Sunday 23, Monday 24 and Tuesday May 2010

From Ashby Canal, back to Coventry Canal and on to Oxford Canal

A perfect boating day, consequently the day started early at 6.30am when a boater decided to turn his boat around a few yards away! It wasn't too irritating as the cloudless blue sky and bird chatter more than compensated. A few others then followed, probably planning to moor up during the heat of the midday, and so there was quite a snail trail of boats making their way to the end of the Ashby where we turned left, and back on to the Coventry canal, and returned to gardens and surburbia.

At Hawksbury Junction as we made our way on to the Oxford Canal, there was a little cluster of boats going our way, each in turn using the Sutton stop lock to rise all of 3"! The midday sun was certainly intense, and we moored up and hid inside for a couple of hours.

We have nearly closed the circle and we are back in familiar territory on the Oxford canal, passing through Rugby and the familiar aerials. The 3 twin single locks at Hillmorton were busy, both sides in use, and proved a challenge for some first timers. One picture today shows the disco effect from the lights inside Newbold Tunnel. Several of the bridge arches have attractive murals, all pretty well intact.

We moored on the edge of Braunston, as we know how popular this place can be. A walk up to the bottom lock confirmed this, and then up through Braunston village and a visit to Midland Chandlers of course, was enough in the still very warm air.

We concluded this particular trip with an evening on the canal terrace outside The Boatman, where 2 meals for the price of one, can work out cheaper than your drinks bill! Many customers like us, watched Mike Kelly (Eureauweb) do cheeky 360 degree turns and pirouette his boat, Marionette round in front of us!

The next morning as we made our way on down the Oxford canal and back to base, we encountered a midstream obstacle of partly sunken boats, 'BW aware' of course. This little lot will take some shifting!

Our next jaunt will be into the Fens very soon, so watch this space.

Friday 21 and Saturday 22 May 2010

From Shackerstone to Battlefield Site Boswell, and on to Burton Hastings, Ashby Canal



We have boated back down the Ashby to a point on the canal adjacent to the Bosworth Country Park where the battle of the roses took place (although this is being rethought), and the field where Richard III was slain in 1485 by Henry Tudor, ie Henry VII. A very pleasant place to amble round,and it has struck us just how polite, respectful and courteous everyone is here. A lot of folk enjoying the area without noise, littering or forgetting their doggy bags! A place so pleasant we stayed overnight, and moved off early next morning with a cloudless blue sky and brilliant sunshine.



It is no problem to stay on the Ashby Canal, it is such a pretty canal to be savoured and not hurried. No wonder so many boaters choose this canal to moor on. The perfect boating weather has brought out people galore, all shapes and sizes! We managed to find a secluded mooring, and to take cover from the rays.

Thursday 20 May 2010

Dadlington to the end of the Ashby Canal and back to Shackerstone

A perfect day for just boating along, everyone so pleasant to one another! We moored for a pub lunch in Shackerstone, a very pleasant English farming village, undeveloped and unchanged. It lies adjacent to the Bosworth Battlefield Railway line, a relic from Dr Beeching days which is now run by volunteers, but only at the weekend at this time of year.

Back on the boat for the aftenoon and just as we were approaching the Snarestone Tunnel and almost at the end of the navigable stretch when low and behold another boat named Vagabond was moored. Not just another Vagabond but THE boat our own is named after, since this was the very boat we spent many summer weekends looking for 20+ years ago when the other owner in the shared ownership scheme took off with our boat! She looked good for her age as you can see, and was still in the same colour scheme. Amazing!

We turned at the dreary end of the canal, where work is underway to reopen the remaining 8 miles to Measham (of teapot fame), but it will be a long job dependent upon public contributions.

So, we are now back in Shackerstone, looking at the net at properties for sale!

Mon 17, Tues 18 and Wed 19 May 2010

From Bodymoor Heath Birmingham and Fazeley Canal, to Alvecote on the Coventry Canal and on to Dadlington, Ashby Canal

We left the Birmngham and Fazeley canal at Fazeley junction and turned right, onto the Coventry Canal. After good fish and chips, plus a heavy hail storm in Fazeley, we started off down the Coventry Canal in sunshine once again. We spotted a moored narrow boat named Water Avens, and this immediately rang bells as one of Bob's brothers family had lived on a boat of this name for several years. As often happens whilst waiting to use a lock you get talking to other boaters, and sure enough Water Avens caught us up, and low and behold the present owners bought this boat 10 years ago from Bob' s sister in law! We exchanged a few experiences and then moved on.

