Abergavenny and Gilwern

To see the previous three days of this holiday please go to Diana and Brian's Holidays: Ebbw Vale 11-6-25

Last night was our last night in the Ebbw Vale Premier Inn, its probably the best room we have ever had in one of their hotels, so after breakfast in the adjoining Beefeater we checked out and headed to Aldi to stock up on perishable food followed by Tesco for diesel.
Our aim for this morning was Abergavenny castle and museum, we were going to go yesterday but they close at 4pm. Its a free to enter museum, very small only three rooms but they pack in a lot of interest and one thing I knew nothing of was using a dog in a wheel to power a rotisserie in front of an open fire, prior to that it was a job for children and after the dog they used clockwork ones.

We then walked into the town centre which is pedestrianised and very busy, again we visited an indoor market in the Corn Exchange, the place was heaving.

Then it was a case of looking for somewhere to eat and you are certainly spoilt for choice, fusion, Italian, Gurkha, English, we settled for Turkish. Not fast food but very enjoyable.
Back to the car to drive to Gilwern, we had to be there for three o’clock to collect a hire boat for the week. Loading was interesting, reversing off the main road on a zebra crossing and down onto the towpath squeezing between the Belisha Beacon and the bridge wall. Once loaded the car was taken to the company yard for storage. We were briefed on both the domestic side of the boat and the operational side. Instructed on the quirks of the canal and its looks and told not to do most of the things I would normally do. We set off through the first bridge under instruction, moored up and were then sent on our way. We only did a little over 4 miles before mooring for the night as progress is very slow on this canal.
Its strange being on such a tender boat, she has a V hull to help with the shallow edges and large windows. We had diner onboard and then went for a short wander around, our mooring for the night.

Today’s boating journey
4¼ miles with no locks in 2½ hours

Back Home

After a long one yesterday today was a short one. Woke to a lovely sunny morning and set off at 9-30 to Dunchurch Pools Marina to fill with diesel, its probably the best price in the area. Pulled in at 10am and it had turned cool and windy. One boat on the service pontoon getting a pump out so we dropped on the other side and were immediately filled up with 70 lts. of the red stuff.
We left there and made our way back to Barby, on route we noticed that the farmer on the off side has now not only cutback overhanging bushes and put a stock fence along the edge but has also cleaned the ditches out.

As we arrived back at the marina there was a boat coming out and he wanted to turn south, so I passed the entrance and then backed up to go in when he was clear.
That’s all for this trip folks, thanks for reading

Today’s Journey

 

2¾ miles with no locks in 1½ hours.

Onley

Last night I looked out of the back doors at the Ansty bridge, the photo isn’t half as good as real life, but you get the general idea . This morning it became obvious why the house opposite have had a marquee erected in their garden, today is someone's wedding day.
We were away at 10, a couple of boats had left, a new one arrived and several were passing through. You can see where people are circumnavigating the locked gate at the end of the closed towpath, this is the site of the land slip between Rose Narrowboats and All Oaks Wood.

The boat is back on its moorings outside the cottages by bridge 35, this was at one time a pub and I suspect relied on the trade from boaters. Probably half a dozen people in drinking was a busy night.

Last night all the moorings at Ansty were full, today all the moorings at Rugby apart from 3 at the south end were full, likewise all the ones at Newbold. Then when we got to Hillmorton there were loads of spaces below the locks and hardly anyone above them. The Volockie at the bottom lock who had the gates open ready for us said it had been very quiet, but we had met boats steadily all morning. At least today the Volockies were better organised, instead of holding hands there was one on the bottom pair and another on the middle pair, because they were in radio contact the middle lock was also ready for us and to make things even better we met a boat it the top pound so that loke was ready as well. I can’t say I have noticed this lock gear anywhere else.

Above the locks the back pumps were running today, topping up the long pound to Branston and Calcutt. As we made our way passed the three moored boats, we did discuss stopping there for the night a couple of Belted calves were having a paddle. The other one left just before I could get the photo, maybe he was camera shy.

When we passed Hillmorton Wharf last week it looked as if they were about to lift a shed onto a set of floats, today we could see the result, it looks as if they are having glamping pads in the basin. I  think there were 4 of them in there.

We had decided that as it was such a nice day we would carry on and moor on the piling opposite the Barby Reservoir, wrong. nose to tail mooring the full length of the piling, so we pushed on a bit and moored against the hard edge using a loop of blue rope that someone kingly left and a stake behind the solid edge at the other end.
One thing or should that be two, 2 boaters we met today said how they enjoyed the blog, that’s nice to hear.

Today’s Journey

15¾ miles with three locks in 5¾ hours

Ansty

A nice quiet night despite being moored right against a road bridge, at least they didn’t pip the horn every time they crossed. We were away at 10, reasonably warm but overcast all day with a cooling breeze.
The canal was much quieter today and we didn’t see that many boats on the move. Passing the Lime Kilns CRT long term moorings there were only acouple of boats there, likewise at Burton Hastings fishery. With no hold ups we made our way to Marston Junction and with no one coming straight out and hard left, to our right one of Rothern’s rather smart work boats was moored up.

