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