Earls Barton

Today was one of those great boating days when you travel through great countryside under clear blue skies and fluffy white clouds, and for early October it was even warm.

Northampton Marina, Becket's Park

We left Northampton Marina (aka Becket’s Park) about 10:00 in sun. Cruising through the broad stretches near Midsummer Meadow we met a number of rowing crews (double sculls, eights and fours) training. We met the first of only three boats moving upstream when we went through Rush Mills Lock. The broad section by the Northampton Washlands was uncharacteristically shallow as we approached Weston Favell Lock and we collected some weed around the propeller several times. I recall that the last time we entered Weston Favell Lock from upstream we also had difficulty - were engulfed by blanket weed – at least it wasn’t that bad.

Double Scull

Midsummer Meadows

Passing through Billing there were some visitors in touring caravans, and even tents, all enjoying the sunshine. At Clifford Hill Lock a family of around six were all fishing. One of the young boys thought Albert was steam-powered.

Entering the Washlands

Weston Favell Lock

We had a swift lunch at Billing Lock and then had a particularly good cruise to Cogenhoe Lock where there are some well cared for chalets and static caravans.

Cogenhoe Lock (with young helpers)

Whiston Church in afternoon sunshine

Operating Whiston Lock with an audience

Electrically operated guillotine lock

The journey continued to White Mills Lock where we moored up in the new White Mills Lock Marina. It has only been open since April and we got a warm welcome from the managers. It appears to be a well-run enterprise.

White Mills Marina at sunset

Northampton

Eagle-eyed readers will have assumed we left Gayton for Northampton on Friday. Unfortunately our best laid plans went astray and we had to spend Saturday driving to Reddich to pick up some wheels for our Austin Seven. As a result we missed the glorious weather and ended up going down the Northampton Arm under threatening skies and eventually heavy rain on Saturday.

Gayton Marina's Crane

Sandling Wharf, Blisworth Arm

The day started well but we knew rain was due. We passed Gayton Marina where their crane was in position to lift out boats for blacking and Phil Lizius was in his garden as we passed by his home. At the Top Lock a narrow boat was moored up in the winding hole (!) and the crew were enjoying their breakfast and the glorious views. A fibreglass cruiser was across the cut having outboard troubles. We     passed both of them and started the seventeen locks down to Northampton, but the two other boats quickly followed us. We made steady progress but it was soon clear that the fibreglass cruiser just behind us was being crewed by an eager lock operator. At one point, around the seventh lock, I suggested that the eager crew member might close the gates for me as it speed up the process for all of us. I was somewhat taken aback by his flat refusal on the grounds that he was being paid by the skipper of the cruiser. It turned out that he often helps crews down the Northampton Arm for a fee. We continued without his help although by the time we reached Lock 12 he did manage to close a gate for us because he had "squared it with the skipper".

Miscanthus growing near a Northampton Arm by-wash

Passing under a lift bridge Northampton Arm

Passing under the M1 Lock 12

We eventually stopped for coffee and toast around Lock 13 and the heavens opened. It was at Lock 13 that I slipped getting off the boat and lost a windlass but I happily avoided going in. It continued to be damp all the way to Northampton. Where we entered the new, well new to us, Northampton Marina that is operated by the Environment Agency. It is certainly well appointed with laundry, showers, pump out etc. For £10 we moored overnight on their handy and safe visitor moorings. The marina has key-fob entry and so is particularly secure and being close to the centre of town it is very convenient.

Northampton Lift Testing Tower

Carlsberg Brewery

Heron on the River Nene, Northampton

South Bridge Northampton

That night we went into town and sampled the delights of the excellent Spanish Tapas restaurant called Les Olives. We had a brilliant meal with the highlight being the shared rice pudding sprinkled with nutmeg. We can thoroughly recommend the restaurant if you are in Northampton. It may look unprepossessing being opposite the bus station and close to some less than attractive shops, but this family run business is a cracker.

Gayton Junction

We don't usually moor here for the night but we are on our way down the River Nene on an early autumn trip. The weather was dreadful when we woke this morning at home and our duvet was a bit too heavy, so we didn't finally leave Yardley Gobion until 12:00. However, when we got to Stoke Bruerne Locks we found ourselves with help from a pair of volunteer CRT lock keepers. We went up the flight very efficiently. The weather had been fine but going up the locks we found ourselves on the fringes of a line of squally showers.

Stoke Bruerne Top Lock under dark skies

The trip through the tunnel was good with just two boats coming the other way and both able to steer effectively so no bumps.

In bright sunshine we cruised through Blisworth and turned down the Northampton Arm. Tonight we are opposite Gayton Marina where, back in 1996 we had our first permanent mooring.

