7th to 13th September 2010

Hampton Wick to Bell Weir Lock, River Thames via Wey and Godalming Navigations.

Having left the mooring at Hampton Wick, we moved upstream and spent some time looking around the grounds at Hampton Court (too mean to pay the entry fee!!).

We then headed further upstream and turned off below Shepperton Lock to join the Wey and Godalming Navigations that belong to the National Trust. At Thames Lock we duly paid the Lock-keeper the admission fee/licence fee for 3 days. This was later extended to 5 days to allow us to enjoy the waterway at a more leisurely pace.

Thames Lock at the entrance to the waterway has very little clearance over the lower cill and so to allow deeper boats to enter there is a stop gate about 200ft downstream. This is closed and the level of the pound is raised by about 2 feet to allow boats to enter the actual lock.

As part of your fee you are loaned the special windlass which gives much more leverage than usual as some of the paddle gear is quite stiff. The first couple of miles seems quite built up and not particularly interesting but soon after the junction with the Basingstoke Canal the scenery improves and the rural naure of the canal takes over.

Our first night stop was at Pyrford near the Anchor Pub (excellent beer and food ). We had a slow journey the next day with some queuing at locks and very slow hire boats, but we reached our target of Dapdune Wharf in Guildford for the next overnight stop. The wharf is the National Trust HQ for the waterway and has some very good exhibits detailing the history of the waterway.

The next morning we set off for Godalming and the head of navigation. This is the most southerly point on the connected waterways in the UK and is conveniently located alongside a Sainsbury supermarket. A horse-drawn trip boat operates from the wharf and we were fortunate to see them set off.

Our return trip down the waterway was governed by lunch dates with rellies on Saturday (in Guildford) and Sunday (back at the Anchor at Pyrford).

On Monday morning we continued downstream to re-join the Thames and to continue our trip towards the Kennet and Avon Canal.

Monday 6th September 2010

Tidal Thames, Limehouse to Teddington

The Big Day has come and we make ready for our adventure on the Thames.

We had been warned a while ago by another narrowboat crew that the biggest problem they encountered was the wash from the giant rubbish barges that plough up and down the river. The lock keeper had told us that we would not encounter them.

We shared Limehouse Lock with another narrowboat called Lanser, the lock-keepers decided that the wide-beam boat would not fit in with us. As the crew of Lanser had been on the tidal river before we let him go first. As he joined the tideway at 9.15am he looked back at us, gave us a thumbs-up sign and held his arms out wide as if to say all was clear.

You can imagine our horror as we pulled out onto the river to see a rubbish barge at full speed 50yds behind us. As he passed the wash literally rolled along the gunnels.

From the Tower Bridge website we had noticed that the bridge was due to be opened at 9.30 for an old thames sailing barge called Will and we hoped to be there in time to see the bridge being raised. As we approached Tower Bridge (the first en-route) we could see Will lining up on the upstream side and the bridge was cleared of traffic and pedestrians in preparation for lifting. We thought we had timed it perfectly. However the captain of Will came on the VHF and told the bridge to delay the lift as he could see two rubbish barges ploughing up the centre of the river and he wanted them to pass first. We had to pass under the side span of the bridge and this meant we had to pass on the wrong side of one of the high speed river buses who came the wrong side of the river from Tower Pier. Meanwhile the two barges shot upstream leaving a very choppy river behind them.

We were about 100yds upstream before the bridge finally opened for the sailing barge. After about 45 mins on the river and all this excitement we felt like old hands. Although it took a lot of concentration to keep the boat on course we soon felt more confident and by the houses of Parliament we could actually enjoy the sights.

As we progressed further upstream it almost beacame a bit dull as the number of other boats dropped off dramatically. As we passed Richmond we noticed the narrowboat ahead had started to slow down and we thought at first that he may have a problem. Also at this point we noticed that the widebeam boat that must have left Limehouse about 20 mins behind us, was catching up. We reached the Richmond half-tide weir and realised that the weirs were closed and a sign was illuminated saying use the lock for £5!! We loitered behind the other narrowboat for a while and then realised that we had arrived too soon, after about 5 minutes the weir gates were all raised and we carried on through the barrier and did not have to resort to the lock.

We arrived at Teddington Lock shortly afterwards, and once through moored the boat and took ourselves off for a well deserved lunch at the Anglers Pub.

The whole crew enjoyed the experience so much that we could have turned around and gone back.

