Late morning New Years Day we set off up the 7 Buckby locks. We moored at the top, just past Norton junction (where the Leicester arm branches off). Robin walked Scooby and the rain stayed away until the very moment they got back, when it hammered down. The canal is surprisingly busy, it's a holiday weekend after all, if a chilly one. We met several boats, always at bridges!
On January 2nd we went through the Braunston tunnel. Again we met several boats coming the other way, always in the wiggly bits of this not very straight tunnel. We were followed by a lovely old working boat with which we ended up going through the 6 Branson locks. The tunnel is the summit of this bit of canal, so these locks took us downhill again.
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| Working boat Laurel as it goes to join Harold in a lock number 3, next to a gorgeous canal cottage. |
It drizzled all day so that our various new coats, hats, boots and gaiters were properly tested. At the bottom (last) lock, the little canal shop was open and we bought milk, butter and tinned peas - the three items on our current shopping list.
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| The canal shop at Braunston bottom lock. |
We moored at the far end of Braunston, where we will stay for a couple of days. Robin finished wiring up the voltage metre he has been installing so we can monitor how much power there is in our batteries. Before it got completely dark we walked Scooby in the now serious rain. However, with the fire lit and everything hanging up drying nicely, we are now cosy and warm until it all begins again. A damp, muddy but satisfying start to 2016 :)
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| The old pumping station at Braunston. It is a proper canal village. |
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