Another cycle track - but this one might come in handy

Wednesday 25^th April; Offchurch Greenway to Long Itchington

A grey day today, with just a few glimpses of sunshine.  We were away shortly before 9.30 and made steady progress up the three Fosse locks, meeting a boat at one of them.  We topped up the water at the convenient point by the A5 bridge.  Once through Wood lock we were prepared for the general devastation caused by HS2.

This should have trees, hedges and crops on it

We think it’s a waste of money between London and Birmingham but that doesn’t stop us being fascinated by the technology and equipment, and the skill and expertise of the people doing the designing, planning and the actual work.  The conveyor bridge was in operation, with something dark, possibly earth, dropping off the end.

An enormous truck was waiting with a digger to take it off somewhere.  When we came in the other direction last year, with all the leaves on the trees, we hadn’t realised how close the works are to Welsh Road lock and the cottage.

Welsh Road lock cottage

Looks idyllic, doesn’t it?  Directly behind that little white cherry tree is their drive, and at their gateway onto the lane are temporary traffic lights.  And the other side of the lane?  It’s the huge area of works at the other end of the conveyor bridge.  We saw a lorry grinding its way past and could hear the racket from the works above the noise of the engine and the filling lock.  Unsurprisingly, there is a sticker in the window saying No to HS2.  Poor things, they are in for years more disruption.  Perhaps they take solace in what could be a model railway in the garden.

At Bascote locks things were easy, with the locks in our favour.  Three hire boats from Stockton Top were coming down, so efficient that they had filled the top of the staircase lock ready for us before they had come out of the bottom.  They were all Dutch visitors, and two of the boats were crewed by complete novices – they had been well trained by the lead boat who knew what they were doing.  I suppose if you haven’t sussed it out by the time you have descended the Stockton flight you’re always going to find locking a challenge!

Bascote staircase, bottom lock

It wasn’t far to our mooring for tonight.  On the way a honey bee, heavy laden with pollen, paused for a rest.  We couldn’t let her rest for long in case we carried her too far from familiar ground, so gently encouraged her to fly on.

We moored at the aqueduct before Long Itchington.  This area is a notorious black spot for phone coverage, and if we had thought to check the bus times to Leamington yesterday, we would have avoided the walk up to the bus stop to check.  Calcutt, where we will be leaving Bonjour for a while, is an awkward place to access by public transport.  Dave's got the bus from here before for the car shuffle, and when it works it’s great – but with a 2-hour wait for the next one, and no taxis available (on the very weak signal I got by standing on the table outside the pub) we decided to go back to the boat for a cup of tea, before walking up the old railway line with Meg.  Last time we went up here it was a rough track on railway ballast, and we walked up looking for butterflies.  Not today!  Too chilly and windy for butterflies of course, but it’s no longer a rough track!

You could get a car down here!

There was a board showing the development of what will one-day be an off-road route – the Lias Line - all the way to Leamington and Rugby.   A few hundred yards along, the track passes the lane that leads to Long Itchington, though we didn’t go much further than that.  In the other direction, across the canal bridge, you can get down to Southam, past the cement works I would think

But we were glad to see the embankments are still being managed by Butterfly Conservation.  Cowslips and bluebells occur along elsewhere along the line, but not as resplendently as this!  It should make a fabulous butterfly walk in a few weeks’ time, and possibly one day be useful for car shuffles! We’ll need to get a bike first.

The track was quiet today with no cyclists, but it was a bit too chilly for sitting and enjoying the flowers.

Lias Line Greenway

We'd had the forethought to book a table at the Two Boats, and had an excellent pint and a pleasant meal later on.

3½ miles, 9 locks including Bascote Staircase, HS2 mess and disruption