Debdale's diesel is a great price as we cruise to Saddington

Today – Foxton to Smeeton Westerby/Saddington, Grand Union Canal, 3 miles 0 locks
Yesterday – Moored Foxton

A rest day yesterday after the family had left.  There were some bits and bobs to catch up on and I needed some milk and bread.  Balmaha was also at Foxton, it was great to see Mo and Ness again, and Nessa joined me on a trip to Market Harborough on the local bus from Foxton.

Ness knew the town well, and after doing a bit of shopping we stopped by a lovely cafe for a warming mug of chocolate before coming back to the boats.  A great evening last night aboard Balmaha, and this morning we said our goodbyes…

Pins pulled then, and we headed for Debdale Marina about a mile away.  Difficult to get into the marina dog leg from a southerly direction, but I managed to easily persuade No Problem to go just inside the entrance to the diesel pump.  I had to get in there anyway as this would be the last diesel pump to fill with the red stuff before it all goes up on Saturday with higher taxation on diesel used for propulsion.

I was hoping that the price that Mo and Ness had got last week of 70p had not gone up, so imagine my surprise when “Oh it’s not 70p, it has gone down to 60p”  Hooray!!

I was pleased that this boatyard had passed their saving on to the boaters.  I feel a lot of boatyards are keeping prices high when really they should be coming down now..

This canal is so rural, well it is at the moment.  I have been along the Leicester section only a few times before, and those trips have been sort of ‘just passing through’.  This time I have the opportunity to stop a while and take a look around me.  The walks in this particular area are great.  It is so easy to follow the paths.  The waymarkers are topped in yellow and I can see them easily across the fields..

At most of the stile crossings there is a lift up panel so Lucy and Meg can get through the fence without having to spring over the top of the stiles.  I am wondering if this is just a Foxton/Debdale/Saddington thing.. remains to be seen this next month or so..

Tonight we have put the pins in close to an aqueduct.. it’s nice here…

There had been nowhere to stop really since we left Foxton, the reeds on the towpath side are really overgrown, and in most places they stretch out a good couple of feet from the towpath.  I couldn’t get round one of the corners, it was very shallow and had to reverse to stop No Problem’s bow from going into the trees on the far side.  Reversing on canals tends to make the stern move away from the towpath.. and so it did and out of the shallows enabling me to get some steering to round the bend.

We passed a wide beam boat today reminding us that although Foxton Locks are of the narrow type at 7ft, as we head towards Leicester we will now be meeting wide locks of 14ft wide.  Hopefully we will meet another boat to share them with, that will make it much easier.

Spooky weekend around Welford and Foxton

Weekend and today – Hemploe to Foxton via Welford, Grand Union Canal, 13.5 miles 12 locks

Talk about lucky!  Just as Wendie, Dan and grandchildren Kiera and Niamh arrived on Sunday it stopped raining.  Just as they left on Tuesday afternoon is started raining!

But there was a lot of quality time in between with plenty of sunshine..

The Welford Arm of the Grand Union Canal is narrow, but very busy, and we came through the only lock on the mile and half arm on Saturday.  I knew the visitor moorings were just 48 hours.. and good job we arrived at lunch time because by the time the evening came it was chocker block at the bottom end by the wharf..

Sunday morning it was raining raining, but with the promise of clearing up later in the day, and by the time the family arrived it had duly stopped.. Sunday roast followed loading crew, dogs and bags aboard No Problem.  We decided to stay the night and do the pumpkins as per our family tradition at this time of year..

It was late in the day, having taken the four dogs for a walk after lunch, and with the clocks having gone back the night before there was a lot of quick work to be done….

The kids were enjoying the fun….

So was Vic!!…

Now that does suit him don’t you think!!

The end result is displayed on the roof of No Problem…

Now that should scare away any ghosts!…..

Monday morning dawned wall to wall sunshine.. but it was chilly for sure.  We put Dan’s bike on the top and pulled the pins after a hearty breakfast and make our way to Foxton.. half term it was, and boat after boat came by.  I was wondering how many would be in the queue at Foxton Locks to go down the staircase, and told my crew that I doubted we would be able to do the locks after all..

No disappointment though, they had enjoyed and didn’t really mind what they did.  We arrived about lunchtime, and sure enough queue, queue.  We were number 7 in the queue, and by 2.30pm there had been no movement apart from boats coming up the flight of 10.  I planned an evening at the top.. but then suddenly all the boats in front started moving towards the locks.. we would be the second last to go down.  My crew were delighted!..

Wendie and Kiera looking down the flight waiting for the boat in front to clear the next lock in the staircase..  I don’t get to see much on the way down.. apart from leaky gates of course…

But I would see more in the morning. Off out last night then at the pub by the locks.  Last time I was here it was abandoned.. now it’s all done up, and we had a lovely meal there.  In fact the whole area has had a new lease of life since I was here, and today, while Dan did the bike ride back to Welford to collect the car for their return journey to Portsmouth, Vic and I took Wendie and the grandchildren to have a look at the entire Foxton site….

A lovely view of the top four locks of the staircase.. then a look at the Incline Plane..

