Tuesday 29th September 2020 at Mancetter.
Brinklow is home to an excellent little café called Pumpkins. We had stopped for breakfast on our way down to Braunston and today we walked into the town for another excellent breakfast on the way back! We had recommended Pumpkins to Andrew and Sheila, the couple on the hire boat moored behind us, and they arrived at the café just as we did, so we had breakfast together. They were a charming and very interesting couple, he is a pilot for BA and she is a vicar in Bassett, Southampton, where Adrian used to live.
As we left, we walked across the Motte and Bailey and photographed the notice board which describes its unusual double Bailey.
It turned out to be a very sunny day as we cruised up towards Atherstone.
The air was very clear and we could just make out the two spires of Coventry's Catherdals on the horizon.
Most unusually, we passed a stationary Avanti train, stopped by a red light. It's not often that MM gets to overtake a train! It was a nice feeling, as those trains normally travel 40 times faster than Many Meetings! A case of the tortoise beating the hare!
A bit further on, we could see a Colas diesel engine on the same track in front of the Avanti train. Not sure what was going on but they both stayed there for a long time. You can see both trains at either end of the photo.
Approaching Hawkesbury, we saw Arthur on "Gordon Bennet" and hovered a while to chat. We had met him going up the Hatton flight a few years ago when we had shared the double locks.
Hawkesbury, or "Sutton Stop" has a very sharp turn leaving the Oxford Canal and joining the Coventry Canal.
Close to Springhaven Marina there was a farmer spraying the field next to the canal. Not sure what the spray was but it didn't smell good!
We moored up just outside Mancetter, which claims to be the site of Boudica's last battle with the Romans. A notice board explains how the Romans defeated a much larger "British" force through the disciplined strategy of the Roman centurions.
From a nearby bridge, M photographed the battle site.
The mooring was beautiful in the light of the setting sun.
Today: 17 miles, 1 lock and 6.2 hours.
Trip:165 Miles, 37 locks and 81.0 hours
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