Monday 14th March 10 to 8 ...
... a hard frost ...
... minus 6 degrees ...
... beautiful sky reflections.
10:15 the frost has gone and we're just about ready to Rock n Roll
The boys getting rid of the rubbish as we climb Radford Lock
Fosse Locks - note the unusual detail on the gate balance beams (handles to open lock gates)
Welsh Road Lock Cottage
Looking back at the bottom lock at Bascote you can clearly see how the now disused narrow lock on the left of this picture acts to allow the excess water flow into the pound (water between two locks) below ..
... and forwards to the 'staircase' .. the overflow from the locks above can now be seen on the right here.
(A lock staircase, or riser, is defined as at least two adjacent locks where the upper gates of one lock serve as the lower gates of the next. This means that there are no gaps between locks and on leaving one lock the next lock in the staircase is entered immediately.)
Mags and I safely in the lower staircase lock (taken by George on his i-phone)
The bottom gate of the top lock serve as the top gate of the lower lock - if you see what I mean!
The boys climb the steps to access the gate paddles (look like candlesticks in the pictures) ... and ...
... open the middle gates and we drive gently into the top lock together (George's photo) ... and then
... wait patiently (gossiping) for Seyella and RnR to rise - that's all the locks done for today - they were all against us except the first 3 this morning but with a good team it's no problem!!
The Toll House Bascote Locks - toll houses are usually on junctions where 2 canals owned by different companies meet - so I'm not sure why tolls would be paid here - anyone out there know??
RnR stopped to collect water at the point just before bridge 27 and I walk on with Molly to find Seyella where Mags had kindly offered soup and hot rolls for lunch!
Here's George arriving now! We shall stay here overnight.
A strange sight through the next bridge (26) ...
... although the old stone clearly states No.25 - built in1867!
We took a walk later and really could not figure out which end was front and which was the back!
Not even sure how it was steered, or powered ...
... both the ends had 'holds' and there were 4 portholes in the rounded centre!
Itchington Bottom Lock Cottage built in 1799 - This cottage can be hired and the current occupant was telling us that it was as nice on the inside as it looked on the outside.
Long Itchington Holy Trinity Church taken from the towpath.
Seeing this strange craft on on leaving our mooring the following morning did not make anything any clearer!
A fuel boat arrives as we enter the enter Cuttle Bridge and Geoff pulls over for coal, gas and diesel.
The Two Boats Inn was built in 1743 and at one time had a forge and stables for the boat horses - it now does an excellent pint of Abbots Ale (George says).
Stockton Locks - bottom sluice gates - it's quite unusual to be able to actually see these inside a lock, they are usually under the water level or set much further back in the recess - when the gate paddles are wound up/down they lift and lower the rod you can see here to let the water out of the lock.
This one is for the lady on Seyella
Looking down Kaye's Arm above lock 12 at Stockton ...
... and an assortment of old boats and butty's above lock 12.
(Butty - English dialect 'a friend or workmate'- an unpowered boat towed by another boat either horsedrawn or motored,)
Bridge 23 is on a very tight turn when travelling from the east - something has hit it with some force to effect this damage - to the boat too!
Back into the 'thick of it' Geoff preparing to take the rope from Seyella as Mags guides her into lock 11.
looking back at locks 12 and 13
Geoff loads a couple of rolls of boaters gold on his boat while George is setting lock 6
A chimney with a door??
Lock 4 - Meg is having a well earned rest!
Yet another well preserved and extended lock cottage
Two very handsome gentlemen await Mags and I.
That's Stockton Locks done - 10 up to now today - Calcutt to come.
Adamant - last seen by us at Braunston Boat Rally a couple of years ago ...
... and other boats, butty's ...
... dutch barges ...
... long tugs ...
... and short ones moored above the locks.
Boaters gold too but Geoff has enough for now.
Passing Ventnor Farm Marina on our left ...
... and Calcutt Marina on our right!
The pound between locks 3 and 2 are a good 15 inches low
George goes up and opens lock 2 top gates to drop more water into the lock and pound to allow Seyella and RnR to enter
The reason for the low water becomes clear - workmen are doing some maintenance to the coping at Calcutt Marina services wharf.
Just after 3pm now - the sun is still trying it's best to break through those clouds, but it didn't quite manage it all day.
Napton Junction where we turn left, leaving the Grand Union and joining the Oxford canal travelling north.
Lower Suckburgh Church ('built in 1864, is attractive in a Victorian way'
as described in Nicholson's Guide)
The first spring lamb twins ...
... I've seen this year!
Open countryside as we travel in a north-easterly direction towards Braunston.
It was nearly 16:45 as we pull in to moor for the night just past bridge 101. The day started with a good road as the locks were ready for us, and then it was a bad road, when we suddenly found them against us yet we couldn't see anything ahead of us; it's been a long day too, but playtime is nearly here. Geoff and Mags and Meg too are coming round for dinner as it's their 28th wedding anniversary today as well as the fact that we will be splitting up and going our separate ways in a day or two, George and I and Molly too will miss them tremendously!
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