Voyages of Gabriel: Milton Keynes to Seabrook

Thu 22^nd Sep Great Linford to Water Eaton

Dawn at Great Linford

We continued our journey around Milton Keynes, where the old bridges are now for pedestrians and cyclists and new bridges have been built to take the roads. There are also many sculptures and public parks.

Leaving great Linford

Newly painted sculpture

Adjacent to Campbell Wharf Marina there is now a new pub, Warbler on the Wharf, which is, no doubt, a useful gathering place for the moorers there.

New pub

Campbell Wharf Marina

There is a wide range of religious and spiritual views on the canals here, and we often see Yin and Yang signs, dream catchers, pentacles and other symbols.

Buddha on a boat

Green man

We caught up with a Wyvern hire boat, dawdling along, rather than rush back to base at Leighton Buzzard. They kindly pulled over to let us pass. We soon left them behind, and at Fenny Stratford Lock we decided not to wait for them. They never came into view.

Hire boat in front

Fenny Stratford Lock and Swing Bridge

We continued to Water Eaton, where we had held the mission in June. We moored very close to where we had been then. We walked across the footbridge and caught a bus to Ikea, where we had lunch and wandered around the store. Sadly, James mislaid his hat at some point, and we didn’t find it. The staff could not trace it. It was bought in Tasmania last year. We had walked a long way, so we took a taxi back to the boat.

1 lock, 7 miles, 1 swing bridge. Dep 1000, arr 1300

Fri 23^rd Sep Water Eaton to Leighton Buzzard

Moored at Water Eaton

We departed again, passing Willowbridge Marina, which had a lot of boats out on hardstanding. Stoke Hammond Lock we had to ourselves. At Three Locks, a boat was coming down, so the locks were then in our favour.

Willowbridge Marina

Diandy leaving the locks in our favour

Three Locks

Leighton Lock was also in our favour, and we found a mooring outside Tesco. We popped in for a few urgent items, before moving on via the facilities to a quieter mooring.

Leighton Lock

Moored in Leighton Buzzard

5 locks, 8 miles. Dep 1010, arr 1325 Tesco. Dep 1435, arr 1500 Br 115a

Sat 24^th Sep Leighton Buzzard to Seabrook

Glorious sunshine greeted us this morning, as well as lots of canoes from the club opposite. Autumn has arrived, and as we left, we saw several boats with smoking chimneys.

Sunny morning

Sunny mooring

Canoes

Fires are on

At the boatyard, we saw a narrowboat with a stern paddle wheel. We know of one on the Wey at Guildford, and one on the Grand Union near Uxbridge. This may have been the Uxbridge one.