Friday April 19th:
After the gale force winds that started on Wednesday and
lasted all the way through into Thursday afternoon we took the decision not to
move an inch and stayed where we were. We felt for the boaters who passed us
swathed up to the eyeballs in fleeces and waterproofs, scarves and hats of all
descriptions battling against the wind and the driving rain. It’s no enjoyment
cruising in conditions like that and when you don’t have to move why bother? Mind
you the wind had died down by bedtime so we had a peaceful night unlike
Wednesday night when we were kept awake for most of the night by the gales.
Fortunately this morning dawned dry with only a mild but
coolish breeze. The sun made short fitful visits throughout the morning but not
often enough to start with to encourage you to shed the layers.
We had an uneventful journey passing ‘Draco’ and ‘Success’ –
the trading boats operated by Michael Wooding and his wife (no sign of life) to
Wigrams Turn (aka Napton Junction) where we turned right under the concrete
roving bridge and headed past the moored boats to the first of the day’s locks
at Calcutt.
Waiting for Calcutt Top Lock |
Here we had to wait for a few minutes. The Noah Hingley boat
(we can never remember its name) with its butty ‘Rollo’ (we can the butty!)
were filling up their water containers. Once they were out we moved in with
another Weltonfield boat which we remember well as it was their show boat in
2003 – ‘Zeus’. However the guy was only taking it down the one lock to the
service wharf at Calcutt boats so once in the middle lock we waited for a
Napton boat – ‘Florence’ – crewed by three American couples to finish filling
up with water and work through the top lock.
We had an easy run through the middle and bottom lock helped
by the crew off a pair of boats waiting at the bottom.
Off we then went along the pound to Stockton Top. It was
still quite chilly, but this is a lovely quiet remote pound with only a few
minor roads impinging on the canal’s progress. We always enjoy looking at the
boats moored up on the lovely moorings at Gibraltar Wharf as they have such
nice surroundings.
The Southam to Rugby road crosses at Birdingbury Wharf
ending the remote section as the canal begins to continue its fall to the Avon
Valley in earnest. It was sad to see The Boat which used to be so popular closed
up and empty.
The Napton boat had followed us from Calcutt, although they
were looking for somewhere to wind and head back towards Napton where they are
due back tomorrow. They enquired at Stockton Marina, but with the jumble of
boats in the entrance they were discouraged from doing so. They
Stockton Top Lock |
That left us on our own and we soon set too and were down
the next few locks quite smoothly. We then waited for ‘Tincanali’ to ascend,
helped by 2 CRT volunteer lockies and it was good to see Malcolm and his wife
out on the boat they bought last year – they moor at High House.
At the next lock we waited 20 minutes or so to join up with
a single boat that was descending a few locks behind us – with three of the
crew working the locks they were catching us up. And so we joined our third locking
partner of the morning in ‘Alice Maud’ out from Calcutt and heading for
Stratford.
Sadly our joint efforts lasted only to the bottom of the
thick as they were mooring up outside the Blue Lias pub for lunch.
Approaching Shop Lock |
And so we carried on again on our own for the final two
locks. Needless to say the hardest paddle to wind up all day was the last one
on the bottom lock. Having overcome it and emerged at the bottom we moved onto
the visitor moorings below the lock where we shall remain today. Another closed
pub stands forlornly at the bottom – The Two Boats, which we have frequented in
the past has closed, a victim of that grasping brewery (known as Charles Wells)
that was demanding another £1000 per week in rent.
So we ended up in the Cuttle Inn on the opposite side of the
cut to the Two Boats. We’ve never been in there before always preferring the
Two Boats. Atmosphere was a little lacking, but the food was quite good (if
ordinary pub grub fare) and an excellent pint of Timothy Taylor’s Landlord
always goes down well!
Sadly I couldn't get an internet signal today, so this is being posted a day late!
Mooring below Itchington Bottom Lock |
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