Blisworth, THAT tunnel and Stoke Bruerne!

20th - Moored close to Blisworth, Grand Union Canal
21st - Blisworth to Stoke Bruerne, Grand Union Canal, 2.5 miles 0 locks
Today - Stoke Bruerne to Bridge 57, Grand Union Canal, 2.25 miles 7 locks

Saturday was another dank day, overcast and drizzling.  On the way down to the village some white stuff started to float down, and on nearing Blisworth itself noticed that the mobile disco 'Weyfly' was still moored on the proper visitor moorings, so made a decision there and then to stay where we were by the railway bridge.

Took a nice long stroll down the Northampton Arm in the afternoon.  The flight of locks has been drained completely, without their water they looked really sad.  Made me think of March next year when we will be travelling down there for our spring/early summer look at the Nene and further on.

I was miserable on Saturday night, I didn't like Blisworth!  Just me I suppose, I felt uncomfortable there, I didn't like the village, I didn't like the village shop, I just took a complete dislike to the area.  Maybe I was thinking too much about Blisworth Tunnel which we had planned to go through on Monday.  The weather was dank and the towpaths muddy and covered in dog cr*p. I was even considering turning back and maybe spending the winter up the Ashby or in that area. 

We heard a 'knocking' on the window late on Saturday night, it must have been close to midnight.  This knocking was coming from the non towpath side, odd!  Opening the curtains, such a fright!  A swan suddenly 'leaped up at us snapping its beak on the window!  Such aggression was shown.  But feeling that maybe he would calm down for a slice of bread, he duly obliged by posing for a photo on production of something to eat!

 

Then on Sunday, we decided that a visit to The Blisworth Coaching Inn for a spot of lunch would do the trick and cheer me up.  No that was not to be either.  I phoned them to ask if it would be OK to arrive with muddy boots (remembering the reception I had at The Dairy Farm at Upper Stowe), but the young lady at the other end of the phone said "Ah, sorry our restaurant is closed at the moment"..   Darn it!

OK, so I had a choice, either stay until Monday, or pluck up the courage and 'do' Blisworth Tunnel.  So after knocking up spaghetti on toast instead of the roast beef and yorkshire pud that I was looking forward to, we knocked out the pins, tunnel here we come.

Blisworth Tunnel then, the longest tunnel on the whole canal system for powered boats.  It is 3057 yds long (2795 mtrs for you youngsters reading this!).  Dudley Tunnel on the Birmingham Canal Navigations is the longest tunnel at 2 miles, but because of no ventilation and low headroom power boats are not able to go through.  You can of course 'leg' your way through it, probably taking some 2 and half hours, but for sure, that is far to long for me to be in a tunnel!!

Blisworth Tunnel was completely restored in 1984, and the central section looks as if it has not only been completely re-lined, but looks as if it has been made bigger.  It was very straight, and I could see the other end as I entered.  No boats coming the other way!  I pushed the throttle forward as far as I dare, and we were off Nigel Mansel style at great speed.  The shorter the time in the tunnel for me the better!  But OH NO, we had all but 200 yards to go when another boat entered from the South.  It was difficult, the lights of the other boat plus the light coming in from the end mixed up the signals from eye to brain, but slowing right down just rubbed along the side as we passed each other, thats fine by me because we were nearly out!

Moored just outside the tunnel, and in the evening walked up to Stoke Bruerne itself for a meal.  Well some compensation for missing lunch.  We were disappointed that The Boat was closed, and walked over to the rather plastic Navigation pub, where I had a surprisingly good steak with Vic preferring the gammon.  Good tucker it was, although the pub left a lot to be desired, more of a Beefeater type of family open all day establishment.

We were going to stay there today, but walkers were up bright and early this morning from 6am wandering past the boat, and there were plenty of them, so we went on down the locks, and have found ourselves a nice mooring between there and Yardley Gobion.  The locks themselves were overflowing with water as we went down following another boat, and had to wait for the boat in front to clear before letting our lock full of water out for fear of flooding the towpath.  One very interesting bridge that caught my eye was the main Northampton Road Bridge about half way down, with mosaic pictures under the bridge on the wall on both sides, such an odd scene.

Passed a fisherman not long before mooring this evening emptying his very full keep net of reasonably sized fish.  We might just stay here a couple of days, maybe the fishing will be good.  I have a load of post to pick up at Yardley Gobion, it's Vics birthday tomorrow and there are cards for him no doubt.  I'll have a walk down there tomorrow to collect the first lot of post.  Wendie is sending a couple of other bits this week that I won on ebay, so we might be in this area for a while.