Anchor Bridge, Coventry canal

We were a bit later getting away this morning and the timing was all wrong. Just as I was fitting the tiller to boats came by and we followed them all the way to Marston Junction.
We set off this morning in bright,warm sunshine, by Springwood it was raining, not heavily, but constant.
All the long term moorings at Tuttle Hill are now vacant, for some time there has only been one boat there, but the area is nicely maintained with all the grass cut. There is also a good supply of water entering the canal from somewhere.

I think everyone photographs this pole as the pass through.

We had a good clear run from Marston Junction as far as the winding hole just past Springwood Haven where a boat coming the other way had started to swing in to turn, so we waited until he was round. While we were waiting a notices a small swarm of flies, wasps, bees around the piling. I tried photographing them, you can just see one on the piling  

So we were now following another boat heading north, we passed our planned mooring for the night outside the Anchor, passed the CRT yard at Hartshill and on to the next winding hole, just north of the winding hole is another abandoned and vandalised boat, I think that's the forth today, the others were still afloat but all the glass, doors and anything useful gone.

We headed back to the Anchor to moor for the night and have booked a table for this evening. It looks like a noisy evening as the have a live band in the marquee. The water here is bright brown/orange colour and you can see it entering the canal directly opposite the moorings.

Today’s Journey

10 miles with no locks in 3½ hours

Hawkesbury, Coventry canal

Boy it was windy last night but no rain, we were moored beside the old GEC works, this is now being demolished to make way for housing.Thankfully they didn’t start until 8 o’clock this morning.
An early start for us as the forecast is not too good but at the moment it couldn’t be much better. There were only half a dozen boats moored in the centre of Brownsover . This is where the water that is weiring down the Hillmorton flight is going, probably the Avon.We stopped in Newbold for water, Like most of the normally popular visitor moorings we have passed there were only 4 boats moored here. CRT or their contractors have been carrying out spot repairs to the towpath from here to Hawkesbury. As we passed the moorings at All Oaks Wood there was only one boat moored there and even the small cruiser I reported on last time has even gone from the ditch. Even the patio is getting overgrown.

CRT have had to go to extra expense to stop people walking along the closed towpath by the slippage.

Work was ongoing at the site of the large slippage with it being levelled and tamped down with diggers and then being compressed with a remote controlled spiked roller. It keeps the operator safe if the bank collapses.

I dropped Diana off a short way before Bridge 30, the railway bridge so that she could open Rose Boats swing bridge. As we passed through I had a short chat with this surveyor working his way along the hull and chalking up his results.

There were loads of spaces to moor at Ansty, but as the weather was holding we pushed on to Hawkesbury. CRT have designated a long stretch or towpath just before bridge 4 to winter moorings and just like the ones below Hillmorton there was no one using them. However all the decent moorings prior to Sutton Stop were occupied including the off side water point and opposite the Grey Hound by the bridge, despite the no mooring signs. I don’t know what has happened at the long term mooring but the security fencing has been extended.

As the moorings were full we passed through the stop lock and onto the Coventry Canal turning right back on ourselves. We carried on to moor opposite the far end of the long term moorings, surprisingly there are hardly any boats moored along this section.
Not long after we moored up it started to rain very lightly, It did this on and off for some time and now as I type this its chucking it down

 

Today’s Journey

 

13½ miles with 1 lock in 5½ hours

Brownsover

Our journey to the boat was slightly different today as we called in at Brinklow Marina to meet some one. As  it was lunchtime we then stopped in Newbold at The Barley Mow for a snack. I had sausage and onion baguette where as Diana had the Chicken Club Sandwiches, I had to give her a hand with them.

   We then carried on to Barby Moorings and made ready to move off. Again there was a good breeze from the south. beam on to me reversing out and then swinging into it. Today id was quite gusty, so watching the flags and washing I was able to slide out during a lull in the blow, picking Diana up after the bridge was not so easy.
Out on the canal it was turn right towards Hillmorton, As we left the marina I snapped a shot of the pristine, new stop plank groves, I hope they are not needed.

At Hillmorton the back pumps were running which seems a bit pointless as the pound is on weir and its running straight back down the flight.

CRT have locked the towpath side locks leaving just the offside operational. They have tape on all the handrails which is silly, as a boat crew walking down the towpath have to cross a tapped off lock to reach an operational one.

