Audlem Locks and the "Secret" Nuclear Bunker.

 Friday 5th August 2022 at Adderley.

As soon as breakfast was over, we started off early, anticipating of a lot of boats wanting to go through the two Hack Green locks and the fifteen Audlem locks ahead of us. It turned out to be a good decision because as we went into the first Hack Green lock, there were already five boats behind us! And, according to other boaters, lots more following!

Hack Green is the site of the "Secret" Nuclear Bunker as indicated by this not-so-secret notice! We have visited it a couple of times but this time it seemed more prudent to push on..

Last weekend was the Historic Boat Rally at Braunston and this was yet another pair of former working boats on their way home from the rally. Really nice to see the old working boats in their natural environment. Most times that you see them they are moored up and not on the move.

At the first Audlem lock there is a well stocked vegetable garden beside the lock with a notice asking people not to scrump the produce! The guide book tells of an honesty box but that appears to be no longer.

We would like to have stopped at Audlem as it has a very good village shop, but again we didn't want to lose our place in the queue of boats.

At Audlem we saw again n.b. "Galleons Lap" which we saw a few years ago. At the time, we spoke to the owners and they confirmed what Robin thought, i.e. that it's named after the special place that Christopher Robin and Winnie the Pooh used to go to together. Sadly this time, the couple did not seem to be on board. They told us, when we met them before, that we were only the second people in all their years of cruising who knew the significance of the name.

Between locks 12 and 11 on the flight, the local community has purchased an 11.5 acre site and turned it into a park and nature reserve called Turnpike Fields. As ever, M could feel the footpath calling her to follow off into the distance....

Audlem is a very attractive flight and the locks are well maintained. We very rapidly got through the first ten locks but then had to slow down because we had caught up the boat in front that was quite slow, and we twice had to wait in the lock for a boat that was coming down the flight.

After Lock 13, a C&RT volunteer offered to set Lock 14 for us and suggested M could hop back on board MM but having been on foot all the way, M was determined to walk the entire flight and so carried on to Lock 14.  Perhaps not the best decision when, to everyone's surprise, the sky darkened and it poured with rain for about five minutes, soaking everything in general and M in particular. R was enough of a gentleman not to laugh when he saw the drowned rat trying to shelter under a tree beside the lock! Then the rain stopped just as soon as it had started and the sun came out again!

Despite the delays, we reached the top lock in just two and a half hours, having had the help of the very friendly C&RT volunteer for the last two locks (he's on the right in the photo).

A bit further on, and before the first of the Adderley Locks, we moored up for the day. As we had our late lunch, a kingfisher perched on the opposite bank, dived in and emerged with his lunch too!

A lovely mooring, shame about the noisy neighbours opposite (below)!

Somewhere in there amongst the cows and calves is the most immense bull. Happy man! (Honestly, MEN!!! said M!)

Today: 7 miles, 17 locks and 4.7 hours.

Trip: 331 miles, 212 locks and 180.8 hours.