Valentine’s Cruise - Week 2

 Monday 16th February - Tom o’ the Wood to Kingswood Junction

A new week and a short hop from our mooring round to the Stratford Canal.  We stopped at the junction to fill up with water and dispose of any rubbish then dropped down one lock and moored up in the pound below the lock.

After lunch we walked back up the canal towards the Lapworth Locks hoping to call into the Canal Shop there but unfortunately it was closed.  I guess its a seasonal thing!  Instead we walked along to the village shop on the road for our milk!

On the way Toby met a friend, it must be a cockapoo thing but they seem to instantly recognise each other and love to play. 

Our mooring for the night, we stayed warm and dry whilst it continued to rain outside.

1 mile, 1 lock, 2hrs (including putting on water)

Tuesday 17th February - Lock 21 to Lowsonford

A really nice day, sunny and dry so we set off for Lowsonford at a leisurely pace.  8 locks in total which we shared.  A bit of sunshine makes a whole lot of difference!

Love these bridges on the Stratford Canal.  They have a gap in the middle of the top so the rope attached to the horse can be passed through without having to untether the horse.  Ingenious!

The remnants of the Lapworth to Henley-in-Arden branch railway line can be seen with the disused embankment on the right of the picture and we passed the remains of a bridge.  The buildings here are labelled Lowsonford Halt but the true existence of a Halt is thought to be a myth as there is no real evidence a stop was ever constructed.

We moored up in Lowsonford opposite the Fleur de Lys and Dave booked us a table there for supper tonight.

We walked back to the lock and up the hill to Finwood Farm and the Farm Shop.  Ann keeps a small herd of Dexter Cattle and Gloucester Old Spot pigs and is well worth a visit if you are passing.

1.75 miles, 8 locks, 2hrs 12mins.

Wednesday 18th February - Lowsonford to Wootton Wawen

First lock of the day, topped up the water and then out into open countryside for the next seven.  

Weather is grey, cold and breezy and the first time this trip that the boat has drifted in the wind, always makes approaching locks interesting!

Dave is driving across Yarningale Aqueduct.  The aqueduct at this site was originally a timber structure built about 1814 but this was washed away in a flood in 1834. It was replaced soon afterwards by a cast iron trough from Horseley Ironworks of Birmingham which is about 42 feet long.  

A rather dilapidated lock cottage looking a bit sad.  Evidence of coats in the window and maybe they’ll be tidying it up?

We met the couple on this boat in the pub last night, they are from Canada and are spending a month on a narrowboat for their honeymoon.  They were intending to go to Stratford but felt that time was against them, so turned round and are heading back to their hirebase in Napton.

We moored up just past bridge 52 and after some lunch we walked down to Yew Tree Farm Shopping Village.  The Farm shop is run by Kate and stocks all manner of delicious goodies for humans and dogs!  Always worth a visit if you are passing.  We also visited the craft workshops and the chocolate shop.

4 miles, 8 locks, 3hrs.

Thursday 19th February - Wootton Wawen to Bancroft Basin, Stratford

We decided as it was a dry day to travel all the way down the Wilmcote locks and into Stratford and moor up for the next few days in Bancroft Basin.  We stopped at the Wharf and filled up with diesel and then set off.

The Edstone Aqueduct, also known as the Bearley, was completed in 1816 and is among the earliest prefabricated structures, a kind of kit. Its cast iron trough is formed of 35 separate sections bolted together and carries the waterway across three railway tracks (one of which is now disused), a minor road, a stream, and a field. Thirteen brick piers create the 14 spans, to total 146 m (498 ft). The trough is 2.7m wide (9ft) and 1.5m deep (5ft).

The design of the aqueduct is considered somewhat unusual as the towpath is set level with the base of the trough, similar in design to Telford's aqueduct at Longdon on Tern. 

We then worked our way down the Wilmcote Locks and we were amazed at the amount of water there was in the canal. The by-water beside this lock was as fierce as a waterfall and pushed the boat across the canal.  

The lock gate here is very close to the bridge over the canal and has always been very difficult to open, but the mechanism must have been updated as Dave found it quite easy.

Beside one of the locks in Stratford, Canal and River Trust have made a lovely garden, I’m sure it will be well looked after by the volunteer lock keepers.

We arrived in Bancroft Basin and found ourselves a mooring.  There were only three other boats in the basin so we had a choice of where to moor.

7 miles, 17 locks, 5hrs 24mins

Friday 20th February - Bancroft Basin, Stratford

Today is our wedding anniversary and we are celebrating with an afternoon tea at Huffkins Bakery.