Next a visit to the museum where Kiera and Niamh enjoyed looking in the mock boatman's cabin..

Time to go on Tuesday lunchtime, and just as they did so the rain came down.  I so enjoyed them coming and sharing a couple of their half term days aboard No Problem.. tomorrow they are off to Butlins I think, then riding on Thursday.. Friday is a full day too along with the weekend.  They sure do pack a lot in!

There are loads of pictures of the weekend to go into the album, I will try and update that in the next day or so..

Reapirs needed on the Grand Union around Hemploe Hills

Elkington to Hemploe, Grand Union Canal, 3 miles 0 locks

It was a lovely morning when we set off after heavy overnight rain.  The wind had gone, and I was already looking forward to taking the girls Lucy and Meg for a hike in the afternoon.   I spied a circular walk a few bridges ahead, and that’s where we aimed for.

More maintenance needed at bridge 32, what a sorry state this was in….

It is used too.  I was surprised when I walked over it later…

I wonder sometimes if the loads these tractors pull are too much.  I remember being in Marmont Lock on the Middle Levels when a huge trailer full of pumpkins came over that little bridge there.  The tractor driver was obviously aware that it would be difficult as he slowed right down, but as I watched the trailer bent over dangerously.. In fact two pumpkin fell into the water from off the bridge.. and lately a trailer fell into the Trent and Mersey Canal near Stenson Lock leaving a big clear up job for British Waterways as well as a queue of over 100 narrowboats waiting to continue their journeys.

The only good thing about the trailer over the Middle Levels that day was that I retrieved one of the pumpkins from the water which will be used this weekend as Wendie, Dan and the grandchildren arrive for our traditional Halloween weekend!

Anyway, we put the pins in on a remote section of this canal around bridge 34, and found a bit of wood which we sawed up.. then I was off..

Goodness this is a lovely country you know..

Oh yes, I meant to tell you … I was reading and putting in a bit myself on the Canalworld Forums last week about using satellite TV on narrowboats, and I came across this excellent ‘clock’ from Allen of NB Keeping Up

I have used it for the last three or four days to find the dot in the sky and it works 100% and is so quick.  I check on the stern of No Problem to make sure our mooring will allow a sighting of the satellite then I take the ‘clock’ to the satellite itself, line it all up as instructions tell us and hey presto smack on every time!  Brilliant stuff! Well done Allen!

A visit to Yelvertoft and a hike to Elkington

Yelverton to Elkington, Grand Union Canal, 3.5 miles 0 locks

Gosh it was windy this morning but before we pulled the pins Vic came with me and the girls Lucy and Meg to stretch our legs along the bridleway which leaves from the nearby bridge and goes into the village of Yelvertoft.

I managed to get a nice joint for the weekend from the butcher and a couple of other bits along with a dozen free range eggs..

I was glad that we stopped where we did because just round the corner at the next bridge which takes the Yelvertoft road to West Haddon, there was a huge line of moored boats.  I presumed that these were British Waterways winter moorings.. most of the boats having not only a licence disc but another disc with a large ‘M’ on it denoting a bonafide moorer.  Quite a community it was too!

I was so pleased we have a pram canopy (aka wigwam for whimps) to shelter under as we cruise along.  Those without were brasing themselves against the wind dressed in arctic attire while me and Vic were just in our fleeces.  We could see by our flag that without the screen down we would have had a gale in our faces.. ho hum.

Not far today though as we spotted a nice place just to moor and a quick look at the map showed me that there was some good walking too! ,

Off I went then after lunch…

Making sure that my circular walk of just over 5 miles included the wind behind over the top of the hills!.. In Winwick I passed a very interesting set of gates..

Those lovely spiral staircases.. I wondered if really there should be a couple of sentrys on duty standing to attention at the top!  The brickwork of the towers is running the other way and the gates themselves are tremendous… very nice..

It’s just started to rain, and the light is fading fast.  We shall stoke the fire and enjoy a cosy evening in..

Huge locks and a long tunnel on the Leicester Line

Norton Junction to Yelvertoft, Grand Union Canal, 6.5 miles 7 locks

I was never going to look forward to today.  Couple of things I am not keen on are staircase locks and tunnels, and both of those would be in the way today as we turned north up the Leicester section of the Grand Union Canal..

But before the pins were pulled this morning…

I think this is just about the easiest place to pic up a delivery from Mr Tesco.. talk about ‘deliver to your door’!  .

Just look at what is in front of No Problem on the visitor moorings at Norton.. I took this pic as we were about to turn right at the junction…

Plenty of British Waterways barges and pans clogging up the place.  They do have a big maintenance yard here to be fair, and I suppose they have to put their working barges somewhere!.. Turning right then…

And on to the Leicester Branch of the canal in the wall to wall sunshine.. up round the corner and we pulled over to do a load of logging.  I had spied some wood yesterday on my walk with Lucy and Meg.  I marked the place and it didn’t take that long to gather.. around 4 days worth of logs now stashed away.

