Stantone-Stantonbury-Stanton Low: From the 12th Century to the Present

"Civilization is a movement and not a condition, a voyage and not a harbor." ~Arnold J. Toynbee, British Historian

   We were moored up on a lovely curve of the Grand Union canal between the 19th century railroad town of Wolverton and the very much older city of Milton Keynes, mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Midletone.
   Les and I took a walk across the overgrown grassland to some nearby ruins for a closer view. Forty mile per hour wind gusts whipped around us, bringing roses to our cheeks as it swept through the dry, dead hummocks of grass. 

Ruins of 12th century St. Peter's Church at Stanton Low with blasted Oak nearby

   As we came upon the ruins we could see it had once been a fine little church. Now though it was surrounded by barbed wire and fencing, with Keep Out signs. As we stood taking pictures a couple of local folks stopped to chat us up.

Closer view of ruins of St. Peters with the rebuilt manor house in the background

   We were told it was called St. Peter's church at Stanton Low--a fine bit of Norman architecture which had been continuously in use as a parish church until 1956, when the roof fell in. After years of entropy having its way, very little is now left. Juvenile delinquents used to bring their boom boxes, designer drugs, and booze to the site for raves, completing the destruction. Locals decided they wanted to try and protect the site and rebuild the church, hence the posted signs and barbed wire. 
    The couple informed us that it had been extended into a keep at one point, and the surrounding area had been the site of a small village, overlooked by a manor house.
   This small bit of local lore whet my appetite to know more and so I began my search online at two sites which have yielded much: The Domesday Book Online and British History Online. 