Fortunately for us we managed to get back to the boat before the heavens opened with another deluge of rain!

Saturday 21st February - Bancroft Basin, Stratford

Today we are going on a walk around Stratford with a view to solving the Mystery of Shakespeare’s Lucky Quill.  It seemed that many of the tourists were also wandering around with the same book and it was great to chat to people who were more than happy to guide us in the right direction.

We even saw one of the river cruiser trip boats going down on to the River Avon, the first trip for over 7 weeks.  Although the river doesn’t appear to be in flood it is flowing very fast but I’m sure they enjoyed the ride!  

We completed the mystery and solved all the clues ending up in The Garrick Inn for a well earned lunch.

In the evening we went to the Swan Theatre and saw “The Boy who Harnessed the Wind”, a very powerful musical based on the true story of William, 13 years old, living in Malawi who taught himself from library books how to make a windmill to provide power to draw water from the land and save the village during the drought periods.  A stunning production, moving to the West End at the end of April.  A must see and I would highly recommend it.  

Sunday 22nd February - Bancroft Basin, Stratford

We spent an hour checking the engine bay, making sure that it was still dry after all the heavy rain we have had and we were delighted to find that it indeed was still dry.  

We then went for a walk over the bridge over the River Avon and down the other side of the River.  This is the Tramway Bridge which opened in 1826 as a horse drawn railway between the Canal Basin and Moreton-in-Marsh.  It closed in 1918 when the rails were taken up to be used for other purposes at the end of the war.  One of the trams was discovered in Ilmington being used as a hen house!

The Royal Shakespeare Theatre where we saw the play last night.  The Swan Theatre regularly shows the work of Shakespeare’s contemporaries, as well as plays by later writers, such as Restoration playwrights, and new work by today's writers.  It shares the same foyer and bars as the main theatre.

This is Holy Trinity Church where William Shakespeare was baptised, where he worshipped and where he is buried.

Valentine’s Cruise 2026

Monday 9th February - Ventnor Waterside Marina to Long Itchington

Welcome to our new adventure, we are aiming to be out for around 6 weeks, cruising to Stratford Upon Avon and back to the Ashby Canal.

We are leaving our marina and heading out towards Calcutt Marina where we can put on diesel.  We would normally put diesel on in our own marina but it is closed today so we are locking up two of the Calcutt Locks to put diesel on across the canal!

This is Chris who filled the boat with diesel and helped us get wood and kindling.  She was very helpful and cheerful and sent us on our way with a big smile.  She is pushing us off the wharf side so that we could make a 180 degree turn and head back down the two locks.

Dave is working us down the Stockton Locks, although there are very grey skies it didn’t actually rain on us which was a real bonus.

My turn now, working these locks is as good as a gym workout!

Beside each of the wide locks there is a narrow lock which is derelict.  The narrow chambers beside the wide locks at the Stockton flight (on the Grand Union Canal) are the remains of the original 18th-century narrow locks, which were replaced during a 1930s modernisation project. The wide locks (or "double locks") were built alongside them to allow for more efficient commercial traffic, specifically for wide-beam boats or to allow two narrowboats to lock through together.

In the afternoon we went for a walk across a very boggy field into Long Itchington to post some letters at the Coop.  This is the Church of the Holy Trinity which dates back to the late 12th century and was restored in 1928.

3.25 miles, 10 locks, 3hrs

Tuesday 10th February - Long Itchington to Radford Semele

Dave and Toby both ready to set off for our cruise today.  Weather was drizzly so plenty of wet weather gear on.

We got to the top of the Bascote Staircase locks where there is a lovely lock keepers house with a boat moored outside.  There was a boat coming up the locks and we thought we could work the staircase together to save water, but the other boat owner wasn’t prepared to do this so we had to wait until they were through.

One of our first sightings of catkins this year.  This is the Hazel tree which has catkins in February, long, soft and golden yellow, they hang in clusters.

Beside the locks just as you come into Radford Semele there is a raised bed which has been provided by the Primary School in the village.  Although not much there at the moment there is evidence of various herbs and will be a delightful source of fresh herbs in the summer.  

We moored up opposite the church on the hill in the village and Toby and I went for a walk along the towpath.  These bushes were just coming into bud, little white buds against the grey skies reflected in the canal.

5.2 miles, 10 locks, 4hrs 24mins

Wednesday 11th February - Radford Semele to Jephersson’s Farm Bridge

A short cruise to moor in Leamington Spa.  We found a lovely Portuguese Cafe and Deli on the way into the town centre and enjoyed coffee and a Pastel de nata.  We also treated ourselves to a lovely blanket for the lounge area.

