A Wait at Watford.

 Once again a lovely evening and we were off again at our normal time, heading for Norton Junction.

The weather was once again smashing and the countryside was at its best with everything spick and span in the sun.

The turn at the junction on to the Leicester Line was accomplished whilst admiring the lovely house on the corner that was once the home of Commander Fielding of the Salvation Army and was more recently a holiday home, but now seems to be lived in full time. As we approached the West Coast Mainline tracks before the Watford locks you can see the bridge is quite ornate, on both sides. The strange thing is that the tracks cross at quite and angle so there was no need for this facade at all. They wouldn't waste the money today.

this field of buttercups looked very summery and bright.

We arrived at the foot of Watford Locks with two ahead of us. Helen checked us in at 1045. We must have just missed the up-bound pod of boats as we were instructed to just go up the first lock and moor up. We had long enough waiting for the two boats ahead of us to be able to fill up with pot. water before doing as instructed. The sign on the bridge says it was built in 1902, and the little one below points out that it was rebuilt in 1976!

It was too hot for Macy cat out at the back but I thought she would like some fresh air as we waited. Poor thing, she is deaf and blind so it all must be confusing. Mind you she has been a boat cat for 11 of her 17 years, and seems to like being on the boat.

After six boats passed down we were then on the way.

We were soon at the top with Helen getting things in the right order. We used to come up and down these on our own, but now they seems to lock them at night. We cleared the top lock about 1235, so not too bad I suppose. We had a brew and biscuit too.

It was getting pretty warm and although some of those heading down Watford Locks had jerkins and jumpers on I went to my shorts for the first time this year. There are bound to be repercussions as it isn't even June yet! These sheep couldn't take their jumpers off so headed for the shade. 

There was a bit of mist at the southern end of Crick Tunnel but it soon cleared and we had a clear run through so was able to avoid the worst of the water. We didn't encounter the Tunnel Boggart either, kit Crewbucket. She is supposed to have a shriek that can drive you mad, but if she likes you she will cook you breakfast! Was that bacon I could smell? No it was Helen with a mug of tea and a biscuit.

Crick Wharf Marina was where we bought 'Holderness' from, from new. Our first trip was to take it back to the builders at Debdale to have some alterations as part of the deal. Surely Crick Wharf must be a viable concern for somebody as it is virtually a courtyard area, with canal frontage and some car parking. It is all languishing at the moment sand old buildings soon deteriorate when left.

As we passed the Crick Marina who should pop out ahead of us but 'Cleddau' and headed off ahead of us.

This is the scene when I rescued a sheep that was stuck in the ice on the off side. It was when we had come looking at boats, and what became our 'Holderness' was the first we looked at. We had gone for a walk down the towpath and came across the dumb animal stuck in the ice. Mind you it was a year later that we bought the boat, at a reduced price, and with some adaptations made for us. A great deal.

The May is looking great in the sun and is very fulsome. The vast majority is white with the rare pinkish hue. The 'experts' don't seem to be able to settle on one reason for this but put it out down to lack of water stress, or disease, or whether it has been fertilised etc. Do you think it is just that the 'odd'

ones just want to strand out?

 

Helen and I were just talking about getting bridge reflection pictures from the stern of the boat as they had to be on a bend so that you could avoid getting the boat in the picture and then this crops up round the corner.

The 'Cleddau' crew were mooring up as we passed and said that they read this blog. I forgot to say that I also read theirs, but we were then in a top trumps of having only passed 5 boat in Braunston Tunnel when they had passed NINE.

This is the first field of rape I have seen that is in flower and is not just a patchwork due to the flooding of fields. I suppose where we live it is flat and we have fields that have been inundated for week upon week.

We got to Bridge 41, nearly 18:00 so found a nice bit of a mooring an pulled up before the dog pound that I assume will be at the moorings at Welford Junction. The lace mantle ahead is cow parsley, not pig nut, chervil and any of the several look a likes. I went and checked!

Not bad, Braunston.

 It has been another grand day, preceded by a beautiful sleep. It was so quiet and peaceful, and I had been a bit busy that I slept through despite saying I would check on the Northern Lights when I got up for the usuals, But as I didn't get up we didn't see them. We will see what happens tonight.

