Grey start, blue finish.

It was drizzly and gloomy when I went for my morning run, but has steadily improved through the day and now it’s warm and sunny. By the time I’d run, showered, breakfasted, walked Meg and visited Tesco I was ready for the 15 minute sit-down I had while a load of washing reached the rinse cycle. Then we reversed to the water point to fill up the tank and empty a loo cassette.


The moorings were opposite Victoria Mill, much extended since it’s construction in 1887 by the Whitworth family. Amazingly it’s still doing the job it was built for, milling flour! The machinery droning on all night wasn’t that annoying…

Wellingborough Upper Lock is only 10 minutes from the moorings, and is another conventional lock with mitre gates at both ends.
 

On the moorings, at the services and also at the locks either side of the town the signs have this addition tacked on…

I just hope that the scroats responsible need to be rescued at some time…

Do the pulleys on the framework of the by-wash bridge indicate that the centre span once lifted?
 
Maybe for water-borne transport to the adjacent gravel pit.

The locks came rapidly today, it’s getting hillier as we rise further up the valley. I found that out this morning on my run!

Wollaston Lock, back to the guillotine at one end, pointing gates at the other construction.

Doddington Lock was next, and we thought about trying the unofficial moorings above but the banks are well overgrown. So we pushed on, another 15 minutes to Earls Barton Lock.

He’s a big boy…

Earls Barton Lock
Mags started off in a jacket, she’s now down to a fleece.

We pulled over just above the lock, with horses and foals for company.



We’ve time in hand, and it’s supposed to be a good day tomorrow. It’s quiet here so we’ll stay put tomorrow, I reckon.

Locks 4, miles 3½