LLANGOLLEN CANAL

Came up onto the Llangollen Canal through the four locks at Hurleston with the help of the ladie locky who is on duty at this busy flight. Now this is the second female lockie who has told me to stay on board while she locks me through, now i`m thinking is it my muscular manly looks that makes them rush to help or do they feel sorry for the old so & so struggling on his own....make your own minds up i know what i think well wish anyway.
Been on the Llangollen just over an hour and the boat in front at a lock pulls out so i walk up and set it for me open the gates bring the boat in and then find the bottom gates won`t shut. So i got my boat pole and prodded around the cill and sure enough something was lurking below the surface stopping the gate from closing against the cill. After 20mins i gave up and phoned the BW 24hr emergency line and within half hour of the engineer saying he would call the duty team

these two BW men arrived, now half hour is better than the 2 hrs i`ve waited on a road for the AA. Anyway as you can see they got down onto the back deck of "VALERIE" and prodded, pushed and pulled for a good 40 mins and up came a well water sodden log.

The canals are on the whole a very pleasent enviroment to live and you get some nice people as neighbours so i thought you might to meet some i have shared the countryside with recently.

Young chirpy, he`s just to the right of the bread looking over the edge of the back deck actually perched on the rope. He would hop up and knick a piece of bread and fly off then be back on the rope for a repeat performance. Enlarge pic for better view.

Mr Mandarin Duck so posh and colourful, feel proud to have him as a neighbour.

Mrs. Mooo & a few relatives checking me out as i move in to their neighborhood.

Ms. Quack and her latest offspring

BOAT FOR SALE

NO NO NO not mine

My friends Sue/Vic on NB No Problem have just bought a bigger boat and so the other is for sale. Check out the details on Sue`s blog and even if you don`t want a boat the blog is a good read.
There is a link on the left of my blog or you can use this www.choiceforum.co.uk/blog/noproblem.html

STILL ON THE SHROPPIE

A couple of miles on from our night stop at the Anchor pub we came to this old chocolate factory, and it was from here that chocolate crumb was produced and loaded onto narrowboats to be taken to Cadbury`s at Bournville. When this prodution ended the factory produced only dried milk powder.

Spent the whole Easter w`end at Nantwich just lazing in the amazingly good weather for a Bank holiday. Nice and handy for stocking up the freezer with the benifit of of a Morrisons S`market and a nice selection of shops. Treated myself to a canal painting by a local artist of a narrowboat at nearby Hassle Green, 22" x 17" framed and a bargain at £20 not a print but a pukka paint job. Will try and get a pic of it hanging in the boat.

Below is the Crown Hotel in Nantwich, re-built in 1585 after a previouse coach inn on the site was destroyed in the great fire in 1583 that destroyed a large part of Nantwich. The other pic shows one of several Tudor style buildings in the town.

The remains of Beeston Castle can be seen for miles before you reach it. Built in the 1220`s by Ranulf the Earl of Chester. It sits 500` high overlooking the cheshire plain.

Henry lll used it as a garrison. Edward ll built more walls and strengthened the towers. It was occupied by both the Parlimentarians & Royalists during the civil war. It has a well of 370 feet that must have been ideal for long sieges.

As you cruise along at such a slow pace without a care in the world it`s nice to observe the wildlife around. The Buzzards high in the sky hovering over the fields looking for a meal. A kingfisher flying past settling on a tree ahead and as the boat catches up off he goes to perch further on. I have been lucky enough to observe one diving into the water and catching a small fish. Ducklings are plentifull and the largest brood has been 13. Only today i witnessed nature in action when a duck with 6 babes was on the towpath and as they all waddled past a tree a crow came down from above and snatched a duckling. Perhaps this is the reason they have such large broods for they also lose some to Pike. Not much of a start in life attacked from above and below. Saw a baby lamb just born with mum licking it clean.

Just waiting now for the cygnets to hatch this mum has 10 eggs in her nest.

So a very good start weather wise to the year and long may it last.

At this time we have started to cruise the Llangollen and Tina is becoming more nervouse by the day as we have to cross the Pontycylitte Aquaduct on this canal and at 130` high her fear of heights is worrying her. She will be fine with 3 men a cat and a dog to look after her.

Hi Sandra, Tina is in good hands and thanks for the ginger cake, yum.

We popped upto Chester for a few days before returning down the Shroppie and turning onto the Llangollen at Hurleston Jct. next to the reservoir of the same name that holds 80,000,000 of water that flows down the canal from the R. Dee up past Llangollen.

