North Kilworth

No particular rush this morning as 8-30 last night we received an update to the N Kilworth stoppage that it would probably be lunchtime today before it was cleared.

Well that was bit of  a disaster. at 1-21pm CRT issued the following update to the stoppage notice.

Update on 31/12/2024:
Contractors are still working on clearing the fallen tree. The navigation is now partially cleared and boaters are asked to proceed with caution. we will update this notice by the end of the day.

So at half one we set off not meeting any boats and through the tunnel. At the far side of the tunnel was

probably a dozen moored boat with no chance of being able to get past the fallen tree if  your boat draws more that 6” of water.

We tied up at the front of the queue and could see the three chaps working away cutting wood and winching it out. we resigned ourselves to spending  New Years day here. It was sheltered down where we were but the trees on the top of the cutting were wavering about well, not a place I would chose to moor for the night. Then at quarter past four a boat with his headlight on came by, it was the first one through the stoppage, so like several others we got ready to move. By now the light was fading badly as we set off. We only planned to just past the marina entrance but there was a boat in our chosen spot so it was through bridge 43 and on the pilling there. It wasn’t easy holding the boat in against the wind while mooring with a broadside wind, but here we have a hedge and a bank to windward to break the force of the wind, had we gone round the bend it would have been straight onto the bow doors.

This of course is the end of this years cruising, we are a bit down on our normal totals with 555 locks worked, 940 miles and some 440 hours and 136 nights on board. If you click on the map you can see everywhere we have been this year.

Today’s journey

 

3¼ miles with no locks in 1¼ hour.

Theddingworth

I looked out this morning to see a red sky, we all know what that symbolises, then I checked the emails, nothing from CRT about the N Kilworth tree down, even though they said there would be an update by Sunday evening.
We set off about half ten to a bright, breezy but chilly morning, we didn’t expect to go far, only about an hour because as far as we knew the tree was still blocking the cut at N Kilworth. Not far from Foxton CRT have rebuilt the canal bank with bags, I don’t know what they contain, maybe cement or just soil?

The towpath is closed at the bridges each end of the works, but as you can see from the two fishermen people are ignoring the closure.

I use Waterwayroutes to plan my mooring spots, so I decided to stop at one not far from Husbands Bosworth Tunnel east portal on piling where there were no large trees. Before shutting down for the day I contacted CRT to get an update on the stoppage, luckily the lady I spoke to had spoken to the area team about it earlier and they were still working on it, so we wouldn’t be going through today.

Today’s journey

3½ miles with no locks in 1¼ hours

Foxton top lock

We set off just after 10-30 and it wasn’t long before the sky cleared and the sun popped out. I think this may be one of the very few Fibreline fibre glass Narrowboats  still about,I only know of 4 but there are 7 listed on CanalPlanac

Many years ago CRT or it may even have been the dying embers of BW who wanted the canals to go metric and started putting up metric speed signs.

As today was crystal clear we could see the extent of the housing development on the outskirts of Market Harborough. Yesterday we could barely see the closest house.

Yesterday it was an obliging Kingfisher, today its a Heron or Harnser.

I don’t know what this building was before it was converted but I think they made a nice job of it from the bits I could see.

Bit of a slalom course through the bridge and round the tree, probably be a bit tight for a wide beam boat.

I didn’t realise what a state this poor old Buzzard was in until I down loaded the photos this evening, you can see its wing feathers were quite ragged.

On our way down the arm I spotted a rather good piece of wood carving on the back end of a boat so I made a point of getting a photo on our way back, I also noticed that the boat was displaying a waterways trades window sticker.

We carried on through the road swing bridge, I had just closed one barrier when two cars turned up, so I let them through, the cyclist was not so lucky as the bridge was on the move when he arrived, but he did offer to give me a push. It took me all my time to get it started. We stopped for lunch just before the swing footbridge, its a light weight compared to the other bridge, just over an hour later we were on our way and soon tucked in below the bottom lock of the flight. I walked up to find the Volockie who was actually on his way down. One one else in the flight and we were on our way, by the second lock we must have had 50 bystanders milling Volockies which helped with crowed control and we soon had the kids opening and closing the gates for us. Several were interested how the system actually worked. The strange thing was, non of them knew about the N Kilworth tree down other than what boaters had told them. We moored at the top of the locks, just before the first bridge for the night, the same spot as going down. Tomorrow if the tree is not cleared we will just go as far as we can.

Today’s Journey

5¼ miles with 10 locks in 3 hours

Market Harborough

Not quite so misty this morning but cooler than of late, we were away about half ten, it wasn’t long before I spotted a canoe ahead in the mist, at first I thought it was coming towards us but then it disappeared into the mist and round the bend, here we found 3 canoes and a collection of walkers.