We set off around 09:30 and were soon passing Dunchurch Pools Marina and their service quay appeared to be busy.

There was a field of young calves looking so very cuter, and their mum's looking anxious. I think they are Red Angus cattle, but I may be wrong.

The berth outside Midland Chandlers at the junction was vacant so we pulled in and went along to buy some stuff before continuing up towards the locks. We stopped to top up with water as somebody was winding in  front of us. The pressure is so bad that it really wasn't worth it, other than we had a nice long chat with a guy and we were waiting for somebody to share the locks with. Everybody was winding or mooring, so eventually we gave it up as a bad job and headed to the locks. There were one or two mooring on the towpath down by the Boathouse pub, but  all the way up past the marina was full at lunchtime.

I don't remember getting such a good view of the pumping station before. I wonder if they have cleared so vegetation, or maybe we were just coming in the opposite direction! I love that they pot the date and company on it 'GUC 1897'.

There was a boat coming down so we had a bit more of a wait but still no company. The old chandlers is now a art supplies shop.

This little cottage, The Crooked Cottage, always reminds me of the third little pig that built his house of brick.

There was more waiting for boats coming down and then we spied a boat coming up astern of us. After a delay once again for down boats we entered the lock to wait for him. Unbeknown to us he was waiting for another who was going to join him, so eventually we went up on our own. The next lock gates had been left open for us but as we were rising up a couple of single handed boats just turned the lock on us. They were both elderly and not too steady on the pins so it took ages, causing a build up of up bound boats at the three locks below. If they had waited they would have had volunteer lock keepers to help them too. At the last lock we met a share boat coming down who admitted to Helen that he had read my blog, 'but not for ages!' I wasn't offended as I am always curious who reads it, and why. There are so many vloggers now, compared to bloggers, and they all seems to be trying to sell the idea that nobody has done it before. To be honest they seem to be moored up for most of the time, probably editing their footage! I forgot to mention that I took this photo as I don't remember seeing the iron work at the gate hinge being dated so recently before. I'm sure it has a proper name but I can't find a diagram with all the ground work bits and pieces on it.

Then there is Braunston Tunnel. We passed 5 boats as we passed through. I am not a fan of these LED flood lights that some put on the bow as they dazzle quite easily. I even met a boat at the wiggle and we all missed each other. I can't remember meeting so many boats in any tunnel we have passed through.

The mile post still peeping out of the lush green grass and wildflowers.

We didn't get too much further as we spied a likely spot before Bridge 7 and pulled in. The chairs were out for the first time this year I think and Helen caught up with a glass of wine whilst I did a bit of splicing. On the way up the locks I had noticed that the centre line 'snotter' was ready to part. We have a bit of sacrificial rope that has an eye on each end, one to hook over the cleat on the roof and one to loop the long centre line through. We called this a snotter when at sea, but I expect there are many names for it. It is just long enough to go from the centre of the boat to outside of the lead on the roof top edge. This means that this short length gets the wear and tear rather than the expensive long mooring rope. Mind you we have had the same ropes for 12 years and they are getting a bit 'thin' now. I made up two, one for each side whilst I was at it.

Before finishing I sanded and repainted another undercoat around the morse control, and cleaned and prepared the chimney area before giving it two coats of undercoat. The I got to sit down and actually had my shirt off too. Not too many folk about to startle though. With a nice glass of beer it was a lovely end to a nice day. We did really need to crack on a bit, but what the hell.

Jobs done and and a happy wife.

 It was a lovely quiet evening with nothing passing and no dog walkers it seemed. The road is a fair distance so nothing to disturb us. We decided to stop in Rugby again as Helen had been looking forward to going shopping at M&S and other places, and now we could.t get to Coventry she wanted to have a bit of a shop. Helen is incensed that they closed the M&S in Hull yet they have one in Rugby and two in Coventry. I had jobs to do so plans were made. Before leaving I had to reinstate the morse control that I had removed for painting yesterday.

I thought the blue of the C&RT boat looked good through the bridge. On the old OS map it shows that Newbold Wharf was opposite our mooring. Nothing to show today and the field beyond the hedge is about 8 to 10 ft higher too.

