A lucky mooring

Monday 1^st August; Ansty to Houlton

We had no grand plans for today other than to get through Rugby, and if we could stop for Tesco all well and good, if not well we’d shop in Braunston.  We were away by 9.  It was a beautiful morning for cruising; the sun shone, but was not too hot, there was little wind and we had the canal to ourselves – a ‘good to be alive’ morning.  It was over three miles, all the way to Stretton Stop, before we met another moving boat – and then there were five of them within a few hundred yards.  The first three were all between the two lines of moored boats before the little swing bridge at Rose Narrowboats.  When we got to the bridge an engineer whipped it closed, nipped across and swung it open again for us to pass.  By now there were two boats waiting for us to clear the bridge, and the sixth was just approaching round the bend.  Interesting, but everyone kept calm and steady and there were no difficulties.  We carried on in the sunshine, through one of the loveliest places on the North Oxford

All Oaks Wood

and round various bends to Newbold Tunnel.  The towpath on the approach, although dry, was bordered with nettles, bowed over the path by the shower the other night.  A couple of shorts-clad walkers were using their walking poles to save their legs from getting swiped by nettles.  We didn’t bother stopping for water at Newbold – we’ve got quite a large tank so should be all right even if we can’t top up at Brownsover.  The permanent moorers in Newbold had an array of interesting adornments on their craft – I rather like this one

I bet that cactus gets in the way when they bring it in for winter!

On the offside between Newbold and Brownsover there are open fields, with the busy road and housing of the Rugby suburbs all on the towpath side.  It was hot by now, and the cattle were enjoying the coolness of the canal.

The last towpath mooring by the road bridge was just being taken as we arrived in Brownsover.  And then, surprise surprise! The first offside mooring, the one just before the water point on the little park, was free!  We nabbed it pronto.  Some shade to sit in and exercise your dog, access to rubbish disposal and an easy walk to Tesco – perfect.  

We had lunch before I went shopping.  I try never to go to a supermarket with an empty stomach!  I stocked up with tins and some wine and found that coming back it’s mostly uphill….  At least the cupboards are now stocked again.  While we waited for another boat to finish watering up we sat on a bench in the shade. We found the water hose wouldn’t quite reach the tap, so here we are having pulled forward.  We were soon topped up and on our way.

The afternoon was very hot, and the thought of tackling Hillmorton locks was too much so we grabbed a mooring by the golf course shortly after the new Houlton Bridge.  There was already a little shade, which improved as the afternoon wore on.  Dave carried on with the redox primer, then cleaned up the weed hatch and replaced the tape.

More rust treatment needed here too!

In spite of the new road over the bridge it was pretty quiet, apart from a stupid motor-bike snarling along just before dusk at what sound like a suicidal speed – he just opened up along the straight, came back like a horde of angry wasps, did it once more – then cleared off before an annoyed local could call the police. Apart from a late game of golf behind the hedge, there were no more distractions.

 10¼ miles, Newbold Tunnel, swing bridge operated for us.