Tuesday April 23^rd

Despite a day that consisted almost entirely of a ladder of big, deep locks, it has been thoroughly enjoyable. In many ways it has been similar to Saturday, not least because of some lovely warm sunny weather. Probably won’t last though!

We had an enjoyable stay in Warwick doing a little shopping and having a meal at one of favourite canal eating places – although ‘Catalan’ is a good 15-20 minute walk from the moorings in Saltisford.

It is a small restaurant specialising in tapas. We have eaten there every time we have come to Warwick by boat and we’ve never had a disappointing meal.

Bottom Lock Cottage, Hatton flight

This morning we put all thoughts of good food out of our head as we had the prospect of the 21 broad locks of the Hatton flight to contend with. It’s not the longest lock flight in the country – Tardebigge takes that accolade with 30 narrow locks and Devizes runs it close with 29 broad locks. But the dramatic setting of Hatton, particularly the last 12 locks make it one of the best loved or infamous in the country (depending on your point of view).

Bottom Lock, Hatton flight

We do our best to share the workload with another boat, but despite waiting at the bottom lock for 45 minutes, we still hadn’t seen another moving boat. So, we girded our loins (at least Elaine did – as she doesn’t steer the boat into uphill broad locks so she got the job) and set about the flight in splendid isolation.

The flight lulls you into a false sense of security. A series of shallow curves hide the glories (or horrors) of what awaits, just leading you on with a view of just the next lock, or perhaps the next two.



Approaching the "thick"

We met a party of Australians coming down the flight in a hireboat in about the 5^th or 6^th lock, but our luck really changed a few locks further on as we met a volunteer lockkeeper – Ralph – and two new trainees – David & John (brothers, the latter with early Alzheimers) who helped us up the rest of the flight, including the most daunting section. Their help was invaluable, and we (especially Elaine) were most grateful for their assistance.

In the "thick"

We were soon clearing locks at a quicker rate than before as Ralph set about training the two brothers. He told me that he and his colleague at the top of the flight both started last year as the first volunteers on the flight and instead of tying up C&RT staff on training new volunteers they were able to do it themselves.

As we neared the top I experienced one of those serendipity moments that happens every now and again in life.

Almost there! Hatton Canal Maintenance Yard

Ralph’s colleague (also with a trainee) joined the group to help (giving us 5 volunteers!) and I was surprised to hear the words “Good God, Mr Ingleby!” Looking up I saw an ex-Barclays colleague and I replied “Good God, Mr Bayston!” Brian and I had first met 41 years ago when we were both junior clerks at the branch in Spalding. Our paths parted after Spalding and there have only been one or two meetings since. We soon brought each other up to date with happenings since! He is now the other volunteer lockkeeper and trainer.

The last eight or nine locks seemed to fly by and we were soon in the top lock. In fact it had taken 3 hours 10 minutes to complete the flight – slow going caused by the solo work at the start and the necessary slow pace set by Ralph so his volunteers (neither with any former canal experience) could take in what was going on.

We met only our second moving boat as we exchanged places in the top two locks, and were soon bidding grateful farewells to our team of lockies. Bless ‘em!

Looking back from the Top Lock. Phew!

We pulled in for a few minutes to empty the loo, but soon carried on through the short, shallow cutting that extends from the top lock. The surroundings are quiet and peaceful broken only by moorings – particularly those of the Mid Warwickshire Yacht Club.

Shrewley Tunnel and towpath tunnel

Another cutting announces the approach of Shrewley Tunnel, not a particularly long one at just 433 yards, but lacks in length it makes up for in spades in wetness. It rivals Blisworth in the cold drip stakes and, having not bothered to put wet weather gear on (as I would do in Blisworth), I got quite a few cold drips on me. For most of its length the brick side walls are coated in lime deposits – in places up to an inch or so thick, forming distinct columns as they coat the tunnel sides.

Another feature of Shrewley Tunnel is the separate tunnel taking the towpath through the ridge – either a tunnel has a towpath or it is taken over the top in daylight. I believe Shrewley is unique in having a separate bore for the towpath.

Love the spelling!

And speaking of towpaths, so named as they were paths to take the tow rope of a boat, a sign on the western portal advertising the manifold attractions of the village shop and Post Office exhorts potential customers to “follow the toe path alongside the tunnel!”

We were now on the last lap. Elaine had disappeared inside to have a shower whilst I continued for another mile and a half or so to our mooring destination on Rowington Embankment. The M40 makes its presence felt at Shrewley coming quite close to the canal, but fortunately they veer away from each other so that by time you arrive at the embankment, the noise from the motorway is but a distant murmur.

Mooring on Rowington Embankment

We have moored here once before – the occasion of England’s 4-1 humiliation by the Germans in the last World Cup. Not letting that affect us, we tied up in splendid isolation in this idyllic spot.

This is being written at getting on for four o’ clock in the afternoon – apart from the two boats met at either end of the lock flight, just two more boats have passed us since. That makes just four boats in about 7 hours of cruising. Everybody is saying that the canal is unusually quiet.