We picked up a nice mooring on the park, and off Helen went. I didn't see here for almost three hours. I had a check of the batteries, installed our little East Yorkshire flag on the swans neck and swept up the fore deck and made tidy. I then went back to yesterday paint job by the morse control as I could see some of the old paint had lifted and needed sanding back a little more. I then repainted it. I then set about the paint work around the chimney flue. I think that they have forgotten to install a gasket or barrier as the chimney fixing plate looks to be aluminum and obviously the hull is steel so, by the looks of the pitting there may well have been pitting caused by the reaction between the two metals. I chipped off as much as I could and then got the sander on it and down to bare metal where I could. After a dust I dampened it and painted on the Freatan. I knew it would dry almost straight away, but what can you do? I did one or two other little tasks before Helen got back with a couple of bags. I put the kettle on as she talked me through the purchases. I even got some chocolate covered cashews nuts! We decided to have a bit of lunch before pulling back to the water point and topping up before setting off. It isn't too often you can take a picture of your boat looking up!

It was a very pleasant rip to Hillmorton Locks. Do you think they are going to build house all the way from the top of Hillmorton Locks to here at Bridge 68? That would be a load of homes.

The volunteers were still on at the bottom lock, about 15:20 and we were soon on our way. The hedges by the two higher locks were lush with blossom and flowers

St. John's Church at Hillmorton is just about visible from the middle lock, but maybe not for much longer.

I found an article from June 15th 1866 that a trip had been organised to take passengers on a trip from Hillmorton Locks to Coventry Fair. They started early and on the way the boat began to roll and scooped up a fair bit of water over the sides. The skipper promptly beached the boat until things were stabilised. They got there and back with no further mishap. There were 130 passengers in the boat!

We had decided to moor up out in the sticks, rather than the hubbub of Braunston, and it would be quite late when we got there. We found a nice quiet spot just before Bridge 80 and settled in. Beer and nuts were delivered. Unfortunately as the the canal runs almost north/south here there is not much chance of getting evening sun when there is a hedge. However there will be morning sun to wake up to. Unlike these cows I didn't start my beer immediately as I went and washed of the Feratan and then wire brushed it all once more before coating it once again in the cooling shade. Then I went back to my beer!

However, once drunk I did think I should wash the side of the boat as it was in shade and needed doing. I even said I may get my new polishing machine out, but after washing, rinsing and drying a side of the boat, with some timely assistance from Helen it has  to be said, I decided it was getting on a bit and needed my tea. Besides I may have to get up and see if we can see the northern lights as they are expecting a massive solar storm to hit the atmosphere  and react with the magnetic field.

I think we are due a turn round of the magnetic poles soon, well soon in geological time. I seem to remember that they discovered continental drift and plate tectonics as flying over the Atlantic they could see the needle of instruments swing back wards and forwards. They could see that these indicated where the poles and flipped, but looking at them when the were plotted they could see that they were identical either side of the mid ocean. It was magma being extruded from the mid ocean plate joints that were pushing Europe and North America apart!

Poor Planning and fun in the sun.

 Web got away at 0930 and were surprised that so few boats h ad come past us, one only. We also commentated that all the boats were heading in the opposite direction

Once through the bridge on the bend by t park water point moorings is the old canal going off to follow the contours that once went to Cosford to cross the River Swift, past Brownsover Hall, before arriving back at the current route of the canal the other side of the aqueducts a few hundred yards further on. In the 1820's the canal was straightened as they now knew how to build better embankments and cuttings, and managed to chop 20 miles off the distance. The part of the route to Cosford in still in water as it is a feeder from the river to the canal.

The weather was superb and it was lovely and quiet as we made our way out of Rugby.

There are a couple of aqueducts on this straight, the first over the River Swift and the second over a road. This was part of the 1820's route that cut out the Brownsover Arm.

We were soon at Newbold Tunnel and as it had been so quiet we were surprised to see  a boat coming in the opposite direction, we were out of the tunnel before we met it though. I wonder why it had a towpath on both sides as there is no towpath to it or away from it on the off side!

We were loving the peace and quiet and were planning on a meal out tonight at the Greyhound at Hawkesbury Junction. We passed Brinklow Marina entrance and after passing the old Boat in by Bridge 35 we passed a couple of Fishermen who just as we passed happened to ask if we knew that the canal was closed a bit further along!!!! I replied no, and had the long straight through the lovely All Oak Wood to check and see if he was correct.

