On our tod, and a silly sod.

We were off a little later than normal but we weren't going far before stopping again.

Kate Boats were busy turning some of their boats round ready for the next lucky hirers. We only went through a couple of bridges and stopped at the moorings by the TESCO's as we had realised that we would run out of cat food today, and that would never do. Macy the cat had her annual check up and inoculations when we were home and they pointed out that she had gained a little wait over the last couple of visits so she is on a stick diet now. 

We were quickly away and very soon crossing the aqueduct over the River Avon. This is where the flight of locks has been proposed to allow navigation on the river past Warwick and up to this point. I'm not sure how whether there is much backing for it, but who knows when the country needs capital projects to inject capital into the country in a year or two it may come to the top of the list for a big grant.

Leamington is a good example of how communities should provide moorings for boaters to access their town. It is nice and clean too. The first lock of the day was Radford Bottom Lock where we dumped our rubbish as we waited to see if anybody would catch up with us. We have seen this boat elsewhere in the system but neither of us can remember now. I think it was somewhere on the Oxford between Napton and Braunston. It seem they have found a nice little spot to settle here. I wonder if it will be an alternative Charity Dock next time we come this way. There are already a couple of dummies.

Nobody turned up to share with, but a boat did come down the lock so we took the return. The railway viaduct used to carry the Rugby and Leamington railway that opened in 1851 and connected with the West Coast Main Line there. I think that it only closed in 1985 as the Rugby Cement used it until they moved to road transport. It is now a National Cycle way.

We dawled a bit still hoping that somebody would catch us up but it wasn't to be today. Helen managed very well and as we were hanging about we just used the one paddle and so everything was much simplier. In fact  by the time she had opened one paddle and walked across the gate to the other and opened that on the locks was just about empty so safer to work one side only.

We stopped for water at Fosse Wharf to again give a bit of a chance for somebody to catch us, but again no joy. We had just finished when another boat came along and took our place. That is them through the bridge that carries the busy Fosse Way, that was a Roman Road. After the Romans came to Britain this line of the road from Exeter to Lincoln marked the limit of their progress of conquest for a few years. Fosse is from the Latin for ditch so it probably started out as a defensive ditch. It is a lovely cottage by the canal but the Fosse way does not only ring with the sound of leather sandals and the jangle of armour.

The pounds between the locks have been allowed to overgrow a little and the reeds to grow making it look a lot like the River Avon!

The Lock House at Welsh Road Lock reminds me very much of the lock keepers houses on the Thames and seem to have been built at the same time as the route was upgraded in the 1930's

 The last locks of the day were the Bascote locks and still nobody to share with, but we had met a few coming down the length of canal. Once again the original narrow locks have been retained as by-washes once the 'new' double locks were opened. There is something quite photogenic about these Grand Union Locks with their paddle gear leaning slightly out wards and the hand rails and bollards.

The bridge at the base of the locks is an original one by the look of it and not been widened in the 1930's, and still looks picturesque.

As we were in the middle lock I could see somebody at the top of the staircase pair. They seemed to be ages looking at the sign there. As we left the middle lock water started cascading over the bottom gates of the staircase. Helen ran up to help and she got short shrift from the man in the boat and returned to leave them to it. I tied up and went up to speak with him. We eventually got them sorted out and out of the way and as we entered the bottom lock another boat arrived at the top so were were able to put them wise and cross as we went up and them down.

That was the excitement for the day and we were soon off from the top of Bascote towards a mooring at Long Itchington.

There were plenty of boats there when we arrived and so moored below the bridges near the aqueduct. I like it better here as it is a bit more bright and good for the panels. We walked into the village to post some mail and stopped for a pint at the Buck and Bell which we hadn't been in before. They had just had new taps fitted but it is a nice pub with lots of little rooms for all clients. I just wish there was a better choiuce of beer!