Cosgrove to Whilton Marina

Sat 25^th Jun   Cosgrove to Stoke Bruerne

It was breezy this morning.  After a light breakfast (our appetites are low) we set off gently and made our way out of the interesting village of Cosgrove. There are old barns and warehouses converted into apartments, old thatched cottages, the Barley Mow pub, a medieval church, and the tunnel under the canal for horses. Also, the ornate sandstone Solomon's Bridge.

Cosgrove

Barley Mow

Solomon's Bridge

We had a pleasant but uneventful cruise past the Navigation Inn at Thrupp Wharf, through Yardley Gobion, and skirting round historic Grafton Regis, where Elizabeth Woodville married Edward IV, and where their grandson Henry VIII had a palace.

Navigation Inn at Thrupp Wharf

Luxurious plants

Grafton Regis

We passed a pair of boats belonging to a new travelling theatre group, Bonnet and Belt

Theatre company boats

We arrived at the facilities moorings at the bottom of Stoke Bruerne Locks, and filled our water tank, disposed of rubbish, and emptied two cassettes.

Stoke Bruerne facilities

We thought Kew would be about an hour behind us, but we discovered that some of them had been swimming in the Great Ouse below the aqueduct at Cosgrove.

We waited for two hours for a boat to share the locks with, and eventually shared with Lady Emily, owned by a pleasant, retired couple called Dave and Jenny.

Stoke Bruerne bottom lock

At lock 18, we waited for two boats to come down, as they were in lock 16, and lock 17 was in their favour. When we left lock 16, another boat was waiting for us.

Crossing over

Precision boating

There were lots of gongoozlers, and we had some help pushing gates. As we cleared the top lock, we spotted GB-Casi, a widebeam belonging to old friends of ours Brenda and Graham from Byfleet Boat Club. It was good to spend a little time with them catching up, socially distanced alongside the path.

Top lock gongoozlers

Moored in Stoke Bruerne with GB Casi

We heard that Kew had stopped for the night at the bottom of the locks.

7 locks, 6 miles. Dep 0940, arr Facs 1140. Dep 1425, arr 1620

Sun 26^th Jun  Stoke Bruerne to Bugbrooke

Kew came past at 8.30am, heading for Blisworth, for a church service. David, Graham, and Richard Alford on deck. Two ladies inside, we think. They must have left about 6.30am. The service at Stoke Bruerne is only on the second Sunday of the month, so nothing today.

Kew going past

We went for breakfast at the Boat Inn, which was very good, and deservedly popular. We met Mike the trip boat operator for Charlie, who was chatting with Andy, who skippers Indian Chief.

While we were there, lots of Japanese people came in. We spotted the coach driver, who said that they have chartered Indian Chief to go through the tunnel and back. Half of them are going northbound, then he is taking the rest by coach to Blisworth where the two parties will swap round.

The Japanese group

Back outside, we saw that Brenda and Graham had left. They had not been around when we walked past their boat earlier. They must by now be halfway down the locks.

We called on Kathryn for a brief chat. She is about to have a cataract operation. We discovered that the museum’s historic boat Sculptor is in Northwich being painted. A long way to go for a paint job.

We were ready to go, so we put the hood down and set off for the tunnel. As we approached the mouth of tunnel, a boat emerged. James asked, “Is there a boat behind you?” “Yes” they replied. “How far behind you?” “Well, they’re heading in this direction!” Not such a helpful conversation. They were actually about five minutes behind.

The boat emerging from the tunnel

Into Blisworth Tunnel

Despite very dry weather, it was still wet in the tunnel. It took 30 minutes from portal to portal. It was surprisingly busy, and we met five boats altogether, including Indian Chief, full of Japanese tourists.

Leaving the tunnel

Wet roof

The warehouse at Blisworth

Blisworth Tunnel Boats

Unexpected vans at Blisworth

We found Kew moored shortly after Blisworth, with just Graham on board. The rest had gone to Blisworth Baptist Church.

Kew moored at Blisworth

We went past Gayton Junction, where the Northampton branch heads off down 17 locks to the Nene.

Old railway bridge and moored boats

Gayton Junction

Gayton Junction

We travelled on to our intended mooring just after Heyford Fields Marina, a place we call Bugbrooke Badgers, because there is a badger sett that spills over the towpath.

Moored at Bugbrooke Badgers

While we were there, Ray and Sharon (Vanguard) came past heading south on a boat called Grace that they were moving for someone else. Later Kew came up from behind and went past.

Ray and Sharon

Kew

Kew

Red Kites

James went and sat by the badger sett for two hours listening to the birds singing. Sadly, no badgers in sight.

The view from James’ chair

0 locks, 7 miles, 1 tunnel.  Dep 1140, arr 1420

Mon 27^th Jun  Bugbrooke to Whilton Marina

When James got up this morning, it was just starting to rain. He quickly got the hood up, just before a heavy shower. It had been forecast dry.

We waited until there was a good sized gap in the clouds before setting off for about an hour to Weedon. We had hoped to moor by the church, but the moorings were full. We carried on past Grand Union Narrowboats, and under the bridge, and found some rings, just as it started to rain again.

We had a good doze, despite men shouting and machines working on a building site opposite. Later we went to visit Tesco and stocked up on a few essentials.

New buildings opposite our mooring.

We moved on further, and just under the new Weedon bypass bridge, we met a working pair, skippered by Janul, who plays guitar and sings.

The new Weedon bypass bridge

Pair on a bend

There were a lot of working boats around, returning from the Braunston Festival.

This section is particularly noisy, with fast trains running past on the left, and the M1 coming very close on the right.

We spotted two unusual vessels: Bonsano, built in 1935 in Paignton, and a boat made from a steel container.

Bonsano

Container ship

We found a space opposite Whilton Marina, on the mooring bollards just before the Buckby Locks, which we hope to tackle in the morning.

Moored opposite Whilton Marina

0 locks, 6 miles. Dep 1115, arr 1240 Weedon. Dep 1615, arr 1720 Whilton Marina.

Next: hoping to share with another boat going up the Buckby locks.