The Domesday Books and Chest,
© 2012; National Archives.uk.gov

   For those readers not familiar with British historical documents,
The Domesday Book was commissioned in December 1085 by William the Conqueror, who invaded England in 1066. The first draft was completed in August 1086 and contained records for 13,418 settlements in the English counties south of the rivers Ribble and Tees (the border with Scotland at the time).
       The original Domesday Book has survived over 900 years of English history and is currently housed in a specially made chest at The National Archives in Kew, London. This site has been set up to enable visitors to discover the history of the Domesday Book, to give an insight into life at the time of its compilation, and provide information and links on related topics. (http://www.domesdaybook.co.uk/index.html, accessed online Feb.1, 2013).
   "British History Online is the digital library containing some of the core printed primary and secondary sources for the medieval and modern history of the British Isles. Created by the Institute of Historical Research and the History of Parliament Trust, we aim to support academic and personal users around the world in their learning, teaching and research." (http://www.british-history.ac.uk/Default.aspx, accessed online, Feb. 1, 2013). 
   I asked one simple question: How did this ruin come to be located here, near the banks of the Great River Ouse, between Wolverton and Milton Keynes? My question led to a historical thread and I just could not help myself--I had to pull it and see where it led!
   The first mention I found was in the Domesday Book where the village is called Stantone (Norman French). The notation reads, "Ralph from Miles Crispin. Mill (50 eels)." (Domesday Book Online, Contents, Buckinghamshire). Bear in mind we are looking back nine hundred and forty five years!
   What a cryptic entry. One would have thought a clerk seeking to list the details of all the hamlets, villages, towns and cities in William the Conqueror's domain would have been a bit more concise. And who is Ralph?
   I decided to check in the same book under Landowners to see if I could find any mention of Miles Crispin. It said,"Crispin, Miles - Related to Gilbert Crispin, Abbot of Westminster. Married Maud, daughter of Roger d'Oilly. Castle at Wallingford. Lands became Honour of Wallingford. Holdings in Berks., Surrey and five other neighbouring counties."
   An Honour in medieval terms is an estate given as an honor--usually  to a knight to secure his services as a soldier. The one in Wallingford is located in Oxfordshire. Okay, so onward to the next clue: at British History Online I found The History of the County of Buckingham, Vol. 4; William Page, Author, published in 1927. Pages 462-466 yielded a treasure trove of information! 
   Stantone (11th century), Stanton Barry (15th century), Stanton Bury ( 18th century), Stanton bury with New Bradwell (19th century).  This is a small parish of 806 acres, of which 5 acres are arable land,  permanent grass, and 25 acres are woods....the parish is watered by the River Ouse which forms its Northern boundary. 
   According to Mr. Page the village only had four houses remaining by 1736. He wrote, "The old church of St. Peters occupies an isolated position...though local lore has it that it was formerly surrounded by houses on the the North side. The church was restored in 1910 and used throughout the summer...the plan of the house which Sir John Wittiwronge built in the 17th century can still be viewed, between the church and the artificial mound which was a part of the gardens...in the general enclosures of 16th century Nicholas Vaux, then Lord of the Manor, turned much of the land from arable to pasture, putting some forty folks out of home and livelihood."
   Prior to 1066 a hide was a sufficient amount of land to support a peasant and  his household; eventually it became a unit of measurement to secure taxes, not all hides being the same amount of land. 
   In 1086 Miles Crispin owned the 5 hide manor of Stanton which upon his death went to his widow Maud and from her into the Honour of Wallingford where it was held in ownership until the 16th century by Knight service.  At some time between then and the 19th century this land went into eschat--passing to the Crown because there was no owner named in a will. How did this lovely bit of acreage go from Ralph, to Miles Crispin, to part of the Honour of Wallingford's knight service to the crown?
1066 UNTIL 1166-THE NORMAN CONQUEST
   A man named Bisi--one of Edward the Confessor's (King of England from 1042-1066) thegns (aristocratic Anglo Saxon) held this land prior to the Norman Conquest. He was succeeded by Ralph de Stanton who paid 100 shillings relief for this land in 1166. He is the Ralph mentioned in the Domesday book.
13TH &14TH CENTURIES--A ROSE RENT AND LANDS HELD IN DOWER
  In January 1201 Ralph's daughter quit claimed some of this land to a man named Simon de Stanton whose family surname was Barry. He holds the Knight's fee for the Honour of Wallingford between 1201 and 1212. 
   Simon died in 1221 and was succeeded by his son and heir Ralph Barry who paid 10 marks for relief on the land. Simon also had another son named Peter and when Ralph died his brother Peter became owner of Stantone. 
   In 1285 Peter's son Robert confirmed the right of his relative Hugh Barry to three acres of meadow at same. Documents exist showing that Robert paid his own son Thomas the right of ownership to the manor at Stantone for his life, in the yearly payment of one rose! Robert sat in Parliament representing the area in 1297, 1307, and 1312. He and Thomas obtained free warrant to the lands at Stanton by 1317. 
   Robert dies sometime before May 1321 where his widow Maud held one third of the manor in dower until 1326. Thomas Barry held the remaining two thirds until his own death in 1325 when his share passed to his son Robert, a minor of fifteen, who also succeeded to his grandmother Maud's share when she died in 1326. This is a time when women are chattel and cannot legally own anything outright for themselves. Maud's third held in dower was for a future husband or male relative to claim, which is exactly how her Grandsons Robert came to ownership of Stanton.
