Stormy night, lovely day

Monday 3th September; Fenny Compton to Adkins lock

We were woken in the night by heavy rain drumming on the roof.  The loud noise upsets the dog so she jumped up on the bed.  She ignored the low rumble of thunder.  After a few minutes there was one loud clap, then a few minutes more before one last distant rumble and the storm was gone.  It was lovely and sunny in the morning.  At 9 am the marina office opened, and we took on fuel, did a pump-out, bought a gas bottle (now £44.50) and disposed of rubbish and recycling.  The chandlery is very small, but did have a new connector for the hose and some shackles.  And at last a Towpath Talk which seems to have been in short supply this summer.  All that took almost an hour, so it was 10 before we could leave.  Our single-hander friend, who we had expected to see at the chandlery buying a mooring pin, had already left – he is making for Braunston so will probably find plenty of Armco between here and there where he won't need one.  We had a cuppa and cruised along enjoying the late summer sunshine and the ripening hedgerow fruits

Wayfaring tree

The weather was glorious as we pottered along the summit level.  Water depth was fine too.  We looked out for the carved head that Dave had spotted on our way out – I had been making coffee so I missed it.

Hello!

As we approached the HS2 works we were astonished at how quiet it all was.  No-one about on the supply route -

And apart from a van driving across in the distance, there was no activity anywhere else either.

Nothing doing

I wonder if the sheep and swans are disturbed by the noise from the works?  We were back to the quiet countryside we love so much.

At least for a while!  There were very few boats about, but naturally we met one of them at a bridge.  It was Spurfoot, no. 123, which is on a bend with a lot of vegetation so we didn't see each other till quite late.  All would have been well except that a boat was moored on the other side, so the other steerer had to avoid that – and then his dog jumped off the boat so he had to pull in.

‘Last boat down’ the two Marston Doles locks at the top of the Napton flight is at 1.15, as a water-saving measure.  We were in no rush and had plenty of time, so we went down, hoping to stop for lunch just below the second lock, but the moorings were full.  The pound is long, with little mooring until you get much closer to Marston Doles, so that is where we stopped.

It was 2 o’clock when we stopped, so we had lunch and decided to stay there overnight.  A shower as we were eating may have tipped the balance!  It was pleasantly quiet, and although we were joined by three boats which had come up from the bottom, there was plenty of room for everyone.  Dave took Meg for a walk when the rain stopped, and later she came with me while I picked blackberries – there are very good bushes in this area.  And of course plenty of other autumn fruits as well.

Hawthorn

7 miles, 2 locks