going past him.  He is extremely shaggy at the moment, overdue for a groom, but looking quite sweet!

Then its into Braunston Tunnel, two way traffic and we passed one boat soon after we started and another within 300m of finishing.  Both passed without contact, so satisfying!

Once out of the tunnel we are very soon into the 6 locks down into Braunston.  We passed this hire boat with 12 people, dressed in striped jackets, boaters and waving the flag of St George, I guess they must be celebrating St George’s Day!

We came down 5 locks along side nbKatie-Jane and then we both found space above the bottom lock so moored up there for the evening.  Just in time as it began to rain heavily again!  

Our mooring is opposite a field with ewes and very young lambs, and a delightful shepherds hut which is available for hire through eweglamping.com.  The lambs are a great distraction providing loads of entertainment as they gambol around the field.

A visitor to the boat, a lovely little moorhen, a super reflection in the water showing how calm and still the weather is today.

A lovely sunset taken from the side hatch of the boat.  The sheep have finally quietened down and the lambs have given up playing and gone to sleep.

4.7 miles, 2hrs 54mins, 5 locks, 1 tunnel

Wednesday 24th April - Braunston above Lock 1 - Willoughby Wharf

Woke to a pleasant morning and after a quick shop in the village we got ready to go down the last lock for this trip.

We shared this lock again with nbKatie-Jane, they were undecided as to which direction they were going in, but it was lovely to see them again.

This was our volunteer lock keeper for today, he was very jolly and carried dog treats in his pocket, so Toby was mightily impressed!  Many thanks again to all the lock keepers who spend so much time keeping these locks running so smoothly.

Leaving Braunston we passed the iconic iron bridges marking the junction with the Oxford Canal.  We continued past them and out of Braunston towards Rugby.

Some more ducklings near some moored boats, again very tiny and so many of them!  We got to Willoughby Wharf and moored in front of the bridge, we shall stay here tonight and make the last journey tomorrow in to Barby Moorings.

2.75 miles, 1 lock, 1hr 36mins

Thursday 25th April - Willoughby Wharf to Barby Moorings

Woke to a calm and sunny morning so began our final leg back into Barby Moorings.

Dunchurch Pools Marina, a boat on the service pontoon, so pleased we don’t need to call in for diesel.  

This is Barby Wood Farm on our right, a much clearer view of the building as the landowners have removed all vegetation on the side of the canal and piled it up on the edge of the field.  

The farmer had arrived with food for his sheep, he arrived in the Landrover and then swapped to a quad bike and accompanying sheep dogs to cross the fields.  Very pleased to see him kitted out in helmet and goggles before riding the quad bike.

1hr 6mins, 3 miles, 0 locks

Friday 26th April - Barby Moorings

We are spending a few days on the boat cleaning her up, washing clothes, bedding and towels before closing her up for the most of the summer.  We are unlikely to be back onboard before late August and we need to clear out the shed and find a new home for storage boxes and the hot bin.  

Today we drove to Banbury to collect the barrel we left with Jez to restore.

Before…

…and after.  Dave said he felt like being in the Repair Shop!  A beautiful job, we are very pleased, 😁

Saturday 27th April - Barby Moorings

Today we are driving out to Snarestone on the Ashby Canal to meet up with Di and Mark on nbEnbilulu.  

After a coffee onboard we went for a walk around Snarestone finishing up with lunch at the Globe Inn.

This is Snarestone Tunnel, it is the only tunnel on the Ashby Canal and was built in 1804. It is of a modest, 250 yard, length. The tunnel passes beneath the village of Snarestone with the Globe Pub conveniently above the south portal.  It is likely that there was once room for boats to pass within but later subsidence now means the tunnel operates in one direction at a time.

We crossed the terminus of the canal, the winding hole is not very big and isn’t in use at the moment.  Beyond, the canal is no longer in water until you get to Moira where there is a section which has been restored as far as Donisthorpe.  The towpath on the other side of the bridge has been closed due to intense badger activity!

A field of goats on our way back into Snarestone, they were very inquisitive about Toby but he really wasn’t at all interested in them.  Lunch at the Globe was very pleasant and we said our goodbyes and headed back to Barby.  Lovely to meet up again, best wishes to Di and Mark for an enjoyable cruise over the summer and autumn.  

