Home Moorings

More rain over night  but dry when we were ready to leave with light winds. We have seen quite a few boats on the move today. We passed this group of five ex-working boats that I mentioned yesterday.

CRT volunteers were hard at work cutting back the offside undergrowth along the puddle bank, maybe CRT are nervous after the Llangollen incident.

We stopped at Braunston Turn to fill with water before heading up the North Oxford canal passing this wide Beam cruiser moored on a narrow canal rather close to the A5 bridge. probably the narrowest part of the canal.

We stopped for diesel at Dunchurch Pools Marina at 97p/L I wonder how much more it will be next month. As we were leaving I spotted a murmur of starlings in the distance, unfortunately they didn’t go it again but the flock flew right over our heads.

Back out on the canal we headed back to the marina, Since we were last this way someone has removed the boat that has been moored to the offside railings under the M45 for months, possibly a year. Back at the marina one last job before mooring toilet tank pump out. This is a DIY operation at our marina but we have a very good pump that really sucks, then back in the berth before packing up and coming home.
That’s it until the next time.

Today’s Journey

 

7¾ miles with no locks in 3½ hours.

Flecknoe Fields Farm

What a day/ night we have had we have had almost 9mm of today. It was fine drizzle when we set off and heavy before we reached Napton Junction where we turned right down to Calcutt Locks. We winded just above the lock and needles to say the wind decided it may as well blow just as we were half way round. A chap taking water kindly gave the bows a kick which was sufficient to complete the manoeuvre. While we were doing this what looked  like a boat under tuition was coming up the lock, but we were well away before they exited. 
Back at Napton Junction and the sun came out, we were retracing our steps back to Flecknoe for the night. Although the sky where we were was blue it

was a bit different in the distance and we hadn’t moored up long before we had a shower of real rain.
The two highlights of the day, in this short journey we passed 7 ex working boats and this must be the

bridge of the day, if you looked from this angle you would think twice before walking over it, let alone taking a tractor over.

Today’s Journey

7½ miles with no locks in 2¾ hours

Puddle Bank Braunston

Not such a nice day today, no sun and fully overcast with rain forecast for the afternoon. Boat movement was a bit sparse meeting 3 at Hillmorton and then one towing another on the Puddle Banks. CRT have done lots of remedial work to the tow paths but most out of town ones are still very muddy.

Earlier this year I posted photos of unusual exhaust covers so I thought I would add this one I saw today.

 

At Hillmorton Locks the volunteers were out in force cutting back the grass edges at the locks etc. Its a pity CRT didn’t give one of them a bucket of grease, Diana couldn’t wind a couple of the paddles even with her long throw windlass and that’s unlike her. Just above the lock we passed a boat with a very short butty, the builder of the butty unbeknown to the owner painted a pair of doors on the back.

We stopped at Midland Chandlers as I wanted a new light fitting for the bathroom, They had some on the shelf and although they are marked down to £15 they are actually still £38 I think he said, as I put it back on the shelf. Some of the shelves are bare as they are not restocking. They had been on clearance and I bought 4 last time I was there. We left there and headed along the Grand Union/Oxford Canal to the puddle banks mooring just beyond the winding hole.

Today’s Journey

 

12½ miles with 3 locks in 4½ hours

Newbold

The weather just keeps getting better, a few more boats on the move today. A lone CRT man is hard at work painting the M69 bridge, when we saw him he was just walking back from his truck packed at the social club with another tin of paint.

This was one of the brightest bushes we have seen this year so far, it looked great in the warm sunshine.

The water is well up again so at the small bank slippage the towpath is back under water, CRT have closed this section some months ago now.

This is all that’s left of the Diwali light display in Newbold Tunnel, goodness knows how many thousands of pounds it cost to instal only to be left to rot away.

We moored for the night in Newbold at the first visitor moorings with rings, it unusual for the ring spacing to work out right but these ones are spot on for us.

Today’s Journey

 

9 miles with no locks in 3 hours

Halfway Sutton Stop to Ansty

Last night we ate at Turmeric Gold in Spon Street, somewhere we will definitely visit again. Well worth the walk. Its probably the nicest Indian restaurant we have ever been in. a really lovely setting.

 

   
After last nights dinner I couldn’t do a full English at Playwrights justice this morning so we had breakfast onboard as usual. Gorety is much more of a café than a shop now but thankfully they still sell cakes to take away. Next time we come we will arrive early enough for lunch there.
There is major work going on at the boaters services in Coventry basin and they have dug a trench out to the pump out point with safety barriers all around it.

A short way up the canal there is a whole yard of Unimogs, they have been there sometime as some are turning green.

Last time we came down here I noticed that like Birmingham some of the bridges had ports for fire hoses to be lowered into the canal, unlike Birmingham, Coventry’s have been bricked up.

