13th September 2015. Aylesbury.

4.5 miles and 7 locks today, again in nice weather. It was a very pretty stretch with reeds overgrowing what is already a narrow canal.

Following the trail through the reeds.

Fortunately not meeting another boat until it broadened out.

We arrived at a pontoon in the basin at the end of the canal in the late afternoon, surrounded by new and half finished buildings, including a Waitrose (so we will eat well), a Travelodge  and a very smart new theatre. We explored the town a bit and will have a better look tomorrow. Maybe even the theatre... :)

PS Robin found a new use for the clothes airer last night; drying his pasta! Very nice it was too.

Being inventive in a small space!

12th September 2015. Not getting far down the Aylesbury Arm.

Lovely surprises today. Firstly unexpected sunshine and then the Aylesbury Arm turns out to not only to be beautiful and quiet, it also has lovely narrow locks easy for Jo to work.
We started the day by pulling into the sanitary station before the junction. While Robin was emptying our loo, a woman on the balcony above the mooring asked us how long we would be as she wanted to ask us to turn off our engine. The houses were brand new and according to the workman painting the outside she had only just moved in. We wondered how she will get on in high summer with boats pulling in all the time to empty their loos. She clearly wasn't a boater and didn't understand just exactly where her new house is!

The new houses. The sanitary station is just past the bridge and the mooring for it is beside the furthest house.

Still chuckling, we turned down the Aylesbury Arm and were straight into the first lock. We got a clue that it was going to be a quiet stretch by the plant growth on the lock walls!

Single narrow locks were a nice surprise as they are quick and easy.  There was also plenty of water in the canal (the main canal had been quite low) which makes it easy to moor (because you don't run aground) but causes waterfalls over the top of lock gates. It also meant that the water is quite clear, more like a river.


Robin keeps the boat forward to avoid a soaking.

It being a truly lovely day, we decided to stop at lunchtime in a quiet spot. After a Scooby walk Robin settled in to do some fishing, catching 4 perch on a spinner (apparently).




Robin fishing off the back of the boat. 


This canal arm was restored back to use entirely by volunteers and we are very grateful to them. Only two boats have been past this afternoon (although plenty of walkers and cyclists) which is lovely and a change from most of the network we have been on recently. Only 2 miles and 9 locks achieved today. We'll see what else the delightful Aylesbury Arm has to offer tomorrow and hope the rain holds off. 

11th September 2015. Bridge 118 to bridge 130.

Another lovely sunny day. We started the day by watching Homes Under the Hammer and then thought we better do some boating. Some 4.5 miles and 9 locks later we stopped for the night just short of the junction with the Aylesbury Arm. The locks at regular intervals kept us busy as we gradually creep uphill.

Harold waiting at handsome bridge for the lock just after it to empty.  

We had lovely views of the Dunstable Downs all the way. Very rural but lots of moored boats, clearly live-aboards, only likely to increase in number as we get closer to London.

Hills  in the distance. Home is on the other side!

We plan to head down the Aylesbury Arm tomorrow, which should take just a couple of days. More locks and rain forecast but our spirits remain high. Aylesbury will be worth it!

Our mooring this evening.

9th and 10th of September 2015. Through Leighton Buzzard.

10 miles and 7 locks.
On Wednesday we left Fenny Stratford after a short explore found it to be a bit of a dump (sorry FS). A cloudy, chilly day; disappointing after our hopes had been raised by the weather forecasters. Robin and Scooby had to repel a pirate attack at one point. We went past a field with two rottweillers in it. Scooby barked back at them (of course) and one of them jumped into the canal and swam towards the boat, reaching just a few inches of the stern deck. Robin was afraid he would get caught in the propeller! Fortunately the dog gave up eventually, swimming back to his field, and we continued on, rather shaken. We made our way to bridge 111 and stopped at a busy mooring by the Globe Inn where we finally had our anniversary dinner. On Thursday we continued on, stopping only briefly at Tesco's in Leighton Buzzard for fresh provisions. Jo also bought some second hand books from the Book Boat also moored there. It was, at last, the promised lovely sunny day, although the wind had an autumnal chill.