Between Marston Junction and Hawkesbury Junction there is a lot of development on the off side, you can just see the roofs of some of the new houses in the distance, but the back fill at this end must be 2Mt deep, I wonder how much they will subside.

Diana hopped off in the narrows just before Hawkesbury junction and I failed to get round in one. There was a boat in the lock when I arrived so

 

a few minutes wait for them to leave and in we went. The bottom gate is hard to get fully open, it feels like loads of vegetation down there and needs raking out before the gate gets damaged. The moorings both before and after the junction were packed and this was 1pm, not evening, it was similar at Ansty and I had to back up and moor just through the bridge for the night.

Today’s journey

11¾ miles with 1 lock in 4½ hours

Hinkley

Last night we ate at The Horse and Jockey, not a cheap meal but very nice. We may have over done it slightly as even after an earlyish night we both overslept this morning, Little piggies with full bellies comes to mind, this resulted in a late start this morning.
I am not normally bothered by boats speeding by but this one this morning got to me. We were ready to set off, engine running and Diana had dropped the bow mooring off when a boat came along from behind , so we waited for him to pass. He didn’t ease his speed at all,  Diana on the front rope couldn’t stop Harnser shooting back, hauling on the slackening stern line I couldn’t do anything and the end result was out mooring chain firmly wedged in behind the piling in a rearward direction. We passed the boat later, no one on board on the long term moorings at Sutton Cherney.
Today was forecast cloudy but its actually been quite nice but a bit blowy at times. We passed the site where CRT have been disposing of the canal dredging's and I took a bit better photograph, they have completely covered several acres of fields with spoil and have a rather large, dry pond in the edge of one field by the canal towpath. They are still moving the stuff about.

The water levels looked to have improved a bit and this spill weir is only a couple of inches down, hasn’t made the going any easier.

I mentioned the company boundary markers the other day, well this one shows that the canal is now in the farmers field on land the canal company has never owned.

We stopped for water at Sutton Wharf, there were two hire boats on the waterpoint when I stopped along side, I assumed they had finished watering up as they moved off as soon as they knew I wanted to use the tap, I must say this is one of the fastest taps I have come across. Because we didn’t want to moor at the wharf all the moorings were vacant.

We chugged on still meeting boat to moor for the night at Hinkley, we are a bit close to the bridge so lets hope for a peaceful night.

Today’s Journey

11½ miles with no locks in 4¾ hours.

Congerstone

Last night when we went to bed our rain gauge indicated that we had over 15mm of rain in the past 24 hours but I don’t think its made much difference to the canal levels. Again there was a bit of rain over night.
This morning the birds were singing at 4-30 AM and when we got up the sun was shining, then just as were were about to set off, it started raining again, so we didn’t go until it stopped. The rain was very localise and at the present terminus of the canal they hadn’t had any rain at all this morning, less than 2 miles away. That was lucky as its their work party day.
This was the sky as we headed towards the end.

We didn’t meet anyone on our way down there and there was just one boat on the visitor mooring.
I must say the place is looking very smart now with big improvements to the shop area. We stopped about ¾ hour donating a few items and buying a few more. Had a chat with Mike who was overseeing some security maintenance before heading back through the tunnel. By now there were two boats on the visitor moorings and a day boat had just arrived for a look round.
Snarestone tunnel is quite wide with a slight dog leg, the arch is quite shallow and the roof dips several inches lower in the centre of the tunnel than the portals. Just to the north of the tunnel is an old boathouse and over the years we have watched this become more and more derelict.

We have also seen our first waterlilies in flower on this canal, not many yet but they are getting there.

We did wonder if the hotel pair would be making their way to the end but we didn’t meet them, so they must have winded at Shackerstone and gone back towards the Coventry Canal.
Our plan for today was only to cruise as far as Congerstone and eat at The Hours and Jockey so we are now on the 2 day mooring by Congerstone Bridge, table booked and listening to every car blowing its horn as they wiz over the bridge.

Today’s Journey

6¾ miles with no locks in 2¼ hours

Shornhill

The day started well and we woke to bright sunshine, 9-30 off to the café for a full English, we both thought it was even better than last time we were here.

Then it started to go down hill, first it started to rain, that continued without a break until 10 minutes after we moored up for the day. Then the Bywater Hotel Pair came through, I could still see them down the canal ahead of us when we returned to the boat, so we have it until quarter to eleven before setting off.
Due to the dredging work that has been carried out this farmer has got a bit of his field back, or he will have when it dries out. Its just after bridge 35.

We past the site where the dredging's were taken ashore, they look to have excavated some large ponds to accommodate it all. I will try for a better view on our return. I was taken a bit by surprise.

These markers defining the boundary of the canal companies land are dotted about, but I am not sure how they would have worked unless there was virtually a continues line of them, Just on in a field doesn’t mean much as it just shows a spot.

