Harefield to Southall

Miles 10 Locks 5

We are timing our run into Brentford to catch the afternoon tide so a short leg today to Bulls Bridge where the Paddington Arm of the Grand Union Canal meets the main line. There is also a large Tesco so we stocked up on essentials and tried to keep cool. we have seen some strange boats on our travels but this is one of the more unusual.
The canal gets very industrial after about two miles of moored boats around Uxbridge so no good photo opportunities so our last pic of the day is of Uxbridge Lock.

Boxmore to Harefield

Miles 12.8 Locks 21

The locks are spreading out a bit enabling us to get a few extra miles in today. We are moored above Black Jacks lock No 85. The lock and the cottage opposite Black Jacks Mill are shown below.

To Stoke Hammond to Marsworth to Boxmoor

05/07/2010

Stoke Bruerne to Stoke Hammond

Miles 20.6 Locks 7

Today was dominated by the journey round greater Milton Keynes it is not until Fenny Stratford that the old places appear. Th lock at Fenny Stratford is the first rise since we left Stoke Bruerne but the rise is only about 4 inches however the lock is grand enough to have a bridge running right across the middle which has to be opened before you can pass through the lock. As the sign below shows there are very stern warning to anyone who wants to cross the bridge in a vehicle.
06/07/2010

Stoke Hammond to Marsworth

Miles 11.7 Locks 14

The day began with a disaster, the instruments gave all the indications that the drive belt to the alternator and water pump had come off or broken. On checking it was worse, a bracket that holds the alternator to the engine had fractured an this caused the belt to run slack. Pic of broken bracket below.
The plan was to run into Leighton Buzzard and find a place where the bracket could be repaired by welding it back together. The almost fairy tale part of the story is that within half an hour of setting off we came upon a floating blacksmith who re welded it up in about 5 minutes. See below.

The bracket was refitted when we moored up outside Tesco at Leighton Buzzard whilst the crew went and did the laundry and food shopping. I ill be keeping an eye on the fixings for the next few days. We moored for the night opposite the Dunstable Boat Club

07/07/2010

Marsworth to Boxmoor

Miles 11.9 locks 26

We are now in the heavy locked section of the Grand Union Canal and we have crossed the summit and it is downhill all the way to the Thames. Although we have seen plenty of wide beam boats they all seem to be of the Continuous Mooring type, this morning the exception passed us just before we reached the summit level.
Since we moored at Boxmoor we have see 3 motors and two motors with buttys passing loaded with gravel. we tried to find out where up the canal it was going but, maybe because us northerners cannot understand the local accents, we could not figure out where the cargo was going. If you know send an E-Mail to gralyn@fsmail.net

Cogenhoe to Stoke Bruerne

Miles14.7 Locks 25 1 Long Tunnel

We are now of the River Nene moored 2 locks south of the Waterways Museum at Stoke Bruerne. The final trip in the river was not without incident as the photo below shows. This attached itself to the prop just as we were leaving Weston Favel lock, It stopped the engine dead and one prop blade was embedded so far I had to split the log to get it off. I suppose it can be called the river's revenge as I had wrongly stated that all locks above Wellingborough Upper lock were guillotine gates, this is not true the last 3 are mitre top and bottom.
After we had joined the B W Northampton Arm we passed the " Northampton Lighthouse" a disused lift testing tower. It is said that the next highest point due East is in the Ural Mountains in Russia.
The long Tunnel was Blisworth where Canal traffic travels both ways in the tunnel.
And finally the Waterways museum at Stoke Bruerne

Irthlingborough to Cognhoe

Miles 11.8 locks 10

Our journey to Cogenhoe was interrupted at Wellingbouough for a visit to Tesco to top op vital supplies and get some food. The sections of the Nene on the approaches to the locks both upstream and downstream are very weedy. Thankfully the sections where there is a full flow of the river are in the main clear. The section of the river from Welllingborough to Irthlingborough seem to be a trial ground by EA for Lock Design. Three are Mitre gates top and bottom one of which has both paddles on the same side alongside each other, the other (Ditchford) has a horizontal radial gate. After Wellingborough the locks return to the Mitre gates at the top and a guillotine at the bottom.

