Electro-fishing at Soulbury Three Locks

Monday 24th April; Grove Lock to Stoke Hammond

Cold and grey today, rather a rude awakening after the last few days of sunshine.  We topped up with fuel at the wharf opposite as it was so handy, then made our way down the lock towards Leighton Buzzard.  We stopped on the visitor moorings near the bridge as we wanted to visit the town before going into Tesco.  Quite attractive I suppose but it didn’t feel welcoming on a cold and windy Monday morning.  They have an interesting market cross

and I liked the old Fire Station which now seems to be a Pizza Express.  Oh well.

We found a nice butcher and then bought a few books in Oxfam before a quick visit to Tesco and away.  I was disappointed to find that Tesco now only has recycling bins for glass and clothes, so I had to cart all the paper and plastic bottles back to the boat.

We ate lunch on the slow trickle along to Leighton Lock past the permanent moorings and the Wyvern hire base.  A new hire pulled out as we approached so we were assured of company in the lock!  It took a long time to get through, as the instructor spent a while talking to them about ropes before starting the lock.  We didn’t mind – better that than skimp on the job.  Once we started down it was ok; I had 2 crew my side and they did all the work – under my instruction!  They had been to the boat share show at Braunston the other weekend and were very sensibly ‘having a go’ before they committed themselves.  There were grey wagtails nesting nearby – there were some at Grove lock too but I had left my camera on board.

It seems to have a beakful of insects – has it got babies to feed already or are they for its mate sitting on eggs? 

We shared the Soulbury locks with the Wyvern, and we had FOUR volunteers helping.  But they weren’t there just for us – a small boat and crew were waiting to electro-fish the top pound.

For a complete novice the hire-boat steerer was doing very well.

As soon as the coast was clear the electro-fisher zoomed into the middle lock.  They were catching zander which is an introduced species of fish also known as the pike-perch.  It is a voracious feeder, eats all the small fry and out-competes the native pike and perch (thanks Dave for the info). The Japanese Knotweed of the water!  They had already caught about 40, which were netted out and kept in a tank which had air bubbling through to keep them comfy till they were killed.  We don’t know how that is done but I bet it’s a lot kinder than a netful of sea fish suffocating to death in a trawler hold.

Normally the zander catch goes to a fish market the next morning; it is supposed to be good eating.  This lot though were for study purposes at Bournemouth University.  You can see from everyone’s hoods that it was raining by now.  It drizzled on and off till the evening, but we gave up well before then and moored at Stoke Hammond for the night.

6½ miles, 5 locks

Total this trip; 72½ miles, 62 broad locks, 2 tunnels, 1 large aqueduct, 4 swing bridges

A complete change of plan and a long day

Sunday 23rd April (St George’s Day); Startops to Grove Lock

Our original idea was to cruise towards London and take the opportunity to spend more time exploring places like Berkhamsted, and then we would leave Chuffed at Packet Boat marina as we have done before.  But we had difficulty even speaking to anyone there; all enquiries get routed to Limehouse, where they cannot help. So rather than get all the way south and have nowhere to stay, we decided to turn at Bulbourne and go back to the Midlands.

A volunteer came on duty as we left – good timing, as he told us we should be able to turn above the next-but-one lock and save ourselves the 4 locks each way we would have had to do if we turned at Bulbourne.

Can he do it?

Yes he can!

It is not marked as a winding hole but the volunteer said longer boats than ours (55’) have managed it, though with difficulty.  While we were going up we heard the first cuckoo for a couple of years, and a couple of birdwatchers managed to spot it the far side of the reservoir.

We were swiftly back down again and stopped on the service point just as the Marsworth ringers were ringing for Sunday service.  I had forgotten it was Sunday, or I would have joined them!  The new housing at Marsworth junction has been completed since our last visit here and is very ….. neat and tidy.  Not what I would call inspiring (apart from the canal view of course) – a great deal of road and hard standing at the front and no gardens to speak of.

As we moved off again we encountered the first fishing match we have seen for ages – no grumpy old gits, and everyone smiling in the sunshine (though we saw two fish caught so that would be making them happy too).

Walkers swung the bridge for us above Seabrook locks and when we caught up with the widebeam we had been warned about (by a boater at Pitstone Marina) we pulled in and had an early lunch.

The glorious weather continued all afternoon.  All the locks have side ponds, in various stages of being reclaimed by nature.