All three nearside locks are like this. At the bottom lock someone has painted a horse looking out of the top half of the door.

Our plan at this point was to moor a short way before Houlton Road bridge, but as the weather was good and there were already lots of boats there we carried on to Brownsover. All the hire boats were double moored outside Clifton Cruisers, not a problem, however a boat moored on the towpath side on the bend was a different matter. The owner shouted apologies from the boatyard saying he pulled up as he had a problem. His urgency would suggest he didn’t think I would get through. It was close. The café at the yard looked inviting with all the lights on.

We pushed on to the mooring rings at Brownsover and moored not far passed Boughton Road Bridge at quarter to five.

Todays Journey

5 miles with 3 locks in 2¼ Hours

Home Moorings

Well before we were up an old engine came chugging slowly passed, thanks for going slow Nick. We set off our normal 10am and headed down Dunchurch Pools Marina to fill up with diesel. It was a tad busy with two boats on the service bay, one waiting under the entrance bridge, us behind him and another coming from the Braunston direction waiting behind us. Eventually it was our turn and we took on 90l of the red stuff. That sorted we made our way back to Barby.
The sheep in the area are already showing brightly coloured bums, I don’t know how long the Tup has been with them but it looks like he has made a good start, we didn’t put the Tup to the Ewes until Guy Fawkes day.

We manage to meet a hire boat in a bridge hole on a bend, luckily they weren't speeding and pulled back se we could pass on the wrong side. Back at our marina we follower the boat who had been ahead of us buying diesel through the marina bridge and we slid into our slot.
The water level in the marina was almost back to normal but I still deployed our wooden fenders to prevent Harnser sliding under the pontoon if the level falls again.

Until the next time.

Today’s Journey

 

4¼ miles with no locks in 2 hours.

Barby Bridge 75

We pushed off just after 10am on a bright sunny morning, again better than forecasted and made our way passed the CRT gang doing the piling. The still had two boats abreast but as there had moved along the canal a bit the water was deeper passing them. As the morning progressed the clouds started to gather. Rugby was busier and needless to say we met a boat on the bend by the bridge, just where they start mooring on both sides of the canal, but no one touched anyone else so all was good. Passing Armada cruisers at Newbold they were hard at work cleaning under the base plate of a boar ready for blacking.Not the nicest job in the world. At Hillmorton  locks the offside chamber was empty and as I lined up two Volockies opened the bottom gates and worked us up, Diana hopped off and walked up to the middle lock ahead where again the offside was empty with a boat coming down the near side. Up to the top lock and into the nearside lock, it was the empty one as you will read later. As it was filling I went to photograph the level gauge at the spill weir. The lock was taking a long while to make level and we found one of the bottom paddles slightly up. These are the locks where the square tab you put on the end of the square winding shaft to keep them up.. That sorted we were on our way, we debated whether to moor above the locks or continue to the much quieter moorings further on. The quieter moorings won. It now looks as if all the pub moorings are now long term with the same boats always there, even though the banner says customer moorings only.Passing the winding hole the sky had darkened quite a bit and we just moored up before the rain started.

Today’s Journey

 

9¼ miles with 3 locks in 3¾ hours

All Oaks Wood.

Well the Greyhound looks to be doing well for all day Sunday lunches turning the tables over several time in the course of the day and there were only two spots in the afternoon we could book. Strange thing was that when they turned the table next to us it was taken by someone we know.So we had bit of a chat before giving up our table.
After about 11mm of rain yesterday last night turned out to be fine a stary sky, this morning we woke to rain, so I expected to get wet. A little after ten, after Allan on Purton had chugged by we moved over the the water point. While it was filling I went to look at the new, temporary elsan disposal point, it

looks quite posh at the moment and even has a BWB lock on the door, I wonder how long that will last. The building is in a poor state of repair and I don’t think I would be parking my vehicle just where they are, right below the collapsing gutter and roof line.

the top half only dates back to about 1990 or just before, I found a post card dated 1988 of the original building on eBay with a flat roof.

After filling with water we went through the lock and winded in the entrance to the Coventry Canal before coming back up the lock, by now it was 11 am. so almost an hour messing around.
Again we met several boats and much to my surprise and delight, didn’t get wet, I put the brolly up a few times, but it was nothing much.
At Ansty there is no change at the bridge or the house that lost its back garden, there is till the pipe hung across the cut and still a partly closed bridge .