Wadenhoe to Irthlingborough

Miles 12.6 Locks 7

More wildlife spotting today, another snake and a mink, not in the same place though. It was noticeable that there were no wildfowl any where on the section of the river that the mink was on.

We had help through the lock at Irthlingborough as the power to operate the lock had failed and EA staff were operating it from a generator in the back of their Land Rover. I thought that the services a few hundred yards further upstream would be affected which would have been a bind as I wanted to do our last free pump out before we left EA territory tomorrow. All was well it was working. In all we have had five free pump outs whilst we ha been off the BW system which at GBP 10.00 each at BW prices we have saved GBP 50.00 on the Gold Licence we bought to use the EA System as well as BW this year. It would have been even more had we been paying at marinas

The promised pictures taken at Wandsford are attached, I do have a few more and some video if there are any requests for more.

The answer to my question regarding slackers and penstocks is that they are what are termed as paddles on the River Nene and most of the BW system

Fotheringhay to Wadenhoe

Miles 11 Locks 7

Still in a bad area for pictures but managed this taster for now.
Wildlife watching takes up a lot of the time when steering the boat at 4 mph. Today was slightly different. I Saw A Snake swimming in rhe river. Checking out recognition book it turned out to be a grass snake that appears to go swimming quite often.

We also saw a Common Buzzard and a red Kite flying in close company which I think is unusual

For members of RMRC I really saw a SNAKE

Ferry Meadow to Fotheringhay

Miles 15.6 locks 6

We stopped at the moorings by the Nene Valley Railway at Wandsford and went for a look around. The train running was made up of continental stock including the steam locomotive. Poor signal tonight means it is not worth trying to publish any pictures but I will have a SVR Bonanza issue later.

Whittlesea to Ferry Meadow

Miles 9.9 Locks 2

We went through Stanground lock at 10.20 this morning just after Shep ( NB Vital Spark) had locked down onto the Middle levels. We are now back on the River Nene travelling upstream for the first time.
Just before we lock out of Stanground Lock back onto the Nene, the lock keepers instructions were "Mind your Head".

Question. What are called Slackers on the River Great Ouse andPenstocks on the Middle Levels?.

March to Whittlesea

Miles 10.7 Locks 1

It has been far too hot to take pictures today. The Middle Levels gave us one more challenge with the weed just before Ashline lock though we just managed to get through the lock without a visit to the weed hatch. We moored up just after the lock opposite the leisure centre where we went for a swim after walking round the village. Although this village is the ancestral home of all the people who share my surname and knowing that there are still a large number of the same surname in the village we didn't come across any evidence in the church or churchyard. Talking to the vicar between christenings he acknowledged that the name was well known in the village but he omitted to say what for.

Still at March

March to Wisbeach to Kings Lynn

By Bus

Looking towards the mouth of the river Great Ouse here it meets the Wash. The tide is definitely out
We went to Kings Lynn by bus via Wisbeach and had a look around. The new Vancover shopping centre was not there when we last visited in the early 70s to buy our first fridge but the Tuesday Market place is still recognisable.

Outwell to March

Miles 8 Locks 1

As I have said before it is hard not repeating pictures when on an out and back trip. I hope this will suffice for today. A tale of two behinds. A Peacocks tail in the garden of the lock keeper at Marmont Priory.
And the tail of a mobile rocket launcher complete with rocket in field close to March. I think of USSR origins.

Brandon Creek to Outwell via Downham Market

24/6/2010

Miles 16 Locks 4

A very pleasant day marred only by the amount of weed on the section of the Middle Levels between Salters Lode and Nordelph, it took 3 hours instead of 2. we arrived at Denver sluice quite early so we decided to lock down onto the relief channel and visit Downham Market. The ancient and modern can be seen in the town square.
Back to Denver Sluice and the passage on the tidal Ouse to Salters Lode. The Trip was on the rising tide or what there was of it (there was no perceptible flow to the river). The locking through Salters lode used the outer set of gates as against the inner ones used when we went upriver

Ely to Brandon Creek

Miles 8.9 Locks 0

A lazy day today so no pics. We are moving down river slowly for out exit from the Great Ouse system at Denver Sluice tomorrow afternoon. We have decided to EAT OUT at the Ship Inn at the junction of the main river and Brandon creek (or The Little Ouse) we went for a walk down to Little Ouse farm where they are selling Diesel at 75p per ltr and, as usual when you don't have a camera they had just finished emptying their floating dry dock with the first paying customer inside the covered dock.