Gayton Marina on the Northampton Arm

An evening meal of chilli with a very large homegrown Bramley Apple (612g) and blackberries from the hedgerow outside our window went down a treat. Tomorrow the 17 locks down to Northampton.

Mega Bramley Apple with Blackberries - scrumptious

Stoke Bruerne Village at War 2016

We decided to go to the wonderful Village at War event over the weekend but with Harvey, our 1932 Austin Seven Box Saloon (RN). The weekend started inauspiciously with heavy downpours all Saturday so we stayed at home, but today the weather came up trumps with loads of sunshine and crowds of people.

 

Renactors aplenty

Harvey fitted the 1940s theme well being first registered in 1932. Our friends John and Gill Hinson brought along an altogether bigger vehicle - an ex Isle of Wight 1936 Dennis Single Decker bus.

Harvey in the foreground

(the Denis bus is well in the background)

The magnificent 1936 Dennis Bus

Late in the afternoon Nick Hewer (of Countdown and The Apprentice fame) came into the vehicle park with his Austin Seven Tourer. He lives locally.

Nick Hewer and Austin Seven

Time for tea

NB Sculptor going down the locks

We had a great day and also enjoyed the drive to and from the event. Going was much quieter and we didn't cause any traffic problems but coming back the slow climb up the hills to Grafton Regis meant we had a good tail back of following traffic by the time we turned off the A508 to our village; Harvey rarely gets to 40 mph.  However, most were patient and gave use cheery waves. 

Boat Sinking at Stoke Bruerne

Boat on the cill, Lock 15 Grand Union

Over the weekend I was involved in helping with the Over and Under the Hill event at Stoke Bruerne which is run by the local canal partnership and we took Albert along so we could stay overnight. On late Saturday afternoon the weather was wet, and we only had four paying customers, but it led us to witness part of the events that led to a boat sinking in Lock 15 and stoppage lasting most of Sunday.

Over and Under the Hill (NB Charlie)

The Over and Under the Hill event involves passage through the tunnel on trip boat Charlie and then  a return guided walk over the hill. I was involved in helping lead the walking section. As we reached the tunnel northern portal around 6:15 PM on the Saturday we saw a boat travelling south on an erratic course towards us - it ran aground a few times and was across the navigation when I first saw it. Because NB Charlie had a return trip through the tunnel with paying customers they asked the steerer of the boat in difficulties if they could go ahead. He agreed and then did a very professional job of reversing his traditional-engined boat away from the tunnel portal - a process which often causes embarrassment, particularly when there is an audience. Unfortunately, when he then tried to go forward he ran straight aground on the off-side. At this point we left him to his devices because we couldn't help and had a walk to lead.

On reaching Stoke Bruerne we began to hear that the boat in difficulties, which was unnamed, had struggled to get through the tunnel. The crew had also had great difficulties getting it into the top lock. At one time I gather it was broadside across the navigation.

On Sunday, just before we led our second walk, we found out that the boat had got into the second lock down the flight (Lock 15) and was sunk - caught on the cill. The lock flight was therefore closed and CRT were involved in trying to recover the boat. On the hatch of the boat was a partially full bottle of whisky and a half-full bottle of white wine; both had miraculously stayed upright as the boat sank.

Upright bottles and glasses on the hatch

CRT staff locked the whole flight first thing on Sunday morning and then drained the Long Pound (pound below lock 15). After a few hours of pumping out they managed to get the boat afloat and eventually, around 3:00 PM when the Long Pound was full again, boats began moving again. The whole process was handled very efficiently. Being Sunday there were numerous onlookers for the whole operation and lots of discussion about the causes of the incident.

On the cill

Afloat and filling the pounds

As you can imagine, once the stoppage was lifted by CRT the lock flight suddenly became very busy. One aspect was the difficulty in working out which boat had moored up for the stoppage (and wanted to move on) and which was just moored up for the night.

Because we need to turn Albert to go south, our return down the flight was not helped by boater thinking that because there was a stoppage he could moor anywhere and leave his boat unattended. This included right opposite the winding hole by the tunnel where there are very clear no mooring signs  Luckily the crew eventually returned but only after we had two futile attempts to wind. I think the owners realised that we were were far from happy with their actions.

We were accompanied going down the flight towards Yardley Gobion by a boat named Komet. The owner was an enthusiast for the German (Me 163) Komet WWII rocket plane. I am lucky enough to have seen one of these midget planes close up when I worked at what was then Cranfield Institute of Technology. In  the 1970s Cranfield also had a V1 flying bomb engine and a complete V2 rocket which now appears to be in the Imperial War Museum.