Many Meetings: A Lunch Invitation an then a Long Day

Monday, 16 June 2025

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.