Chester was not as nice as last time John & I visited back September time. We then had 6 very peaceful days but this time the yob element reared it`s head and at 3am Johns boat was set adrift and stones thrown at the boat so they could watch him get back to the mooring. The stones hit my boat and with Johns boat bumping into Tina/Andy we all were up. Still the kiddies had their fun on the way home from the clubs and no damage was done.

Anyway in complete contrast i am sitting typing this out in the countryside with a lift bridge just ahead the doors are wide open and it is so peaceful.

UP THE SHROPPIE

Moored for the night at Brewood and after a wash & brush we all went for a meal at the Bridge Inn next to bridge 14.

Brewood is small neat village that has everything shopwise from the village baker to it`s own police station with a butchers, small supermarket, bank & even a library in between.

If only all our police stns. were as nice and only had to be as big as the Brewood Stn.

On we go heading slowly for Chester as we wanted to avoid the Llangollen in the schools half term. Passing Wheaton Aston you notice how fairly straight this canal is with very few twists and turns. It seems that when this canal was built the intention was A-B as directly as possible and this shows at Cowley Cutting where the canal has been cut through solid rock. As you cruise through the sides rise steeply and there are signs of recent rock falls. At the end of the cutting is Cowley Tunnell again cut through solid rock. So as you cruise into this tunnell and look up there are no brick linings to be seen just the rock.

There were signs warning of rock falls

No concrete or brick lining just solid rock
No messing they just went straight through the rock

Exiting the tunnel brings you to the village of Gnosall and 2 miles further Norbury Jct. the scene of a recent boat tradgedy when a couple in their mid 40s were killed on board by a carbon monoxide fumes from a poorly maintained gas water heater. Police tape is still evident as we pass.

News, both good and bad travels fast on canals either by chatting to other boat crews as you pass through locks or internet sites such as www.narrowboatworld.com or www.towpathtalk.co.uk the latter is also in print and available in boat yards amongst other places.

The Anchor at bridge 42 was a night stop. This pub is the size of a house, probably was in the past, and as you enter each side are 2 house size rooms each with open fires. The bar is about 10` long and passes through the dividing wall into each room. It has a couple of pumps on the bar but a lot of beer is served in jugs from the barrell. Scrumpy as well!!

OUT OF BIRMINGHAM

Leaving Gas St. Basin we take the Birmingham Level Main Line intending to branch off through the 3 lock flight at Smethwick onto the Wolverhampton Level. As we approached this jct. a large sign hung above "canal closed". This route would have run parralell but 20` above the Birm. Main Line and we would have turned sharp left and crossed over the Main Line through Oldbury Jct. and on towards Tipton. As the canal system around Brum is so vast we were able to take an alternative route.
As we cruise we pass many bridges, some bricked up, that were once entrances to unloading docks for the many industrys of the past that are now empty sites or have been built on.


We stopped off overnight at the Black Country museum as this is fenced off from the canal system and only accesable by boat or gates that our BW key will open. I covered Black Country Museum on my blog of Oct 3rd 2006.
On the way Andy/Tina managed to get a very large chain & hook wrapped around their propeller that came with 4` of rope at no extra charge. Not long before this they also had a Sari around the prop. On the blog Jan 27th 06 are pics of Andys last propeller catch, a sleeping bag.
Exiting the bottom lock brought us down on the Staffordshire & Worcestershire canal and and in just under a mile we passed through Autherly stop lock onto the Shropshire Union a drop of just 6". The lock like so many of such small differences in level came about to prevent one canal company taking water from another where their canals met.
Up the Shroppie we went looking for a night stop and saw this little narrowboat, maybe it might
have been owned by one of Snow Whites 7 dwarfs.

INTO BIRMINGHAM

Andy/Tina posing outside the Bull Ring shopping centre. The city centre of Birmingham is noticebly litter free but that`s probably because all the rubbish goes in the canal but seriously well done Brummies nice clean streets.

British Waterways doing their daily run clearing the floating rubbish in and around Gas St. Basin Pity they can`t do the same on the canals entering and leaving Brum as i think this is the worst city i`ve visited for rubbish. On our way in we even saw a 3 piece suite floating over a half mile stretch plus all the shopping trolleys and general rubbish.

After the built up area of Birmingham it`s so nice to see some open countryside.

First chance i`ve had to get a pic of the lambs although they have been appearing in the fields for the last month.

