Itching Bottom to Half Cutt.

After a wet night the rain stopped about 0630 and it seemed that there were boats on the move soon after that. We pulled off at the normal time, following two boats that had just passed us. There was still a fair few boats moored up pointing our way so we assumed that we wouldn't have to wait long until somebody let go to come up the locks with us.

We waited a while at the Itchington Bottom Lock and I helped a boat coming down. As the lock was now our way we started to enter and as we did a hire boat arrived to join us. As I was helping the down boat I spotted this on the fixed gear of the top gate. Having said that I hadn't seen the gear stamped with the right lock before. Having said that could this be 'borrowed' from Stockton Locks No.10? What does the 10 S stand for?

Helen entering the first lock of the day. Once she was up to top level she decided to work the paddles rather than sit and enjoy the ride today.

These are our lock companions on a Kate boat and from Southampton. They survived yesterday's lock by being able to share with another hire boat with a family full of teenagers. I hope our trip up together gave them a bit  more confidence and a few wrinkles too.

After Shop Lock, the second of the day, is the Kayes Arm that is now residential moorings. Mind you with those tall leyalandi trees they must be a bit gloomy. The arm used to serves the Kayes cement factory. They were taken over by Rugby Cement, along with their narrow boat fleet.

The number of cement, brick and tile works etc in this area, certainly in the past, is due to the presence of the Blue Lias seam. This is a bedding plane of rock at the bottom of the Jurassic that was laid down between 195 to 200 million years ago. It is alternate layers of limestone and shale that can be used for building but more usually as cement etc. It is found on the Jurassic Coast in Dorset and up the Whitby in North Yorkshire, and is well known for containing many fossils, hence the pub sign.

Looking down the first few locks of the Stockton Locks, all seems well ordered and they are easy enough to work. By having the other boat in the lock it is easy to jump off and open the gate/drop the paddle on my side and then move out to just clear of the gate. There, so long as the other boat stays alongside in the jaw of the lock it is also easy to jump off to shut the gate once clear. This allows Helen to walk ahead and get the next lock ready for us.

We were working well together by the time we neared the top and running into the lock together also speeds things along. Helen is heading off to get the next lock ready.

We were steadily catching up another pair of boats ahead of us, a lock and a half ahead.

We soon got to the top, in just 2 hours actually, and we carried on. Again the house at the top reminds me of the Thames lock houses.

Willow Wren have made a lovely training base and opened up Nelson's Wharf, that led into a cement works. Steam Narrow Boat Adamant is hiding down the arm. She is not a genuine tug but is made of two Birmingham 'Joey's' from the 1880's/90's, and the steam engine is also from a little before 1902. It was all assembled together in 1980's.

What a beautiful little tug this is. How georgeous she would be. I know what to spend my money on when I win the lottery now. The 'Ruislip' is almost perfect. She was built in 1936 by James Pollock and Sons of Faversham and London. I think she was a tug on the Regents canal but here she is at Willow Wren's Nelson Wharf. I understand despite her size she draws 3'6" that will give her a really good bollard pull for her size.

Just before the three Calcutt Locks we peeled off into the Calcutt Marina as I have booked in to have our Hurricane Heater have its 1000 hours service. They very kindly gave us a berth alongside. So once moored up I got a few little jobs done, including cleaning the chimney and flue and re-sealing the top of the stove and cleaning it all out. Better be ready as the light of the last couple of days just gives me that autumnal feeling.