Bridge 26 has sprouted a new set of railings, but only on one side. This bridge had plastic barriers along the edge for ages, may have been years. Now  it has a galvanised rail set on a galvanised beam.

Yesterday I mentioned the fish pool by a boat, we today I managed to capture a photograph of the top part of it behind the boat.

We carried on to moor in the same spot as 2 nights ago so I wondered down the bank and photographed the patio that some laid with some old slabs.

Of course the boat in the dyke is still there and I am wondering if I should report it to CRT.

 

Today’s Journey

8½ miles with 2 locks in 3¾ hours.

Hawkesbury Junction

Due to the weather forecast for today we set off a little bit earlier and almost got to Coventry Cruising Club before the very fine drizzle started, the sort where you don’t notice its raining but slowly get wet. By the time we reached Hawkesbury it was proper light rain and its been  slightly heavier ever since.
We set of a little before 9-30 am. on the brightest mooring we have had for some time, However the barometer has dropped by 24mb over the past 24 hours, so it wouldn’t last.
The leaves are really falling now and a couple of times we have had to clear the prop. It will be an ongoing thing now until they rot away.

CRT have reenforced the towpath closer barrier leading to the area of the land slip but that has not stopped people forcing a way round up the embankment for some reason. I am not sure where they want to go along there.

There has also been a lot of work at the site of the slippage, all the old gabions removed and the land terraced and graded back, what look like foundations for a retaining wall have been laid behind the towpath.

  At the site of the northern most slip it looks as if the embankment has been sprayed with something green, I wondered if its a compound containing seeds to bind the surface. It looks like the area is covered in moss. Again more grading has been carried out.

At Rose Narrowboat a gent from the long term moorings who had just been getting containers of water to take back to his boat kindly opened and closed the bridge for us which save a stop and Diana doing it. I was able to compliment him on how nice they keep their mooring area. The last boat on the offside Rose moorings has an above ground fish pond complete with waterfall in what looks like small plunge pool. We carried on to Hawkesbury Junction hoping we could moor fairly close to the Greyhound for a very late lunch. When we arrived there was only one boat on the visitor moorings, another moored on the waterpoint and one on the area marked no mooring just beyond the lock, so not to far to walk later on this afternoon.

Todays Journey

7¾ miles with no locks in 2½ hours

All Oaks Wood

Again away a little after 10 and met boats on a regular basis. Our first stop was Brownsover to visit Tesco. I got my days wrong so now we are onboard longer than planned. There were very few boat moored here in what is normally a popular spot, maybe all the boats we met left this morning. A little over an hour later and we were on our way again   and were soon at Newbold, again very few moored boats and we didn’t even meet anyone in the tunnel. Over the past few days we have knowingly met two professional boat movers, they may have been more. As we passed through All Oaks Wood I could see a collection of CRT work boats ahead. Its a pity they didn’t leave them all singled out as I went well aground passing the breasted pair.

They are piling just North of the woods in front of the concrete edging, so I can only assume that its breaking away below the water level. Again plenty of room to moor. I thought I had seen just about every conceivable  type of fly tipping but someone has put a complete cruiser in the ditch behind the tow path and a load of concrete slabs have been laid like a patio.

 

We went to the far end of the piling before mooring for the night. Tomorrow we have booked Sunday Lunch at the Greyhound , never booked ahead before when boating, hope we get there on time.

 

Today’s Journey

6 miles with no locks in 2½ hours

Clifton

A quiet night with no geese to walk us this morning, but the first boat did pass about 7 am.
We left at our normal 10 am. and were meeting boats almost continuously until we reached Hillmorton locks, Here both locks were against us, nothing coming up and a CRT tug pushing a full length flat down towards the middle lock. The back pumps were running flat out trying to replace the water used by the lock.

As we left the top lock one of the CRT crew set the middle one ready for us. They were locking the flat through first and then the tug, so we locked down beside them but left the locks first. By now there was a boat waiting to come up so we left our lock open for them. At the bottom lock the 2 Volockies had the offside gates open ready for us and the CRT crew were setting the near side ready for the flat. When we locked down we found two boats waiting at the bottom to lock up. We only did about another half mile before mooring for the night by the golf course.

 

Today’s Journey

7¼ miles with 3 locks in 3 hours.