LOCK AFTER LOCK

So we go on turning right at Napton Jct. past Calcutt up the Stockton flight of locks on through Warwick, nice place and interesting museum, on up through the Hatton 21 turning left at Kingswood Jct. onto the Stratford on Avon Canal only to face 19 more locks.
Seems like someone built Birmingham on a hill just so boaters can climb upto it, oh well once these are done it`s lock free into Brum.
That`s 65 locks near as dam it since Braunston. Still its been spread out with night stops along the way.
Oh before i go comment on last blog `Bored` X 25. Did you ever think Mr/Ms Bored that maybe i hadn`t blogged because i was unwell or perhaps the PC was playing up.
"Hi Les hope all is well as you haven`t blogged lately" would have been nice instead of your childish comment.
While on the subject of comments you might notice now and again spam comments. These are electronicaly sent from who knows and i delete them as soon as i can. There is one still on blog for Feb 17 "on to fenny" I left it there meaning to mention these spam comments but forgot. Please don`t click on any links within these spam comments as the majority are either selling something or are porn.
I can stop these appearing but it would make it harder for your good selfs to leave a comment so i prefer to remove them as quickly as i can.




The extension to Calcutt Marina is now open complete with fancy arched bridge that i imagine is waiting for steps to be attached. There are 3 locks here and we ended up stuck for an hour between locks as BW were carrying out emergency repairs to one of the gates, still it gave us an excuse to put the kettle on and what`s an hour in a lifetime.

About half way up the Hatton flight of 21 locks.

Nice piece of metal work in the side pound opposite the BW yard at Hatton locks.

The crew have mutinyed and clapped me in irons. Actually Tina/Andy decided i should put a pic of me on the blog. This was at Hatton craft centre 5mins walk from Brdg. 55 top of the Hatton flight.
The centre consists of about 15-20 shops set in an old farm and selling shoes, clothing, gifts, garden centre and butchers amongst others. Also a childrens farm with bouncy castles, trampolines and of course animals to stroke......you know the sort of thing. A nice place to stop off if you cruise this way or drive to the Hatton lock flight to walk or sit outside the BW cafe and watch the boats go through the locks.

LOCKS OPEN

The body building next to the Nelson pub.

10am Friday last and the canal was again in water and the padlocks came off the gates. It was like being let out of prison, well i think it was not having had that experience i can only imagine the feeling, and so off we went stopping only at the marina to get a replacement gas bottle.
Started to go up the 7 locks leading to Long Buckby and on entering the 2nd noticed some very nice logs at the lockside begging me to take them, well can`t refuse free heat so as the boat rose in the lock on the roof they went. By the time we reached the last lock on this flight there had been quite a lot of boats moving down the flight.
Now we have just 3 miles and Braunston tunnel before we have to go down 6 locks into Braunston. Half way down is a pub called the Nelson that was actually a farm and next to it a small building that in days gone by was used to store salt and dead boaters awaiting burial. So if i go missing remember to check there first.
Managed to moor up in front of the Braunston Marina where they have on sale a narrowboat built in China and shipped over in a container. It was ok but nothing special certainly not as good as boats i have looked at from Poland, but no doubt the chinese will get better and flood the market with boats. Very sad that even our boat builders are facing competition from abroad and makes you wonder if in the future British Wateways will be in foreign hands.
So had a few days here and celebrated my 59th year on this planet and also it`s been 2 years since i did my 1st blog. Click MARCH 2005 on the left to read it.
This evening we have decided to cast off at 10.30 Wednesday as the weather shows this will be the best day till the w`end.

WHILTON and STOP

This is the stop part of my blog title. I am standing at the first lock of 7 in this flight and as you can see NB VALERIE or any other boat for that matter won`t be going anywhere yet. At the moment BW have this pound and the next drained for maintenance. All of the locks have been shut now for 33 days but hopefully they will be open on Friday 16th.


This is Whilton Marina which sits at the bottom lock of the Buckby flight. The boats in the foreground are for sale and as we have plenty of time to spare decided to get a few keys from the sales office and have a look round some of them. Bit DEJAVU as this was one of many places i visited when looking for a boat. Just as before many different types of layout and fitout styles but none that took my fancy.
The other boats are moored here on a permanent basis to be used when the owners get time but a few are lived on.
This stretch of the Gd. Union as you approach Whilton brings together 3 forms of transport. The M1 runs alonside the canal to my right and the West coast train line to the left.
Some time ago someone e-mailed me that they would be coming out of Whilton soon. If you are reading this sorry i have lost the e-mail so give us a shout be nice to chat

WEEDONS HIDDEN CANAL

In 1803 a Royal Army Ordnance Depot was built at Weedon Bec. It was made up of 8 storehouses and 4 magazines. Small arms and gunpowder were just two of the things stored here. The magazines had thick walls and between each an additional building that was filled with earth.