A CHANGE OF NAME IN A FEUDAL WORLD-STANTONE TO STANTON BARRY  
   At this time the manor is called Stanton Barry and included a large garden, the local acreage around the manor, a dovecote, a broken down watermill, and 3 acres of wood--all Ash which means Thomas the younger could make no money on it. Rents in kind for those feudal peasants working his land were 10 cocks, 6 capons, 1 lb. of pepper, 1 lb. of cumin and a pair of spurs!
    In 1332, the year of Robert's majority, an inquisition is held to determine his right to the Honour of Wallingford. Twelve witnesses of good character come forward on his behalf.  He marries a wife, Cecilia, who survives Robert, dying herself in 1349. Their seven year old son William Barry inherits and in 1377 he and his wife Margaret made a settlement on the manor for themselves and their issue subject to rent to a man named Robert de Kyngsfolde.
15TH CENTURY--ENCLOSURES AND ESCHAT
   William is dead by 1399 and Hugh Boveton of Yardley Gobion and his wife Parnel--daughter of William Barry--now make a settlement to the manor on behalf of Parnel's heirs. Somehow a man named Sir William Thirning becomes entwined in this story. Thirning I think was somehow tied to the little chapel of St. Peters, as documents exist indicating his will dated 1413 left funds to dedicate masses for William Barry's soul. In 1408 Sir William Thirning made a settlement on two men--John Fever and Reynolde Boveton--trustees of the church, and Chaplain, respectively.
   Somehow or other a family with the surname of Vaux gains access to Stanton Barry manor and its lands. It is highly likely they are related to Sir Thirning. In 1491 the lands pass by eschat to the crown as William Vaux somehow having brought a corruption to his name and family, loses right to the land by attaint.
    The manor was granted by the Crown to Ralph Hastings and Richard Fowler who held the lands until Nicholas Vaux secured a reversal of his father's attainder in 1486, gaining restoration of Stanton Barry and the rest of his father's lands. This is the man whom William Page mentioned in his History of Buckinghamhshire, Vol 4, who enclosed the commons of Stanton Barry, turning the peasants out of their homes and livelihood, ending feudalism on the manor and its properties. Nicholas was created Lord Vaux of Harrowden in April 1523 and died after only three weeks possession of land and manor!
16TH CENTURY--SOLD TO THE CROWN
   His son Thomas, Lord Vaux made a settlement on the land in 1535 just prior to selling much of it to Thomas Pope. Just one year later The land and manor house are sold to the Crown who granted it eleven years later to Sir Thomas Carwardine. He held onto the manor for a few years and then sold it 1551 to John Coke. In 1570 his son Robert conveyed the manor and lands to Robert Ashfield, who died in 1578. Stanton passed to his daughter Avice and her husband John Lee. Avice survived her husband, dying in 1599.
17TH CENTURY--STANTON BARRY TO STANTONBURY: PASSED IN MARRIAGE, RENTED BY A LUNATIC, OWNED BY A BARONET
   Two daughters are left as heirs: Dorothy and Mary, both minors. Women still cannot legally inherit property for themselves, unless they stay forever single. Even then it is likely any property they might have had will go to male relatives.
   Dorothy eventually married Sir John Temple, bringing him half the title to Stanton Barry. Sister Mary with her husband John Claver conveyed his half of the title to Sir Thomas Temple, Barton of Stowe--father of Sir John Temple, Knight, on whose behalf the transfer was made. At this time a viscount Purbeck lived on the premises. He was known to be a lunatic under the treatment by a Dr. Napier, rector of the nearby parish of Great Linford. 
   Sir John Temple died in 1632 and Stanton Barry passed to his son and heir Peter, aged nineteen. In 1653 Sir Peter Temple made a settlement of the property to Sir John Wittewronge, Knight. Four years later Sir John was raised to the title of Baronet, being enrolled at Stantonbury. Aha! The name has changed again due to Sir John finding many human remains buried about the parish! He died and was buried there under the chapel floor in 1697.
18TH CENTURY--MURDER OF A MOUNTEBANK, SOLD BY ACT OF PARLIAMENT, INHERITED BY JOHN SPENCER VISCOUNT ALTHORP
   His son and successor also named John, served as a colonel in Flanders with his own named regiment--the Wittewronges. He died in January 1722 and Stantonbury was settled on his son John who had no chance to enjoy the land as he fled the country for the murder of a mountebank named Joseph Griffiths at the Saracen's head in Newport Pagnell. 
   In 1727 after returning to England John sold the property to Sarah, Duchess of Marlborough, the sale being confirmed by an Act of Parliament. The Duchess died in possession of the manor in 1744 and under her will it passed to her grandson--John Spencer whose descendant Lord Spencer is now Lord of the Manor.  This then is the 9th Earl Spencer, Charles, AKA Viscount Althorp, brother of Princess Diana.
19TH CENTURY-A SHRINKING COMMUNITY
  In 1851 a census indicates there were the following living on the lands of Stanton Low: Widow Ann Bennett, an agricultural worker, aged seventy lived there with her four grown children William, Timothy, Hannah, and Maria. Will, aged thirty-nine is also a farm worker. His sisters are thirty and twenty-seven. Hannah is a lace maker and Maria is a scholar! All four are unmarried. 
  Also in residence at this time is a widowed farmer named Martin Thomas, aged sixty, owner of 440 acres. 
   In 1068 there was a mill in this parish worth 10 shillings, 8 d (53 pence/ 80Cents) and fifty eels! At last the fifty eels mentioned by the Domesday Chronicler have relevance!