Sunday 5 September 2010

Limehouse Basin, Regent's Canal

We have decided to get up early today (7.30am) as we understand a wide beam narrow boat is booked in with the lock keeper to go through the lock and onto the Thames. So, we duly creep around the marina, but not a soul to be seen, and widebeam boat curtains still drawn. Never mind, as it is a nice morning, we decide to take a walk, get a paper and look out over the Thames. The scene across the water is so serene, and peaceful, and we agree that today would be a good day for experiencing the Thames in a narrow boat, instead of tomorrow. C'est la vie!

We pay the lock keeper a friendly visit, just to confirm our time for using the lock tomorrow, and we learn that the Thames barrier is currently raised, as it is barrier annual test day, THAT is why the river is so calm! As a consequence, there is insufficient water upstream for boats to safely reach Teddington Lock.

After breakfast, we take the Docklands Light Railway to Canary Wharf to visit the Docklands Museum of London, (FOC) and very good it is too. Situated in the West India Quay, it has displays and information going back to Roman times about the Thames and London as a port. Worth another visit on our return in the spring.

This evening we went to Gordon Ramsey's restaurant Narrow, which is adjacent to Limehouse Lock and has a conservatory overlooking the river. Enjoyed the evening very much, not a cheap outing, and watching the Thames clippers racing up and down, even in the dark, did little to allay our fears of what awaits us tomorrow.

Saturday 4 September 2010

Paddington Basin, to Limehouse Marina, Regent's Canal

The British Waterways website says the stoppage is still on, but a quick phone call to them and we hear that the Regent's Canal has reopened.

So, off we go and the tape has been removed and we make our way down to the Maida Vale tunnel. We see just about the same amount of oil as we saw 24 hours ago, through the tunnel and practically nothing more oily to be seen. Overreaction? we will never know. The oil didn't stop a heron trying to consume a fish bigger than his bill!

Now we are passing some very elegant properties with rolling lawns to the water on one side and flats and apartments on the other. Then the Snowden Aviary of London Zoo. There are birds within the cage and birds without - difficult to see which are guests of the zoo. Rather scrubby, unattractive land along this stretch of the zoo. Then we arrive at Camden lock, where the market is in full swing and lots of gongoozlers too.

Then through the Islington Tunnel and on through heavy residential areas without a moments concern about security. The amount of rubbish floating and along the towpath is just shameful. There is a lot of work to be done to make the place presentable for the Olympics. We can see the new Wembley Stadium structure on the skyline.

We finally reach the lock that drops us into Limehouse Basin. Bob called up the BW staff on the VHF and we were directed to a mooring mixed in with some posh cruisers. During the early evening two tall masted sail boats, one from The Netherlands come off the Thames through the lock. Very impressive craft and boathandling.

Friday 3 September 2010

Paddington Basin to Limehouse Marina, Regent's Canal

Today we had planned to move down the Regent's Canal to Limehouse Marina, but we have to stay put. British Waterways have issued a Stoppage Notice because there has been an Environmental Incident necessitating the closure of the Regents Canal. So we decided to walk round and see what was occurring! We found tape across the entrance to the canal and the trip and cruise boats non operational. As we approached the tunnel at Maida Vale tunnel we saw and smelled oil - a brown slick across the width of the canal seeping out from the tunnel. We went further, and on the far side of the tunnel we saw 3 men very slowly and very clumsily trying the harness the oil in a boom trailed from a small boat. This could take ages to clean up!

To our surprise as we returned to the boat in Paddington Basin we witnessed the unfolding of a rolling steel and timber foot bridge across one of the basin inlets. This event happens each Friday at noon, and transforms the bridge into an octagon. But why?

Time to play tourist again, and we took boat trip from Greenwich down to the Thames Barrier and very glad we did. Most interesting commentary and we passed between the flood gate hoods.

We spent this evening at the Globe watching Shakespeare's Comedy of Errors - a great experience on a summers evening as the sun went down, and rather saucy at times! Excellent performance.

Another good day, if not quite to plan.

Thursday 2 September 2010

Today we are staying moored in Paddington Basin and going off into the big city with our newly acquired Oyster cards . We started with a visit to 221b Baker Street, Sherlock Holmes house, then managed to take in one whole floor at Tate Modern, before needing fresh air. Then walk down to Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, lunch at the Globe Swan, a walk along the Thames watching the speeding Thames Clippers, and down to Tower Bridge and the exhibition and the excellent displays inside the bridge. A good day, but exhausted.

Wednesday 1 September 2010

Uxbridge to Paddington Basin, Paddington Arm, Grand Union Canal

Time to update you with our adventures!

We left Uxbridge in perfect September sunshine, a warm and windless day. Tescos and coconuts along the way!