Passing the back of Watford Gap Service station on the M1 meant it wouldn’t be too long ‘till we reached Watford Locks.  A flight of 7 locks which include a staircase of 4.  A staircase is where boats pass from one lock straight into another lock like this…

Vic is filling the lock I am in with water which will come up to the water line you can see on the walls.. then the huge gates in front of me will open allowing me to pass into the next lock.  I do find these huge gates scary.. the amount of water the otherside doesn’t bear thinking about.  Mind you I would rather these than the huge double gates of the staircase locks of the Bingley Five rise!

Looking back, there are other boats following No Problem up..

And with Watford cleared it was only about 10 minutes to the 1528 yard Crick Tunnel.  I had not used our new light in a tunnel since we had it.. so once in Vic had to adjust the direction of the beam so that it would not blind boaters coming in the other direction, but also giving me the best light possible to see my way through.  There was nobody to blind today.. not one boat came in the other direction, just one in front of us who’s engine I could hear speed up as I was getting closer to him as I made my way quite merrily with my new light at quite a rate.  I never hang about in tunnels! 

On past Crick itself, we settled this evening close to a bridleway that leads to the village of Yelvertoft.  Want to go there tomorrow to the butchers to get a nice piece of roast beef for a family lunch on Sunday.. Wendie, Dan and the grandchildren are spending a couple of days with us over half term.

I had forgotten just how lovely this canal is…

We arrived here in time for me to be able to take Lucy and Meg out across the fields before the light faded too much.. and for this sheep it was lucky for him that I did….

His head is stuck in the squares of the wire fence.. I got one leg each side of him, and as he struggled with his new jockey I managed to open the wire enough for him to get his head out.. he then shot backwards through my legs almost leaving me on the deck.. Ah well, good deed done for the day.

It’s very quiet here on this mooring and we have open farmland across the canal.. wonderful..

A Chilly morning near Wilton on the Grand Union Canal

Wilton to Norton Junction, Grand Union Canal, 1.5 miles 7 locks

I stuck my head out this morning ready to take Lucy and Meg for a stroll along the towpath and quickly stuck my head back in again!  Brrrrrr it was freezing.  So with a lot more clothes on than my earlier departure I ambled along the towpath enjoying the sunshine.. Oh boy that motorway was noisy though, and I was thinking that all those poor people on their way to work would have no idea of little ol’ me walking along beside the canal just a stones throw away from them..

A geocache this morning before pulling the pins and tackling our first wide locks for over 6 months.. the Buckby flight of seven..

Sharing the locks today with Moore2Life, but Vic found the bottom gates very hard to close.. and he is a strong lad too.. maybe we are just spoilt with all the push button guillotine locks of the rivers in the east, or maybe I need to send him to the gym!

Shhhh, don’t tell him I said that.. I forget you know, he is 70 this year.. He doesn’t do too bad really for a crew member! 

Lots of leaves in the canal too at the moment, and they do get round the prop.  But a quick reverse gear usually shifts any build up.. but the leaves are pretty spectacular, I love these beautiful red ones…

Here we are almost at the top now, just a couple to go before filling with water after the top lock and putting the pins in close to Norton Junction.

We had a late lunch then I took Lucy and Meg across the fields then across that railway and that motorway to walk close to Buckby village itself before turning back aiming for Welton Hythe Marina and eventually walking along the towpath back to No Problem.

Tonight we are off out for a meal at the New Inn.  We shall share the evening with our good friends Chas and Ann.  We have been travelling together this summer and this is our last night together ‘till Christmas.. so we shall part in style!

Tomorrow we turn north towards Leicester, while Ann and Chas turn south towards Braunston, we shall meet up again later on the Trent and Mersey Canal I would think.

I sign up for the British Waterways stoppage lists sent by email.  Sometimes they send me emergency notices of stoppages, and I had to smile at this one…

Bridge 20, near Stenson – Following an incident on the above bridge it is necessary to close the navigation whilst masonry and items of farm machinery are removed from the canal. Boaters are advised that the navigation will be closed between Stenson Lock and Willington village until further notice.

Oh dear, it doesn’t take to much brain power to work out what might have happened.. but I do hope the farmer didn’t get wet too!

Bloggers meet at Nether Heyford and Weedon

Nether Heyford to Wilton, 5.5 miles 0 locks

On Saturday I went on one of my favourite walks from our mooring across the countryside to Upper Stowe.  For the first time for six months I found myself walking up and down things called hills!  In the fens walking is mainly on the flat and along dusty droves which I love just as much as hills!

Upper Stowe has a rather unique farm…

This is the Old Dairy Farm, and in the courtyard has various ‘shops’ along with a couple of places to eat with outside seating in the centre of the courtyard.  There is also an area where they keep small farm animals for the children to meet, and during the lambing season, allow their visitors to help out with the baby lambs… Lunch there was a delicious toasted tea cake with ‘proper’ coffee.. very nice!

And look at the gorgeous day it was too on Saturday, wall to wall sunshine, it was great to be out there witnessing the changing autumn colours..

Sunday was a work day mainly,  but I still have a lot of windfall apples, so I did a huge batch of apple chutney and got that all bottled in between watching quite a boring F1 Grand Prix on the tele.  But at least Lewis Hamilton won.. so just one race to go then.. lets hope he can hold it all together this year and win the world championship at the last race..

