To Braunston

 We have finally set off on our summer of boating.  I have promised to do a blog post at least every time we pass a canal junction so that you can keep track of us. This blog posting passes two junctions as you will see:

One of the delights of travelling on the canals early in the season is seeing the new broods of baby birds appearing. Above you can see a group of 9 cygnets and below a group of 10 ducklings. 9 babies for a swan is about the most we have ever seen.

Saturday began with an excursion by car to buy a new starter battery, having found on Friday that the engine refused to start. So we only set off after midday as far as Weedon where we decided to moor and enjoy relaxing in the sunshine with a cuppa.

Ash's parents gave us these solar lanterns for Christmas and we've been able to display them on the roof, fixed in the plant tubs. They even turn on going through tunnels! Thanks Rob and Carol.

Here we are on Sunday coming to the first of the seven Buckby Locks. We went up six of them with a nice family on a hire boat and then moored in a favourite spot below the top lock.

Here is the view across the canal through one of our portholes to the field of sheep opposite. As you can see our first few days have seen excellent sunny weather.

And so on Monday to our first canal junction - Norton Junction. To the right beyond the house and in front of the willow tree is the Leicester Branch of the Grand Union Canal. As well as going through Leicester this continues as the River Soar to join the River Trent near Nottingham. We didn't go that way and instead went to the left, staying on the main line of the Grand Union to go through  Braunston Tunnel.

Once through the Braunston tunnel (about one and a third miles long) we soon came to the top lock of the Braunston flight of six). We shared with a single chap and dog on 'Alacrity'. The picture shows us in the bottom lock.

Braunston is usually one of the busiest places on the waterways but on Monday it was deserted.

At the other end of Braunston we came to the second canal junction, Braunston Turn, shown above. Here the Grand Union Canal goes left heading for Birmingham and Oxford and the North Oxford Canal goes right towards Coventry. Our way lay right. In fact it is more confusing than I have described in that the Oxford Canal predates the Grand Union. Before the latter was built, left and right were the Oxford Canal and where Leo is seen was an old course of the Oxford before it was straightened. When the Grand Union 'shared' a few miles of the Oxford Canal there were long disputes as to the fees to be paid to the Oxford.

 A little way beyond Braunston Turn we moored with a fine view of Braunston Church, a major landmark on the waterways.

Our way from here lies north up the North Oxford Canal to Hawkesbury Junction near Coventry. So there should be another posting on this blog in a few days time. see you then.