Wicken to Ely

22/06/2010

Miles 6.3 Locks 1

An early start today as we wanted to get to Ely early to catch the bus to Cambridge. The view of the cathedral as you approach the city from the south is great.

As it turned out we waited for an hour and a half for the bus so we could have taken our time. Once in Cambridge we went on a tour of the city on an open topped bus, you get all the info on the locations and buildings that way and is save the poor old feet. Our return to Ely was via Newmarket withe all the "Rides" and the race course alongside the road.

Lazy Otter to Wicken Lode

Miles 6.3 Locks 1

We have come onto the River Cam today for the first time and once again the character of the river changes. Wide water and wide views and in the main wide steel boats either of the canal narrow boat design or dutch barge design. We didn't stay on the Cam for long as we turned onto Reach Lode after about an hour and are now moored at the start of Wicken load. We decided that there might be too much weed so we walked to the National Trust Nature Reserve at Wicken Fen and then into the village.
Location TL54215 69691

St Ives to Old West River Lazy Otter Pub

Miles 16.8 Locks 3

This is Holywell the last of the picturesque villages on our way down stream on the Great Ouse. shortly after this the river becomes tidal at Erith and the usual way back is via Hermitage Lock and the Old West River. I am still confused by Erith lock. when we went through on the way up I expected to lock down and we went up instead and this time I don't know what we did . It seemed that we went in, got the ropes on and the gates in front opened, no apparent change in level.
When we went through Erith we looked out for the seals but didn't see anything only the hear that there were 2 a short while later
Now at ref N 52.19.6 W 00.12.3 on the Old West River Close to the Lazy Otter Pub on the A10

Great Barford to Hemingford Grey to St Ives

18/06/2010

Miles 22.1 Locks 7

After a great day at Great Barford the trip to Hemingford Grey was our first time downstream on the Great Ouse. We had a short stop at St Neots to pick up Groceries and a new mobile phone as mine is showing al the signs that the battery is about to fail.
Around 3pm it began to rain but on the plus side we were sharing locks with two cruisers which lightened the load locking. The rain had stopped by the time we arrived at Hemingford Grey and we were able to walk round this very attractive village.
19/06/2010

Miles 1.9 Locks 1

A short trip downriver to St Ives where the Civil War Re-enactment Society are Going to Blow up the bridge over the river ( well pretend to ). This is an annual event where the blowing up of the bridge during the English Civil war is commemorated.

St Neots to Great Barford

Miles 8 Locks 3

Great Barford Church and Anchor Pub


Our plan to sail all the way up the River Great Ouse have been thwarted by a failure at Castle Mill Lock which has resulted in its closure. We are moored outside the Anchor pub in Great Barford a few miles short of Bedford as it offers the last place to moor that has road access as we are meeting Colleagues from the time I was employed by Texas Instruments who had their HQ in the UK in Bedford. Fortunately it is a very good mooring as the pictures that will follow will show, though it is quite a long walk to the single shop for an ice cream and the postcards will have to wait for a post box closer to the river, probably St Neots.
The river above St Neots has changed character again still wide deep water but now it is running with the hill a lit closer and the reaches are more enclosed with willow. The locks have changed too, they are now quite similar to canal locks with top and bottom mitre gates

Over to St Neots

Miles 20.1 Locks 7
An 8 hour day today but it gained us some time on the journey to Bedford . We should be able to reach there or get close enough to meet up with some old work colleagues. Our first passing place of interest this morning was St Ives. The river is quite picturesque above St Ives at leas the equal to the Thames with small villages with thatched cottages and impressive stone churches instead of suburban towns with expensive riverside property. This pic is Hemingford Greys

We are moored on the council moorings just downstream of the St Neots Bridge alongside the Priory Centre.

CU GFS