Epiphany arrived on Sunday to moor just up from No Problem. Here are Fiona and John along with myself, Chas of Moore2Life and Vic.. thanks to Annie who was behind the camera..

We hadn’t see Fiona and John since we left the Kennet and Avon canal with our newly acquired No Problem some 18 months ago, and it was great to see them once again.  When we last met them they were still working and had a mooring at Devizes.  Now they are both retired and enjoying the waterways just as we are.. There was lots to catch up on and lots to chat about regarding the future for continuous cruisers (pdf), the future of British Waterways and of course the rising cost of diesel at the beginning of next month..

Pins pulled this morning firstly by Epiphany…

Then by us followed by Moore2Life.  We popped into Fred Tarry’s by the bridge here at Nether Heyford and got some mixed nuts for the stove and a gas cylinder before making our way behind a very slow narrowboat northwards.. but hey ho I spy along the way…

Hey, its blogger Adams’ Debdale at Weedon.  Alan not there today, but another crew on this shared narrowboat..

Our destination today was Wilton, and we put the pins in with the M1 motorway on one side and the West Coast Mainline (I think) on the other side, so it is a bit noisy tonight.  Bit I didn’t want to go up the 7 Buckby locks this evening, and good job too because as soon as we arrived it started to rain.. 

It seems a busy Grand Union Canal around Gayton

Gayton to Nether Heyford, Grand Union Canal, 5.5 miles 0 locks

So back on the canals again after spending 6 months on the rivers of eastern England.  Once we had turned the corner off the Northampton Arm and on to the Grand Union Canal the difference was immediate.  Within a mile we passed 6 moving boats and I lost count of those moored.  There seemed so many. 

I see that British Waterways have put up a form for all us boaters to report those without a licence!  Our BW Licence is to rise, yet BW would like us to report back to them so they can send their people in to collect licence fees.. Not me I am afraid.  It is not for me to police the waterways surely?  But I suppose there will be some who have a notepad and pen next to the tiller, and in the evening put all those boat numbers into the system to check out.  I wonder if BW will give a licence discount to those who snitch the most! I have no doubt BW know all those unlicenced boats and their whereabouts you know.

But a nice cruise today in the warm sunshine.. the colours of the cut at the moment are glorious, this is looking back from our mooring this evening just short of Nether Heyford Bridge..

A lovely late afternoon walk, and Lucy and Meg couldn’t make out what on earth these were..

I have never seen such friendly pigs before.  They followed us all along the fence line snorting and asking for handouts..

One the way back to No Problem I called in at the butchers where Mr Butcher man recognised me… I only visit there once every 6 months too, on the way, and on the way back from the Nene!

Gosh a boat has just gone by.. ho hum we are back on the waterway motorway..

From River Nene to Grand Union.. it must be autumn..

Weston Favell to Gayton, River Nene and Grand Union Northampton Branch, 7 miles 20 locks

We didn’t pull the pins that early this morning.. After a hearty breakfast I had time to take Lucy and Meg for a walk across the Washlands, then with the breeze in our hair we made our way to the first lock of the day..

Abington Lock.  ‘Tis a pretty one this admist a business park.   As is often the case here, workers from the nearby building who smoke come out to have a quickie while watching the boats lock through.. onward then and winding around the tight bends, past the sad looking boats in a community presumably housing those who prefer not to live under the arches, under the main road bridge to the Town Lock.  Moored just after that to go collect a new phone for me from Carphone Warehouse..

I enjoyed the last bit of the Nene running into Northampton, stretching No Problem to a good 4.75mph against the flow upsides our travelling companions Chas and Ann..

Huh!

I ordered a phone the other day from Carphone Warehouse, and asked for the delivery to be at Little Houghton Post Office.. yep that was no problem said the confirmation email.  Then when I got the dispatch note it said it was going to my credit card address.. I had to cancel that order, as I was on the Nene not the South Coast!

So I re-ordered to pick up ‘in store’ in Northampton.. but when I arrived the shutters were up and the shop closed!

I found the other branch in Northampton and queried what I had seen… “Ah we are short of staff so didn’t open that branch”.. “But hey, my phone I ordered online is due for delivery there this morning!”… “Well you won’t get it today then”….. “WHAT!!!”

To cut a long story short *snip* I cancelled that and walked into Phones4You and picked up a better phone for a few quid more.. well happy I am now. 

Blar de blar.. Anyway off we scooted boated along the waterfront in Northampton.. it’s not bad really.. some nice housing and mums and pushchairs containing little ones throwing stale bread at grateful swans.. past the Carlsberg Brewery.. always a smashing sight going in the other direction and into summer months..

In this direction not so smashing as this is where we turn left to go through the first lock of the British Waterways Grand Union Northampton Branch, and into our winter months..

A phone call from John, our good friend of many years now.. “I am walking down the flight to meet you and some of the pounds are empty..” A pound is a stretch of water between two locks by the way..

Not unusual for this flight, it does suffer from a lot of vandalism with lock paddles opened to let water cascade through .. so a quick phone call to British Waterways to see the state of play and they tell me that they are quickly filling the pounds with water and it would be OK to continue in about half hour or so..

