Our Second Trip--Part 1



Wednesday, May 7th
At last we are free, after some more finishing off work on the boat,
to set off on our next cruise.
This is to be north from Braunston along the Oxford canal,
through Rugby and on to Hawksbury junction.
There we shall join the Coventry canal up to Marston Junction,
where we shall turn on to the Ashby canal.
The Ashby is twenty-two miles of lock free canal, a cul-de-sac,
with rural views all the way, if the Nicholson Guide is to be believed!

We filled up with diesel before we left Braunston.
The tank holds 240 litres, and it took 206 litres, so we had used that much in a month.
And we thought diesel wasn't going to be an item! At 31p per litre, it cost GBP 63.87--
quite an item I would say for OAPs on a fixed income.........!

The Oxford canal is delightful
and the stretch we travelled on today was England at its best.
Rolling countryside, cattle and sheep in the meadows and very few boats.
There are only three locks on the whole of the route we have chosen to do, and we negotiated these around lunchtime at Hillmorton.
The weather was warm and sunny,
so we moored up just after the last lock and stayed put.
I put the washing out on the towpath on the airer to dry like a real gipsy--
except that I suppose to be authentic I should have thrown it over the hedge.
Trev asks if I mean that literally!

Thursday, 8th May
Today we set off through Rugby.
We stocked up at Tesco, which is only about 500 yards from the towpath.
Then we went through our first tunnel, Newbold Tunnel.
It's only 250 yards long, but it was a good one to start on.
There is a light at the front of the boat for tunnelling
which one sets to shine on the roof at about 30' ahead of the boat.
Once out at the other end, it was wall to wall, or bank to bank, scenery.
There was one particular spot called All Oaks Wood, which was just beautiful.
The trees met overhead and the sunshine slanted through.
I think I shall have to take up poetry or painting to capture some of these idyllic moments.
At least when I'm on the zimmer frame, lining the wall of an old folks' home,
I shall have some wonderful memories--if I still have a mind to remember them!
I did promise you pictures



We moored up at Bridge 15, at the bottom of the garden of The Rose & Castle in Anstey,
a pub we have always arrived at by road until today.
In the evening, friends of Trev came to pick us up
to go for a meal at their house in Nuneaton,
so it was a good end to a lovely day.

Friday, May 9th
I'm writing this as we are moored up at Bridge 5
(please note Leonard) on the Ashby canal.
We've had a good day.
We set off from our mooring and headed for Hawksbury Junction.
We were both looking forward to this,
as we had walked along here before our boat was ready,
and said how much we were looking forward to coming by water.
And now at last we were going to do it.
As I've said before, I'm apprehensive about having to take the boat through a lock.
But there is a lock at Hawksbury Junction which is just made for beginners.
It was built to allow for the difference in levels
where the Oxford and Coventry canals meet--a difference of 6"!
So I had no excuse.
I must say I did it pretty well! So well, in fact, we took a picture to prove it!


It's a 360 turn at Hawksbury to get on to the Coventry,
under a bridge, and I did that too!
So I was feeling pretty smug.
We carried on a couple of miles to Marston Junction where there was a bridge, two fishermen
and a very sharp turn right through a narrow bridge to get on to The Ashby.
My self satisfaction quickly evaporated as I realised
I had got quite the wrong line on the boat
and was headed for the two fishermen on the bank,
who were in imminent danger of being removed from their little stools
by the bows of our boat!.
There was only one thing to do--walk away from the tiller
whilst saying, "Trev I can't do this!"
Of course he did it magnificently, put the boat on the right course
and got us under the bridge and on to the Ashby!



This is where the fishermen were! The reason they aren't there now
is that I took this picture on the way back--not because I knocked them in to the cut!

I was coming from the right, and trying to turn under the bridge
immediately on the left of the picture. It WAS a tricky manoeuvre for a novice!

Click here to read the second part of the second trip.

Click here to go to the trips page

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