Sunday 8th July 2018

We left the Marina at 10.45 having walked to Morrisons for a Newspaper, filled with water and consulted the map to think about where we will moor tonight. The first few locks were of the traditional variety with mitre gates at both ends. Typical of the River Nene are guillotine type locks where the bottom gate is a guillotine which is worked by pressing a button. The upper paddles still have to be turned with a windlass but they were much easier to turn compared with the paddles on most locks. Guillotine locks are a bit disconcerting the first time you tackle one but we soon got the hang of it and were making good progress although the lock landings were quite short and it was a good job that there wasn’t a queue of boats.

When we arrived at one lock a boat was trying to enter in order to come upstream. They were stuck on the bottom at the stern and thought that the river had dropped about a foot.  A little girl passing by told me that they just needed to put petrol in and then everything would be alright! I called the Environmental Agency on their behalf but eventually we managed to get them tied up and we left them investigating the weed hatch where the man thought that maybe a piece of wood was jammed in the rudder. We were stuck there about 45 mins so had to rethink moorings for the night. 

As you can see from both the above photo and the one below there is quite a lot of weed and reeds on this river and Graham found a lot around the propeller when we stopped for the night.

We are moored just above Doddington Lock and Hardwater Mill. Tomas Becket is reputed to have hidden briefly here after escaping from Northampton Castle. The mill is available for holiday lets and the owners have installed an Archimedes screw to provide hydro power to the property. Unfortunately we cannot get any closer until we cruise past tomorrow as we are moored on the edge of a field which is maintained by The Friends of The River Nene and it is difficult to get the boat into the bank which is covered in nettles! This is the view ahead of the Mill House.

Saturday 7th July 2018

No movement today as we looked around Northampton this morning and then watched lots of tennis and football in the afternoon.

Normally herons fly away as soon as we approach in a boat but this one was just keeping watch in the Marina this morning.

We were rather disappointed with Northampton. The only really nice building was The Guildhall. 

There had been no attempt to develop the riverside as a social hub with restaurants. There was quite a lot of rubbish around and only one church was open and the others were either closed or had been turned into coffee shops. We had thought about going out to eat tonight but nothing took our fancy.

If anyone is wondering where all the organisation of AVON cosmetics takes place it is here in Northampton. Just next to the Marina.

There is a fun weekend taking place at the racecourse at the moment and some hot air balloons flew over the Marina in the early evening.

Tomorrow we head downstream onto the River Nene and luckily lots of the locks are electrified!

Friday 6th July 2018

Certainly one of the most interesting days on the canal system as we met one of the ‘Characters of the Cut’

We woke to another hot day and noted that the boat opposite us could well have belonged to us.

We filled with water and then set off down the Northampton Arm with 17 locks ahead of us as we descended to Northampton. After about 5 locks Leon appeared. Dressed in bright orange shorts and a long sleeved shirt. The latter was soon to be discarded although not the shorts - although we have since heard that they sometimes go too. He offered to help us down for “free” and although we initially said ‘no’ we are unsure how this somehow turned into ‘yes’ . Leon drank his cider all the way down and periodically smoked. However he was very fit, stepped across the narrow lower gates to save walking round, was incredibly knowledgable about the canal and where to close your doors as travellers had camped nearby! He never attempted to come inside the boat and indeed he hung on the side between some locks and went off through the houses with a windlass to prepare locks as we sailed the long way round. Leon’s stories were very entertaining and he came from Newcastle so we had a lot in common!!!!

We decided to moor in the marina at Northampton to use the Laundrette and hook up facilities for the electricity. We are very conscious that the fridge is having to work overtime in this weather and putting it on the landline for 2 days helps. When we went to buy the licence for the River Nene etc. we heard that Leon is banned from this marina, CRT have apparently tried to get him banned from the flight and some people are intimidated by him. To us he was a great help and the money we gave him was worth it for the entertainment alone. Further research on the internet has shown that some people actually book him although as he seems to lose mobile phones all the time we are not sure how that works. It will be interesting to see if he appears when we are going back up the flight in a few weeks time. 

Needless to say I was so busy concentrating on the locks and seeing where Graham and Leon had got too that I didn’t take many photos. However we will pass this way again so maybe the camera will come out then. I did take one photo which is of the lift-testing tower which has been a Northampton landmark since the Queen opened it in 1982. After a period of disuse it was recommissioned in 2009 and is often now used in abseiling circles. It is 418ft  high and dwarfs all of Northamptonshire’s church spires by some margin.

Off to look around the town tomorrow before watching a certain football match in the afternoon.

Thursday 5th July 2018

Awoke to another blisteringly hot day and decided not to rush to get to Northampton today as it would have meant doing 17 locks in the hottest hours.

We walked to Weedon Bec, last visited with Chris and Alan 4 years ago. We remembered it although some things have changed. The wonderful quilting shop is still there - I had to visit to check. The village store and chemist still function although the post office is temporarily closed as they try to get a new postmaster. One of the cottages had a lovely thatch.