Through the bottom lock then, and a quick reminder of our canal system…

Well I suppose this is in the town, got to get used to rubbish again.. what do you think of this then Furbs?

John was still walking down to meet us.. and he must have felt relief to see the blue and green boat approaching the bridge..

Locking gloves already on and ready to go.. it made a huge difference with an extra crew member aboard, and it also gave me a chance to do some locking.. something I don’t tend to do.  John took the tiller and expertly guided No Problem through the locks from time to time, and in 4 hours we had completed all 17 locks and put the pins in to enjoy a warming stew which had been bubbling away on the fire most of the day..

Thanks John, enjoyed your company as always..

I must admit I am a bit stiff tonight.. but happy.. a couple of b&c’s will help… for meditional purposes only of course!!

A visit to Little Houghton means our last few days on the Nene

Cogenhoe to Weston Favell, River Nene, 3 miles 3 locks

There was time enough for a lovely walk around the lakes at Cogenhoe before the pins were pulled.  Thats one thing I like about this end of the Nene, the lakes and nature reserves.  Remnants of huge holes made by the extraction of sand and gravel.  All put back to nature as best they could.  It works too.. once the land has given all it has.. but what a terrible mess it looks while they do the extracting.. and the noise of the machines is deafening.

Around Cogenhoe and Whiston they are planning yet another of these huge extraction programs taking in acres and acres of land.. ‘tis no wonder the residents of two villages are trying to get it stopped..

But for me and my dogs these places are a delight to walk.. the lakes are full of wild fowl, the banks and grasses full of butterflies, dragonflies and the like.. there are rabbits, deer, foxes and muntjac to name just a few who hide among the long grasses.. then up above these areas it is easy to spot hawks.. not just sparrow hawks but kestrels, buzzards, red kites and just the other day I spied a marsh harrier…

So Cogenhoe would be the last of these wonderful areas for us to visit this year, and it was with sadness that the pins were finally pulled this morning.. One more day on this wonderful river..

This is just outside Cogenhoe, and is typical of the type of bridge that cross the river.. just a farmers bridge really, but a lot of the time the farmer will have his cattle graze on both sides, and the cows come and go as they please over the river..

But it is time to leave the Nene…

At Clifford Lock the colours are changing, and Autumn for real will soon be on us.. just one more guillotine lock to do now as we continue upstream getting nearer Northampton..

Once through Weston Favell Lock we turned sharp right and tied to the trusty pontoon mooring just inside the Northampton Washlands.  Not suppose to moor here outside of April to September, but there was an Environment Agency crew around today and I asked “You’re not going to put the plug in and flood the place tonight are you?”  The guy laughed.. “Just a couple of showers tonight due, you will be fine here.. we will leave the plug out!”

This is the Washlands, you can see No Problem tied to the pontoon on the huge uprights.  Look to the left, you can see the walkway that leads down to the mooring.  This is on a ‘hinge’.  When the Environment Agency ‘put the plug in’ they shut a huge gate to stop the majority of water going down the Nene to the sea and completely flood this area.. all of what you can see.  The tree line on the very far side of the pic is about 20ft high and must be all of a mile away.. I could not even guess how much water this would hold!..

Bit of post to pick up in the nearby village of Little Houghton…

A lovely walk from our mooring across the Wash Lands.. here the church which I think is made out of sandstone, much as the rest of the village is.. and this the Post Office..

Such a cheery lady runs this.. outside on the table are local vegetables freshly picked, and inside not only the little post office but a very handy shop selling the odd bits and bobs that everyone needs.  There is also a butcher in this little village, but not open on a Wednesday afternoon.. it’s always nice to find villages with such tradition as to still have a half day!

Long day tomorrow as we cruise to the limit of navigation of the river, by noon we should be entering British Waterways canals again and beginning our climb of the 17 locks of the Grand Union Northampton Branch to Gayton.. I always feel sad when leaving the rivers of the east.. but we have some nice cruises planned on British Waterways during the next six months..

A remote trip from Doddington to Cogenhoe

Doddington to Cogenhoe, River Nene, 4 miles 5 locks

I only meant to take Lucy and Meg around the border of the field we were moored in, but it was such a nice morning that I decided to walk up the hill to the village of Doddington.  That made the heart beat a bit I’ll tell you, and all first thing in the morning too.

I like Doddington village.  Every time I have come here I have met friendly people.. they always manage to say hello to me, stranger though that I am.  The village shop is still going strong, and I popped in and bought some bacon.. run out we have!

Back down the hill on the other side of the village through the open fields to Wooleston Lock and the farm beside it that sells just about everything.. “I’ll find you a gang plank, just a sec”.. That was the last time I was here.  The farmer rummaged through a pile of wood and found a perfect plank for friends of the two Ds, Derek and Dot of NB Gipsy Rover who didn’t have one “Nah no charge” he said cheerily… He wasn’t around today, the farmer, but the yard was crammed full of stuff!

Pins pulled as soon as we arrived back and through the little iron bridge that I walked over to get to the village..

