TO COW ROAST

"Some things never change" so the saying goes but at Soulbury the old Three Locks pub has most certainly undergone some change albeit purely cosmetic with the main structure remaining. It has been taken under the wing of the GU group who have covered the old side ponds with decking to create an outside seating area complete with small bar and renamed it "The Grand Union at the Three Locks"
Click the link above and see some more pictures, personally i just could not bring myself to enter for a pint amongst the shall we say posh surroundings. Gone is the pool table and basic tables and chairs. Sadly a pub that once we boaters would feel comfortable entering in boating attire has become another plastic pub.Below looking down the Soulbury three.

Moving south through Leighton Buzzard and leaving Grove Lock another marina takes shape on the offside. Looking at the layout of the pontoons it would appear to open straight out onto the
canal as there would be no other way to enter the moorings. Looks like another winter stoppage on the way when they open it up.


At Marsworth the reservoir canal side next to the car park was the lowest i have ever seen it. To the left the other reservoir was full as was the 3rd one over behind the tree`s to the right.
I spent a week moored here as some Friends paid a visit and also it was convenient for a w`end visit to one of the sons. Probably would have stayed longer but my water tank was getting a bit
low so the decision was made for me to move up through the flight of locks to Bulbourne where i met George and Carol on Rock n roll at the water point. Just remembered to grab the camera as they turned to head back south.

At cow Roast a new addition since my last visit are a bank of recycling bins and as can be seen they are either well used or not emptied very often but a call to BW resulted in the local council
arriving the following day to clear the bins.


Just for a change instead of a sun set view a full moon picture.
Don`t know what the future holds regarding the blog as travelling over old ground makes it difficult to find blog material and i certainly don`t want the blog to read like a police alibi accounting for my every hour. At one stage i did think of ending my blog but decided to carry on with blogs appearing less frequently than in the past hoping that those of you who enjoy it will click in now and again checking for up dates.
Listed on the right are 20+ other boating blogs so why not try a few of them to get your blog fix and pop back to mine anytime.

STOKE BRUERNE Heading South

After leaving the Blisworth tunnel celebrations the 7 locks at Stoke Bruerne have to be negotiated and each one holds up to 56,000 galls of water.

In the 1790s the Grand Jct. Canal Co. created this route between the midlands and London and in doing so cut 40miles off the original journey via the Oxford canal and the R. Thames. This shorter route came into use following completion of Blisworth Tunnel in 1805.

The locks were duplicated in 1835 to speed up traffic even more during a time that canal companies were competing for business.


After the second lock down the flight the remains of the old brick works arm can be seen with
just a brick wall and some vegetation growing in the almost dry canal bed to give any clue as to the location.
The brick works operated between the 1840s and 1920 and boats would leave the main line to load in the arm with bricks and capping's for use on the canal as well as shipments for buildings along the way.


Now i`m just guessing but this model being proudly steered along the lock pound could be a
Destroyer or perhaps a Minesweeper, if dad was alive his WWII navy experience would have
supplied the answer but if there are any old sea dogs out there please correct my guesswork.


Moving south and another marina takes shape at Thrupp Wharf next to bridge 64. Opening on
the 1st oct it will have 60 moorings at a cost of £2300 for a 60` boat.

As can be seen in the plan above the entrance is in the winding hole next to the Navigation pub.





Below is Campbell Park moorings in Milton Keynes with room for 4/5 boats on the non towpath side next to the neat and tidy pond or is it a lake? When does a pond get big enough for lake status?.
Anyway not having visited MK from this area, have always bussed in, i made the 20 mins stroll into the centre for a look around and i can report it`s the same as last visit......boring.