Aylesbury to Milton Keynes

Sun 29th April  Aylesbury to Marsworth

The planning for the first week has been dictated largely by the weather forecast. We had originally considered leaving on Monday, but heavy rain is forecast all day. Wednesday is also forecast wet. We need to be in the Leighton Buzzard area by Wednesday evening so that Hazel can get back to Aylesbury by bus for an appointment.  So that leaves Sunday and Tuesday as boating days.

We planned to move the boat nearer to the facilities first thing on Sunday morning so that we could load our coal bags onto the roof (not easy when the boat is moored stern on) and be ready for a quick departure straight after church. However, this morning we found our domestic batteries were flat. We discovered that someone had turned off our power supply during the working party yesterday. Our immersion heater had been on to give us hot water for showers. When the outside mains power source was switched off, the current came instead from our domestic batteries.  So we switched on the mains once more and left the batteries charging while we took part in the church service.

During our final service the leaders prayed with us and sent us on our way.  Over coffee afterwards there were many farewells, and we shall miss the people here as we travel this summer.

We moved the boat so we could load the coal as planned.  We had invited John and Ruzenka to join us for as long as they wanted, and they could walk back. We set off just before 1pm and Nigel kindly opened the lift bridge for us as we reversed out of the basin.

The last view of the canal basin

The first lock, Broughton Lock no 14

Our guests travelled with us as far as Red House Lock, and then walked back. 

John helping at Red House Lock

John, Hazel, Ruzenka

We stayed dry although it was cold and breezy. There was a lot of water coming over the lock gates at most of the locks. We met our first boat of the season, the day boat from Aylesbury Canal Society, Catalina.

Water over the lock gates

Catalina

We were excited to see our first swallows of the season, although it was impossible to take good photos as they don’t stay put.

Swallow

Approaching lock 5

The staircase pair of locks at the top of the arm

After the working party yesterday we already had aching limbs, and the final few locks were a challenge, but we made it to the top at Marsworth Junction, and we found a mooring on rings after bridge 130.  We put the hood up and waited for the forecast rain to start.

14 locks, 5 miles, 1 lift bridge

Mon 30th April  Marsworth

We had a good lie in to recover from an energetic day yesterday. We had been expecting heavy rain but we had none.  We did have some strong winds, and we stayed where we were on the rings at Marsworth.

Moored at Marsworth waiting for rain which didn’t come

Very few boats went past, but there was a strange rig consisting of what looked like a short but wide ex trip boat, towing a lifeboat.

The lifeboat being towed

Hugo met a black and white cat but there were no fights, just a stalemate stand-off.

No boating today.

Tue 1st May  Marsworth to Grove Lock

Morning sunshine and reflections

We had a lovely sunny day today, departing from Marsworth just before 10am.  Hugo was quickly up on deck to see where we were going.

Hugo keeps a lookout

We saw our first Orange Tip butterflies, as well as Brimstones, and we saw buzzards, kites, a cormorant, some more swallows, a heron very close, and some mallards with ducklings.

First wide lock of the season

The first locks were the two Marsworth Locks, followed by Seabrook Swing Bridge and the three Seabrook Locks. We met two boats travelling together, and then a widebeam with a couple who are having a “gap year” living aboard.  They were travelling very slowly so we were pleased we were going the other way!

53 miles to Braunston, where we will leave the Grand Union

A lot of the blossom is past its best after the heavy rain we have had recently, but it still looks good against the lovely blue sky. Fields of rape make the countryside dramatically yellow.

Blossom and blue sky

A yellow hill

Fields of turf

We had an unexpected rain shower at Horton Wharf, but it only lasted about five minutes. Then at Slapton Lock we shared with a man on a boat called Rymardas. He had just filled up with water which is why we caught him up. We shared Church Lock and Grove Lock with him, and moored up just below, while he continued to the Globe at Linslade.

Rain!

Sharing with Rymardas

Moored below Grove Lock

We went for a meal in the Grove Lock pub. Very good food, but service was a little slow.

After the meal we were back on the boat in the sunshine. Hugo made a fuss of us. We think he is pleased to be boating.