So far so good with the hotel boats and then as we approached Bosworth, there they were, chugging along. Diana felt sure they would stop for lunch there, but no they carried on and we followed at a respectable distance. This went on for some time

and I attempted to moor for a cup of tea a couple of times but couldn’t get against the side. Then just before bridge 50 they pulled over and tied up and we were free to be on our way. I hadn’t got close behind them as I didn’t expect them to ether speed up or with such a muddy canal pull over for me to pass. Its a small price to pay to see the trade continuing.
We have met very few boats today, I wonder why? We made our way through Shackerstone and moored up for the night half way to Snarestone by Timm’s Bridge and as I said earlier, it stopped raining almost immediately .

  Today’s Journey

8½ miles with no locks in 3½ hours

Sutton Wharf

Very overcast this morning and a bit breezy, a bit of a commotion with boat getting in  the mud when meeting other boats while passing moored boats. We were away at our normal time and did have just a very few spots of rain, not coat worthy. A brief stop just before the A5 bridge so that Diana could dispose of the rubbish, the bins are at the back of the pub carpark. There is still an old BWB sign on the pub wall.

Our next port of call was Hinkley where Diana just held the boat while I nipped to Screwfix, literally 2 minutes away to pick up some 13 amp/usb outlets I had ordered.
As we passed Ashby Narrowboats a hirer was being given instruction before heading out, it looked like most of their boats are out this week. I understand that if cows are lying down its a sign of bad weather, these ones were all lying down, but they may be to young to know the rules.

You don’t often see steel Narrowboats with outboard engines but we passed this one moored up today.

As we approached Sutton wharf, one of the boats on the long term moorings has a fake coffin on the roof which I am sure I have posted before. Now they also have a set of stocks on the bank, I guess they caught this chap speeding past moored boats.

Opposite the moorings on the towpath side is a spill weir, and as you can se the water is only a few inches down but it’s making quite a difference to navigation, having said that the canal is quite busy and we have met lots of boats.

We were planning to moor on the pontoons at the wharf, we could see at least one boat there and then the hire boat ahead pulled in, but there was still room for us on the end. After the hire boat left about 3-30 with help from the chap moored at the far end we pulled Harnser back and re moored her so as not to leave a git gap.

Today’s journey

 

9 miles with no locks in 4 hours

Burton Hastings

It started raining just as we got up this morning but was only a short shower and had stopped well before we set off stopping for water opposite the Ansty Club. I like using this tap as there are two live aboard boats there so its in constant use 12 months a year. One of the moorers is really tiding the area up, painted the bollards and the tap housing. He has also been cutting the hedge back to make it more pleasant.
I don’t know how many bridges like this the Oxford Canal Company erected?

We have seen more anglers today than we have for some time, but what we haven’t seen since Hillmorton is any trains, as for boats we saw very few until the bends before Hawkesbury Junction, then they came thick and fast.
The level on the Coventry was down about 6” surprising what a difference it makes. Charity Dock have moved some boats about since we last passed and there is now a floating, well it may be floating, garden to admire as you pass.

At Marston Junction there was a boat hovering in the middle of the cut with his stern inline with the junction facing Atherstone. When he saw me coming he waved me passed but I indicated I was going up the Ashby Canal and swung round behind he. It turned out that was what he was also trying to do and came down behind us. We met several boats in the first couple of miles, all but one we passed with ease. We also saw Brian’s old boat, Thursdays Child with the new owner, a family with 3 boys onboard. Its good to see it being used and enjoyed.

They have now moored just ahead of us for the night.

Today’s Journey 8¾ miles with one lock in 3¾ hours

Ansty

We had almost 7mm of rain last night according to my rain gauge but it was all fun and sunny before we set off, a few dark clouds and even three spits of rain, but that’s all.
Our first stop was Rugby to visit Tesco. no moorings towpath side but only one boat moored on the park. Tesco was heaving as expected on a Saturday morning. Anyway just over an hour later we were on our way again meeting boats in all the wrong places.

I don’t think I have ever passed this cottage before without a boat moored outside.

There doesn’t look to be any change at the site of the two landslides in the cutting, the fence and gate are still across the towpath with people just walking round the end of them.

We nosed into the cutting at Rose Narrowboats and Diana hopped off and swung the bridge. It looks as if they have several boats out this week. As we made our way along the long term moorings there were only about half a dozen boat there, surly they haven’t all gone to Crick this weekend, or is there something else going on?

Yesterday I posted that the Braunston level was down but the back pumps were not running at Hillmorton, I don’t know why, because down on this pound the water is at its maximum level.

We carried on past the golf course to Ansty passing the demolished accommodation bridge that was handy to get to the pub. The deck was removed several years ago but the walls are on the move again.We only did another 50 yards and moored for the night almost opposite the pub. The mooring rings are not the best spacing and boats have been passing ever since we have been here

Today’s Journey

10½ miles with no locks in 3¾ hours