March 21st. The Hatton Locks!

After a lovely weekend with family and friends, we settled back onto the boat on Sunday. On Monday morning we faffed about a bit. Robin cycled to Sainsbury's to get all the things we had forgotten to bring back. Eventually we took the plunge and set off towards the Hatton Locks. In the next 5 hours we travelled 2 miles and went up 21 locks with just one cup of tea on the way! At the bottom we met a couple of volunteer lock keepers who said they were going for their lunch but would catch us up. That was the last we saw of them and we did the flight on our own. We got a good routine going and it all went pretty smoothly, although the paddles were very hard going! The locks go round in a big curve so you can't see them all at once but ...

..looking up from here they were quite daunting..

...and looking the other way you can see some of the ones we had already done.


Further on (almost at the top-only 4 more to go) you can look back to one of Warwick's church spires in the
distance and see how far and high you have come.

We moored thankfully at the top at around 5.30. It's in a cutting and there is clearly a sheep field on the far side as these lambs had escaped to eat interesting things among the trees. They were very sure footed of course, and fun to watch but their mothers were making a great racket trying to persuade them back into the field!    

 

 

We are now in uncharted territory (for us) and tomorrow we will head for the Kingswood Junction and the Stratford-on-Avon canal.



14-16 March 2016. Into Warwick.

After a truly ghastly meal at the Blue Lias (which we remembered as being quite good before) on Sunday evening, we spent the night on their mooring. There has been lots of flooding around their lakes and caravan site and it was all still very soggy. Monday started slowly and we set off through the remaining two Stockton and then the four Bascote locks. After that there was a lock every half mile or so, just short of long enough o make a cup of tea. We moored at Bulls bridge, where we stopped last time we were here. This foolish swan had made her nest actually on the towpath which, now we are near to Leamington Spa was busy with walkers, cyclists and joggers.

You can't help feeling its not going to go well for her. Silly bird.

 The canal ahead went directly west and we were treated to a lovely sunset on an evening walk.

 

The next day we went on into Warwick and to our mooring at Saltisford, Warwick. We are going home for a few days and will be back on Sunday.

Harold slips into the Saltisford Arm.

12th and 13th of March. To the Blue Lias.

We spent Saturday on our mooring below Calcutt, watching the rugby and doing odd jobs. There is a chandlers at Calcutt marina and Robin bought a new horn to replace the existing one, which hasn't been working too well :)

Sunday morning was chilly to start with but soon warmed up as the sun came out. We travelled 3 miles and went through the first 8 of the Stockton locks with a nice couple on a hire boat. She was also scared of heights and it was quite challenging having two scaredy cats working the locks. Jo passed on tips for managing double locks on your own and tucking the windless down your top as a makeshift holster. Robin and her husband managed the boats and talked about rugby.

We moored at the Blue Lias pub which we remember from our way down as having good food as well as a good mooring and we'll stay here tonight and have dinner. Robin can also enjoy a pint while watching (yet more) rugby this afternoon. Onwards tomorrow, to Leamington Spa Tesco's!

Our mooring at The Blue Lias

9-11 March. High and low water.

We realised that our walk was definitely off when we woke to water up to the top of the bank. Robin was adjusting ropes in the early hours. When he and Scooby went for their morning walk they saw this empty boat tied tightly by its centre rope and leaning dangerously. Robin loosened the rope and got it back upright again.

You can see the water is almost level with the top of the bank. 

And the towpath is one long puddle!

Back upright again.

By the next day they must have opened a sluice somewhere because the water level had gone right down to much lower that usual. We decided to stay put until it all settled down a bit. We pottered about and explored as much of the surrounding countryside as we could. It seemed like there was water everywhere and for a while a lot of the towpath was impassable. Everything got extremely muddy and we feel fortunate to have a washing machine on board.

 



One of the canal overflows which would normally be dry pouring water from the canal into nearby fields.

By Friday all looked well and the sun had come out, if hazily.

 

One of the many little hills around here, in the hazy morning sunshine.

We set off to turn around and head back to the junction which would take us towards Warwick.

The signpost to Warwick.

Looking back after the turn to the canal we have spend so much time on this winter.

As the day went on the sun got stronger and by the time we got to Calcutt marina to fill up with water our coats were off.

The first of the Calcutt locks. Back to double width now (you can see the old single one next to it that was replaced
when the canal was widened in the 1930s) and the candlestick mechanisms.

We easily got through the 3 locks, just working one side to save Jo crossing the high gates, and moored a little further on in a sunny spot.

 

 

Harold moored. With the birdfeeders up and the daffodils out, he looks very homely :)

Robin got his paddleboard out and discovered the challenges of staying aboard when a boat comes past creating and interesting wash....