On the way we passed Brinklow, where there has been a severe slippage closing the canal and towpath.  We decided to walk along to see what was happening, but could only get a short distance before we had to turn around.  Canal and River Trust seem to be fairly confident they can have the navigation cleared and open again by mid May.

Thank you for reading our adventures, we shall next be out on the boat in the middle of August when we will be moving her from Barby Moorings to Ventnor Marina.

Easter Cruise - Spring 2024, Week 8

 Monday 15th April - Ivy bridge to Ivy bridge

This morning we woke to heavy rain and strong winds.  At one stage there was a heavy hail storm leaving hail lying on the towpath and at another stage there was a huge thunder clap.  We had two options this morning.  We could either stay where we were and see the storm out or join nbPriceless and carry on down 2 locks, turn the boat round and come back up again. 

As there was a lull in the wind and rain we decided to join nbPriceless and do the locks together.  Here we are approaching the first lock, a little gusty but nothing too bad.

Waiting at the second lock, the wind is beginning to strengthen again, and I learnt that our companions had changed their plans and were continuing on to Kilby Bridge.  We let them go first and then we attempted to turn the boat.  Finally succeeded on the third attempt with Dave helping using the stern rope to haul the boat round against the wind.  Quite a hairy 30 minutes, but at last we were able to carry on back up the locks and moor in the same spot but facing the other way.  Phew!

We spent the afternoon walking to Wistow Rural Centre.  We passed the little church of St Luke.

The churchyard has an interesting feature, the gravestone of Christopher Gardner in the shape of a miniature church who died aged 8 years old of Scarlet Fever on 20th September 1924. It was made by his father George Gardner a stone mason by trade who left his family to fight in France in WWI.

Then we walked on to the Rural Centre where we had a browse around and tea and cake in the cafe, very nice indeed!

2 miles, 2 hrs, 4 locks

Tuesday 16th April - Ivy Bridge no 78 to Bridge 73/74

After some deliberation we decided to make a move and head back towards Foxton Locks.  It was still quite windy on this lovely mooring but it is very exposed and we thought it might be less windy below the locks.

Leaving our mooring with nbOlivella and Jane behind us and heading for the first of 5 locks for today.  

Across the fields you can see St Wistan’s Church.  This tiny church never had the status of a parish church but evolved from a shrine chapel dedicated to a local saint.  Wistan was murdered in 849 at nearby Wistow. His body was taken by his followers to be buried in the royal mausoleum at Repton in Derbyshire passing through the village of Wigston en route. Where the body was believed to have rested overnight a small shrine was set up to honour the prince who was later sanctified after reports that miracles and healings had taken place during visits to his burial crypt at Repton.  By 1086 the small commemorative shrine in Wigston had become integrated into a chapel served by its own separate cleric. In late medieval times the shrine was the centre of an annual pilgrimage held on the anniversary of St Wistan’s murder, the 1st of June, when the whole village took part in the celebrations and worship of a jewelled figure of the saint in the north aisle of the chapel.

Adjacent to one of the locks is Bridge House Barn, a unique wedding venue made up of enormous tipis and accommodation in converted stable blocks, glamping pods and tents.  It did look rather impressive.

We continued through the final lock and made our way to a delightful open mooring within easy reach of Fleckney village.

2.5 miles, 2hrs 6mins, 5 locks

Wednesday 17th April - Fleckney to Foxton Visitor Moorings

A delightful mooring with sheep and some tiny lambs our only companions.  Lovely to wake in the morning to the sounds of baby lambs bleating.

We soon reached Saddington Tunnel, just over half a mile long.  The tunnel is not quite straight, because miscalculations during its construction required some "adjustment", but you can clearly see the end of the tunnel.  There are a colony of bats living in this tunnel.

We passed a working boat with its stabilisers down in the canal, it is doing some work to side of the canal and towpath.

We moored at the Visitor Moorings below Foxton locks and walked up to the village of Foxton where we had lunch at The Black Horse beside the canal.  Very good food. Saw these in a field on the way back, they look so cute!

