What a splendid day! Although it’s been overcast and dull, the area we are in is beautiful. We last came through here about 15 years ago, on a hire boat doing the Avon Ring. Unfortunately on that occasion we didn’t have time to appreciate the canal; this time we cruised at barely above tickover, taking the opportunity to enjoy the scenery.

Rural Lock 33, typical of this stretch.
The unfortunately named Bucket Lock is alongside the iron trough of Yarningale Aqueduct, a very pretty spot.
The lock-keepers cottage at Preston Bagot Top Lock has been extended in an unusual way.

We ended a very pleasant day at Wootton Wawen. Just along the canal is Anglo-Welsh’s hire base, the Navigation Inn and the cast iron aqueduct over the A34.

Locks 8, miles 4

Heavy rain overnight left a legacy of deep puddles but also clear blue skies.
We didn’t get away from Turners Green till nearly noon, heading towards Kingswood Junction.

Away from Turners Green
Kingswood is unusual in that the main lines of the 2 joining canals don’t actually meet. They approach to within a hundred yards of each other, and are linked by a short section of cut which we used to take us to the Stratford Canal.

Lapworth Link, from the Grand Union to the Stratford Canal.
Leaving Kingswood, Lock 22. It seems very small after the Grand Union locks!
Leaving the junction, the canal enters quiet open country, the locks often accompanied by unusual barrel-roofed lock-keepers cottages.

Cottage at Dicks Lock. This one’s for sale, a cool £620k.Interested? Click here.

The only interruption to the peace was passing under the M40. It’s this motorway we’ve heard for the last couple of days. We’re leaving it behind now.

Lock 27 (Lapworth Bottom Lock) and the M40 bridge.
We finished the day moored in the village of Lowsonford.

It’s been a beautiful day, warm out of the wind, almost springlike. Everywhere you look there’s snowdrops and daffodils pushing up. No lambs spotted yet though.

Locks 9, miles 3½.

We had just a short cruise today, up to Bridge 63 to catch up with Carol and Sonja (note the corrected spelling….).

The morning was dry and sunny, and pretty mild, but clouds rolled in at lunchtime and we’ve had very heavy showers this afternoon.

Shrewley Tunnel is interesting, dead straight and very wet through the ridge below Shrewley Common. On the west side is a towpath tunnel up to the road on the ridge, from where it runs past a couple of fields and back down to the path at the east portal.

Shrewley Tunnel west and Towpath Tunnel.
The Towpath Tunnel
And from the road… Spot the ghostly dog on the left?

Aw - It’s only Meg with the camera flash reflected in her eyes!





On Bridge 59 is a board advertising the shop up in Shrewley. Follow the TOE path??

It’s a pleasant rural stretch along here, but the murmur of traffic on the nearby M40 is constantly in the background.

Near our stop there’s a field full of goats.
I don’t think this one’s seen may boats……

Locks 0, miles 2¾

We spent the weekend moored where we stopped on Friday. Not bad weather, but Mags wasn’t so well, and we had to “gird our loins” ready for the 19 remaining locks of the Hatton Flight.
Had a trip to Sainsbury’s on Saturday, about 20 minutes away, and Sonya arrived at the weekend, to stay with Carol for a couple of weeks.

We only saw two boats in the locks all weekend and these were the hotel boats of Rev. Reed, Oak and Ash. They were coming down so left all the locks in our favour. We were ready to get off this morning when another boat passed us, going up. Typical. So now we had to empty each lock as we arrived at it. Such is life.

So we waited for 40 minutes or so to let them get ahead, then set off about 10:20. Far easier than expected, and very enjoyable climbing the 130 or so feet to the top of the flight. We were helped by a gentleman called Nick, who, in exchange for a cup of coffee, stayed with us from about ¼ of the way up. So we had 1 going ahead to set the locks, 2 on the lockside of the current lock, and 2 on the boats. Rock and Roll!!

In the flight, St Mary’s Church in the distance.
A bit daunting…….

We got even faster at the halfway mark when Mags and Carol decided to breast both boats up side by side.

Breasted up for the top half of the flight.
We actually caught up with the preceding boat at the top lock, having taken 2½ hours for the 19 locks.

