Stoke Bruerne to Milton Keynes

Sun 16th Oct  Stoke Bruerne

The rain came early as promised by the weather forecasters. Fortunately by the time we wanted to walk along to Kathryn’s place it had mostly eased off.

A wet day in Stoke Bruerne

Drying out a bit

We had a pleasant time with Kathryn over coffee in her cottage, and thankfully we by the time we left the rain had stopped.

Mike had started on his trip boat, going up to the tunnel mouth and back time after time.

There was no service today in the local church, so we listened to a CD on Revelation by Paul Standley, which had been lent to us when we were in Barnoldswick earlier in the year.

We walked down past two locks to the long pound to see is there was anyone there that we knew. There were surprisingly few boats there, considering that every mooring was taken on the top pound.

Back to the boat for a music practice.

No boating today

Mon 17th Oct  Stoke Bruerne to Grafton Regis

We waited for the rain to pass before we set off.  We had to cruise up towards the tunnel and turn in the winding hole before heading for the locks.

Turning before Blisworth Tunnel

Assorted hardware

We knocked on Kathryn’s door but she was not in. We sent her a farewell text.

Outside Kathryn’s house

We shared locks with a young couple who had borrowed our hose connector at Yelvertoft. There was no name on their boat. It was evident that they were new to boating because they asked if two boats could fit in the lock.

Sharing with the hosepipe boat

We were following a single boater on a very slow boat called Sloth who wouldn’t accept any help.  He was sharing with a boat with three crew members, but he insisted on bow hauling his boat in and out of the locks, and doing the gates himself.

At lock 17, our two boats were ready to leave, but the next lock was not ready. As there was some breeze, the two boats stayed in the lock mouth, and the crews shut the gates behind them, and walked on down to the next lock, by the ugly road bridge. The two boats there were still in the lock, and when they left we had to wait for a single boat that was coming up.  We operated the lock for them, and they left the lock as our boats finally were able to leave their lock entrance.  As the guy went past Hazel he said “What’s that for?” “What do mean?” she said.  “Why did you shut the gate?” he said.   His boat had been two locks down and out of sight when we closed the gates.  His crew had not gone up to open the gates when she could have.  People need to be a little more relaxed and have patience when they are boating.

Synchronised boating with the ugly bridge in the background

We stopped to use the facilities at the foot of the locks, and we stopped for the day soon after bridge 57, near Grafton Regis. There were lots of tiny apples in the trees and on the ground, and we couldn’t walk without crunching them. 

Apples in profusion

James pit the crayfish traps out

7 locks, 2 miles

Tue 18th Oct  Grafton Regis to Giffard Park

There were 8 crayfish in the traps this morning.

Bright morning sunshine

We cruised on past Yardley Gobion.  Boats were moored just south of there, opposite a boat club, moored on a very narrow towpath with mooring pins.  Just the other side of the bridge there is piling and we wondered why they didn’t moor there instead?

Despite the sunshine, there were black clouds around and a strong breeze.

A weather front

We met Brighton and Nuneaton coming towards us. We always tuck into the side out of the way when we meet them as they look rather threatening! 

Brighton and Nuneaton

A new paint job?

Cosgrove looks interesting. One day we will stop there and explore.

Cosgrove

Converted industrial buildings in Cosgrove

Cosgrove Lock was being used by Sloth.  “You can get back on the boat now if you like, I’ll do the gate.”  “No, it’s alright, I’ll do it,” as he hauls the boat slowly out of the lock on a rope.  It would be much quicker and easier for everyone if single boaters would accept the help they are offered.

We crossed the iron trunk aqueduct at Cosgrove, and continued through Wolverton, where it was sad to see Brunel’s original railway bridge covered in graffiti.

Cosgrove Aqueduct

Brunel’s bridge in need of some TLC

As we started the long cruise around Milton Keynes, we saw lots of little apples on the ground, perhaps due to the wind, and some beautiful autumn colours.

Pommes de Terre

Autumn colours

 Is this really Milton Keynes?

We stopped at Giffard Park, and as we arrived we met Tudor on Out and About. He was just leaving. This is the fourth time we have met in the last three years, at Hillmorton, Ellesmere and Milton Keynes.

Dusk at Giffard Park

A bird had sat in the trees above the boat last night and left a deposit.  Probably a flock of pigeons, or several owls, or maybe a King Condor from the Andes judging by the pile!  James had to wash the roof, the plank, the boat hooks and the chairs.

We went for a meal at the Giffard Park sizzling pub and were pleasantly surprised. Good food for a very reasonable price.  We noticed that a pint bottle of Bulmer’s cider is no longer a pint but half a litre.

No longer a pint

Half a litre

1 lock, 9 miles

Wed 19th Oct  Giffard Park and CMK

Early morning at Giffard Park

Today was a shopping day. We caught the number 2 bus into central Milton Keynes, and went first to Music Kavern, a guitar shop in Xscape, for a new capo for James plus some guitar strings.  Then to WH Smith for next year’s diary pages (we later realised that we came away with the wrong ones!) and a till roll.  They don’t stock till rolls!

Then to Hotter shoes – they didn’t fit James and had the wrong colour for Hazel.

Then we went to Giraffe for lunch, followed by a visit to Krispy Creme Doughnuts for dessert and a coffee.

Then we went back on the bus to the boat at Giffard Park.  The bus stops here are very easy and we have found this to be the most convenient place for shopping in Central Milton Keynes.

No boating today

Next: to Leighton Buzzard for church and the light railway