Some time last year we passed under this bridge and the length of PVC guttering supporting cables had slipped down. I fixed it back but didn’t rehang the cables, this lead to CRT issuing a navigation warning and months of wrangling who’s responsibility the cable was. This trip the guttering was down again, so we stopped and I refitted it and also put the cables back on. Must have saved the five grand.

This has changed since we came down the arm yesterday, much greener today, the season is definitely changing now and it 15°C this afternoon.

At bridge 6 we shopped for Diana to visit Lidl, it gave me the opportunity to recalibrate our water tank gauge, this can only be done with an empty tank and this morning while it still indicated a quarter we ran out.While I was waiting I also reported the shopping trollies to CRT as they are right by the bridge. Too much for me to pull out and take to the bins.

As soon as she returned we were on our way, opposite Exhall Basin we spotted some wild life, a couple of Brown Rats, not surprising with the amount of food people are throwing down for the birds.

At Hawkesbury Junction we turned onto the Oxford Canal passing through the lock and stopping for water, I pas please to see that gauge was near enough correct when the tank filled, so that little job looks a success. On our way again and the offside field under the powerline pylons is flooded as usual, the only time I have seen it dry was last summer.

We carried on, meeting the firs boat  coming towards us for two days and moored for the night on a shorth stretch of piling about half a mile before Ansty. This is probably the furthest spot from the motorway along here.

Today’s Journey

 

8 miles with one lock in 3¾ hours.

Coventry Basin

A little late setting off as I had to ring Nation Express to rearrange our travel to London in June as they have altered the timetable since we booked it. Through to their call centre with 5 options, music and we are busy message, Hung on heart in mouth and a few moments later a lady answered and she couldn’t have been more helpful. Great service.  
We only did about half an hour before before stopping at Christine and Terry’s for a cupper, slice of home made chocolate cake (highly recommended) and a chat. hour and a half later we were on our way again heading for Coventry Basin. Exhall Wharf looks a lot more open now under the

new management, but it may be tricky getting in and out with the boats moored opposite the entrance against the “No Mooring” signs, in fact they are moored all the way back to the service building across all the waterpoints.
We made our way down to the basin avoiding the half dozen shopping trollies by bridge 6, they had all been pushed in as a single unit so I would have had no chance in retrieving them. We arrived at the basin to find only 4 other boats moored here and our favourite spot vacant. Just as we arrived the rains started  with very fine drizzle, the stuff that soaks you through without you noticing. Once moored a quick trip to Rudens Latvian food store for biscuits and pickled fish then into Gorety's Portuguese shop for cakes.

Today’s Journey

8¼ miles with no locks in 2¾ hours

Marston Junction

First job this morning was into the café at 9-30am for a full English, well almost. One full, one veggie and share the meaty bits abut. This meant we were

a bit late getting away on what seamed more like an early summer morning than early spring. The canal was surprisingly quiet after how busy yesterday was, but from the moorings it was obvious that lots of people had moved in yesterdays nice weather. At Dadlington Wharf I just happened to glance across the towpath side and saw this, I had to back up clear of the trees for the photo. Normally I would have hopped off and walked back, but the towpath is just a sea of mud. Now I have never noticed these

before and when I did an online search I found they had only been there since August last year. Full information about them at Richard III Country.  The water level through Hinkley is actually higher than when we went up a couple of days ago and I had to swiftly remove the stove chimney at the bridge by the marina.
Throughout the day the wind freshened  and also the cloud increased but it stayed dry. At the very end of the Ashby canal near Marston Junction someone has been using the stack of bricks to build a seat and a fire pit.

We crept out of the junction and turned left onto the Coventry Canal passed just under the bridge and moored for the night.

Today’s journey

 

11½ miles with no locks in 4¼ hours

Sutton Wharf

Last night was the quietest overnight mooring we have had in a long time, not even a dawn chorus.
We woke to a lovely spring like sunny day and shortly before we were ready to leave, first a boat came by that had been moored beyond the stop lock and a second arrived, winded and moored at the services.
We the nice weather we have seen several boats on the move today. Leaving at our normal 10am we had a clean run through the tunnel. I estimate that the roof is about a foot lower ¾ of the way to the north portal than it is at both ends, we left the stove chimney up and it was a hold your breath moment part way through. Looking out the views are the green fields of England, but its not grass pasture but sterile wheat.

Going past this little beauty was bit of a surprise, no time to pick the camera up, but we stopped and reversed up to get this shot, thanks for sitting still for a photo shoot .

We stopped at the visitor moorings at Shackerstone just before the aqueduct to visit the new farm shop at Wharf Farm, they are open Thursday, Friday,Saturday and Sunday at the moment, they also have a café with loads of fattening cakes and outside undercover seating at the end of the lambing shed, home for 50 mothers and babies at the moment. They were quite busy today.

Just before we moored to visit the shop we met a canoe at the bridge hole thankfully he pulled well to one side and let me thorough, we also met the narrowboat that had left the end of the canal earlier, obviously returning that way.
As we continued on our way the sky’s darkened and after lunch we did have just a couple of spots of rain but nothing more. Or plan (you have heard that word before) was to moor at Sutton Wharf for the night for a full English in the morning. Thankfully when we arrived, despite the number of boats on the move in the break in the weather there was still only one boat moored there.