 

We'll continue on tomorrow towards the Stockton locks which should be opened by the end of today after their 3 month closure. 

8th March 2016. A Zander in Lower Shuckburgh.

We have spent a few days in Napton on the Hill. It's a nice place to moor with all facilities, a pub and shop. There's also good walks and we walked up to the top of the hill, finding both the windmill and the church and some fabulous views! It also has a very nice village shop with en-suite café which we visited on our way back down; very nice tea and a slice of cake. Although we did have to stop Scooby biting the postman as he came to collect the mailbags.

The hill and windmill from the canal

The windmill from the top. its privately owned and occupied. The views from the rooms must be stunning.

St Lawrence's church.

The churchyard was covered in wild primroses.

As our route north will not be clear until Friday, Robin pulled up the OS maps website for the area and found another hill along a bit at Lower Shuckburgh for us to try. We cruised 3 miles up the canal but couldn't find a mooring in exactly the right spot. However, there was some a bit further on and we joined a number of other boats spread along a mile or so of open countryside. Robin remembered seeing fellow anglers fishing for zander along here and got his rod out once we'd stopped. Surprisingly, and possibly even alarmingly, he caught one almost immediately!

 



The zander. About a 1lb in weight apparently...

 

We'll go for our walk tomorrow if the weather isn't too dire.



2nd and 3rd of March. Dylan to the rescue!

On Tuesday night it tipped it down, including hail bouncing off the roof. The next morning was wet and very windy. We waited till it dried up and set off bravely, with only the wind to contend with.


The clouds here are skidding along and you can see the surface of the canal chopped up by the wind.
 

We went past the three wise sheep. They stood stock still in this position with the wind blowing their
fleece around. Daft creatures!

We had gone about 2 miles when on a corner the boat suddenly lost all power. Fortunately the tow path bank was suitable for mooring. Robin immediately turned the boat towards the bank and Jo jumped off with a rope and we got secure very quickly. It could have been a lot worse in the strong wind!
Robin had a look and saw the gearbox was leaking oil. He phoned the River Canal Rescue (our version of the AA) and they put his in touch with one of their engineers. It was 3pm by now and when we looked on the map we realised that we were a mile and a half walk from the nearest road at Marston Doles. The engineer sensibly arranged to come out to us in the morning. He also said it was a common fault and should be easily fixed. Phew! We settled in for the night.

Our emergency mooring was right opposite this pillbox, built (believe it or not) in the second world war to defend against Germans using the canal during their invasion. There are quite a few on this stretch of canal.

 On Thursday morning, while we were waiting for our engineer, the hunt came through the adjoining field with lots of excited whining and boohalooing.


First we heard them and then we saw the dogs fanning out across the field. They weren't interested in the sheep in the field, although the sheep didn't look to happy.



Then the riders all came along, loads of them all squeezing through the gate.

 

And then they all turned around and came back again! 

At one point the dogs all swarmed along the towpath. Scooby was not impressed.



After this excitement had died down, we spotted our engineer  plodding along the towpath after his long walk to find us. Dylan (for that was his name) very efficiently changed a seal on the gearbox and got us going again. We gave him a lift to Marlton Doles and then we carried on towards Napton. Several miles and nine locks later stopped for water, loo and rubbish before nipping round the corner and mooring for the night at the back of The Folly pub. Crisis, what crisis?!    

29th of February and 1st of March 2016. Cropredy to the middle of nowhere.

On Monday the 29th we saw Verity off home and then set off for Fenny Compton. Jo got plenty of exercise working the seven Clayton locks but it was a nice day and the scenery is so pretty around here that it didn't feel too irksome. We moored at Fenny Compton, nipping in a good space just ahead of someone coming the other way. We felt their disapproval emanating as they went past.
When we woke up on Tuesday it was pouring with rain so we took it slowly and by the time we set off it had cleared up. Robin opened his cards and present, which he proudly wore for the rest of the day.

Robin in his birthday hat - a peaked beanie for keeping his ears warm and the sun out of his eyes.

The first daffodils have opened in our garden :)

It may be small, but it is perfectly formed!

We made our way to a lovely spot in the middle of nowhere that Robin had marked in the book on the way down.

In the middle of nowhere.

 Robin decided to go for a little paddle boarding adventure, despite the breeze. He didn't get too far against the wind, but he didn't fall in either!

 

After these exploits, we went for a walk up on the hill where the views are stunning and a bright pink sunset appeared to bode well for our trip to Napton the next day. However, the weather forecast told a different, and more accurate, story.