At Slapton lock we got good views of a tern sitting on a telegraph pole.  For such graceful and elegant fliers they do have a harsh and unpleasant call.  You can see why they are sometimes called sea swallows.

 

We had hoped to stop for the night below Slapton Lock but every decent mooring for a couple of miles had been taken.  I found both bottom gates at Church Lock wide open, which was very annoying and I congratulated myself on getting both to close properly once we were down.  We were 50 yards away when one of them slowly swung itself open again.

We pulled in on the rings above Grove lock for the night.  We had gone further and worked harder than we had anticipated so we treated ourselves to the second roast dinner of the weekend – this time in the pub rather than on the boat, which we did last night.  And very nice they both were!

7½ miles, 15 locks, 1 swing bridge kindly operated by a walker.

Total this trip; 66 miles, 57 broad locks, 2 tunnels, 1 large aqueduct 3 swing bridges

Another fabulous day ….

marred only by a couple of total idiots.  But more of that later.  It’s more of a family blog today.

Saturday 22nd April; Startops

We stayed put today as Jen is coming back again with Finn, but as it’s the weekend Daddy Will and Auntie Liz are coming too.  As far as grandparents are concerned, it’s fabulous. 

It was very cold first thing but I soon got warm as I cycled up to Pitstone to get a few bits and pieces in the well-stocked shop.  I wouldn’t like to cycle that road on a weekday but at 9am on a Saturday it was fine.

By the time the family arrived at 11 it had warmed up.  After a cup of tea for us and a feed for Finn we had a lovely stroll – sunhats were the order of the day -

then back to Chuffed where 5 of us and a baby just fitted round the table for lunch.

Finn seemed completely uninterested in anything boaty – he is still only 6 weeks old - but he was spellbound by the celling when he was held close enough to see it! It does have a fascinating ventilation grille you know, and a light, as well as a contrast in wood colour ….

 

They left mid-afternoon as Liz had to catch a train back to London; fortunately Tring station is not far away. 

I went for a run along the Wendover Arm, and on the way back found a couple of walkers at the top of the locks pulling a large section of wooden fencing out of the cut.  A couple of ‘young lads’ had chucked it in the water, and run off to wreak more havoc.  I was just approaching more walkers when we heard a shout and a mighty splash! as two plant tubs from the cottage at the next lock met the same fate.  ‘Oi!’ we yelled as one and they ran off giggling (though one measured his length as they did so, ha ha).  The walkers started retrieving the tubs and I set off in pursuit (it was the way home so I had to go that way…) Once past by a safe distance I asked them why they had done it – of course they denied it.  And not so young either – 2 flabby slobs in their twenties who must have been drinking at the pub at Bulbourne all afternoon.  Ar*****es.  It’s a good thing we were moored off the main path to the car park, or our bike might have met the same fate as the plant pots.

But it’s still a lovely spot and we had a smashing day.

Cold but a lovely day at Marsworth

Friday 21st April; Seabrook Locks to Marsworth

Time to crack on to Marsworth as we should be meeting daughter Jen and our little grandson for lunch!  We were quite quickly up the remaining Seabrook locks and soon at the first two of the Marsworth flight.  As I walked on to set the second of the two, I saw a mother duck and her new brood in the short pound between the locks.  Now the bank here is high concrete both sides, and ducklings can’t fly; so unless they can escape the pound they will starve as there is nothing for them to eat.  What to do?

Clever duck! as I opened the top gate of the first lock she was in like a shot and had got her family into the lock before Chuffed had even started to move.  There was a boat just approaching behind us, so after Dave had brought Chuffed out of the lock I raised a bottom paddle just a little so the babies didn’t get sucked through and walked back down to tell the owner.  He was happy to empty the lock slowly and let them out as he wasn’t going far today.

We were soon at the Marsworth facilities block to ensure we had enough water and cassette space for two days of visits.  On the opposite bank is a sign we have not seen before!

The Aylesbury Arm leaves the main line here, so I crossed over the top lock and walked up to the reservoirs to check there was space for us, otherwise it would have meant reversing back through the bridge to moor.  But there was plenty of room.  At the lock below the moorings was a bold heron preening himself on the top gates.  Looks a bit like a vulture in the first picture.  He didn’t move until I was within touching (pecking) distance as I crossed the gates to open the paddles on the other side.

 

We moored up at 11, just as Jen was parking her car.  Finn is still only 6 weeks old so as soon as they were in the boat he wanted feeding!

