Heading south on the Grand Union

 It's been some days since we updated our blog largely due to poor internet reception over the last few days. This posting brings us up to date as we approach the canal junctions around Braunston, in many ways the centre of the canal system. So let's get started on the story to today;

Our friend Maurice joined us on Friday evening (11 June) and stayed with us for a few days. On Saturday we set off, soon coming to the top of the Knowle flight of 5 locks. These are the first broad locks (take 2 narrowboats side by side) we have used since Stenson Lock on the Trent and Mersey Canal about 4 weeks ago. In this view at the top of the Knowle Locks you really get the impression that you are at the top of a hill.

And here we are looking back to the bottom of the locks.

It was a hot afternoon on Saturday and, after mooring near Kingswood Junction and close to the Navigation Inn, we walked a mile or two to the National Trust property at Baddesley Clinton. Helen is introducing herself to a fox in the grounds.

We treated ourselves to a cream tea and watched the swallows coming to and fro to their nest in a barn in the courtyard. This one, sitting on a weathervane, is watching to time its flight into its nest. It didn't seem fazed when the vane swung in the wind.

Here is the fine moated house of Baddesley Clinton, dating from the 16th century or possibly earlier.

We walked back to the boat a different way and passed Lyons Farm with another weathervane. Having a boat called Leo we are keen to spot and record any lions on our travels.

After a good evening meal at the Navigation Inn with Raymond and Yvonne, two friends of Maurice, we carried on our cruise on Sunday with the prospect of the Hatton flight of locks to come. This photo shows Kingswood Junction. Under the bridge to the right is a short canal that links to the Stratford Canal part way down the many locks down the hill from Birmingham to Stratford.

Before tackling the Hatton Locks we came through Shrewley Tunnel as seen in this photo. The tunnel is only 433 yards long but it was very wet, especially in the first half. Umbrellas were very necessary! The towpath on the right leads up to a tunnel for boat horses.

Lest you thought we had left Maurice behind, here he is steering Leo towards the Hatton Locks. There are 21 locks in this flight though we moored before reaching the bottom so only did 18 locks on Sunday.

Down one lock is a well known and well liked cafe, much used by cyclists and visitors as well as boaters. The cafe is to the left in this photo looking back to the top lock.

The main run of locks is known as the 'stairway to heaven'. This view looks down the flight straight to the St Mary's church in Warwick. We like the moorings near the bottom of the locks as being still very much in the countryside. After a hot afternoon lazing on the boat, we cycled to the Cape of Good Hope pub further down the canal where we had booked an evening meal sitting outside next to the canal. The food was truly excellent. Afterwards Maurice left to cycle home while we cycled back to Leo.

On Monday we carried on without Maurice to help us. This photo shows us coming to the bottom lock of the Hatton flight.

The paddle gear varies on different canals. The locks round here were originally narrow locks but were enlarged in the 1930s. The paddle gear is very distinctive. The works are all enclosed which must be good for durability and the locks work well, whether with one boat or two.

Only half a mile or so below Hatton Bottom Lock are another pair of locks. The top one is right next to the Cape of Good Hope pub where we had eaten on Sunday evening. The pub is to the left here just above the top lock.

We had been going down locks all the way from Birmingham as we dropped down into the valley of the Warwickshire Avon which we then crossed on this aqueduct. After this we started climbing away from the valley. There is a possibility of building a few locks to take boats down onto the Avon and making the river navigable from Stratford to Warwick, but that remains a remote prospect.

We found this scary cat as we came through Warwick and Leamington Spa. A handy offside mooring gave easy access to a big Tesco for shopping on our way. We then carried on out of the built up area to moor near the village of Radford Semele

We've reduced our daily mileage and lockage recently as our son David and his girlfriend Ash are planning to visit at the weekend and we don't want to get too far away to worsen their journey. So on Tuesday we travelled all of two and a half miles (plus 5 locks). In the photo you can see Leo waiting below Fosse Bottom Lock.

And here is Leo coming into the lock. Note the steps either side and what was originally a narrow lock to the left of the wide lock. The old narrow locks now function as bywashes with waterfalls down to the next pound.

On Tuesday night we moored above Wood Lock and found we were moored exactly where HS2 will cross the canal, with huge construction sites either side of us. Why do they need so much land? The photo shows some of the works but we couldn't work out what all these towers and cranes are for. A lot of the work on the other side of the canal seems to be to do with drainage.

This is a  lovely evening view looking out from the stern.

I am sorry to say that we did not have a good night's sleep on Tuesday night. Ian woke up just after 2 o'clock for usual reasons but found that the world had changed! The boat was tipped over and inspection showed the canal had dropped in level by about 9 inches. Soon we were both up releasing the mooring lines and pushing the boat out into deeper water. Finally back to bed with a more level boat, but neither of us slept that well. Woke up again soon after 6 to find we were once more tilted and the water had dropped another 9 inches. Ian cycled to Wood Lock downstream to check if the paddles had been left up, but no so it was just that this pound leaked. The top gates at Wood Lock were leaking quite badly and the bottom gates were allowing this to seep out into the lower pound. So we decided we ought to move off and by about 7.20 am we were on our way, an unheard of start time for us. We were rewarded by the sight of a hot air balloon seen here above Welsh Road Lock, the next one up from the low pound.

This is as we left Welsh Road Lock. The unusually large lock cottage reminded us of those on the Thames. Perhaps it shared the same architect?

After Welsh Road Lock came the four Bascote Locks, the last two of which form a double staircase seen here as we approach them. So the rule is to make sure that the bottom lock is empty and the top one is full before you start up (or down) the staircase.

This is looking down from the first lock of the staircase. You can see the single locks down below. We finished our cruising on Wednesday by about 9.15 am because of our early start. Often we don't set off until after that! We both felt a bit fragile after our lack of sleep, though Helen somehow found the energy to clean the carpets and the mats. Ian was more lethargic. It was another hot day but we did manage a walk in the afternoon into Long Itchington which is an attractive village where we patronised the local Co-op and had a drink at the Two Boats pub just below the next lock.

After a much later start here we are going up Itchington Bottom Lock. You can see clearly on the right the narrow lock which is concreted over and used as a bywash. Leo is in the wide lock alongside.

Above that bottom lock we were into the Stockton flight of 10 locks in total. We had a friendly CRT volunteer who helped us up most of the locks. After the second lock from the bottom we passed the Blue Lias pub which is unusual in having a dinosaur on its sign. Blue Lias is the local limestone which does have fossils.

Here we are looking up the Stockton Locks climbing into the distance. Helen and our volunteer are by the left hand bottom gate. The locks were a delight to use. They were built in the 1930s and perhaps they had learned a thing or two by then. Often going up as a single boat in a wide lock the boat can get thrown from side to side by the incoming water. Not with these locks. Opening the paddle on the same side as the boat, a stream of water wells up on the other side from the boat holding it firmly to the side of the lock. Chains hang the sides of these locks (presumably for small boats to hold onto). We've found in the past that the chains scrape the paint off the hull as the boat moves to and fro. So we've developed a new technique - Helen pulls the chains up onto the lockside while we use it and then Ian drops them back into the water as he steers the boat out of the lock.

And here is the view looking down the Stockton Locks - a mini version of the Hatton 'Stairway to Heaven'.

We are now approaching Calcutt where we climb the last 3 locks of this section of the Grand Union before it joins the Oxford Canal at Napton Junction. We are heading over the next week through Braunston to Gayton Junction where we will descend the 17 locks to Northampton and the River Nene.