A little further on we met another canoe, at first I thought it had an electric coming towards us, but it turned out it was paddle powered, something like this FeelFree Moken 12.5 V2 Angler PDL - Pedal Drive Fishing Sit On Top Kayak

I think this marker donated the boundary of CRTs ownership, is so they only own half the width of the towpath, probably when it was put in the canal was further away.

A short way before Foxton Junction is a rather small winding hole, well its even smaller today as there is a boat moored across it.

In case you are wondering what the notice says its here 

Foxton is a controlled mooring area and CRT have gone to a lot of trouble making sure boaters are aware with large notices as you enter the area.

The notices on the posts at the moorings reinforce the message, I have no idea how many £25 the Trust have collected?

A brief stop at the junction while we Diana took the recycling to the bins ,opening the swing bridge on her return and we made our way towards Market Harborough. I worked the next swing bridge which is bit of a bugger being a road bridge and quite heavy. We carried on down to the basin and winded, we were going to moor just outside the basin but thanks to git gaps there was only one space under overhanging trees so we carried on back a bit towards Foxton having a kingfisher flitting up ahead of us. If you look closely you will see leaves are already breaking out. Luckily I had the camera out ready to photograph the corner of this garden with its little mushrooms so was ready for the Kingfisher.

We moored on the next length of vacant piling.

Today’s journey

 

9¾ miles with no locks in 3½ hours

Saddington Leicester Line

Well the first car to blow his horn on the bridge this morning kindly waited until 9am. We set off at 1030 to another dank, damp mist laden day which didn’t really improve much. As expected the boat that passed just after we moored yesterday was waiting to go down the lock tied up three boat lengths back, so I pulled in ahead of him. The Volockies had been letting water down to refill all the side ponds and all three of them were near the top lock which was handy for booking in. There was one boat coming up so the plan was the boat that was here first would go down, we would follow. We would both pass the upcoming boat between locks 5 and 6 and be on our way. One Volockie worked up with the boat coming up, one with the boat ahead of us and one with us so it was quite a smooth passage with only a short wait while the upcoming boat was secured half way.
Once clear of the locks we turned left towards Leicester and pulled over to fill with water before continuing on passed Debdale marina where this pole stands on the towpath.

If anyone has any idea what its for I would love to know.
Just after the marina the canal enters a SSSI. with the big blue notice, I suppose this accounts for the weeds growing half way across the canal.

What I didn’t expect was to meet a dayboat from Foxton Locks in a bridge hole. We carried on and winded just beyond Smeeton Aqueduct and ten dropped back a boats length to moor on the piling for the night.

Today’s Journey

3¾ miles with 10 locks in 3 hours

Foxton top lock

Another day of no wind and very misty, The boat ahead started his engine OK this morning and left about 9-45
We only met two boats, one before the tunnel and one at the outskirts of Foxton. The weather did clear for a very short time about lunch time, with a bit of blue sky visible, but it only lasted a few minutes before clamping down again.
I am not sure who or what was behind this drinking trough on the towpath. This was taken in the few minutes the fog had lifted for.

One of the boats moored just outside Foxton had an ole AJS on the back deck. You don’t see many of them about these days. A real bike.

  Foxton is the busiest place we have seen for moored boats and as expected walkers.We managed to tuck in just beyond the last bridge so I hope the road isn’t to bad overnight.
After lunch we wandered down the flight and half of the side pounds are almost dry, then must leak like sieves.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today’s Journey

7¼ miles with no locks in 2½ hours

Welford Junction

Well its Christmas day, so happy Christmas to all my readers.

We got up to a misty morning, looking out of the front doors there was a boat moored ahead, they must have arrived after we closed up yesterday afternoon. The first job this morning was to check what time Wallace and Grommet were on TV.  Last night we had thousands of channels, this morning nowt, so out and fiddle with the aerial, last night it was BBC East today its BBC Midlands. That sorted and it was open presents, sweeties, wine, beer, nibbles and and an illuminated solar system.

Then it was off for a walk, passing the moored boat the deck plates were up, wished the owner Happy Christmas and asked if he was OK, his engine wouldn’t start, flat starter battery, so back to Harnser for my jumper leads and lent him them before walking round to North Kilworth Marina.

Walked back and knocked on the side of the boat ahead, now with its engine running to retrieve my leads and back to the boat for the rest of the day, listen to the King, have dinner and watch Wallace & Grommet. It definitely is not aimed at kids in my opinion, far too good for that.

No miles with no lock in all day

Welford Junction

Well it looks as if the unfriendly weather has left us for a bit and we got up sunshine, however it didn’t last and soon became quite dull with low clouds. We didn’t set off until 1030 hrs as we didn’t really have far to go. things were very quiet, no wind, one walker, one lone fisherman and we met a couple of boats. passing a canal side glamping site I wonder what its like to sit in a hot tub watching the boats go by.