St. Peter's Church, Stanton Low, 1927
©William Page

ST. PETER'S CHAPEL AT STANTON LOW
   The Chapel withstood all these changes over the centuries. Housed under floor slabs in it aisles are the bodies of Temples, Wittewronges, and several rectors as well as their wives. Just outside the chapel are many gravestones too old and worn to read.
   The chapel was an endowed gift in 1181 by brothers William and Ralph Barry. The vicarage was separate from the manor house and lands until sold by the crown in 1578 to Edmund Lee. Thereafter it descended with the manor, to his family and so on down to Sir Charles Spencer, the present patron.

   His father John, the 8th Earl Spencer was called upon in the 1950's to petition the Church to recognize a dozen or more marriages which had taken place at this historic chapel after a new church was built in Stantonbury located nearby and made the new seat of the Parish. It seems someone neglected to tell the rector of St. Peter about the change! Today we are told there is a local movement afoot to try and raise funds to restore the chapel.

Interior drawing of chapel of St. Peter, Stanton Low,
©British-history.ac.uk

South side of chapel ruins.

Ancient pathway to former chapel door on the West side.

Milton Keynes

Winter cruising is always slower than the summertime with frequent moorings as we slowly journey south. No rush to go anywhere and the cold winds of late make the decision to stay fireside with a book so appealing.

We spent a few days north of Milton Keynes and on Saturday made a move to fill up with water and shed a large black bag of rubbish. While on the water point Gary on the fuel boat Ascot came by so he gained our custom that Jules on Towcester could not satisfy 5 days ago as we passed  by each other at Cosgrove. Fifty seven litres of diesel, 2 bags of coal and a bottle of propane.

The water tank is full and fuel stocks are good so off we went to find a mooring at Campbell Park near the shopping centre at central Milton Keynes. At lunchtime not sure of our final plans we walked into MK and visited the outdoor market to stock up on fruit and vegetables.

Having made this walk several times over the years by a different route we followed the signs this time and had a pleasant 20 mins walk through the park. The route passed the cricket ground and then the open air theatre then up the hill to the highest part of the park the light pyramid giving views across Buckinghamshire and Bedfordshire.

Forgot the camera so all the pictures are from Googley Imagery.

Milton Keynes open air market and below the stall we made most use of.

 

 Aerial view of the cricket ground. Note the stepped grass tiers to sit and watch the game.

The open air theatre also had the same seating for the public as the cricket ground. 

The point with nice views is lit at night.  

A nice couple of days

We decided to move from the Stoke Breurne area and hoped to meet the fuel boat `Jules` on the way as they were heading towards us. Our wood stock was low but I had already spotted a fallen tree hidden in the bushes just 10 minutes cruise. With some wood on board we set off again and soon after  we turned a bend and Mother Nature

still on our side with a fallen tree laying halfway across the towpath. So our wood stock has increased a little but a lot more will be needed before winter ends.

 

Cruising on we could hear distant shotgun fire then just ahead from a tree flew a Barn Owl settling in a tree adjacent to our stern. In the next field a Hare was making off at top speed. Next sighting were men carrying shotguns with dogs at their sides shooting Pheasant.

 No wonder the Owl relocated to a peaceful perch and perhaps the Hare thought he might end up on the kitchen table.  The shoot stretched for about a mile+ with perhaps up to thirty guns in use spread over several fields. A couple of the Pheasant did make it to new cover much to the annoyance of the shooters whose shots went wide. Don`t you just love the underdog winning.

 

Further along two Bullfinches flew in and out of the trees on the offside just keeping ahead of us, not a common sight so it made me smile.

 

On arrival at Cosgrove the fuel boat was serving the permanent moorings but all Julia had was coal. Our needs are diesel, propane and a top up of coal for overnight burning. So just an overnight stay as a mooring amongst dozens of other boats is not for us.

 

We have found a little bit of towpath to ourselves just on the outskirts of Milton Keynes. A couple of days to chop wood and wait out the high winds blowing around us. We will move on soon as the cold weather is possibly coming back next week so we need to refill our fuel tanks and find another quiet spot in case the ice returns. 

So we have  had  two nice days cruising--both quite short--but we are on no time table so as and when we reach London is of no importance.

