From Claydon to a Broken Grant's Lock.

 Tuesday 17th June 2025 at Grant's Lock.

 Very early on Tuesday we started off down the five locks of the pretty Claydon flight. Half way down there is a C&RT volunteers' hut and they record boat movements on a board on the side of the hut. This was for the previous day as we were the first boat down today.The volunteeer, who had just come on duty, wasn't evpecting anyone quite so early and he was taken by surprise when M stuck her head in the hut and wished him Good Morning!

Near the bottom of the locks we saw a Curlew on the bank. M said that it had been many years since she last saw one. They have a very distinctive long beak.

It pleased us to see that the lock cottage at Bourton Lock was finally being repaied. There are several very isolated lock cottages along this stretch, most without any road access.

We arrived in Banbury, but didn't stop as we had plenty of provisions and wanted to get on to Grant's Lock, which is broken and for which there will be a queue.

During its construction, the South Oxford Canal ran short of money and so built many lift bridges instead of brick bridges, as they are cheaper. M is not a fan of lift bridges and so is very pleased that most of them have either gone of are left open.

Sure enough, when we arrived at Grants' Lock we were number five in the queue. Last week, some careless boater hit the bottom gate so hard that it split the balance beam in the middle of the lock and the impact was so intense that it sheared off the end of the beam, rendering the gates inoperable.

As we arrived, the C&RT volunteer crew were just packing up for the day. They were working from 10 to 12 each day to pull boats manually through the lock and, as it was 12:15 they were just about to leave for today. The cottage next to the lock was burnt out a few years ago. This is one of the cottages with no road access so not a chance to get a fire engine anywhere near. Happily it does look as if it is being worked on but not sure if it will be rebuilt of demolished (hopefully the former).

This is the broken bottom gate of Grant's Lock. For safety, the C&RT cut off the broken end of the beam but this means that the volunteer crew have to open and close the gate with ropes.

Nothing for it but to wait until tomorrow and hope that we can get through then. It was actually quite nice to have a quiet afternoon in the sunshine. 

Today: 9 miles, 13 locks and 6.8 hours.

Trip: 104 miles, 47 locks and 50.0 hours.

A Lunch Invitation an then a Long Day

 Sunday 15th and Monday 16th June 2025 at Claydon. 

 On Sunday, we drove back to Braunston with the mandatory stop at the Brew Box for Breakfast. Naturally, R has a loyalty card for it!

 

Whrn we arrived at Braunston, we took MM out of the Marina and moored her up on the canal (to avoid another night's mooring fees). Then we drove to Scott and Paula's house in Daventry as they had invited us for lunch. It was really lovely to catch up with them, Amelia and Lachlan, who are very grown up now. A really relaxing and enjoyable afternoon.

On the Monday morning we set off early, turning down the South Oxford Canal On the way, we passed bridge 100, a much battered but very attractive example of the many accommodation bridges across the canal. 

In front of us was a large field of linseed in bloom, the colour was beautiful.

At Wigram's Turn we turned into the Marina to top up with fuel and water. The share boat nb "Rufford" moored here for a while and the staff are always very welcoming.

 At the top of Napton Hill is this landmark windmill and, thanks to Mr Brindley and his winding "contour" canal, we spent the next few hours driving all around it! Sometines it's on your right, then it's on your left, then in front of you and then behind. It lulls you in to a kind of trance, where you feel you are hallucinating!

Looking back from Napton Bottom Lock, there is a lovely view of the other side of Napton Hill with the windmill now behind us intead of in front of us.

For a while, M walked along the towpath on this narrow stretch of, what used to be, a tunnel.

This whole area is a butterfly conservation area and there were quite a few butterflies in evidence. Sadly, though, not nearly as many as there used to be.

At the foot of Claydon Locks, we moored up for the night. A very early start is planned for tomorow, so R got some rest in preparation.

Another beautiful sunset after a very long day, nearly 10 hours cruising..

 Today: 20 Miles,9 Locks and 9.7 Hours.

Trip: 95 miles,34 locks an43.2 hours.

Orchids and a Cheeky Duck.