Hatton Top Lock
Opposite the maintenance yard near the top there’s this sculpture of a dragonfly.
Water tanks filled, loo cassettes and bins emptied, and we were on our way again for another 30 minutes or so. We stopped just short of Shrewley Tunnel near Bridge 58, the girls pushed on through the tunnel to get nearer the pub! I guess they deserve it.

Contrary to what we expected from the forecast, it’s been a beautiful day, with just one short shower. We’ve still got that sneaky wind, but without that we’d have been in T shirts and shorts! (Well, maybe… it is only February).

Locks 19, miles only 3!

With the weather being wet and windy yesterday we decided not to move. So it was at 09:45 this morning that we started off, planning on doing the 8 locks to the foot of the Hatton Flight.

Leaving Welsh Road Lock
It has been a fine bright day, but the wind, although lighter, has made it feel very cold.
We made a quick stop at Fosse Road Wharf for loo emptying and water, and cruised into Royal Leamington Spa.
We thought this town would have made more of the waterway running through it, but were disappointed by it appearing dab and run down. A short rural interlude, with the aqueduct over the River Avon, and we passed from RLS to Warwick.

From Leamington Spa to Warwick, the Avon Aqueduct.
I’m pleased to say that this section was a lot more pleasant, with active interest in promoting the canal, rather than seeming indifference. There are a couple of busy boatyards on this stretch.

Delta Marine Services
Through Warwick, and we arrived at Cape Locks. These 2 start the climb up towards Kingswood Junction. The total rise is 170 feet, achieved in 23 locks. We’d come down about 140 feet since Braunston Turn.

Above Cape Locks there is the Saltisford Arm coming in on the left. Here there are visitor moorings handy for the city and facilities. But, having carefully threaded our way through the moored boats to the end, we found no space and had to reverse a way back to the winding hole and then return to the main line.

Saltisford Canal Centre, all full.
Carol had stayed on the canal, waiting to see if we could stop, but then moved on and set up the next lock, the bottom one of the Hatton Flight. Not wanting to commit ourselves too far, we went up this and the next one, and then moored in a likely spot below Lock 28. When we set off we’ll be straight into the 19 remaining locks.

Oh, and it snowed for a short while after we’d moored..
Locks 10, miles 8½

A long day today, and hard work with the heavy gates and paddle gear on these locks. Each gate weighs over 3000kg, and the paddles require around 20 turns to lift or lower. Still, it’s been enjoyable, with the locks in pleasant settings and the weather clear and sunny after an early frost.

We moved off at 10:45, 150 yards and into Stockton Top Lock. It took us just over 2 hours to drop down through this flight, and to pass the next two as well. We stopped for a bite to eat, and Carol and I went to the local shop for essentials.

Descending Stockton Locks.
Lots of boats around near Stockton.
Opposite the Blue Lias pub we passed NB LAPLANDER. This was a 1830’s icebreaker on the BCN (Birmingham Canal Navigations), and has been converted and fitted with steam power, hence the tall stack.

LAPLANDER
Under way again, and we arrived at Bascote locks at around 14:00, having stopped for water at Bridge 27. The first 2 of this group of 4 are a staircase, where the lower gates of the top chamber form the top gates of the lower one.

Bascote 2 Rise Staircase
Guardians of the Locks, Swans at Bascote.
The intention was to moor just after the locks, recommended by Adam from NB DEBDALE. But unfortunately someone had beaten us to it, so we moved on and moored just above Welsh Road Lock.

Locks 14, miles 5¼.

Woke up this morning to a dry but breezy day. Odd glimpses of the sun lit up the green fields dotted with sheep. No lambs to be seen yet, though.

Got away just after 10:30, and 2 miles took us to Napton Junction, where we turned right heading for Warwick.
We passed the village of Lower Shuckburgh with its unusual Victorian church.

Lower Shuckburgh Church.
Corbiere going round a bend near the junction.
Opposite the junction sits Wigrams Turn Marina, one of 3 within a mile of each other. The other 2 are Calcutt and Ventnor Farm. It must be interesting around here on Bank Holidays!

Around ¾ mile from the junction we arrived at Calcutt Top Lock, the first of the Grand Union broad locks. We’ll see another 39 in the next 21 miles. Being broad though means we can get both boats in at once.