 

After such a cold start the sun had come out and after lunch we all went for a walk up to the Wendover Arm and back. 

Finn wasn’t overly impressed with boating though ….

Give him time.

After they had gone home again we strolled down to the Angler’s Retreat for a beer.  It is very dog-friendly and Meg enjoyed the attention (and the Bonio).

Just 2 and a half miles today, 5 locks and 1 swing bridge, though that was operated by a boater who let us through too.

Total this trip; 58 and a half miles, 42 broad locks, 2 tunnels, 1 large aqueduct, 2 swing bridges

Water in the air but not enough in the canal

Thursday 20th April; Old Linslade to Seabrook locks

After yesterday’s unbroken sunshine it was cold and cloudy for a while.  We left early for us, well before 9 as we needed to stop at Tesco in Leighton Buzzard and get much closer to Marsworth as we have family visiting at the end of the week.  We trickled past Jules’ Fuels who were making a sale at the Globe moorings.



We found a boat ahead of us at Leighton Lock, and by the time it was ready for us to go in Jules’ Fuels had arrived.  Dave offered them the lock but they were delivering to a widebeam below the lock.



As we approached the Wyvern hire base the CRT licence checker man cycled by.



Only a few Wyverns were out now the school term has started again.  We stopped at Tesco for a quick restock and left as soon as we had put the kettle on.  We were pleased to see that the Grove pub by the lock still had its lovely hanging basket brackets (and flowers too).



After Church Lock the drizzle started, and after a couple of abortive attempts to moor where it was too shallow we stopped for lunch at bridge 118 before Slapton Lock.

As we were finishing lunch a couple of boats went by – first there was NB Valerie, Jaq at the helm muffled up against the cold and drizzle.  She was followed by Waiouru, and Tom spotted us, tucked in behind a large orange lifeboat as we were.  We managed a brief chat before they were on their way.
By the time we were on the move again the sun was struggling to break through and it got rather warm. Near Slapton lock, if you can’t hack living under canvas, you can pay a large amount for what were called wigwams.  Not like the ones made out of beanpoles and sheets we played with when we were kids!  These ones even appear to have woodburners.



The locks along here used to have a single lock next to them though those have long gone. But the double-arched bridges remain. 



The pound between Horton lock and the bottom Ivinghoe lock was very low.  When we came this way a few years ago we moored in this pound, and although there appeared to be no problems when we went to bed – it is a very long pound, after all – we were almost aground by morning.  We made it to Ivinghoe bottom lock, where a very fat widebeam was on its way down.  If they had been 10 minutes earlier we would have been unable to pass each other.  As it was we could only just get onto the lock mooring and the widebeam had to go very slowly to make any headway at all past us.



As we went up the first of the Seabrook locks I noticed that the large black cloud that had been getting closer for the last hour was almost upon us.  As soon as we had passed the last of the long line of permanent moorings we stopped for the night and the rain started ten minutes later.  Luckily it was dry later so Meg could have her walk.

7½ miles, 8 locks

Total this trip; 56 miles, 37 broad locks, 2 tunnels, 1 large aqueduct, 1 swing bridge

Summertime?

Wednesday 19th April; Linford Lakes (Stanton Low) to Old Linslade

We woke to sunshine and it shone all day long.  Fabulous!

The towpath edge was so good Dave couldn’t resist doing more work on the boat.  He washed the port side then did some touching-up of the signwriting.  The trouble with red is it fades rather badly and the bit he did had faded almost to vanishing.

Meanwhile I took Meg off for a walk and a play with the ball she found in the long grass last night – a rather splendid orange one with black spots.  I took the opportunity to take a couple of pictures of the ruins of St Peter’s church.  If you believe/are interested in werewolves you might like to follow the link.   The village was seized by ‘werewolf panic’ in 1485 – unusual in England, as wolves were already extinct here and it would appear that witches were the more usual bogeypersons.  Anyway after the scapegoating and death of an unfortunate farmhand named Thomas Pipe the area was eventually depopulated and subsequent attempts to re-establish settlements here mysteriously failed.  The website has much more atmospheric pictures than mine which don’t look at all spooky in the bright sunshine!

Check out that sky!   There were a few gravestones still visible, mostly belonging to the Selby family.

A passing dog walker had told us that the Exbury Egg was moored the other side of the bridge, so we went up to have a look – there it is, an art installation, looking more like a bizarre continuous moorer’s craft than anything else.  It does open to the public so you can look inside but not till later in the day, by which time we had moved on.

