Saturday March 31st - Norton Junction - Barby Hill/Prison Field

Mooring at Norton Juntion

After a quiet night we set off in time, we assumed, to arrive at Braunston Top Lock in time for the 10.00am unlocking of the padlocks. We had a solitary cruise across the summit pound passing a few of the boats that gone past us yesterday - slugabeds.

The tunnel was remarkably free of boats and we had a clear passage through. Braunston Tunnel is usually one of the drier ones (not like Blisworth in which you could take a shower and wash your hair), so I didn't bother to put on the waterproof top. Turns out it was a wise choice as not a drip fell from the tunnel ceiling. Elaine, as is her wont in long tunnels dived inside and cleaned the bathroom!

At the top lock, the Lindsays on 'Edzell Castle' were waiting for a boat to share with, and it was then we found out that Braunston Locks open at 9.00 and close at 2.30 - different hours from Buckby 4 miles away. Wouldn't it save a lot of confusion if they were the same times? Joined up thinking from BW - not a chance.

We made good progress down the locks until we reached Nelson Lock. Here we found a crowd of giggling Ranger Guides being egged on by a party of lads on a Black Prince boat coming up on its own. The Guides were on the London Narrowboat project boat 'Lancelot' and had been sharing with the Black Prince boat which had gone aground in the Nelson pound. The lads on the Black Prince boat hadn't waited but were going up alone. The Guides seemed most upset when the lads disappeared round the corner!

We entered the lock with 'Edzell Castle' and descended to find a "situation" developing. 'Lancelot' was now moving and was waiting below the lock, as were the next pair. We couldn't get out of the lock as the Nelson Pound was now so low that we couldn't get over the cill - not helped by a Clifton Cruisers hire boat and another private boat who had emptied the next lock down, entered and proceeded to fill it, thus taking another 50,0000 odd gallons of water out of the already almost empty Nelson pound.

We managed to get out by dint of running water through Nelson Lock, thus aggravating the situation in the pound above, and by the time we finally managed to enter the second lock, there were 5 boats in Nelson pound all going nowhere as 'Lancelot' and the first private boat couldn't get over the cill......

None of the crews had thought to send people ahead and see if boats were coming down the flight and adopt a one up and one down approach - no they just ploughed on as if water wasn't a problem.

Braunston Manor & Church

What planet do some people live on.

Finally we reached the bottom and negotiated the usual chaotic crowd of boats that congregate below the bottom lock and were making our way out of Braunston. For once, when we didn't want a mooring there, there were acres of space!

Mooring at Barby Hill

Passing the always lovely sight of the old manor and church, we soon were out into open country again and making our way to our mooring by Barby Hill - we always call it the Prison Fields as Onley Prison and Young Offenders Institution is just through the towpath hedge. But the view is pleasant and it is again a nice quiet mooring. Just what we need after the shenanigans of this morning!



Friday March 30th - High House Wharf to Norton Junction

At last we're off!

It's seemed to have been a longer winter than usual, perhaps because we had an itty-bitty year in cruising terms in 2011 with family and other events making a stop-start year with frequent changes of plan, and we also returned to our mooring earlier than normal.

So, typically, as soon as the hot, sunny weather has departed to be replaced by cooler and cloudier skies we set off. It seems to take an age to get past the endless lines of moored boats that characterise this section of the Grand Union - it's not until you are past Dodford that they thin out and you cna get finally get a little more speed on.

Despite being the Friday before the start of the Easter holidays we saw just two boats on the move between High House and the bottom of Buckby. We were prepared to have to wait for up to an hour to start up the locks, more so as two boats had just gone up ahead of us, and the remaining boat decided to reverse back into Whilton Marina having discovered a water leak.

Nevertheless, as the two boats ascending had swapped places with two boats descending, 'Dawn Mist' had joined us and we entered the bottom lock. We had heard dire tales of volunteer lock-keepers here, and at Braunston which we will encounter tomorrow, but nary a sign of one.

We had a good run up the flight with several pairs coming down which meant we were able to keep top gates open, although there were two singles ones in the procession who had clearly disregarded the exhortations to share locks and save water. One of these was a tiddler of about 20' - what a waste of 50,000+ of water!

Whilst water levels are generally down, two ponds in particular were extremely low - the pound immediately above the bottom lock and the one below Anchor Cottage Lock where we scraped over some large objects on the bottom.

Finally at the top we saw the lock-keeper who was preparing to the padlocks on to stop any boats entering the flight after 1.30pm - contrary to local rumour he was extremely pleasant.

'Dawn Mist' left us at Norton Junction as they were making their way back to Welton Haven (where we used to moor). We passed under the junction bridge and tied up just beyond with a lovely view across to the Leicester Arm's embankment.

Turns out that we have moored just in front of Geoff & Ann on 'Shannon' who we know from Northampton IWA and Spread Eagle Cruising Club and they came round in the afternoon for a cuppa and a natter.