Calcutt Middle Lock
We pulled in to Calcutt Boats for a gas bottle (£20.17 after last week’s price rise) after the first lock while Carol set the next 2, then, the first 3 done we had another 2 miles or so to the top of Stockton Locks, where we stopped for the day. The 8 locks are in a flight, followed by 2 more widely spaced to Long Itchington. But that’s for first thing tomorrow……

Stockton Top LockIt’s been a pleasant day’s cruising today.

Locks 3, miles 5.

We had a pleasant weekend, took advantage of yesterday’s almost springlike weather to get all the rugs out of the cabin, give them a good cleaning and do the floors right through the boat.

Quite a few boats about, including this ex BW workboat “BARROW”
I misjudged our water supply, and we ran short last night but managed to scrape through till today. After getting off at 10:15, we arrived at the sanitary station at Braunston Turn at just after 12:00. Filled with water and got rid of the rubbish, but the elsan disposal was out of action so we had to motor into Braunston proper to the facility near Braunston Marina.

Braunston Church
Braunston Marina

We turned in the marina entrance, and set off back to Braunston Turn in Carol’s wake. She’d spent the weekend here in the village with friends from Derby.

A left turn at the junction took us on to the Grand Union (originally part of the Oxford), and unfamiliar waters.

Braunston Turn
There’s quite a few boats along the first mile or so, some in various stages of decreptitude.

I’ve not awarded a Seen Better Days Award for a while, and had considered this bridge, No. 80. (No reason why I can’t include structures, is there?).

Bridge 80 North Oxford Canal

That was until we left Braunston and spotted these two…..

The first one has burned out down to the waterline, including the bankside bits and pieces, and the second is sitting on the mud.
I think a joint award is in order. It’s always a shame though to see boats with a proud heritage in this condition.

We ended the day moored in a lovely spot between bridges 102 and 103.

Locks 0, miles 7½

A fairly uneventful day today. We got away from Newbold in Avon around 11:00, and just over a mile took us to Bridge 59 in Rugby. Moored here for a trip to Tesco, then off again, arriving at the bottom of Hillmorton Locks around 13:00.

The History of Rugby Football under Bridge 59
These 3 locks are paired to ease congestion like some on the Cheshire locks on the Trent and Mersey. A very kind gentleman, working his boat through a lock ahead of us, set the adjacent lock for us as he went. So we arrived at each lock with it empty and the gates open.

Hillmorton Top Locks

There are moorings at the top, and we’ve stayed here before a couple of times, but we’d planned to get a bit further away from the Rugby conurbation.

An unusual method of propulsion on the ex GUCC butty LICHFIELD.






















We moved a couple of miles further on to near bridge 75, where we’ll stay the weekend.

Moored near Bridge 75
We’ve had another dry bright day, but the wind has been a nuisance.

Locks 3, miles 5½

I fitted the new Centaflex coupling his morning before we set off to Newbold on Avon. It took a little longer than expected as I had to shorten the gearbox mounting bolts, but we were still ready to go by 13:00.

Old Coupling……
And the new Centaflex

Disappointingly, the new coupling made no discernible difference to the prop shaft noise. Ah well, I’ll have to look for something else. At least the batteries are charging OK now.

I had a chat with a couple of guys doing a channel survey this morning. They are taking depth measurements across the canal every 10 metres or so, all the way from Hawkesbury Junction down to Oxford. The distance of 77 miles will take them maybe 8 weeks!

2 Men in a Boat
Shortly after this photo Meg decided it was time to get off – unfortunately forgetting that we were still in the middle of the canal! She climbed out of the water onto the bank, shook herself and gave me a dirty look as if it was my fault! Then she had to trot along the towpath for a couple of hundred yards till I could get the boat close enough to pick her up.
We’d been threatening her with a bath anyway…….

Through the fancily lit Newbold Tunnel, and we met Carol moored at the other end.

Newbold Tunnel Lights
Couldn’t get close enough to the bank near Carol, so we went through the next bridge and moored.
Although pretty windy, it’s been fine and dry, with a fair bit of sunshine.

Locks 0, Miles 3