Bloomin telegraph pole spoils that pic a bit.. I might have a play with it in a photo editor later to see if I can get rid of the pole.. but then again, that would spoil the photo in a way because it is actually there!!

I love this part of the river.. the four or five locks to Cogenhoe are very remote..

This is near Earls Barton.. Meg and me are waiting for Vic to finish doing the lock.. she loves it being aboard No Problem, it was my son-in-law Dan who said “Hey Sue, that Meg just won the dog lottery being bought by you”  How right he was, that little dog absolutely loves life..

This is Whiston Lock, again very remote. We are waiting for our travelling companions Chas and Ann with Moore2Life.  I nipped over to the weir bridge close to this lock to picture them from the weir stream cruising the River Nene..

The locks on this river have to be left with the bottom guillotine left in the upright position, so although we are locking together side by side, one boat has to stay behind at each lock while the crew adjusts the gates, the other boat cruises off to the next lock.  We have taken it in turn all the way along the Nene..

Blog reader Alan was waiting to greet us at Cogenhoe Lock at lunchtime, and he chatted a while to us all while we locked through..

Alan has his own boat now on the River Great Ouse and is a member of GOBA (Great Ouse Boating Association).  Nice to meet you Alan, and hope you didn’t get into too much trouble with your wife for sitting down on the job!

Ah Ha!… Now I know what these extra bollards are for now!

A Busy few days on the Nene now the waters have gone down

Today – Ringstead to Doddington, River Nene, 10 miles 7 locks
Weekend – Wadenhoe to Ringstead, River Nene, 10 miles 5 locks

Having enjoyed a few more days at Ashton Lock than planned, we moved on both days over the weekend, which for us is unusual.  I think that goes back to the days spent on the canal system where there are far more boats out and about at the weekends from the marinas and the like.  On the canal system we like to tie up remotely for the weekend, leaving the locks and visitor moorings available to those people who can only boat at the weekend apart from maybe a few weeks holiday a year.

So on Saturday we pulled the pins from Wadenhoe fairly early to make our way to Thrapston where I needed to pop into the post office for a bit of post arrived from ‘dan saff’’.. Firstly though Titchmarsh Lock where the water was piling really hard over the top gates..

Enough to froth up the water so much that it was coming over the gunnel and half way up the windows.  Ha it looked liked these two boats were in the wash tub!

Then it was onward and under the very low footbridge that was the very reason why we had to wait at Ashton for the waters to go down a bit..

Yes, this was OK now and we got under by a foot or so. The next lock was Islip, before going under the wonderful Pack Bridge at Thrapston.  We put the pins in at Denford early afternoon giving me enough time to take the girls Lucy and Meg for a good wander over familiar footpaths and disused railway lines.. lovely area it is around Denford..

Sunday was a bit murky when we pulled the pins.. in fact after half an hour of taking the above pic it was more than murky, it was a pea souper!  I was making my way upstream using my gps to show me the bends in the river it was that bad.  I wondered how on earth I managed when driving through fog at 20 to 30 mph with only 100 yards vision just as I experienced on Sunday.. I was struggling on No Problem, and I was only doing 4mph!

I was pleased I remembered this part of the river too.  Around Woodford village and past the Woodford Marina in a big curve..

Here we are just clearing Woodford Lock in the gloom.  It wasn’t too long after this though that the weather started to improve, and by the time we had reached Ringstead the sun was shining beautifully. 

No Problem turned into a sauna during the afternoon with the temperature inside reaching 80 degrees!!

We had the fire in in the morning you see, because it was cold in the gloom!  Mind you I think there was a good bit of heat coming from me after watching Lewis Hamilton make a right mess of the start of the Japanese Grand Prix

Pins pulled early again this morning, to make our way to Doddington.  A stop at Rushden and Diamonds Football Club moorings to ‘do the services’ before continuing around Irthingborough.  The river really meanders around tight bends, but the quality of the river surroundings never fail to amaze me although it is close to the large town..

Arrived at Doddington in time to take a walk around the whole of the Summer Leys Nature Reserve which is very close to the mooring here.  There sure are a lot of birds on the lakes.. I must take the binoculars out tomorrow with Lucy and Meg and go see what I can spy..

On the move again after some quality time at Ashton

Ashton to Wadenhoe, River Nene, 6 miles 4 locks

We waited just one more day longer than we needed to once the water levels had dropped.  Instead of moving on Thursday, I thought it would be nice to stay yesterday as the weather was so nice.  Also it was market day in Oundle.  Not a big market, in fact no real competition among the stall holders with one of each type of stall.  But the vegetables were good, and a good price too.

Boats were on the move again, and things were back to normal when we pulled the pins this morning.  We might have stayed for the weekend, it’s the World Conker Championships in the village a short walk away at Ashton, and it was a tempting thought.. but…

Onward then…

No Problem waits for Moore2Life our travelling companions Ann and Chas also on the move upstream.  Oundle Marina was a stop for us today.. we topped up with diesel just 10p cheaper than it was in Ely at 90p.  We are hoping for it to be a better price once we get back on the canal system.  Oundle Marina is a devil of a place to get out of, and in the end I had to reverse back off the diesel pontoon at 90 degrees, reverse all the way across the marina and reverse out of the marina entrance.. and all in the wind too!!