 Tuesday & Wednesday 10th & 11th June in Braunston.

There are three locks on this stretch of the North Oxford at Hillmorton. These locks are "paired" with two narrow locks side by side; they were constructed like this to speed up the heavy working boat traffic along this canal. This is the approach to the bottom lock where there are normally volunteers to help you through.

In between the bottom pair of locks there are orchids growing. A few years ago, M remarked to the volunteer lock keepers how rare the orchids are and now they are protected with a notice to keep off! They are the Early Purple variety.

The first view of Braunston is always the disinctive church spire in the distance that tells you that you are getting close.

Braunston is where the North Oxford, the South Oxford and the Grand Union canals all meet at this triangular island with its iconic pair of cast iron bridges.

We loved this cheeky fellow sitting in somebody's hatch and quite unconcerned as we cruised past.

 We moored up outside Braunston Marina . MM is booked into the Marina tomorrow morning as we need to go home for a few days; however, the car is still at King's Orchard Marina where we left it last week. So, R had to take an hour long bus ride into Rugby where he walked a mile to the station and caught a train to Lichfield and then a taxi to King's Orchard Marina so that he could drive the car back to Braunston ready for tomorrow. Phew!

We were both rewarded by a beautiful sunset. 

Wednesday morning, we had been looking forward to breakfast on the famous floating "Gongoozlers' Rest" cafe but were horrified to discover that it only opens Thursday til Sunday! Shame!!

Next morning, we moved MM into the Marina where she had a lovely open mooring with a great view. Sadly, we won't be here to enjoy it as we left to drive straight home.

 We expect to be back on MM on the 15th or 16th.

Today: 11 miles, 3 locks and 4.0 hours.

Trip: 75 miles, 25 locks and 33.5 hours. 

Water Voles and Unfriendly Neighbours.

 Monday 9th June 2025 in Rugby.

 Sutton Stop was one of the main locations for working boats that waited here to be given instructions to pick up coal from one of the many local collieries to take back to London. The Greyhoud Pub was then the centre of life and it still is one of the most welcoming pubs on the Cut. This is where the North Oxford Canal joins the Coventry Canal and the 180 deg turn is one of the more challenging ones on the network.

There is a six inch deep stop lock here to prevent the Coventry Canal from stealing the Oxford Canal Water, evidence of the fierce rivalry between canal companies. Originally, when the two canals met they ran alongside each other for over a mile because they couldn't agree where to join!

Next to the stop lock is the former lock keeper's cottage with its beautifully kept classic cottage garden.

This part of the North Oxford is a haven for Water Voles and special habitats have been created all along the canal. R was even lucky enough to see one.

Antsy has a strip of houses that run alongside the canal but the locals really don't want you to moor where you might be able to see into their houses. So, large notices forbid mooring along this whole stretch. It is extremely unusual to see this.

 Finally, we arrived in Rugby and were lucky enough to find our favourite mooring by the small park under a willow tree.

 The day was topped off with a visit to the very large M&S in the nearby retail centre for a snack and a "Few Bits".

 Today: 15 miles, 1 lock and 5.9 hours.

Trip: 64 miles, 22 locks and 29.5 hours.

From Clarkson to Boudicca.

 Sunday 8th June 2025 in Marston Jabbett.

Having just watched an episode of "Clarkson's Farm", we decided that this must be one of Jeremy's efforts at sowing a straight line.

Most of the locks on this section of the canal have side ponds that were once used to save water. Now they are all overgrown and this one had a beautiful mass of Valerian growing in it.

At the top of Atherton's flight of locks is this derelict hat factory once owned by "Wilson & Stafford"; it closed in 1999. Atherstone was once famous for producing a huge variety of hats, in particular "Pith Helmets" exported all around the world. Every time we pass this way, the building has deteriorated more. 

A little further south is the once Roman town of Mancetter, that is reputed to be the site of Boudicca's final defeat by the Romans in AD 59 or 60. The claim that 80,000 locals died, compared to 400 Romans is likely to be the victor exagerating for effect. Either way, it marked the end of the revolt against the Roman occupiers.

