Great Linford & Yardley Gobion

On Saturday morning we left our overnight mooring above Stoke Hammond Lock. At the lock we met two Wyvern Shipping hire boats going down the lock and helped them through. Another hire boat joined us in the lock and we sorted out the gates for them. We then followed them down towards Milton Keynes. The weather was fine and bright, and for autumn quite warm.

The trip through MK was relatively uneventful although the canal was quite full of debris. At Fenny lock we used the keb to remove weeds and on two occasions I selected reverse to free the prop. We had lunch just south of Campbell Park and then set off for Great Linford.

Just before the park in Great Linford we came across some anglers and as we passed one caught a sizable pike.


Pike caught at Great Linford

We moored up for the night at our favourite spot just by Stantonbury Abbey. I changed the gearbox oil whilst Maggie took a walk down to the River Ouse.

It got quite windy overnight and Sunday was dull. On our way through Wolverton we met a club fishing match. All the anglers appeared quite relaxed as we crawled passed them and several chatted to us. It was nice to receive compliments about going through slowly.

At Cosgove Lock we met a narrow beam "dutch barge" who had waited for us as we crossed the Iron Trunck. Quite different behaviour than at the same lock on the outward journey.

We got back to Kingfisher Marina mid afternoon and then spent some time putting Albert "to bed".