Monday April 2nd - Brinklow to Bedworth

If I'm asked what is my favourite canal, I usually answer "the one I'm on at the moment". However, if there is one that is fairly low down on my list of attractiveness, it would be the Northern Oxford. Too often there are long sections with absolutely nothing to attract the eye and today is a prime example.

The first section today was pretty mundane with only the tiny swing bridge at Stretton Stop causing a flicker of interest. ‘Mystic Lady’ was on its mooring, with smoke coming out of the chimney – at least "Frank Spencer" wasn’t in sight! "Frank" borrowed the boat the year of the Red Hill IWA Rally and we had the misfortune to share the locks with his and his equally elderly lady friend all the way from Kibworth to the rally site. As you can tell by the nickname, he didn't endear himself to us!

The surroundings improve after the long straight with the long line of moored boats at Les Wilson’s yard making sure you take it all in, so slow is your progress. The M6 made its usual noisy crossing, its approach being audible all the way back at Brinklow. At least Elaine was happy – she saw an Eddy Stobart! 

I always find the section from here to Hawkesbury mundane in the extreme. The long embankment beyond Nettle Hill Cutting gives some views across the fields but only to the high rises of Coventry, whilst a golf course appears on both sides. Then comes Ansty with its now demolished bridge 15. The village doesn’t go out of its way to welcome boaters, with a short section of visitor moorings requiring mooring pins, long term moorers with out of date licences, a narrow channel on a sharp curve, a motorway crossing (M69) and a plethora of ‘No Mooring’ signs. Proceedings were enlivened by a boat trying to wind beyond the main road bridge and pull back to a mooring on the Brinklow side of the bridge – he had broken down. 

Beyond Ansty the countryside deteriorates into scruffy pasture, horse paddocks, rough scrub and electricity pylons converging from all directions; all good indicators that the big urban mess is not far away.

Sure enough the motorway roars alongside again as the canal enters a long straight before entering the twists and turns that indicate its original contour hugging line. We were shocked to see that the Elephant & Castle at Tusses Bridge is now boarded up and closed – all signage having been removed. It looks most forlorn. It’s a reflection of the times we live in now that more and more pubs (canalside ones included) are closed & boarded up.

Sutton Stop

We had to wait at the stop lock at Hawkesbury for a boat that had recently pulled off the visitor moorings to go down. Once through, the turn into the Coventry was made in immaculate fashion although I say it and shouldn’t, and then we reversed back to the water point and sanitary station to use the usual offices.

It was then full steam ahead past the line of moored boats to Bedworth. We stopped at the foot of the bank on which the bungalows stand to have a natter with Chris who we met on the Explorer Cruise last year. He & his wife Terri on their boat ‘Grace’ were pleasant companions last year. They too are heading to the north west – “where the water is”!

Another closed pub, although long boarded up, is the Navigation Inn at Bulkington Bridge on the outskirts of Bedworth. It has been in a semi-derelict state for some years, although it seems that some work is now being carried out, the interior looks completely gutted.

We were not far now from our mooring opposite the school playing fields. We have arranged to stop there to meet up with Pete & Jenny Copeland who are coming the opposite way bringing their new boat ‘Tebay’ from Norbury Wharf on the Shroppie where they had work carried out on it to High House.