Hugo in the sunlight

Hugo in relaxed mode

11 locks, 6 miles, 1 swing bridge

Wed 2nd May  Grove Lock to Leighton Buzzard

Today was mostly wet as forecast, so we planned to stay where we were.  However, the rain paused mid afternoon, and we decided to go a mile downstream so that we could go shopping in Leighton Buzzard.

Leaving Grove Lock evading rain clouds

We didn’t bother putting down the hood as we had no locks to negotiate.  We stopped just short of the town, where we still had hedges instead of brick walls.

We went first to Aldi hoping to buy a stove-top fan which we have heard about. Sadly, but not surprisingly, they had sold out. They sell for £12.99, whereas we paid around £100 for ours. We missed out on this offer last time as well. When we are boating it takes several days to get to an Aldi.

We stocked up with lots of other things, and also visited Tesco before returning to the boat.

1 mile, 0 locks.

Thu 3rd May  Leighton Buzzard to Three Locks

After a leisurely start we went to the bus stop and caught a 165 to Stoke Mandeville Hospital. It went through several villages and paused at Aylesbury Bus Station before we were able to alight at the hospital for a diabetic eye examination for Hazel.

While we were there we met a lady who knows Jonathon Hayward (ex Canal Ministries, who used to have Kairos, and now lives in Belfast). She was there to help her 86 year old father with his appointment.  After the appointments they squeezed us into her Honda Jazz with his wheelchair and walking frame, and gave us a lift back to Leighton Buzzard. There are some very delightful people around.

The lady in the Jazz

We bought a few more items in Aldi and Tesco, and returned to the boat.  We set off as soon as we could, and went past the long straight where there are usually around fifty ducks (only about ten today) and past the Wyvern Shipping hire boat base.

Passing clues to previous industry in Leighton Buzzard

Wyvern hire fleet

We used to Leighton Lock which was against us and needed filling first, and then we followed the twisty canal past the Globe Inn and near the railway.

Leighton Lock

Globe Inn

Dandelions which seem to be in profusion this year

Heron flypast

Ducklings

As we neared the Three Locks, a man on a moored boat called Sorted asked us if we were going down the locks. We said “Not this evening”. He said he was going to move down to moor beyond the work boat. Well the work boat was only three boat lengths away, and we pulled in there as there was nowhere else to moor except on the lock bollards. We assumed he would stay where he was, but he didn’t, and he ended up on the lock bollards for the night. Why he moved we don’t know.

Moored by Three Locks

Hugo was ashore before we even turned off the engine.  We walked down to the Three Locks pub and had a meal. The food was very good, but the service was poor, as our main course came before our starter. We cancelled the starter and had dessert instead, and that was on the house in the end. Although the Nicholson Guide says that they serve real cider, the only apple cider was Aspalls, which is very gassy. Tomorrow they have a music and beer festival starting, when they have twenty ciders available in a beer tent.  We will be in Milton Keynes by then.

Three Locks pub

Three Locks by night

1 lock, 4 miles

Fri 4th May  Three Locks to Milton Keynes

There were some early starters this morning, and one boat down the locks before anyone was up.  Another, called Infinity, shared the top lock with Sorted. We thought there was another boat coming up, but it turned out to be Sorted returning after turning round one lock down, where the canal is wider. 

James helped him through, and we went down with no other boat to share with.

In the middle lock

The bottom lock

Soon after the bottom lock we found Infinity moored up. Then about a mile further on we descended through Stoke Hammond Lock which needed to be filled first.

Stoke Hammond Lock

Then we were at the start of the twelve mile meandering canal around Milton Keynes. The old hump back bridges are still preserved and used for walkers and cyclists, while the traffic goes over large wide new bridges much higher above the canal.  This means the canal goes through a green corridor with trees, bushes and parkland in many places.

These trees are very poplar

We descended through Fenny Stratford Lock, where the swingbridge over the top has to be swung each time a boat goes through.

Fenny Stratford Lock

We moored near Milton Keynes Marina, and we spotted a boat called Out and About, owned by a South African guy called Tudor. We have met him a few times before.  He wasn’t around, but we moored near him.  Infinity eventually went past.

Moored in Milton Keynes near Out and About

5 locks, 6 miles, 1 swing bridge

Next: Shopping tomorrow (Saturday) and on Sunday a visit to MKCC (Milton Keynes Christian Centre.  Stoke Bruerne by Tuesday, and Braunston by the following Sunday.