Now this would see us through the winter. Somehow this Oak even in the state it`s in does not deserve to be firewood. It stands there upright and solid and seems to be declaring `look at me but I`m still standing`

Gayton waste facility

Remember the picture on the left?. Just received the e mail below from CRT. Now we are way past Gayton now so I can`t keep an eye on things but I bet the bins are still there or even if they have been removed the picture on the left will soon be re-created with rubbish piled up. This area has a lot of long term moorings so something needs to be sorted asap.

Any bloggers out there had a problem loading pictures via Internet Explorer? It seems to be ok now but when we first had the problem changing to Firefox when blogging solved the problem.

Out of the Ice

About 2 weeks ago at Blisworth after going back to the services block to fill the water tank and dump the rubbish the engine decided to overheat.
Mmmm! now having looked at that sentence and noticed it makes no mention of the toilet cassette emptying I need to mention the the composting toilet. Ok so if you feel the need to skip  stop here and start to read from under the hose pictures below. We know of people very interested in the Airhead hence the following.
Now all good gardeners will have a compost heap and will know it takes a while to break down the stuff on your pile of leaves etc. The airhead toilet we installed is we think fantastic with no smell and no heavy smelly cassettes to empty and rinse out.
Now we need to empty ours about every 4/5 weeks. These toilets were originally designed for U.S. sailboats that with occasional use and long periods moored in harbour gave the contents time to break down to a dry crumbly matter.
So as ours is used continually the disposal is a bit more than tipping out the contents on the garden. It can be emptied the same as a cassette but as it won`t tip out easily this could be a problem for others in the elsan queue.
We found the old `bucket and chuck it` the best way. Now what this means folks either side of the pond is dig a decent depth hole and bury it. This is usually done when we are moored way out in the countryside away from the towpath.
I have said it before but once again, there is no smell with this system as the liquids are separated from the solids and the continual drawing of air through the toilet starts the composting cycle.



The above was an update for the people who have showed an interest.
OK the overheating engine, a quick check while topping up the water failed to spot the hose pictured on the right as the damage was  on the under side. All I saw was the hose on the left (ignore the horizontal cuts for easy removal). Sitting in the spares box since the boat was new a length of  heater hose. The hose is the engine take off to the Calorfier (hot water tank) and explains why the water has not been as hot lately. The seepage was on to the top of the engine and quickly evaporated leaving me no tell tale puddles on the engine bay floor. Just for ease of not having to bleed it all twice I replaced the return pipe as well. Next time you are close and personal with your engine, ladies it`s a man thing, just check the undersides of your water pipes men. Oh!  take that which way you want.

The Captain brings the boat through the thin ice

The rise in temperatures and heavy rain over the weekend as good as removed all traces of ice from the canal. So we decided to move down the seven Stoke Bruerne locks and cruise to pastures new. Two locks from the bottom it started to rain and having reached the bottom lock the captain (the real one) decided to stop for lunch. As the wind had increased and the rain was still falling the actual second in command (the one who thinks of captaincy) suggested staying the night so here is as far as we travelled but it sure was good to move after being iced in. We did have some nice evenings with Jacquie and Stein, like ducks 2 water and below is a picture they took of Jaq and I while we all walked in the snow.

 

Ok so tonight looks cold but check out the following days. I am thinking we might be moving soon.

Jaq`s 2 snow tricks

Snow is all around us so Jaq shows me her snow ice cream recipe. I must emphasize use snow from high up off the ground and never never use Yellow snow. We used the top couple of inches from the front bow locker.

One bowl of fresh snow

Add evaporated milk and sugar

Whisk and add Vanilla extract

Viola one bowl of snow ice cream Not to my taste as the sugar is crunchy but Jaq enjoyed it.

 Ok the second thing Jaq does with snow

She makes Angels in the snow

Iced in

We made the decision with Jacquie and Stein to move on from Blisworth. Both our boats were ice free and we had only to go through about a hundred yards of slushy wafer thin ice before being back in ice free water.

Exiting Blisworth tunnel this Ice sculpture hung in the tunnel mouth. The light in the tunnel is `Like Ducks 2 Water` following us through. It`s usually wet in the tunnel with water pouring from the roof but this was the wettest journey and i got very wet.