Nothing got hit though which is always a relief in these marinas full of plastic cruisers!..

On through Barnwell Lock and looking back the building on the left is a restaurant..

...and the smells coming from it today around lunchtime were devine.. well I was hungry, it was lunch time after all, but no time for lunch yet, that would have to wait.

One more hour then and a late lunch at Wadenhoe.  We have managed to moor in the gardens of the Kings Head Pub this evening and took the opportunity to fill with water.. now all it needs is for me to fill with some of their beer.. well it is the best beer on the Nene, I cannot resist a pint tonight!

Homemade fare at Ashton Lock

Moored Ashton Backwater, River Nene

A quiet day today aboard No Problem.  The radio was blurting out doom and gloom for most of the day, but life goes on, and those Christmas puds were mixed ready to be cooked tomorrow.  Stout and Rum will marinate overnight.. and anyway there needs to be lots of stirs and wishes to be made..

I thought I would try a Hedgerow jam too today, and yesterday while out walking I picked hawthorn berries, rose hips and sloe as well as the last of the blackberries.. the taste from scraping the pan after bottling was scrumptious.. hope the jam turns out just as good.

Vic did the pickles this morning too as you can see, and here he is adding some apple to the hedgerow mix.

The river is still too high to move.  I can’t believe how high it is after just one day of rain.   Today it hardly rained at all, so hopefully we will be away on Thursday.  Just got to make sure we can get under the bridges.  I am not keen on moving No Problem in a strong flow.. she is a big boat and tends to get swept to the outside around the bends.  We will be able to make up time even if we are stuck ‘till the weekend.

The River Nene is too high and we need to wait at Ashton

Moored Ashton backwater, River Nene

I’m glad we decided to stay here the weekend, I like it here.. well we knew Sunday was going to be very wet and windy and Saturday, in contrast, was lovely and sunny.   So on Saturday Lucy and Meg got a very long walk.  I really enjoyed it although during the afternoon the wind sure did get up.  By Sunday it was blowing a gale and the rain lashed down for most of the day.

I lay in bed on Sunday morning listening to the rain thumping on the roof when I heard blog readers Julia and Kev (remembered his name now!) taking their narrowboat ‘Bumble B’ upstream hoping to get back to Oundle Marina without mishap before the weather really closed in.  They must have got a soaking, but it was great to get a text a couple of hours later to tell me of their safe return.. see you both next year!

So a quick walk for the girls in the morning, then I set to in the galley with Vic, and we made our mango chutney and mustard pickle before going off to Moore2Life for lunch..

This morning we had planned to pop into Oundle for a couple of bits before pulling the pins to continue upstream, but no way would we be doing that.. It was a beautiful morning with the mist clearing..

But oh dear, the river was up a good 18 inches.. the water pouring over the nearby lock gates which it tends not to do at Ashton Lock.. I was on my way to have a look at the weir, and it is mornings like this that you can snap some unusual pics..

And then to the weir..

 

Now this is a footpath across this weir.. I have walked it before it is normally just a trickle, but I wouldn’t be going that way today!!

Sure enough strong stream advice was in force with many of the locks reversed, and the gates opened to allow all this water to flow out to the sea as quickly as possible.. the river was shut!

But I don’t mind, my thoughts were to make the most of our wait here and get the Christmas puddings made.. so off to Oundle again to top up on currents, raisins and the like.. job for me tomorrow then!

Talking of tomorrow, wet again apparently, I am just so pleased we are at this location with the river go high, it is very safe.  Maybe we will have to wait until the weekend to make a move..

Bumble B joins us for today and a near miss too..

Fotheringhay to Ashton, River Nene, 5 miles 3 locks

Not too windy today, so I alerted Julia and hubby.. name escapes me at the mo.. to join us cruising upstream after we had filled with water at Fotheringhay Bridge.  That was difficult to get as well.. Gawd, I very nearly caught the side of No Problem on the brickwork of the arch of the bridge.  The flowing water tricked me and pulled me towards the arch while I went through on the angle to get into the side to get water.  There was a boat moored and so very little space between that and the bridge.. Just got away with it, and not a scratch.. oh but it could have been so different!

It’s a lot easier doing the locks with two boats and crews, and much quicker too.. here comes Bumble B entering Perio Lock to join me..

It was a bit nippy today although the sun was out for a couple of hours.  For the first time ever I travelled with the screen of the pram cover in the down position so I was looking through the perspex.  Normally we unzip the screen and clip it over the top.. thought I would try with it closed.

I got on OK with it, I think it is just a matter of getting used to it like that.  It would mean that cruising in the winter could be a much more pleasant experience than having the cold sharp wind in my face.  We have planned to do a bit more boating this winter, and hopefully a few more days with the screen down and I will know no difference!

The next lock was Cotterstock.. rather remote, but just as we came out of the lock another narrowboat was on the way downstream.. great stuff, no need to stop to raise the guillotine this time..