Today’s Journey

10½ miles with no locks in 3½ hours

Snarestone Wharf

It was a bit warmer this morning but it actually felt cooler than yesterday. The day started quite pleasant with light winds and looking bright, however it didn’t last and we had a very heavy , squally shower. The canal is weiring well today and the towpath is only just above water in Market Bosworth.

As we came into Market Bosworth opposite the new housing estate this memorial has appeared since we were last this way. I couldn’t seethe details as we passed but I expect someone will tell me soon.

I had planned to reverse to the end of the restored section of the Ashby canal, but as I started to wind the wind picked up to 35 KPH and I had problems getting the bows round so decided it would be better not to try backing down between boats moored on ether side of the canal, so we moored up and visited Mike in the Ashby Canal Association shop.

Today’s Journey

8¼ miles with no locks in3 hours

Bosworth

Boy what a night 10mm rain and sleet with loads of gusty wind. The forecast constantly changing with the latest saying saying things would clear by 11am. At 10-30 it was fine and we set off, again I timed it such we had to wait for a boat coming towards us.It actually felt much warmer today and we even saw a few boats on the move. The snowdrops and tulips look a bit behind along here but this catkin tree was well out.

As expected, with all the rain we have had lately the canal is right on weir, even so it was the normal slow going after the Stoke Golding moorings even with the good level, but in other places we managed 4MPH with no wash.

We decided to moor before reaching Bosworth Wharf as since the marina opened and with two waterpoints moorings are a bit limited, so we stopped between bridges 36 and 37.

Today’s Journey

 

7¾ miles with no locks in 2½ hours

Hinkley

Last night we ate at The Greyhound Pub, this is the third meal we have had since it changed ownership and they have all been very good. At half seven the restaurant was just about full on a Tuesday.

We left about eight pm and the temperature was down to 0.5°C as we walked back to the boat, I couldn’t resist a quick shot of the junction and bridge.

This morning we woke to a fine morning, as we needed water we slipped across the cut and filled the tank while we were having breakfast. The forecast had changed from last night, it was now rain at two, not all day as it said yesterday. Tank full and we were away, disturbing the fishermen under the bridge and on to the Coventry canal, picking up Diana in the narrows then passed this sunken cruiser with attached enforcement notice.

Be cruised along the Coventry Canal as far as Marston Junction where we turned  very sharp right down the Ashby canal. The temperature was just below 6°C but it felt a lot colder.
The moorings by the fishing lakes are almost empty

now, only 4 boats there and a CRT van, but there is now a cruiser on the lake, it may have always been there but not visible from the canal when the moorings were full.

The first boat we met all day, well the only one was just before The Lime Kilns, the long term moorings here were half empty as well.
We had planned (note that word again) juts past the Hinkley Boat Club arm but there were full so we pushed on passing CRT cutting offside vegetation. just ahead of them are some quite large fallen tree limbs, I wonder if they can tackle them. The moorings opposite Trinity Marina were also full so we pushed on past the industrial units as we have found them noisy at night, to moor just before bridge 19. It is still dry bet the wind has freshened.

Today’s Journey

 

9½ Miles with 1 lock in 3¼ hours

Hawkesbury Junction- Suttons Stop

Last night was no as quiet as we had experienced moored there in the past, probably due to road works in the area and traffic using different routes.
This morning we woke to a nice still, sunny morning and were ready for the off a little earlier than normal, needles to say a boat came along from behind just as were were about to go, so we gave him a few minuets before following, however he had only gone as far as the offside water point.
Although it was still and sunny it still felt quite cool. Diana spotted a deer on the offside on the way out of Rugby but no time for a photo.
As we approached Newbold Diana jumped ship at the bridge to visit the Coop and re-joined me by the pub. The boater just before the tunnel still has his washing out in the trees, I am not sure if its a long term mooring.

Through the tunnel one of the houses just before Amada Boat Hire has a nice show of Snowdrops in

their garden, spring must be coming as we have also seen Pussy Willow and Gorse coming out.

As short way before All Oaks Wood by the old Boat Inn pub someone has made a nice job of layering the hedge behind the towpath.Only one boat moored just beyond the wood and it looks as if CRT have completed piling in front of the concrete edging so that will be a nice mooring for another boat.

The Towpath has finally opened following the land slide in Easenhall cutting, I don’t think all work is complete at the first slip and the path is very wet.

The second slip looks much more stable and is grassing over which will probably bind the surface.

We arrived in Ansty with only one boat moored there which is unusual, we were going to stop there but as the weather was good we pushed on to Suttons Stop with a view to eating in the Greyhound this evening, I just hope its as good as last time.

Today’s Journey

12¾ miles with no locks in 4¼ hours.