Having poured boiling water over the water tap we managed to fill our tank and decided to stay above the locks. I reversed back and moored in front of Jacquie and Stein. The pound below the top lock,pic above, was

a mixture of clear water and ice. Having walked down through the seven locks seeing more ice than water I now declare us frozen in.
Just hoping now for a thaw as my feet start to itch as soon as my freedom to roam is restricted.

Technical Writing--But What Do These Instructions Really Mean???

"Much unhappiness has come into the world because of bewilderment and things left unsaid" - Fyodor Dostoyevsky

  If you read Les' previous post you are aware we were having some technical difficulties with our Kerstan satellite dish. It appeared we needed a new part for it called an LNB. 
   As Les sat drinking his tea this morning I thought I would give the technical manual for the Satellite dish a gander. Simple curiosity drew me to the booklet.
   While I am not a technical writer per say, I have worked as a grant writer, produced a professional newsletter, worked as a journalist for university and community newspapers, written a blog which will be turned into a book manuscript, and started research for another book.
   I have a degree in English-Creative Writing and I teach writing tutorials online for a University, instructing beginning and advanced students in how to become better writers and how to write at a university level, therefore I am of the opinion I am qualified to critically review the written instructions in our Kerstan manual which should provide clear, concise instructions on how to assemble and operate the satellite dish.
   As I perused the pages certain things leaped out at me. The instructions were rife with typos and misspellings, such as, "With our mobile mini-SAT antenna you needn' t rennonce (sic) your satellite-programs, even on vacation, on camping tours in native- and foreign countries. To that end   you only have to fasten the outdoors system with the roof of your car or caravan." Well clearly an editor or at least spell check and a proof reader would have been beneficial before going to publication.
   Reading on: "With the help of the suckfoot this is very easy." Say what??? Suckfoot?? Is this a technical term--suckfoot? Is it a piece of equipment that came with our satellite dish: dish, LNB, antenna beam, wing screw, capstan head screw...yep suckfoot! I am familiar with the term suck face but this one is new to me. Call me an ingenue.
   According to the Kerstan Satellite manual this is a technical name for the satellite dish stand with a suction cup on the bottom. I am warning you though--do not Google this noun. It will provide you with links to porn sites such as "Cuddly Suck Foot Time" on You Tube, or Isis Taylor Pretty Feet Toes to Suck Fetish. Right, onward to Building Up.
   "You can assemble your off-set satellite dish at a wallwinkle at your window..." Wallwinkle??? Really??? Googling this term brings up Bullwinkle. Perhaps wallwinkle is a distant relative of Moose, companion of squirrel.
   "The antenna beam consists of two pieces ((3.1) and (3.2)) which you can combinate for..." Now wait a minute! I am certain there is no such term as combinate unless you are George Bush Jr. According to the technical writer of this instruction manual one can "'combinate' for the kind of assembling you choose. The arm in front with the LNB-holder and ball of the assembling arm you can (with the help of two parallel tongues) push together with the first arm...we recommend to grease the connexion between (3.1) and (3.2) a little bit." 
   Whoa, whoa, whoa! Maybe this is a manual more in keeping with the first Google search! Directions involving two tongues, multiple arms, and a greased "connexion" sound a bit salacious to me.
   The directions suggest "With the help a mast clamp (4) and two wing screws you can fasten the outdoor system with the wallwinkle, mast or railing of your balcony. Now you can easily regulate the vertical winkle of the slope with the help of a slotted hole and the end pieces...when you carfully (sic) remove the connexion between the two clamp pieces with a screwdriver or something like that." Something like that is such a professional term! I always keep one of those handy in my back pack. one never knows when one will need it.
   The manual goes on to recommend you "...put the ball into the suckfoot...with the help of the capstan head screw. Before you fasten the suckfoot at your roof we recommend to put a little bit of water on the rubber." And I thought my husband was reading up on how to fix our satellite. I am not sure these kind of positions are possible in the cabin of a narrow boat but if it helps us get better satellite reception I'm willing to help out.

Mmmmmmmm!!!!!

It`s cold, well it is outside of the boat. Ice forming alongside the patches that have been on the water all day so perhaps an ice in will start tomorrow.

The fridge has decided to play up by forgetting to switch off. Thermostat is on it`s way.

Now the Satellite has refused to work, think I need a new LNB for the dish.

I wonder what else is about to join the mutiny.