Of course he was. I was sure I had checked the stoppages when planning the trip, how could I miss this? No wonder all the boats were pointing one way. No wonder it was so beautifully quiet! We cleared the wood and moored up by the car park at the far end of the wood. Despite the canal being been locked there were still several boats moored here so we were still lucky to find a spot!

I wandered up a a little way to see  if there was any possibility of a wider bit of canal that we  could wind in. No chance. So back to the boat for lunch and to come up with a plan.

After lunch I prepared our anchor chain in a bunch as a bit of a clump weight and pushed the bow out into the middle of the cut before chucking it over the bow and making it fast. We then went astern with the weight keeping the bow in the middle of the canal.

We had no trouble as we backed down through the straight of Old Oak Wood. Putting on opposite lock on the tiller allowed us to steer a straight line as the bow reacted very slowly, but decipherably to allow us to stay in the middle. When we got back to the fishermen I decided to haul the boat past them and a couple of boats as I didn't want to disturb them too much. The bloke who had told us about the closure then said that a boat had managed to wind just on the bend. It didn't look likely to me, but I had a go. But no success, and we hauled the boat past the anglers, two boats and through bridge 35.

There were a couple more bends to negotiate so we did this without the clump weight with a bit of back and filling, but once back on the straight section I chucked the anchor chain over again and off we went.

All in all we reversed back over 3/4 mile I would say. The straight was fine, as were shallow curves, but the system didn't work on bends and we had to go back a short way to retrieve our pole that had come of the roof without either of us noticing!! The first available winding point was the entrance to Brinklow Marina and we headed in stern first once I had again brought the anchor chain up.

Once round we headed back towards Rugby, and there it is the sign warning of 'Navigation Closed'. At this point I should own up that I had seen this sign, and in my complete confidence that I had checked for closures, I assumed that it was a temporary closure of the entrance to the Marina. Helen was making a pot of teas as we passed. If it had said something like Last winding point before canal blockage I think I may have felt differently.

I must say I do get the updates of stoppages etc on my phone, but obviously it doesn't tell you what stoppages there were before you indicated the canal you were interested in. Completely my fault as I thought I had checked, but obviously hadn't, but it could have been clearer at this point. The fishermen told us that somebody had done the same last Tuesday, but had managed to wind before Bridge 35.

It made me laugh as a stoppage notice appeared on my phone as we  approached Newbold Tunnel from the opposite direction telling me that the stoppage was due to be lifted on May 18th! Just a bit of a delay for us!!

We stopped for a top up of water just after the tunnel, by the Barley Mow pub and then moved on through the next bridge and moored up in a patch of sun. After another cup of tea I decided not to waste the weather and early finish and set to with some sanding and painting as it is set fair for a few days.

We had planned to go for  a meal at the Greyhound at Hawkesbury but ended up at the Barley Mow pub for a few pints of Landlord, a perfectly adequate meal and a couple of episodes of 'Heart Beat' on the TV. Helen wouldn't leave until she knew what happened. An extra point for me then.

Off On the Oxford.

 Well, we are off again, and reporting a day later. We drove down on Tuesday and had a slight detour as when we were crawling along over the M62 Ouse Bridge the warning light for a low pressure tyre came on. We pulled off and went to the 'famous' Glews Garage. Glews garage is unrecognisable today to what it was when all traffic had to cross the Ouse over Boothferry Bridge. Funny that! We went to check the tyre pressures but the air pump wasn't working so we drove in to Kwik Fit Goole. They were great and fitted us in despite being belly to ground. They checked round and could find nothing amiss. Blew everything up to the right pressures and reset the alarm and charged us nothing. Luckly Helen had been over the road and bought a load of doughnuts as a thank you.

Once everything was transferred from the car an d the getting everything ready we were away and heading to Calcutt locks. As we approached we could see a boat just leaving but they were closing the gates. I tooted and indicated that they should leave them open. It took a while but they did so. It turns out they had picked the boat up at Napton and it was their first three locks. Four Americans loose on the canals. I hope that somebody tells them that they should drop the paddles when they leave a lock. There was a boat coming down the next lock and started filling. I could see that the bottom paddles were up but they were oblivious. Helen went up and dropped them for them. They were new continuous cruisers it seems.