The next morning we encountered Water Avens again but grim faces greeted us - their cat had gone on an out of character walkabout, the owners looked bereft, and of course just could not bring themselves to move on.

Quite a few locks punctuated our way along the Coventry canal, and at one lock we caught another boat going our way and as is the usual practice you help each other along. After a few minutes a lady from the other boat appeared and apologised for not getting on with the lock, but she was inside the boat ironing! and ironing doyleys at that! Mad!

Our passage through Nuneaton was littered with so much floating rubbish and bank after bank strewn with unsightly plastic rubbish of all types, it really does make you question if there is any point in our diligently recycling our small amount of household plastic.

Now we have taken a left turn and onto the Ashby Canal, totally rural and no locks! A very quiet and peaceful waterway reminiscent of the Mon and Brec here and there, narrow and with overhanging trees, but also opening out to wider stretches. Many, many moored boats here alongside and in marinas, but all so peaceful and tranquil. We moored up in a lovely spot after yet another lovely day and were just enjoying a cup of tea and reading the paper when THUMP - a passing boat hit us nearly broadside! Apparently his throttle got stuck in reverse, goodness knows what he was doing - so we do have the odd moment of stress, you know!

Friday 14, Saturday 15 and Sunday 16 May 2010

From Turner's Green, Grand Union Canal onto Bodymoor Heath, Birmingham and Fazeley Canal

What a contrast of canals and daytime temperatures across these three days.

We started out on Thursday wrapped up, layer on layer, as it was such a cold wind. We saw a hotelboat battling along and felt mighty glad we don't do that any more! it looked as if there were just 2 passengers - so a boat each!

We boated towards Birmingham but moored up in rural Copt Heath before an early start to get through Birmingham and out the other side.

Good plan to start early, but we weren't on our way soon enough to be ahead of an elderly gent boating alone, who was taking things at the locks very slowly. Our passage through the industrial wastelands made for a real change of vista, and you couldn't help but look at the defunct buildings and wonder at the huge labour forces of yesteryear working in pretty dangerous and ghastly conditions. Things for us came to a halt when we found some city locks and pounds were drained of water. It seemed to be lock gates left open rather than v and ells! Bob said he could see a wheel barrow, a mini motor bike, wheels and tyres etc galore! By opening all the paddles we managed to flush enough water down to enable us to get moving and out of the city, and a sense of relief to be back with greenery around us once more. Fortunately, in exchange for our preparing the locks ahead for the chap on his own, we were able to go ahead.

There were some pleasant aspects to Birmingham as this shot of a Canada goose family shows. Broods of Canada geese seem to be everywhere.

Well, we didn't reckon on our elderly gent catching us up today well before 8am and overtaking us! So, a little way ahead, and with locks at regular intervals we caught him up, even after our having been for Sunday papers! He was moaning because his legs wouldn't bend! We stopped for water and then went to the Dog and Doublet pub for lunch outside by the lock and watched some traction engines struggle to get over the adjacent hump backed canal bridge.

Thursday 13 May 2010

Saltisford Arm to Turner's Green, Grand Union Canal

This morning we have an early rendezvous with the narrow boat, Noonie, as we are forming a coalition to speed our travel up the 21 wide, deep locks of the Hatton flight. By moving into and between the locks with the boats breasted up (side by side) makes for a much more successful way of proceeding. So the two chaps had a really sociable time together whilst steering and the ladies had a good time too working the locks. Welcome coffee onboard Noonie at the halfway point recharged us, and we reached the top for a late lunch. Far more pedestrian spectators than other boaters - really quite surprising.

We exchanged addresses with Jim and Heather on Noonie as they are off down the Stratford on Avon canal tomorrow, as we hope to cross paths again.

Our picture shows the current standard of British Waterways transport at their Hatton offices.

Wednesday 12 May 2010

Long Itchington to Saltisford Arm, Warwick

We have started out to do the Warwickshire Ring and have reached Warwick after 2 days of Grand Union locks. fortunately on both days we were able to share with another boat. In fact we have an appointment for 9.30am tomorrow morning to share the twenty-odd lock assent of the Hatton Flight. The boat is Noonie another boat based at Ventnor Farm Marina.

On route yesterday we saw the boat in the picture belonging to coal merchants J & M Forth!!

Our evening mooring was along the Saltisford Arm where we were greeted by a very helpful chap from the Saltisford Arm Trust, who explained about the free overnight mooring and showed us a very well stocked canal shop with the latest issue of Waterways World so what more could we want!