A new cafe has opened and yet again Graham managed to find somewhere on the summer holiday with a cooked breakfast!

There is a set of buildings called The Depot which have been used as army storehouses and ammunition warehouses for hundreds of years before the army finally left in 1965. At one time they were even connected with the canal and a portcullis guarded the entrance from the water.

The portcullis is still there but some of the buildings are now being used as a bookshop, furniture outlet centre, antique shop and offices. Lovely to see them being used and you can at least enter the grounds to take a photo whereas 4 years ago the photo was through a large security fence!

Weedon Bec is obviously continuing to thrive  and its decorative name plaque is now enhanced by a best village award.

Just as we were about to leave our mooring, two fuel boats who ply their wares up and down the Grand Union canal appeared. Luckily they were delivering to a boat behind us so we made our escape.

We cruised down to Gayton Junction where tomorrow we will turn left up the Northampton Arm with 17 locks to tackle before we reach the city. At one bridge we saw 2 young ladies with a wide beam boat. They had only picked it up this morning and they said we should pass as they were finding it difficult. This was just going under a modern bridge. As we passed them we heard a scraping sound and various chimneys etc on the roof were too tall for the bridge. I think that a bit of reorganisation of the roof would be needed.

Tuesday 3rd / Wednesday 4th July 2018

A very pleasant two days cruising through the countryside. We left Welford and returned through the one very small lock to the main line. Turning left towards Crick we eventually passed Crack’s Hill which is Glacial Moraine deposited at the end of the last ice age. 

After mooring at Crick for the night it was time for a visit to the village and then the chance to settle down for the England / Columbia game in the World Cup. Crick is the home of the annual Boat Show in May each year. Graham and I visited 3 years ago but found it difficult to orientate ourselves when arriving from the water compared with coming by car.

Jill and Jon left us on Wednesday morning and after a pump out at Crick Marina we were off through the Crick Tunnel and onto The Watford Locks which consist of a staircase of 4 locks and 3 separate ones. Just before the top lock you pass under the M1 and then can look down into lovely countryside. What a difference. Apparently you can work your way across the fields to Watford Gap services on the M1. We didn’t try it.

There were lots of volunteers to help work the locks so we descended quickly. I was helming and here is a view in one of the staircase locks.

At Norton Junction we turned towards London and were now covering ground which we cruised in 2014 on our way to the Capital. The Buckby locks are heavy double gated locks but luckily we could share 5 of them and it is always easier for the helm when going down. Some of the gardens were lovely.

Being a broad canal it is possible to lash 2 narrow boats together on some sections. They are a bit intimidating when you have to pass them. Maybe one has broken down and is ‘piggy backing’ a lift.

Before Weedon Bec - our mooring for the night -  we passed under a dramatic new road. Lovely brickwork. Apparently it is for a ring road to link up with the M1. 

Monday 2nd July 2018

Moved along for water and then we were first up the Foxton Locks. This is the view half way up the flight - there is a small crossover pound between the bottom half of the staircase and the top half of the staircase. Graham and Jon were on land to help and Jill was with me. There were quite a few volunteers too so we quickly ascended (about 45 mins in total)

Half way up Jill and Jon switched roles and Graham looks as if he is doing nothing while Jill does all the work!

A common toad was spotted in one of the locks.

We moored for lunch just before Husbands Bosworth Tunnel. Graham and Jon did a bit of DIY on one of the front doors before we went through.

Now at a little place called Welford at the head of the Welford Arm. It was dug to bring water from Welford, Sulby and Naseby reservoirs to feed the main line. A certain amount of trade developed in limestone, bricks and coal transport. This is the highest point of the whole of the former Grand Union Canal system

Saturday 30th June/Sunday 1st July 2018

Off to Market Harborough today and we turned left at the junction where the Foxton Staircase Locks take boats up through 2 sets of 5 locks. We will be doing them on Monday. The 5 miles arm into Market Harborough  is very pleasant apart from around Bridge 8 which passes by an animal rendering plant where carcasses are treated. The smell was terrible and there was a house quite near - I hope that there was a discount on the price.

The basin at Market Harborough is very attractive and the pontoons have water and electricity. There is a charge for mooring here (£12.50) a night but at least the batteries will remain topped up which in this heat is very necessary for the fridge. On the way in we passed a new development which we believe will be for housing. A huge site.

We had a visit to a Laundrette which was quite a walk away but we thought that Market Harborough looked to be a nice town with lots of parks and playing fields. We ate at a Mexican restaurant this evening before returning to the boat and sitting on the bow listening to a band playing at the Wharf pub. Luckily the music stopped at 10.30pm.

Sunday 1st July

Jill and Jon arrived at lunchtime and we sailed back along the arm to Foxton Locks to explore the area including the remnants of the inclined plane which was an ambitious project to move 2 narrow boats at a time up the height of the locks in caissons of water. Despite being a very large system it only lasted 10 years after which they had to reinstate the locks. The inclined plane was finally demolished for scrap in 1928. This is the view of the flight from the top.