We were soon at the junction and turned left. We didn't go too far before we found a spot and tied up for the night.

It had been a lovely late cruise, but at 6 in the morning a realised that I hadn't positioned the solar panels for the morning sun. As I need to pump ballast anyway I got up and did both jobs and took a couple of photos too.

The first looking for'd and the second looking aft. Lovely light.

QWe were alittle late setting off as I did a few little jobs, but it was a great day again. This big house can be found between bridges 101 and 102 on the Oxford, but Helen tells me that you can't see it on Google Earth. I suspect that you have to be seriously rich to have it scratched off that. I wonder who lives in a house like this?

This section of the Oxford Canal is shared with the Grand Union from Braunston Junction to Napton Junction and so it was partly up graded for wide beam boats. There are stretchers of concrete edge just like that on the Warwick stretch. Every now and then are these 'signs' imprinted in the concrete. The arrows indicate where the message is relevant. It then tells you how deep the bank piles have been driven 7ft 3" in this case and then, to avoid the side being undermined by dredging, states that  any dredging should only be undertaken to a depth of  4ft 6". It is great that the date has also been added, 1933. I'm not sure why it was needed but it is history. They must have started at Braunston as towards Napton the year is 1934!

It always seems to take longer than you think to get between Napton and Braunston. So many boats moored and permanent moorings. But eventually we get to see the rocket ship that is All Saints Church at Braunston along with its booster rocket that is the old mill.

Willoughby Wharf was looking good in the sun. In 1857 they were selling Scotch potatoes for £3 a ton. You could receive a sample of one peck on the receipt of 24 postage stamps. I still remember having to send stamps sometimes. I'm sure that you will remember that a peck was equivalent to 2 dry gallons, and that four pecks make a bushel. Things moved on and in 1962 they were hiring out canoes!

The fields were full of sheep. There were lambs from this size to much larger

I don't remember ever seeing this fortification before. It is above Barby Wood Farm and close by Dunchurch Pools Marina. It is actually an underground covered storage reservoir to supply Rugby. The water is pumped up from Draycote Water and so provides a head to create pressure in the taps at Rugby.  Dunchurch Pool Marina has two prisons next to it, not one but two. The first was HMP Onley that was built in 1968 and housed young offenders and the like, but now is for Category C adults. Next to it is HMP Rye Hill. This was privately built in 2014 and has always housed Category B, sexual assault, offenders.

All along the offside of this part of the canal the bushes and trees have been grubbed up and deposited in the field. This isn't recent, and whilst it gives good open views, I don't understand why they would have done it, and just left it there. I wondered whether it was to give access to the cattle, but this doesn't seem very likely. I would have thought that the tree and shrub roots would have stabilised the bank to stop erosion. I wondered if it had been done in readiness to pile the very long length, but it just hasn't got done yet!

I spotted a line of old Oxford Canal Co. concrete posts on the towpath side that are weathering nicely.

The Barby Straightis just that, straight and when you get past it you are soon at Tarry's Bridge and an old wharf there. The buildings on the left are converted stables that have rooms rented out to traders people by the week. There is always something interesting to look at here with lots of odds and sods around the place. On the right was the old Fox Inn.

I spotted these lovely carnations on the offside just near the Hillmorton top lock. Couldn't see the inscription in full but I was left wondering whether it was a cat called Kat, or a female personage.

One lock ahead of us was a single hander but we didn't catch him up. There was nobody coming up and as usual the volunteer lock keepers were at the bottom lock. There was nobody on the water point so we stopped and topped up before heading off again, for Rugby.

The old Clifton Wharf spanned from this warehouse near to the road bridge 66 to a railway line that crossed the canal round the corner. It was a branch of the London and North Western Railway that left Rugby station and headed to Peterborough. This is just before the mooring arm that was originally one of the cut off loops of the original contour canal.

We moored up just before the park close to Tescos and went shopping after a cup of tea to get some stuff that we needed, plus a bit of salad from Tesco's. You can tell it is warm if we are eating salad, especially as only the tomatoes were from the UK. Rather than the phrase 'Make hay when the sunshines', I am going to amend it to 'East salad when the sun shines'.