During the early part of its 160 year life the depot had barracks for 500 men, a hospital, a military prison (1861 census shows 94 inmates) and just outside the depot still as built accomadation for its own fire brigade.

In 1809 on a saturday an order was recieved for 22,000 muskets. These were packed in cases and on Monday morning they were on there way to London.......are you thinking whats this got to do with his canal travels? has the water gypsy gone senile? is he blogging from the pub?

Noooooooo the Muskets went to London by canal.

When the depot was built they dug a canal from within its walls exiting via a Portculis Gate to join up with the then Gd. Jct. Canal. Going past today you would never know of its existence as there is no sign of it from the canal. I read of it from an old canal book picked up on my travels last year and having missed it going south last year was determined to seek it out this time.

Now this canal transport system was going well and then came the railway passing close to the Gd. Jct. Canal and level with it. Both had passed above the village one each side and come together as they passed by the Ordnance depot. To overcome the problem of allowing boats loaded with gunpowder to access the depot canal a section of rail was removed each time a boat came in & out.This was supervised by the local Stn. master.

Rail lines were added at Weedon Stn. that led into the Ordnance Depot giving it 3 forms of transport, road, rail and water.

Blimey this blog is long i`m supposed to be retired. quick cuppa and i`ll carry on

The Ordnance Depot went on untill the mid 1960`s and during its life was used as a clothing store kitting out Kitcheners Army also it was an army eqeustian school and stabled some of the finest horses in the country. Plus the Army had its bicycle section here.

This place is full of history and interest from who was stationed here to what civilian workers in the depot earnt 100+ years ago. I claim no superior knowledge of this place having read all i tell you in a booklet issued by the Weedon Bec History Society and purchased in the village post office. Don`t miss the village it`s a nice place to walk around and pick up supplies.

Oh just thought going north on the Gd Union under bridge 25 past Weedon Wharf on the Left(port) you see the church. There are a few moorings on the church side but don`t worry if you moor opposite there are steps down to a road passing below the canal and into the village.

The point that the depot canal joined the mainline is further up on the left in the middle of the boatyard before bridge 24.

If you go looking for the depot as you stand outside looking at the portcullis gate behind you is the old engineering works. To the leftof it is a lane and just a few yards along the lane you can walk through the trees past the deserted building and find the canal exit under the railway.

Nice eh!

A view from the canal bank looking across the churchyard showing the railway passing at the same height as the canal. Walk past the church into the village and the road goes gradually uphill to the Ordanance Depot.

Inside the depot the entrance to my left shows a large part of the canal still in water. Further down a now filled in basin allowed the turning of boats.

The entrance to the Depot with the portcullis gate that would raise to allow boats to access.

The canal having exited the depot passes under the rail lines. This is the only part in water outside of the depot. An old engineering works has been built over the rest.

This is the place the Ordanance Depot canal joined the main Gd Jct. Canal. Notice the height of the railway in relation to the canal and the metal railings seen in the picture from the depot side.

THE CONVOY MOVES ON

Off we go through Blisworth tunnel dodging the water dripping from the roof and in places pouring down the ventilation shafts. Exiting the tunnel brings us to Blisworth village and we all decide to get a bus to a Tesco on the outskirts of Northampton to re-stock our galleys. Shopping can be a problem on some stretches of the canal system but it is surprising how often you can be away from it all but just a 10 min bus ride from civilisation.

So stocked up on food we carry on to Gayton Jct. where a new marina is being constructed and stop off at the service block to dispose of rubbish, empty toilets and take on water.

Next stop is Bugbrooke where we spent a few days and i had a busy w`end with sons Kev and Steve visiting together with the G`children who brought their mums Joanne & Ozlem. Managed to give them all a cruise along the canal on the saturday which was just as well because it rained all day Sunday. All of us had a meal Saturday evening in the Wharf Inn and as i had moored on the pub mooring they had somewhere to park almost next to the boat.

After they had all left i woke the next day feeling rough with the common cold, yes ok you tough ladies out there us men get a cold and its the end of the world, so stayed put for 2 days to recover. Having fought off the fever we are off to Wheedon to seek out the hidden arm that leads into an old army depot. The others can`t wait to get this part of the trip over because i never stop talking about it.

New marina taking shape at Gayton Jct.

G`daughter Keira spends her day aboard laughing and smiling.