4.5 miles, 2hrs 6 mins, 0 locks, 1 tunnel

Thursday 18th April - Foxton Visitor Moorings to North Kilworth Wharf

A lovely sunny morning, so we moved the boat forwards a little and filled up with water before moving onto the bottom of the Foxton locks.

We had to moor at the bottom of the locks so that Dave could go ahead and check in with the lock keepers.  I took the opportunity to clean the solar panels!

Dave on the left and Rob on the right, our volunteer lock keeper,  who worked us up the flight of locks.  

Ella in one of the locks being lifted up by the water, a lovely view of the solar panels, I’m so glad I cleaned them!

Rob, ex Navy and a veteran of the Falklands war, spends a day a week at these locks, good exercise and lots of fresh air.

We are beginning to see swans nesting, this one was just settling down on a clutch of eggs.

We got as far as the Laughton Hills and found a lovely open mooring with views of the hills.  We went for a walk up into the hills and back down to the canal.  This is a living milestone, the Old Union Canal Society plants living milestones along the Leicester Line of the Grand Union, they are trees with black painted steel plaques next to or in front of them.

A delightful view of the Laughton Hills, it was quite a steep climb up the hill and just as steep climb back down again, but quite beautiful.

We returned to the boat after our walk and took the decision to move on again as there was no phone signal or WiFi.  We set off for Husband Bosworth but there was no decent mooring so we went through Husband Bosworth tunnel and finally moored at the visitor moorings by North Kilworth Wharf.

7 miles, 10 locks, 1 tunnel, 4hrs 6mins

Friday 19th April - North Kilworth Wharf to Bridge 20 Skew Bridge East

A damp and grey day, so we set off early to avoid the forecast wind and rain.

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We passed Welford Junction and continued on towards Yelvertoft.  Dave did most of the driving and I gave the boat a good clean through.  As we approached Yelvertoft the wind began to blow very strongly so we found a mooring before the village and tied up for the night.

Soon after mooring up we saw this little family of ducklings, these are the first we have seen this year which is lovely.

9 miles, 2hrs 54mins, 0 locks

Saturday 20th April - Bridge 20 Skew Bridge East

Today is my birthday so we are spending the day here, going for a lovely walk and treating ourselves to some super food.

Dave gave me a kit to make my own side fenders for the boat, something I’ve always wanted to have a go at but always thought would be too difficult - now I can have a go!

When we woke up this morning there was ice on the seats on the back of the boat, we knew it was cold, but with the fire going throughout the evening I don’t think we appreciated how cold it had got!

Ella on her mooring, taken as we headed off for our walk, in the fields on the opposite side there are many cows with very young calfs, one of the cows is particularly noisy but the calfs are ever so tiny.

We walked along the canal until we reached a footpath that took us up onto Crack’s Hill and the Trig point at the top.

We then walked down the steep hillside back to the canal and then on into Yelvertoft. We called in at Sq!sitos and collected shopping before heading back to the boat for an afternoon of playing Scrabble and Lexicon, both of which I won - well it is my birthday!

A delicious birthday meal…

…and a stunning sunset to finish off a wonderful day!

Sunday 21st April - Bridge 20 Skew Bridge East to Welton Haven Marina

Woke to a pleasant sunny morning although a trifle chilly, so we prepared the boat and made our way gently towards Crick and through Crick Tunnel.  Didn’t meet any boats but there was one at the other end which had kindly waited for us to exit.

Then on to Watford Locks, when we arrived there were 4 boats working their way up the locks and we had to wait for about 40 minutes until we were able to start our descent. 

Finally into the top lock and we were on our way.  The lock keeper on the left of the photo stayed with us as we went down the locks.

We have come down the staircase of 4 locks and we need to negotiate a short pound to get to the next two locks.

Beautiful blossom between the last two locks, amazing that it has survived all the wind and rain, makes a very pretty photo.

This is Janet, our volunteer lock keeper, she has been boating for over 20 years and has more than 10 years experience as a lock keeper, but as she took a break of 5 years, on returning she has to work under supervision - not that we saw much in the way of supervision!  Many thanks to Janet and all the team that keep these locks in such fantastic condition.

6.5 miles, 4hrs 6mins, 7 locks, 1 tunnel

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