On the way back we stopped in Pump House garden where Toby could have a run around off the lead.  Lovely snowdrops and the unmistakeable scent of winter jasmine, heavenly!

We then continued on until we reached the moorings before the Avon Aqueduct where we tied up for the night.

2.5 miles, 0 locks, 1hr 24mins

Thursday 12th February - Avon Aqueduct to Cape Top Lock, Warwick

This was taken from our mooring, Jephssons Farm Bridge.  Not sure if this related to the gardens in Leamington.

This is the aqueduct over the River Avon.  The Warwickshire Avon extends from the source of the river Avon, east of the town of Rugby, to its confluence with the river Severn near Tewkesbury. 

  

We passed under the road bridge near the Tesco supermarket and pulled up for a short stop to do a quick top up of food.  When I saw this photo it looked like we were coming out of a tunnel, but no just a wide bridge on a sharp bend.

This used to be another outlet for Kate Boats at Stockton but the signage now suggests that it is Warwickshire Narrowboat Hire. The boats all looked very new and shiny!

Just two locks to take us up to the moorings near the Cape of Good Hope pub where we moored up for the night.

1.75 miles, 2 locks, 1hr 12mins

Friday 13th February - Cape Locks to Hatton Top Lock Visitor Moorings

Today we are going up the Hatton Locks and have arranged for a group of volunteer lock keepers to help us up the flight.  As the forecast is for cold temperature and rain we have dressed accordingly - 2 coats with 2 layers underneath!

We are approaching the bottom lock of 21 locks.  Dave is going to do the first 5 locks and then we shall swap over.  Our volunteers arrived as we were coming up through the lock, well timed!

This was Ron who has been volunteering for about 10 years and uses a bike to cycle between the locks.  The flight stretches over 2 miles so it is a great way to keep fit, either walking or cycling.  

At the beginning of the flight, the locks are well spaced with a decent walk between them, but eventually they become much closer and begin to look rather like a staircase.  The pounds between the locks are short with just enough room to pass another boat, but today we didn't pass any boats.

Tony and Anne were our other two lock keepers and saw us all the way up to the top of the flight.  They were very friendly and said that if they were available they would be happy to help us on our return journey.  

This is the inside of The Hatton Cafe, very cosy and a welcome stop after working the locks. We treated ourselves to bacon baps and cake!  Once out of the top lock we moored up on the Visitor Moorings just as the rain set in fr the rest of the day.

Relaxing on the sofa with Toby and the new blanket, very cosy!








2.75 miles, 21 locks, 3hrs 24mins

Saturday 14th February - Hatton Top Lock to Tom o’ the Wood Visitor Moorings.

A beautiful start to the day, bright blue sky with shining yellow sun, such a rare sighting!

Dave drove the boat whilst I tidied up and tried to deal with the dust created by muddy footprints!

Approaching Shrewley Tunnel, one of the wettest tunnels in the area and after all this rain, it was the wettest we had ever seen it.  Dave navigated his way through the tunnel and fortunately he could see that there was nothing in the tunnel.

We arrived at our chosen mooring and moored before the bridge in order to make the most of the sunshine on the solar panels.

We decided to go for a walk whilst the sun was shining and walked the road between the Grand Union Canal and the Stratford Canal.  A robin entertained us, singing heartily as we stood and listened.

The Lock cottage beside the lock has recently had a new roof, keeping the barrel roof and making the thing look a lot smarter.

We continued walking until we got to the junction back on the Grand Union Canal.  

Two boats met at the junction, neither sounded a horn and they only just managed to avoid a head on collision!

4.25 miles, 0 locks, 1 tunnel 1hr 35mins

Sunday 15th February - Tom o’ the Woods.

We woke to very persistent rain and decided that we would stay and sit out the rain. By early afternoon there was a break in the clouds and we went for a walk.  The goats on the other side of the canal had taken advantage of the lull and come out of their shelters.

We walked along the canal to the first bridge which goes up to the Navigation Inn which appears to be closed from about August last year.  All boarded up and advertising for a new tenant.  

As we were returning we spotted a boat coming under the bridge, the second one today.  We also saw two more whilst we were having lunch.

As we walked back to the boat the heavens opened and it rained once again.  As you can see the towpaths are just a line of very muddy puddles!

Later on in the evening the sun did come out, a super shot of the pub highlighted by the setting sun’s rays.