Going to have a cup of tea and read a book.
I guess you understand such a small posting.

Waiting to be frozen in.

Well it finally snowed during the night after what has so far been a very mild winter. We did have very light snow on Saturday but it was hardly noticeable. Over the years I can remember two occasions being frozen in before Christmas, 2009 and 2010. Last year Jaq and I were frozen in for 17 days about this time of the month.
At the moment we are near Blisworth and have one eye on the weather forecast as all wise Continuous cruisers should be doing through the winter. Having filled the water tank at Gayton we moored for a few days of RandR. We had an exquisite meal and evening in the company of Stein and Jacquie aboard `Like Ducks 2 Water`. We all decided to turn back on Monday and top up our water tanks and wait the outcome of the expected bad weather. Waking up Sunday to a thin sheet of ice on the canal the water run was brought forward. Looking at the picture above it was a good decision.

 Above is the BBC weather for where we are starting tonight and below the prediction from next weekend. A lot of below freezing figures. Not convenient for a Tesco delivery here so a walk to the village tomorrow for a bus to the nearest Tesco near Northampton.

 

The overflowing bins I e mailed CRT about have been emptied. Perhaps the Canal, River Trust will get more done quicker than our old masters British Waterways, early days yet.

Canal, River Trust send e mail re rubbish

Here we have the very quick response to my e mail to C.R.T. As to the site being clear now we will be returning that way shortly and I will let you know.

Mr Biggs,

Please bear with us on the service at this site, the new bridge limits either side of the yard and further up the road have prevented Biffa from accessing on the weekly empty with the normal wagon since the 12^th of December 23012

We have instructed Biffa to attend with a man and van to clear the site since your picture was taken and weekly thereafter so the site should be clear now.

We are working closely with Biffa to resolve the situation without closing or relocating the facility at this site. In the meantime if you are able to use of alternative facilities it will greatly help the situation.

I hope this helps,

Many thanks

Regards

Daniel Barnett

Contracts Delivery Manager

South East Waterway

T 01908 302543 M 07710 175097

Through Buckby and Weedon

Down the Buckby flight of locks next to the bottom lock opposite the chandlers stood the Spotted Cow pub. The present day picture still has the metal work for the hanging sign above the door.

The former Spotted Cow pub.

We saw several of these flying bird scarers over the fields along the canal. They are pretty convincing and in two fields there was no sign of any birds feeding on the crop.
The video on the site shows the details but it`s basically a printed kite attached to a fisherman's pole and powered by mother nature.
Quite an advance on the old scarecrow standing still in the centre of a field.

I have e mailed Canal, River Trust with this photo and I will let you know if they reply.

This was a mooring we had last Sunday. Across the canal is the church St. Peter and Paul. Now I and also with Jaq have moored here many times but it seems not on a Sunday.
At 9am we awoke to the lovely sound of the bells calling parishioners to church. So we lay in bed discussing whether or not the good people of Weedon needed reminding of the service about to start.
The next we knew it was 11.45am!!!
Oh how nice it is to be people of leisure.

Along the way

Nice to see the hedgerows getting a trim

Away from Braunston

 We left Braunston and made our way up the locks and through the tunnel as we needed to pass down the Buckby flight of locks before they close. The maintenance stoppage was due to start on the 7th for 3 weeks.
 
This is the old toll house at Norton Junction where the Leicester branch of the grand Union leaves the main line at the top of the Buckby flight. At the moment it is having an extension built at the rear which perhaps has something to do with the `Toll house boat sales` notice displayed on the front lawn.

Back in 1950 the Salvation Army purchased an old butty and having fitted an engine they cruised the canals helping the working boatmen and eventually had a mooring at Hawkesbury junction.  They also took over the toll house and it was eventually the retirement home of the Fieldings who had manned the boat.
The bridge behind the building was once a swing bridge it can just be seen in the picture below.

The toll house as it was circa 1970. Sally army Brigadier Fielding is believed to have died here in the 1990`s. Some information here.

Nev Wells is selling `Waterlilly` as he is now the proud owner of Percy. Link for the boat sale is below.
http://narrowboats.apolloduck.co.uk/feature.phtml?id=284510


Fellow blogger Ross aka Bert the Gnome came to visit today. Sorry Ross forgot to take a pic. Anyway Ross has sold his house and is now looking at boats with the intention of being a live aboard.