A huge new Tesco is being built in Yiewsley which will have waterside moorings, as our picture shows, residents on the other side of the canal will soon have a very different outlook. We had the canal virtually to ourselves and soon reached Bulls Bridge Junction, where there is a another 24 hour Tesco. The moorings for shoppers are beside a dry dock feature the supermarket has recreated. Alas, it is a dump for litter and supermarket trolleys, and as a consequence, is a very insightly feature, as you can see.

Shopping over, we then turned down the Paddington Arm, and moved through Southall, Northolt, Alperton, and suburbia galore, crossed high above the North Circular Road, and on towards Little Venice. Coconuts all the way. Every so often we saw coconuts go bobbing past - never seen so many in a day! Many differing cooking smells accompanied us along the route. We branched off to the right down the Paddington Arm of the former Grand Junction canal. We had been lead to believe that some safe moorings were there and sure enough right at the far end of the arm, overshadowed by new office towers on one side, and St Mary's Hospital on the other, were some new floating pontoons. We could stay here for 7 days FOC if we wished. This was a most pleasant, and quiet spot given that it was just off the Edgware Road, and minutes from Paddington underground.

Monday 16 August 2010

Denham Deep Lock to Slough Arm, Grand Union Canal

This picture shows how deep Denhamm lock is - not the deepest on the system by any means, but still deep.

We took a right turn down the Slough arm, not believing the canal guide about it being weedy and silted - but of course the further we went along the worse it became. Quiet, and rural stretch, needs more traffic.

Sunday 15 August 2010

From Cassiobury Park to Denham Deep Lock, Grand Union Canal


A much better day, bright light and some heat! We set off in the autumn sunshine, passing many boats with covers off drying out after yesterday.

Along the way we saw this toy monkey suspended from a great height, and then to our great surprise a boat coming towards us was narrowboat Icarus, the boat we had built 9 years ago. A great deal of toil and tears went into that boat, now evidently under new ownership. We wondered if it had retained the most unusual facility of a commode within the front door step!

We passed along some very pretty stretches of canal, especially around Harefield, at Black Jack's Lock and Copper Mill Lock.

Our mooring for lunch, and afternoon tea, and then subsequently dinner, was above Denham Deep Lock. A busy stretch of towpath, mainly due to the wellknown Frans tea garden at the lockside.

So tomorrow we are off down the 11'1" Denham Deep Lock.

Saturday 14 August 2010

Hunton Bridge to below Stockers Lock, Batchworth, Grand Union Canal

Yesterday, we teamed up again with the ex hotel boat couple, and so the wide locks along the Grand Union became more pleasant and easier to work. The drizzle encouraged us to stop at lunchtime, and there we stayed. Dreary and dark, under dripping trees as the rain set in.

We have revised our previous wet day record to TODAY as being the worst day of the summer. Torrential rain has spoiled things well and truly.

This morning we teamed up with The Beech Nuts on their narrow boat and made our way down to Batchworth, through very oily waters - someone had allowed oil or diesel to spill into the canal, and did it stink.

We paid a brief visit to Batchworth Lock Canal Centre, Bob was curious to see their model narrow boats - but nothing on show.

Batchworth Tesco with canalside moorings was the next stop - much more worthwhile!

So, now we are moored below the farm, but more precisely, opposite the field where we believe the filming of the tv series Black Beauty was located. Who knows!

Looking forward to better boating weather tomorrow.

Thursday 13 August 2010

Winkwell to Hunton Bridge, Grand Union Canal

As we entered the first lock of the day, a heron stood patiently on the lock edge staring into the depths. Eventually, he gave up and flew a few feet away and started staring again. May be they fall asleep!

As we approached Winkwell swing bridge we could see the crew of working narrowboat Hadar enjoying holding up the traffic as they kept the bridge open for us too. We know of this boat from passing it last year and following their blog with interest, recounting their experiences in London.

We made our way down through Hemel Hampstead, past B+Q where Rose's limejuice in barrels, was once loaded onto barges, and on to Apsley, where many John Dickinson paper mills at Croxley Green once stood. Now smart new houses and a marina have replaced the mills, but good old Fullers have a canalside pub called The Paper Mill.

The final demolition is ongoing and no doubt it will be replaced by more houses, now 3 + 4 floors a piece.

The heavy rain in the afternoon drove us to moorup as we got to Hunton Bridge, but we did pair up with some ex hotelboat crew as we made our way down the locks.

