Weedon to Cosgrove

Thu 9th September  Weedon to Stoke Bruerne

We left Weedon, going past Grand Union Narrowboats, but there was no sign of Steve. We continued through Stowehill, where the diesel price at Rugby Boats was slightly higher than we had paid at Nether Compton. We won’t need fuel now until we get back to Aylesbury.

Grand Union Narrowboats

No need for fuel at Rugby Boats

We passed a line of CRT workboats, with no-one using them

Birds on a wire

This kingfisher posed for us

At Gayton Junction we tied up at the facilities,  and took the opportunity to take a few things off the roof and clean the boat with the aid of a hose.

Gayton Junction

Facilities

As we passed the wonderful warehouse at Blisworth it started to rain. This took us by surprise, as it had not been forecast. We usually get wet inside Blisworth Tunnel, but this time we were already wet.

Blisworth warehouse

Wet approach to the tunnel

Meeting boats in the tunnel

When, after 30 minutes, we emerged the other side, the sun was shining again! We moored as close as we could to the village, as Kathryn had an injured leg and couldn’t walk very far.

Moored in Stoke Bruerne

Boat horses in the field

We arranged to meet Kathryn in the café, where we had a good catch up.

With Kathryn in Stoke Bruerne.

0 locks, 11 miles, 1 tunnel. Dep 0905, arr 1325.

Fri 10^th September  Stoke Bruerne to Cosgrove

A wet morning in Stoke Bruerne

A pollarded tree

It was raining slightly first thing, so we waited for it to stop before setting off. James had a chat with the other James on Tranquil Rose. Apparently, James had bought the boat from Mike, who now runs the trip boat in Stoke Bruerne. Mike had bought it from Steve Furniss who runs Grand Union Narrowboats in Weedon.

Kathryn came to bid us farewell as we came past her house into the top lock. At the second lock down, we were offered assistance by a volunteer called Bradley, who helped us a lot by going forward to set the lock each time. We had the flight to ourselves, and when we reached the bottom lock, there was a boat waiting to come up, so we left the gates open for them.

Top Lock with Kathryn

Top Lock

Passing the Navigation Inn

Bradley the volunteer.

We made good use of the facilities, cleaning the other side of the boat with a hose.

Facilities at Stoke Bruerne

On the way from there to Cosgrove, we saw a buzzard being mobbed by at least 25 crows. Who’d want to be a buzzard? We also spotted a kestrel. The we met Ray and Sharon on Vanguard, but sadly we only had time for a quick hello as we passed each other.

Crows mobbing

Buzzard

Kestrel

Ray and Sharon on Vanguard

We moored in Cosgrove, where there are rings. It was mostly peaceful, except for a large flock of Canada Geese in front of us.

Moored in Cosgrove

Canada Geese in abundance

7 locks, 6 miles. Dep 0950, arr bottom lock 1105. Dep 1145, arr Cosgrove 1330

Next: continuing our journey south down the Grand Union, seeing Chris and Sally in Milton Keynes tomorrow. Aiming to be back in Aylesbury by Wednesday 15^th.