It wasn’t long until the sharp 90 degree turn into Ashton Lock.. I didn’t have my camera on the front of No Problem operating today, and I wished I had because I could not see which side of the lock Bumble B was on.. so I just aimed for the middle, such was the sharpness of the turn.. then at the last minute I could see which side to steer and slipped No Problem in beside the other narrowboat.

Chas and Ann with NB Moore2Life were moored a little way up the backwater on the upstream side of the lock, and I reversed No Problem to tuck her just inside the backwater.  I like it here, there is always a lovely view of the weir and river from this location…

The lock itself is to the right in this picture, the main river going off in the distance upstream past the weir.

The Nene Valley Way actually crosses that weir.. Lucy and Meg love to spash across it.. I hope it isn’t too high at the moment or I will have to take my shoes and socks off tomorrow if I decide to walk that way!

First Class service from the Environment Agency at Elton

 Elton to Fotheringhay, River Nene, 1.5 miles 1 lock

Trickling upstream for an hour or so today was very pleasant.  The gale force wind had gone, and although there was a strong breeze, it was much easier steering No Problem.

But before we left we popped to the Post Office, then to the garage at the top of the road to top up with petrol for the chain saw.  Now that will be busy this year for sure!

I am sorry for getting your name wrong on the blog last night Dick, I knew it was Whitehouse, I don’t know why I put Waterhouse.. anyway, I need to thank you….

While talking to Dick yesterday.. the River Inspector by the way, I asked if he would report an incident that happened with my boat as I left Elton Lock in the wind..

I was not able to do the 90 degree turn out of the lock as the wind was pushing the boat sideways, and I got the front underneath this little tree.  There is only about 75ft width on the river out of the lock you see, and it was very difficult indeed trying to turn and also stop the damage to the chimney and satellite dish.  I asked if there was any possibility of removing it to help other narrowboats of long length negotiating this lock in the wind..

Hey presto.. this morning there was an Environment Agency chap with a saw!  Now hows that for taking note of what their river users say!  Well done the EA full marks!  Thanks Dick..

We have settled tonight at Fotheringhay, just outside where the castle used to be.  Just a mound now, but still the thistles abound close to where Mary Queen of Scots was beheaded..

A late photo tonight just downstream from the bridge..

Making logs and meeting the River Inspector at Elton

Moored Elton, River Nene

A day in Peterborough for us yesterday, and we enjoyed a slow browse around the shops.  At last Vic managed to find a pair of shoes that were comfortable.. trying to shoe that guy is like trying to find a four leaf clover on a stony path.. but he knew straight away they were the right ones!

I phoned the Elton Estate Office yesterday morning hoping to be able to get permission to take some dead wood from near the mooring.  A couple of huge branches have been down for as long as I have been coming on this river, and that is 2005.  It’s a huge estate here at Elton.. clicky here.  This is their website, and they own most of the properties in the village and all of the land for miles around.. “Everyone is in a meeting at the moment, someone will phone you back when they are free”…

Well it got to gone three, so I thought I would give it another go.  Anyway, they only had a choice of two answers for me… “Hello, did you get that message through that we talked about this morning?”  “Just a minute, I will get confirmation for you now”

I waited… “Yes Sir William has confirmed you may go ahead and collect wood”.. Oh my, Sir William himself eh!!   Now that did put a spring in my step.  In fact he is the same age as me!  Sir William Proby lives at the grand Elton Hall, it has been the family home for over 350 years..  This is the pub in Elton..

So this morning straight after breakfast we got out the chain saw.. the washing up would wait.. It was very windy, but the sun was shining.. rain later said the weather forecast..

With the wood cut, it was just a matter of moving it from the area where the ash tree branches were down to nearer No Problem.. As I moved the wood, I spied a River Inspector testing the lock.. I shouted across that I had permission to take the wood.. “Just in case I was reported” I said.. “No reports yet” He shouted back… He came over for a chat.. so here is Dick Waterhouse, the seasonal River Inspector for this area..

Dick was telling me that once a month the Inspectors actually physically ‘lock through’ each of the locks on the Nene without a boat, so they are using all the gear, walking on all the bits a boater would.  They check that everything is in order and that there are no pothole or areas of deterioration.  Today it was Elton Lock’s turn for an Inspection.  Dick is hoping to get a permanent job with the Environment Agency.. they should give it to him.. what a nice guy.. .. Oh hope your wife likes the photo Dick!!

Anyway, he had work to do, and so did we, so we said our farewells.  Out came the splitting axe and….

Didn’t he do well!  I went to get No Problem and reversed back to this pile.  All loaded now on the roof and under the front cratch cover.  We chopped up the other wood we got the other day while we were at it.  That will take us to Christmas I guess..

Lucy and Meg were really good today.. very patient while we spent the morning on the bank.. so they went out for a long long walk this afternoon across the countryside to Nassington and Yarwell..

This used to be a river crossing for the Nene Way via some stepping stones, but the river backwater here is much higher now than it was a few years ago, and is covering the stones.  Also there is a huge piece of tree, as you can see, which has caught up on the submerged stones.. pity, this was a rather unique crossing.

Gosh the wind was high this afternoon.. it even gave me a headache.  I am not keen on moving on up the Nene until the wind drops.. so we will see what tomorrow brings..