It started raining about 0630 and seemed to get heavier as the morning progressed. It didn't inspire us to get up very early. In any case we were staying put this morning, by design, as we were going to visit the Royal Ordnance Depot visitor centre that has quite recently been opened.
It was still raining just after 1000 when set forth to walk the short distance to the Visitor Centre. This is the tunnel under the canal that was opened in 1796, and then a little way further was the tunnel beneath the railway that opened in 1846.
When we have made previous visits there has been a security guard at the gate that prevented entry to the various businesses that now use the buildings. The Ordnance depot was built to move the site of arms, ammunition and supplies away from the south coats during the Napoleonic Wars. Weedon is pretty well in the centre of England and with the Grand Union next door it provided a means of fast transport too. An arm from the canal was constructed into the site in 1804. The canal entered the guarding 20' walls and along the centre of the site with the buildings housing arms and gun powder en either side.
This was the east gate house where the canal entered the site. The houses on the extreme left have been built over the arm leading to the Grand Junction Canal. It is now called 'Navigation Way'.
The clock on the building above was installed when the building was new in 1804 and still works and chimes today 214 years later. These are the weights that drive the clock hidden away behind cupboard doors.
This is the mechanism that raises and lowers the portcullis that protects the canal entrance. It was maintained by the same man who winds the clock until 1983
Gun powder and other cargoes were brought by narrow boat, but even if families lived aboard the boats they had to decamp at the portcullis and workers and soldiers dragged the boat into the depot to be unloaded. This is on the road side outside the depot.
There are lots of buildings that are all Grade II listed but are used by various companies and businesses
A Scherzer rolling bridge was built across the canal at mid point. There was a cylindrical water tank at the top of up side of the beams that when filled with water to a certain point would lift the bridge. A very small scale bridge compared to the ones over the River Hull.
Following a disastrous fire a fire service was set up on site until the end of the working depot. I'm not sure if this was one of the depots engines but it needs a bit of work on it. One of the buildings has a bric a bac centre with lots of stuff. There was also a book shop with a coffee shop and a gallery for an artist too. All well worth a visit.
Where the marina is on the Grand Union now was the basin where the arm to the Ordnance Depot left. We had spent three hours looking round so we were pleased to get back for some lunch. By the time that was cleared away the rain had stopped and we were making the move along the cut. Not far as we stopped to fill up with water, and then through the bridge hole and stopped at Rugby Boats for diesel, 77.9p. There were marques up and hi expectations for the evening as there was a wedding party from one of the blokes from the yard to be held there later in the day.
Just round another corner, or two, was 'Sickle' sitting waiting. She was built in 1937 as a Northwich Star Class boat but was cut down to 40' to become an icebreaker for the Ministry of War Transport in 1942. By the 1990's it was on beach at Sawley as a standing exhibit. Privately bought in the early 2000's it has been lovingly restored and looks fantastic at the moment.
When went round a few more corners and found a spot to moor up with light on the panels and a 'view', so that was us for the day. Mind you it has been very busy since we stopped with passing traffic.
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