We didn’t leave the mooring till 10.30 though, and cruised round the edge of Milton Keynes enjoying the beautiful parkland in the sunshine.  There was plenty of mooring even at Campbell Park but we will have to stop here another time.  We are planning to meet family at the weekend and are hoping to get to Marsworth by Friday.  Along the way we passed NB Gulliver and admired her rather brilliant artwork. (Not only did Tom on Waiouru beat me to mentioning it, his photo is better too!).

There were some good and bad things as we went along.  The parkland was beautiful, and at one point there were marsh marigolds in full flower, but on the towpath side it was clear where MK council must have been making cutbacks …

 

Another good thing -

and another bad – a sunken widebeam with a smell of diesel in the air, though thankfully nothing to be seen on the water.

No-one around and nothing to show that CRT knew about it so I called them and reported its position.  (Update; Tom on Waiouru posted a picture showing that CRT has put booms around to contain any diesel spill). 

We pulled in above Fenny Stratford lock for lunch, then stopped at the highly convenient service point before continuing, ‘uphill’ again now.  Stoke Hammond lock was pretty, with the flower beds cared for by local boaters and residents.

We failed to get pictures of the Soulbury Three, which had a few drinkers and strollers to chat to and help with the gates, then after passing a few Wyvern hireboats on their first day out we pulled in at Old Linslade for the night.

13 miles, 5 locks, 1 swing bridge (Fenny Stratford).

 

Total this trip; 48 miles, 29 broad locks, 2 tunnels, 1 large aqueduct, 1 swing bridge

Cold wind, lovely sunshine

Tuesday 18th April; Stoke Bruerne to Linford lakes 

We woke to brilliant sunshine and a couple of early risers making for Blisworth tunnel.  We left at our normal time of 9.30, and made slow progress down the rest of the flight – the boat which went down before us had waited for a couple of boats coming up so we stopped after one lock and put the kettle on while the pair came up.  The side pond here has been adapted for pond dipping. 



The side ponds, built to conserve water, turned out to be time-consuming to use, which would not have endeared them to working boatmen, and were also expensive to maintain.  They fell out of use in the Second World War.

A volunteer turned up to help us through the last two locks and we were on our way past the sign warning us about the River Tove which must overflow into the canal when it is in spate – the raised towpath extends for hundreds of yards.  The sign by the water being pumped in says it is the River Tove outfall, but we couldn’t see the river which seems to be at a lower level.  Odd.



The sun was glorious and if you were out of the wind it was lovely and warm.



The countryside gradually became more attractive.  We were amused by the warning sign at Kingfisher marina.



We cruised past acres of oilseed rape in full flower.  This farmhouse was surrounded.  Imagine waking up to this sea of acid yellow if you had had a late night ….



and later in the year there is that cabbagey smell too.

We passed under the pretty Soloman’s bridge and were hailed by a gentleman who reads our blog, walking with a group on the towpath.  What a lovely surprise – it’s only the second time that has ever happened!  Do please leave us a comment and your name sir – are you a boater?  We waited for a couple of boats to come up Cosgrove lock, then dropped down and moored on the visitor moorings.  Dave went off to find the shop, while I made some soup for lunch.  It was warm enough to have the side hatch open which was very pleasant.  We went on over the Great Ouse aqueduct, where we were blasted by the cold wind


and through Wolverton where I managed to get a snap of the running figure sculpture against the sky.  My attempt the last time we came this way was foiled by the buildings.

I couldn’t resist another picture of the stunning railway mural which has somehow managed to escape the attentions of the graffiti artists.



We continued through the outskirts of Milton Keynes to the lovely moorings near the Linford Lakes. I have discovered since first posting this that the mooring is also known as Stanton Low.  The edge was perfect for Dave to finish rubbing down and painting the gunwales on the port side, and I emptied the well deck of lockers, bike and matting to sweep away the grit, grass, leaves and cobwebs that have accumulated since the autumn.  It was such a mess that I took no photos.  Suffice it to say that we ended up with a large bag of rubbish. We even had enough time while the sun was out to take Meg for a lovely walk in the fields.

6 locks, nearly 10 miles, Great Ouse aqueduct (the Grand Trunk)

Total this trip; 35 miles, 24 broad locks, 2 tunnels, 1 large aqueduct