 Today: 10 miles, 11 locks and 5.6 hours.

Trip: 49 miles,21 locks and 23.6 hours.

Ooops, We Went Missing!

 Saturday 7th June 2025 in Bradley Green.

 Well! Our apologies, as we are so very far behind with this diary! Our excuse is that various (lovely) things have called us home three successive weekends in June. It is actually the 28th as we write this and, so far, we have spent 14 days on the boat and 14 days at home, plus a number of days going to retrieve the car from one location and drive it to the next. Anyway, enough excuses, back to the 7th June....

At Tamworth, the Trent & Mersey Canal passes the junction with the Birmingham & Fazeley Canal. A splendid former warehouse still presides over the junction. We did go that way once, but not this time.

 

 We were amused to see this WWII pillbox at the end of the aqueduct over the Tame River in Tamworth. A reminder that rivers and canals were once "lines of resistance" in the event of a German invasion. 

 

 Glascote Locks are known to boaters as "Piggy Bank Locks" because they are slow to fill but quick to empty. A chap called Paul used to live in this lockside cottage and rather eccentrically collected bricks with different makers' names in the "frog". He once invited M to view his collection, which was certainly an original chat-up line! M laughed (but did go to see the bricks)!

At Alvecote Marina we saw "Capricorn", formerly a working boat used by the "Idle Women" in WWII. We also saw her last year at Aston Lock, our last lock on our 2024 Summer Cruise, when we heard her more recent history from her current owner.

Polesworth was once a massive coal mine in the "Dark Satanic Mills" era. It is now a huge nature reserve, densely wooded and a haven for wildlife. The mines may have gone but all the paths are still made of coal dust.

On the very top of a huge spoil heap in the middle of the nature reserve is this golden monolith. In cross section it is in the shape of Birch leaves, stacked one on top of the other; it represents all the Prehistoric Birch trees that lived on this site and created the coal that was mined here.

R standing next to the monolith gives a good idea of its scale.

The view from the top of the spoil heap is spectacular as it is the highest point for miles around.

 We have occasionally seen rowing boats used in gardens as planters, but this is taking that idea to extremes. Over the years, this ex-working boat has gradually become more and more luxuriant until it is now a garden unto itself. M decided it is an Ent!

Our mooring for the night was very quiet.

That evening, there was a very red sunset that even made the national news. Apparently it was caused by smoke from Canadian wild files. In reality, it was much redder than it appears in the photograph.

 Today: 10 miles, 2 locks and 4.2 hours.

Trip: 39 miles,10 locks and 18.0 hours.

Back on MM Again.

 Friday 6th June 2025 at Hopwas.

 Back to MM again via the "Brew Box" for a coffee/breakfast stop at Aynho Wharf. We always receive such a warm welcome from Sarah at the wharf. And the bacon sandwiches are second to none!

 

 Todays cruising after we left Kings Orchard Marina was lovely and the weather was kind. Although the sky was very dramatic, no rain fell on us! 

 

 At Whittington we passed the stone that marks the point where the Birmingham & Fazeley Canal officially connects with the Coventry Canal. The Biringham & Fazeley company built the canal north from Fazeley to this point when the Coventry Company ran out of money. The Grand Trunk Company built the section from Whittington up to Fradley, which the Coventry Company eventally bought from them so there was an isolated bit of Coventry Canal north of this point.

We always wnted to moor across the join and say that we were on two canals simultaniously - but we never have! 

 

We passed through Hopwas Hays Wood, which is a military firing range and so off limits to civilians. We have never heard any firing but the birdsong was always outstandingly beautiful and very varied. 

At Hopwas, we moored up just past the "Tame Otter" pub, which is so named because it is on the River Tame.

 

Every year M makes up two troughs of geraniums and lobelia and this year was no different. However, the result this year has been disappointing as the geraniums have refused, so far, to produce any flowers at all! M says the lobelia will have gone over long before the geraniums have bloomed!

Today: 5 Miles, 0 Locks and 2.3 Hours.

Trip: 29 Miles, 8 Locks and 13.8 Hours.