Wednesday 11 August 2010

Bulbourne Junction to Winkwell, Grand Union Canal

Well yesterday was just about the worst day of the summer so far! It rained and then it poured and poured. Fortunately, we called in at Cowroast marina where they had the new issue of Waterways World, so mooring up at lunchtime and staying put was no hardship. Immediately opposite our mooring on the summit level, was a boat named Griffin, which had all the appearance of a Fullers marketing medium!

Today was much better, and we paired up with another boat we had accompanied a couple of days ago, and made our way down now, to Berkhamsted. Today there is water cascading over the lock gates - no big surprise after yesterdays drenching.

We shopped at the canalside Waitrose and then walked down the towpath to Berkhamsted castle. Now just a shadow of its former self, but the part flint walls, and motte and bailey mounds remaining of the Norman castle were fairly obvious. This castle had three moats to deter tunnelling.

Later, as we made our way through the Port of Berkhamsted, we passed Castle Wharf, the boatyard owned by Lindy Foster and recalled the nationwide campaign she launched to save the wharf from developers. It looks as if she suceeded. There is totem pole to mark the years of trading between Castle Wharf and Canada, and wood used in huge quantities for boat building and cabinet making.

A good day, but the barometer is falling!

Monday 9 August 2010

From Marsworth along the Wentworth Arm, and back on to the Grand Union Canal to Bulbourne

Today, we spent the morning walking around Marsworth village and again up the locks alongside the Tring reservoirs. A very tranquil spot with grannies and grandchildren quietly enjoying the lovely area. A mother swan did delay our tow path walk slightly, as she just would not follow her cygnets into the water, and sat preening and defiantly blocking our path. Eventually she became curious as to the cygnets whereabouts and glided into the canal, and we moved on. During our morning coffee on the boat we spotted many, many huge carp just below the surface, They were monsters, and devoured some bread we offered. The local ducks soon backed off!

This afternoon we got going up the 7 locks to the Tring summit, and then made a sharp right turn down the Wendover Arm and suddenly we were threading our way along a narrow waterway, passing a flour mill and some very delapidated boats, some on long,or no mooring lines, drifting out in front of us making progress slow. The navigable stretch ends with a plaque, and a very fortunately, a spacious turning point. We returned back to the junction passing some different fishing styles, hidden in the bank reeds.

We are now moored at Bulbourne, the much photographed BW canal workshops, where lockgates used to be

made, but is now a private concern making unusual garden ornaments in iron.

Sunday 8 August 2010

Fenny Stratford southwards to Marsworth Junction, Grand Union Canal

We have made pretty slow progress as time is on our side, and the weather on Saturday was wet AND the Captain has a stinking cold!

After a shop stop at Leighton Buzzard Tesco on Friday, we moored below the Grove Lock. This was a rendezvous to meet friends for the evening. A little light entertainment before dinner in the form of a hire boat with young children dancing on the roof, and of course one fell in, fortunately she held the centre line on the way down so it was easy to retrieve her!

Good beer and food at the Grove and the pub sign depicts the leaking lock gates, and boy do they leak! ""Fullers" is a total misnoma!

Today, Sunday, we teamed up with a family aboard narrowboat Cream Cracker and shared locks all the way to Marsworth Junction. A very pleasant way to spend a sunny morning chatting and laughing until ........................ as we left the last lock, filing out one behind the other, we encountered 2 old narrowboats, movingtowards us, breasted up. Cream Cracker was lucky and managed to take avoiding action and steer around them, but not for us, the 2 old boats came straight for us and smacked us well and truly, causing damage to our bow paintwork mainly because these rogues did not have bow fenders fitted. Ugh!

The incident post mortem really spoiled the next couple of hours, but we are moored up now, and there are lots of smiling people enjoying Bluebell Cafe ice creams in the sun, so we joined them and soon felt better.

Thursday 5 August 2010

Stoke Bruerne to Fenny Stratford, Grand Union Canal

We are back afloat, having spent a week ashore attending to cutting the nearly green grass of home!

So, after purchasing some Christmas cards from Stoke Bruerne shop, and some Welsh cheese from the Cheese Boat, we have proceeded with apace down the Grand Union Canal. Not so fast that we couldn't pause for a good pub lunch in the garden at The Barley Mow in Cosgrove! Most attractive soft sandstone bridge in Cosgrove - Gothic - and apparently unique among canal bridges.

So many bridges today as we wended our way through Milton Keynes - not used to bridges - so few across the river Nene and Great Ouse. There is a very clever, long mural painted depicting canal boats with a modern slant ie aircraft being transported by boat!

Our day was fine and bright, but there is a most definite feel of autumn in the air.

