Voyages of Gabriel: Leighton Buzzard to Cosgrove

Sat 6^th Mar Leighton Buzzard to Water Eaton

The coal boats set off for the lock, hoping to be released by lunchtime. We saw Tudor several times. His boat looks good, and was repainted six months ago. We exchanged phone numbers.

We went up the High Street where a small market was functioning. We bought some samosas from a stall, and bought several items from an excellent “Aladdin’s Cave” shop. We returned via Waitrose.

James decided to walk up to the lock to see the work and take some photos. He never got that far, as there was boat coming the other way. They said they had come through the locks, and the coal boats had already gone down. James walked briskly back to the boat, and we set off. When we arrived at the lock, there were two boats going down in front. Then one came up, and it was our turn. Another boat was waiting to come up when we left.

Progress was slow, as there were many boats moored up. We soon passed the fuel boats overtook one of the boats that had gone down before us, as he was operating a heavy boat, using an electric outboard.

When we arrived at Three Locks, a widebeam was starting to rise towards us in the top lock, and the other boat from the Leighton Lock was going down in front, just leaving the middle lock. Sadly, there was no-one to share with, and no volunteers either. The middle lock has a top gate that opens by itself – the one furthest away from the pub. There was very tame heron fishing in the locks. He was not bothered by us and James was only a few feet away from him when he caught a fish. They are usually very shy birds.

At the bottom lock, as James was winding the ground paddle, a sorry mishap occurred. His mobile phone became a bit too mobile, and slipped out of James’s pocket, bounced once, and fell into the lock. So, we no longer have Tudor’s phone number, and there will now be some retrieving of data to be done, and an attempt to remember the diary entries. This is why there are no blog photos yet today, as they were all taken on the phone. What pics we do have were taken on the camera.

Leaving Three Locks

After the trauma of Three Locks, there was another slow stretch with many moored boats, leading to Hammond Lock, which was against us. We moored soon after, at Water Eaton, where we are hoping to hold a Canal Ministries mission in June, if pandemic restrictions allow.

Lovely cruising weather

Moored at Water Eaton

Sunset at Water Eaton

5 locks, 6 miles. Dep 1355, arr 1725.

Sun 7^th Mar Water Eaton to Cosgrove

We both had showers this morning, appreciating the excellent water pressure, which is better than in our apartment. We departed straight after breakfast, just as another boat was coming towards us.

Another boat on the move

Fenny Stratford Lock was against us, although we had met a boat a few minutes earlier, so we were expecting it be for us. The other boat may not have come through the lock. We soon set it again, and swung the swing bridge, and proceeded on our way.

We watched the Broughton Church live stream service on YouTube, as we cruised slowly round the outskirts of Milton Keynes. As we sang along with the songs, some towpath walkers must have wondered about us.

Church service on the roof

The unusual three-armed bridge by the new Campbell Wharf Marina

Campbell Park

After the service we joined the Zoom gathering with our life group. We kept going round Milton Keynes, and people in our group said they didn’t recognise where the canal goes. Here is a map to clarify the route.

Milton Keynes map showing the route of the canal

We spotted a lovely patch of Croci, and another heron to make up for the one we saw yesterday but whose photo is on the phone that is at the bottom of the lock. Also, a nesting swan.

A yellow crocus patch

Heron

Nesting swan

We continued past the lovely old buildings at Linford. I had thought we would get a good view as the leaves are not fully out yet, but we discovered that there are landscaping works going on at the pond there, and an ugly fence is spoiling the view.

Landscaping works at Gt Linford

Gt Linford Church

We passed our favourite MK mooring at Stanton Low Park. There were several boats there, including fuel boats Beverly and Ascot, looking very run-down.

Beverly and Ascot

We continued across the Grafton Street Aqueduct and through Wolverton with its amazing mural.

Grafton Street Aqueduct

Looking down on the road

The railway mural

It has an engine at both ends

Some knobbly trees

The new apartments in Wolverton

Then we saw lots of people on the towpath before we crossed the Great Ouse on the Iron Trunk Aqueduct, noting that the river walk had been closed due some erosion damage sustained during the recent flooding.