Navigating the Northampton Arm.

After driving Helen and Macy the cat down to the boat at Gayton Marina, I drove back home and spent the night with our daughter. Up bright and early I was dropped off in town and was on the train bound to Northampton. All trips were on time and after a taxi to the Marina and I was there for 1430.

We set off almost straight away and were soon at the top lock and heading down the 16 locks.

It is good that these Northampton Arm locks are narrow but I still haven't worked out how they have managed to make it impossible to stride across the double bottom gates. I think they have extended hand rails or on the 'wrong' side of the gate. What ever they have done there is no safe place to get across with one open, even with my long legs. It does add to the distance when there are lots of them.

The IWA Northampton Branch look after the arm and they do a good job as it is very neat and tidy and well painted. If I had to find a criticism it would be that they are exuberant with the grease on the paddle. Mind you I didn't get clarted up this time.  

It is a picturesque stretch with good views across the valleys and down into Northampton. There are a couple of lift bridges that seem to be left in the raised position, and another seems to have been removed all together.

The IWA have installed these mosaic pieces at most, if not all the locks on the flight. I wish I had made a note of the letters as  they are bound to spell something out. They were installed in 2018 with a legacy from John Faulkner and long term member of the IWA and especially this flight. Each look has a plaque with an aspect of the canal and then one of local nature with the initial letter.

We met this floating creche for the Canada geese. There were goslings with a good spread of ages judging by their feathers looked after by around ten adults by the look of it.

By the time we got to lock 15, only one more to go the end was in sight as we could see the Express Lift Co, part of GEC Lift tower. At 418' tall it is hard to miss it.

It was commissioned in 1978 and started to be built in 1980 and was opened by the Queen in 1982. It is the only tower in the UK for testing lifts and there is only one other in Europe. From a diameter of 14.6 m at the base it tapers to 8.5m at the top. Express Lift Co. no longer required it in 1999. It had been given Grade II listed status. It eventually came in to private hands and started to be used for abseiling. The local council has now given permission to be used for abseiling 24 time a year. It can be carried out inside or externally.

Soon aftr we arrived above the lock down into the Nene and tailed on to the end of the moorings. We soon we changed and walking into Nothampton to give Helen a treat of not having to cook, and me to have a couple of pints. We stopped off at the Cotton End Brewery at the Pomfret Arms and then a little further on to the Albion Brewery for a pint of Phipps Stout. We then had a pizza at Ask and slept soundly.