Voyages of Gabriel: Aylesbury to Grove Lock

Mon 6^th Jun Aylesbury to Marsworth

After a busy weekend celebrating the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, we had packed the final items onto Gabriel, and spent a night on board.

We had arranged to depart at 1100, and the weather forecast had been changeable, with rain forecast. Today we found that the rain had happened in the night, and the storm was now over the North Sea. Thank you, Lord.

Ready for departure

Our crew arrived – Jack and Eric, with Roger as a last minute addition as he had wanted to move his car, and had driven from his boat in Wilstone. Sadly, Joyce couldn’t come as she was unwell. She had been looking forward to the trip for several weeks.

Eric lifted the lift bridge for us as we made our way out of the basin, and we set off up the Aylesbury Arm, saying farewell to John and Ruzenka as we passed. Jack and Eric worked the locks to start with. At the first one, we gave out “How do Locks work?” to a lady who we discovered lives in Provis Wharf. Jack had a go on the helm and later on Roger took a turn.

Jack steering

Redhouse Bridge

Eric and Jack at Redhouse Lock

Eric and Roger in charge

Roger at the helm

Gudgeon Stream Lock

We let Roger off near his boat, and he and Jo soon started after us on Spirit. We left Eric at the next lock to help them up the rest of the locks. There was very long grass on the lock sides, which was wet from the overnight rain, so we mostly ended up with wet trousers.

Overgrown locks

At the top of the arm, we turned left and used the facilities point to empty a cassette. Sandra had arrived by car, and she joined us as we pulled across to the other side to make room for Spirit. We had a time of prayer on board while Spirit took on some much needed water supplies.

Spirit at the waterpoint

We moved off again to find a mooring, and thankfully found a long enough length for both Gabriel and Spirit on the mooring rings after bridge 130.

Moored in Marsworth with Spirit

We had seen two boats crossing our path from right to left as we emerged from the Aylesbury Arm. Later a hire boat came past from Leighton Buzzard and moored further back. They were the only moving boats we had seen all day. Roger and Jo came aboard for a meal, and then James accompanied them to the Red Lion for a drink and some pub games. Hazel stayed with the boat as she had painful feet.

Red Lion

Roger and Jo trying to outsmart one another

Wildlife today: skylark, cormorant, kingfisher, lapwing, red kites, a family of swans, tufted ducks.

Swan family

14 locks, 6 miles, 1 lift bridge. Dep 1100, arr Marsworth 1505. Dep 1545 arr rings 1600.

Tue 7^th Jun Marsworth to Grove Lock

In the morning our boat was covered in tiny elder flowers, from the bush above our boat

Elder flowers on the gunwale

It was warm and sunny today as we made our way north, sharing locks with Spirit. James and Jo wielded windlasses and pushed gates, while Hazel and Roger steered the boats.

Leaving Marsworth

The first double lock of the year

Roger, Hazel, and two dogs

Pitstone Wharf

Seabrook Swing Bridge had two walkers sitting there having a picnic. They needed to move out of the way. James operated the bridge, which was heavy to push. No windlass or key needed. After Gabriel had passed through, a Braunston hire boat came the other way, and then it was the turn of Spirit.

Seabrook Swing Bridge

Spirit through the swing bridge

We spotted the Whipsnade chalk lion on the hillside. They should have taken the opportunity to put red, white and blue items there to form a union flag.

Whipsnade Lion

We had heard that the moorings in Leighton Buzzard were being refurbished, and were out of use, so, after Slapton Lock, we decided to look for suitable moorings. We ended up passing through Church Lock, where Jo wanted to buy the church, now being used as a house. A boat was coming up through the lock here, so we waited a few minutes.

Meeting a boat at Church Lock

We also went down through Grove Lock, and thankfully, a boat had just left a mooring below, leaving enough space for both our boats. We moored up and went for a drink and some nibbles in the pub. When we first came through here in 1999, the building was still a lock cottage.