G`son Kiernan is mobile now and wastes no time investigating the boat.

One of many bridges along the way.

As well as a couple of Bream Andy&Tina managed to land this Crayfish.

STOKE BRUERNE

Stoke Breurne is a typical canalside village situated just south of the I 3/4 miles long Blisworth Tunnel.

The tunnel was started in 1793 and took 12 years to complete. In 1800 the canal had reached Stoke Bruerne from London and arrived from the north at Blisworth in 1796. While the tunnel was being constructed a tramway was built going over Blisworth hill. Boats would be un-loaded from both sides of the hill and cargoes would be transported by horse drawn carts running on tracks over the hill to be re-loaded on to boats. This went on for 5 yrs untill the tunnel opened joining the 2 waterways up.

In the 1980`s British Waterways spent 4.5 million lining the centre part of the tunnel and the tunnel was closed for 4 yrs.

Stoke Bruerne is a nice place to visit and indeed during summer months is very busy with people visiting the museum, taking boat trips or eating at the 2 canalside pubs. The lock flight also brings out the boat watchers so your steering skills have to be 1st class with such an audience.

Some nice walks across the fields and one walk led me to find the old Stoke stn. now a private dwelling but with part of the platform still in place. The original trackbed can be walked along and it actually crosses the old Blisworth hill tramway although the bridge has long gone the bridge buttresses are still visable.

Boat scales in the original lock chamber.

View from the road bridge. Boat Inn to the left and museum to the right. This is a double arched bridge, the second arch added when the wide lock was added. On the left is the original lock that now contains the Boat weighing scales.

The canal museum set in an old corn mill. To the right one of those cottages was sold in 1947 for £400. Hate to think of the price nowadays.

The Boat Inn having its roof re-thatched with Norfolk reed. The boat moored is used to take visitors into the tunnel. Just behind the scaffold is the entrance to a small shop within the pub that sells a few basics, handy for boaters as the village has no shops.

A narrowboat exiting the tunnel southbound to Stoke Bruerne.

One of the concrete rings used to re-line the tunnel in the 1980`s

Took this pic from an information board at the tunnel mouth, handy things digital cameras.

The Tramway route looking up the incline from the Stoke Bruerne side of the tunnel.

MILTON KEYNES & COSGROVE

This is the pub/restaurant on the edge of Caldecotte Lake. They do a lovely sunday roast with plenty of tables overlooking the lake that is used by the local sailing club.
The lake was excavated in the late 1980`s each side of the River Ouzel to store excess rainwater and prevent flooding downstream of Milton Keynes. Many of the lakes in M. Keynes were constructed for the same reason.
This is a really nice place to walk around and has purpose made paths and a nice area of swings etc for the little ones. It takes about 90 mins to walk all round or 50 mins by using a bridge part way round the lake. From the canal you can access it at bridge 92 near the village of Simpson.


Further along the canal around bridge 81 Willen Lake can be found Gulliver`s theme park right next to the canal. This is not your Alton Towers type park and it has in fact many rides for the small people. In fact children under 90cm get in free. I did visit with 2 of my grandchildren a couple of years back and a great time was had by all. WWW.GULLIVERSFUN.CO.UK

Here at Cosgrove the R. Ouse is the lowest point between the 2 Gd. Union Canal summits at Tring and Braunston. Nine locks were constructed temporily while an Aqueduct was constucted to cross the R. Ouse.

The first Aqueduct was constucted of brick and opened in 1805 and collapsed in 1808. This resulted in the temporary locks being brought back into service while a new Aqueduct was built. This time they used a cast iron trough to carry the canal across. In 1811 the new Aqueduct opened and has remained in use, with the exception of maintenance in 1921&1986, upto and including a few days ago that we passed over it.

Unless you actually stop and walk around a lot of canal history would just pass you by.

I am setting up the skittles for some trick shots, well boys will be boys after a few beers.

The Barley Mow in Cosgrove village is Tina`s first encounter with pub skittles. Andy is there as always giving support.

This is the view along the original canal. There were 9 locks that brought the canal down to the R. Ouse and back up to Cosgrove lock the only survivor of the flight. When i passed this way April last year the canal bed was dry but excess water on the R Ouse has flooded it.

Cosgrove Aqueduct taken from the bank of the River Ouse.

A view of the Aqueduct and to the left a small tunnel to enable farm animals to move from fields each side of the canal.

From a 1921 photo showing maintenance being carried out.

If you click on May 2006 in the archives to the left there you will find my blog as i last came north through here.