Tuesday 27 July 2010

From Cogenhoe River Nene to Stoke Bruerne, Grand Union Canal

We made very good progress yesterday, 23 locks! Another day with virtually no rain, and none as we left Northampton and rose the 16 locks to Gayton Junction. Rather shallow pounds, but with a couple of narrowboats on our tail, we were very motivated, and they would have welcomed the extra water we flushed down.

A very noisy night at Gayton, with constant traffic and trains racing by - how envious are we!

Blisworth Tunnel, 1.75 miles long was its usual wet experience. No need to water the boat flowers today, the tunnel did it more than adequately.

Drizzle at Stoke Bruerne, but lucky to find a mooring for the day. Despite some quite unusually persistent rain there were many people ambling around the locks and musem area. After a Boaters Baguette in The Boat, we watched surprisingly few boats on the move. The usual gongoozler faction was present, and as always, it is so alarming to see young children allowed to run and peer over the lock edge completely unrestrained. Ugh!

Sunday 25 July 2010

From Thrapston to Cogenhoe, River Nene

Tonight is our final mooring on the river Nene, having spent 7 weeks away from canals, we feel we have given fenland a good going over for a while, and it is time to get back to the system. Today, we have been sorely tried with weed, especially above Wellingborough. Our pictures show some of the conditions we had to make our way through - it's all very well cutting the weed but it needs to be raked out and onto the bank. Some small cruisers spent more than an hour trying to get their outboards cleaned off and make progress through the fibrous roots and pea green soup. The lock gates opened sufficiently wide for us to get through.

Our last evening is at Cogenhoe, where we have moored before. We are alongside a quiet site of summer cabins, that look so idyllicly situated beside the river.

Friday 25 July 2010

From Ferry Meadows Country Park, to Thrapston, River Nene

We had a leisurely departure from Ferry Meadows, after a walk to the nearby village of Cherry Orton. A day that threatened to rain from the start, and it sure did just as soon as we moved off our lunch stop, under Wansford Station where we had been the afternoon before.

It was shower after shower through the afternoon, until we reached one of our favourite moorings on the Nene, at Fotheringhay. Since our last visit, a windsock has appeared in the farmers field. He says he hasn't acquired a helicopter, but why else would one fly a windsock, we wondered.

Today, we made a determined effort to get away earlier and were moving before 9am, as there were 9 locks and about 15 miles to do to get to Thrapston. Some of those locks were manual, requiring many turns of the wheel to lower and raise the guillotine gates. So that, plus an hours walk around Thrapston, will mean a good nights sleep ahead.

Wednesday 21 July 2010

From Denver Sluice, River Great Ouse, to Ferry Meadows, River Nene

Since our 'day off' on Sunday spent at Denver Sluice, we have made up for lost time and put our skates on. We had a long wait on Monday for the right moment of the tide, to leave Denver and go along the short tidal stretch to Salters Lode, which required a 45 degree left turn across the outgoing tide into the lock to return us to the middle level. All went well, and we moored with some Norwegians aboard a hire boat, at Outwell. These people were on their first trip, and so had our days adventure, ahead, in reverse. Totally charming people, whose English was faultless and who had no idea of what was ahead!

Early on Tuesday morning, we left Outwell and Upwell, where the villages are sliced down the middle by the river, and out onto the middle level, some stretches of which are just long straight, narrow lengths of water, where you see no one, no boats, no walkers, just acres of flat, cultivated land, often with wind turbines.

Our aim was to moor for the evening at Whittlesey, where we knew there was a jetty, which left a short journey tomorrow, on to Stanground Sluice before Peterborough. All was well, a space was there and we felt a sigh of relief, but it was not too long before narrowboat 'Benji' appeared, also seeking a mooring and we invited them to tie alongside. Soon the wine and beer was flowing, and we were sharing an Indian takeaway and swapping boating tales, with our new neighbours, Julian and Lynne.

So, today, as per our prebooked passage up Stanground Lock from the Middle level, we made our way back onto the River Nene and down into Peterborough. (The lady lock keeper at Stanground Sluice told us that she was the third generation of lock keeper, and had been born at that lock house.)

After using the waterside Asda with access gates exclusively for boaters, we made our way down the Nene to Ferry Meadows Country Park, that has a few boat moorings inside its grounds. The Nene Valley Railway has a station at Ferry Meadows and so we took the train (diesel unfortunately), to Wansford where there was a huge array of engines, and mail coaches, and lots of good intentions for the volunteers to work on, including Thomas having a facelift. A good trip, following the Nene in places, and we will be going under some of the rail route tomorrow.