There has been quite a bit of spot dredging carried out but lots of this stretch of canal are still slow going if you don’t want to pull a wash. We have moored just before Welford Junction, its a concrete edge with mooring rings all by our selves. Tomorrow we plan on staying put, I think its some sort of special day.

Today’s journey

7¼ miles with no locks in 2½ hours

Winwick

Boy what a night, we just couldn’t keep that wind out, thank goodness for portholes and not opening windows. This morning it was all change, light wind and sunshine. We untied to leave at 10am but unfortunately the boat moored ahead of us was right across the cut,  he soon sorted himself out and reversed to the bridge where he waited while another boat entered the marina. I guess they thought it too windy to attempt yester.
Just past bridge 5 there is a 17 Mts winding hole, its been unusable for years, but recently its been

dredged and you can get a 57foot round with ease, probably a 60 footer if you used a rope to pull the stern round. It turned out that have dredged all the winding holes along here.
We were first boat of the day on the Watford flight, I tucked into the mouth of the first lock while Diana went to find the Volockie. He came back with Diana and helped us up the first two locks where his partner took over for the staircase. By the time we were up the staircase there were two boats following and one waiting at the top to go down, so we timed it well. The boat waiting to go down advised a brolly for the tunnel, and she wasn’t wrong, boy it was wet.
We pulled over to fill with water at Crick Wharf and on the hard standing between the cottage and what use to be Edwards restaurant stand a newish narrowboat hull, what I would call a tiny prop but also stern and bow thrusters. The first time I have seen this set up.

As we slowly passed Crick Marina due to a moored boat we passed a kingfisher sitting motionless in the bushes, I didn’t spot it until we were almost passed so a rushed shot , not really worth the effort.

This is always sad to see, no matter how unloved the boat is, CRT know as it has an envelope in the back, who knows if the owner will ever come back.

By now we were getting light rain, not enough for a coat or brolly as we continued round the bends only to have a boat reverse out in front of us while winding at Yelvertoft marina so we were following him for the rest of the trip. We got to meet two members of the CIBC at bridge bridge 20. they had to stop for the boat ahead of us beside an ex- working boat right by the bridge, so we didn’t get much of a chat. Just Merry Christmas etc. We carried on for another mile or so before mooring for the night between bridges 22 an23.

Today’s journey

7¾ miles with 7 locks in 3¾ hours

Welton Hythe

My word we had some weather during the night but things had greatly improved before we were read to leave this morning, we heard a boat go by about 8am. well before our time, but another two came by, going our way at about 10 o’clock just before we left, thankfully they both moored just past Butchers bridge, so we didn’t have to follow them up the locks,
There is a nice collection of old, un loved and slowly decaying boats  on the UCC moorings, maybe one day someone will breath new life into them.

Lock 1 was against us with the offside top gate open, but then two was almost empty. Then at lock tree, one bottom gate was open and Nick Wolfe was just untying Aldgate ready to go in, so I shouted I would go past, in the lock through the single gate and slide over to the off side. As I passed the boat moored behind him, Nb. Claxton, the side hatch opened and they asked if they could shar locks with us, not knowing Nick was already set and away. We did however turn the top lock when we saw they were following. I rather liked the idea of hanging watering cans by the bridges to water the popup gardens.

As we worked up with Nick, he was also delivering his Christmas cards and giving local dogs treats things got even better as we could see the bows of two boats coming down in lock 5, it was two working

Narrowboat Trust boat, so not only could we leave 4 open, 5 and 6 were both open ready for us. 
For some reason there is still a shaft and hook beside lock 6, I suspect at one time there was also a rake and cill bucket.

We said farewell to Nick as he was planning to make Crick tonight and followed him into Branston tunnel, it was quite warm and dry to start with the the far 400Mts were quite wet, we didn’t meet any boats in the tunnel but there was one hovering at the exit as we left.By the newish housing estate just before where the planned branch to Daventry was to come in the Café boat was doing a good trade, I suspect that several people on the estate take a walk along the towpath from there . The motor is Trout.

At Norton Junction we caught up with Nick as the wind had freshened a bit and he had to get his sheeted bows round into it in the tight junction. One thing I didn’t expect to see on the winter moorings on the Leicester line was a moored wide beamed boat, they don’t normally come past the junction from the main GU canal. The moorings along here were quite full and I didn’t fancy the spot at the end so we carried on and moored opposite Welton Hythe marina where we are sitting out the gale for the night. The internet is dead slow and the TV not much better.

Today’s journey

4½ miles with 6 locks in 2½ hours.