Move along the boat please, your needed at the rear

Almost 7 years ago when I first started living aboard I had read of the many boaters who used an Eco-Fan. This device sits on top of the solid fuel stove and is powered via heat from the stove top feeding a built in Thermoelectric unit that generates power to the blades. I believe mine lasted about 5 years before giving up although to be fair it had fallen to the floor a few times after my early days of bad steering into locks.
Even from new I was not convinced of it`s ability to move hot air down the boat. With the Eco-fan sitting on the stove the bedroom in the stern was always the coldest place in the winter. We have no tall bulkheads to stop the heat until the corridor past the bathroom into the bedroom over half way down the boat.
The stove on Nb Valerie is 27" off the floor so the fan has more of a chance to push the heat over the chairs and dinette...you would think.




So following the demise of my Eco-fan some 18 months ago I rigged up a square computer fan in a wood frame. It worked fine and the difference in the bedroom temperature was very noticeable. The problem was I was not happy with the look of the unit and took it down. Since then I have been half heartedly looking for a solution.
While in the U.S. I purchased two 4" fans that were intended to clip on a car air vent.   Now all that was needed was a means of mounting them from the ceiling.
Woodcraft unlimited  is a company owned by friends Larry and Lael Turnbow on whose ranch we stayed while in Idaho. Larry makes custom cabinets, handcrafted woodworking, domestic or commercial, and the work is beautiful. After showing Larry the fans and telling him roughly what was needed within a half an hour he produced two very nice frames as in the pictures. These are beech and I have given them 4 coats of clear lacquer.


As you might have noticed the fans have  Blue Led`s that look quite nice but totally un-necessary.
The heat through the fans is tremendous and just a few minutes is enough to push the heat down the boat in, and this is my opinion, a much more efficient way than the Eco-fan. Problem with the Eco-fan is it does not affect the heat that rises and sits at ceiling height.
Anyway like boat toilets boaters will have different opinions but I have replaced something that in my opinion was not up to the job.
I am at the moment in the process of replacing something else on the boat, NO not my lovely bride Jaq, but a future blog will reveal all.

The Grand Union/Junction canal

The last time we were on the Grand Union was almost a year ago. We had left London mid December and passed through Braunston about the second week of January on our way north.

 The picture above is a few days old whereas the one below is from the Frith Collection and is circa 1960. This was the original route of the Oxford canal past the buildings and across the road into the fields crossing the present route at bridge 97 along the puddlebanks then turning back near bridge 98. On both sides of bridge 97 the old canal is still in water and on the towpath side amongst the greenery a small section can still be found.

copyright of Frith(link above)

ISBN 0715357506 

 In 1793 an act of Parliament authorised the Grand Junction to build a canal from here at Braunston to Brentford. A much shorter route than the Oxford canal that went via the River Thames. The G. J. route was to be 60 miles shorter and even with more locks would still be much faster. The Oxford raised many objections but could not overcome the might of the rich backers behind the Grand Junction. The Oxford planned amongst others a canal from north of Oxford itself to Marylebone in London a distance of 60 miles. Routes to join up with the Grand Junction at Marsworth were as you can imagine turned down by the G. J. To cut a long and interesting history the Grand Junction had to guarantee the Oxford £10,000($15,000) for lost tolls as boats chose to leave their canal in preference to the G.J. 
The book is fascinating. 
 
 So London is our destination although not Brentford. We intend a return visit to Paddington for a 7 day stay so I can show Jaq more of London.
So ahead of us we have 100 miles and 90 locks. The canal planner states that travelling 3 hours per day the journey will take 52 hours or about 17 days. Well we can quite definitely say our journey is to be at a slow pace and will take.................who knows.

We still have our Oyster cards from last year so just a small top up. I have my national bus pass so will need the Oyster card just on the underground train system. After Paddington  our route will be the Regents canal through north London and onto the Rivers Lee and Stort. 

Happy New Year

 

 

Wherever you are in the world be it afloat or not. We wish you all good health and as much happiness and contentment as flows through the 58 feet of Nb Valerie. 

 

 

Looking out from the bow doors as the darkness of 2012 slowly gives way to the first dawn of 2013.