Approaching Grove lock, just south of Leighton Buzzard.

And preparing to leave Grove lock under a lovely blue sky.

The landscape is beginning to change as we leave the gentle rolling of Northamptonshire and approach the Chilterns. We glimpsed the chalk lion of Whipsnade Zook now and then, hunting him through the hedgerows. After being in busy places for a while, we chose to moor by bridge 118 in the middle of nowhere where Robin fished and we could make the most of the sunny evening.

The chalk lion spotted through the undergrowth.

A hedge full of starlings.
Occasionally they burst upwards in a flurry against the blue sky.

 

September the 8th 2015. More MIlton Keynes.

4 boat miles and several more bike miles today. In the morning we cycled to Milton Keynes shopping centre (mostly uphill through an enormous park). We successfully foraged for dog flea treatment and bread and also discovered that the art gallery is closed for refurbishment. We headed back via an impressive trig point monument and view.


Jo modelling fold-up bike, trig point monument and view.

While pottering about when we got back, this young swan poked his head through the side doors looking for a donation. I tried (healthy) porridge oats but he preferred bread (which is junk food apparently).

After a Scooby bike ride (MK brilliant place for cycling dogs) we set off down the canal again, eventually landing at Fenny Stratford Lock. Lots of widebeam boats and bridges and general MK greenness. We washed the boat when we stopped so we will be sparkling as we head towards Leighton Buzzard tomorrow. I hope they are ready!

MK herons just stay put and take the admiration as you motor past.

September the 7th 2015. Cosgrove to central Milton Keynes.

7 miles and 1 lock today. We shared Cosgrove lock with a cygnet, not something we would usually want to do but its a shallow lock and we were told that the whole swan family use it as a lift to get to and from one stretch of water to the other!

Open the doors please!

We also saw this little boat which managed to stay afloat despite all the big boats going past it.


And the Borrowers are also heading for Milton Keynes!

Shortly after the lock we stopped to admire the Great Ouse Aqueduct, walking down underneath it to admire the river itself as well as get a view upwards.

The aqueduct was the first wide iron trough aqueduct to be built.
You can see here that it is literally a big trough full of water supported by pillars! 



The river running underneath the aqueduct was lovely, and full of fish; lots of food for this
handsome fellow on the opposite bank.

Robin took pictures of the views from the aqueduct and we took Harold across, where immediately there was a sign welcoming us to Milton Keynes.





The view to the West on the aqueduct - note no fence, just a
tiny lip and then a sheer drop!

And to the East, the towpath side thankfully has a fence.  

We spent the rest of the day following the canal gently round the town, very few houses in sight, mostly parks and greenery (just the same as from the road) and coming to rest near to the town centre for exploring tomorrow. We were lucky to bag the last mooring space near to the shopping centre so in general very pleased with our day. The tow paths and surround, and the canal itself were all remarkably clean and litter/graffiti free considering it's centre of population; so far Milton Keynes is holding up well!



5th and 6th of September 2015. Nether Heyford to Cosgrove lock.

13 miles, 7 locks and one (long) tunnel.
After 5 days which we spent at home catching up with our children and Harold spent in Heyford Fields Marina, we set off again at lunchtime on September the 5th. After going through the Blisworth tunnel (3057 yards and the third longest navigable tunnel in Britain) we moored at Stoke Bruerne, a bustling canal village which, like Braunston was a real centre of canal life in times gone by.

Hustle and bustle at Stoke Bruerne.

In the morning we bought Welsh cheese from the borders carrying company cheese boat, talked knotting with another moored boater (well Robin did) and visited the canal museum before setting off down the locks.

Looking down at Stoke Bruerne lock from the top floor of the canal museum.

Jo waits for the lock to fill.

We went through the locks with a couple who were just finishing their 2 week holiday around the Birmingham and Fazely and heading back to their marina. We carried on, enjoying the sunshine and the views, finally stopping just before the Cosgrove lock which is marks the entry to Milton Keynes territory. The evening was spent pottering around and then having a celebratory meal: 12 years married and still speaking :)

Robin and Scooby waiting to be picked up after getting off for a walk.

Robin models his paracord bracelet, made after his knotting conversation this morning!