At last it’s summer

Friday 1^st June; Norton Junction to Crack’s Hill

It is still overcast and cold, though Radio 4 keeps going on about the lovely sunshine in the South and West.  The thermometer in the well deck read 11 degrees C as we made ready to leave at 9.30.  There was a sudden flurry of boats coming through the junction bridge, one being Aldgate, probaby on the way from Crick show last weekend. 

There were two more boats as we approached the junction bridge, and yet another after we had completed the turn onto the Leicester section of the Grand Union.

Such a pretty cottage at the junction

Gradually the sun started to break through and apart from the ever-increasing noise from the M1 it was delightful cruising.  We passed the edge of the Watford Gap services, where I remember once, long ago, scrambling through the undergrowth and across the lorry car park to get milk from the shop!  You can’t do that now.  We arrived at Watford locks and joined the two boats waiting to go up.  I went to book in with the lockie, in contact by radio now with the one further up who was recording the boats, and we knew we had to wait for four to come down.  Time for coffee.  The two boats before us had already gone up by the time the fourth boat was down, and finally it was our turn.  If you’ve not been this way before, you need to know that you can’t pass another boat in a staircase of single locks – the top gate of one is also the bottom gate of the next and there is no pound to pass in - so in the main boating season the flight is manned to keep traffic flowing smoothly.

Our turn

Once the lockies knew we were aware of ‘red before white’ on the staircase we were left to get on with it, though they did open some bottom gates for us.  I asked how busy they had been – on Tuesday (three days ago, just after the Crick Show) 46 boats had passed through, and 40 were going down.  Most had been at the show, though some must have been on their half-term holiday and been surprised at the lengthy queue.  Compared with the Braunston flight these locks are a doddle.  To maintain water supply on the flight, there are large side ponds for water storage.

Side pond

If you ensure you raise the red paddle before the white, water isn't wasted.  I'll explain when we go down Foxton in a couple of days time!  As we worked out way up, the sun struggled through the clouds and it began to get warm.

Coming up.

It took a mere 43 minutes until I was back on board, having dumped the rubbish as we rose up the last lock, and the crew of the first boat waiting to descend having worked us through.  We cruised on through beautiful countryside to find a quiet spot for lunch, and the chance for an internet signal before Crick where reception is poor.

We cruised gently towards Crick, with the tunnel taking a little longer than we hoped as there was a boat in front, but apart from forgetting that the Crick end can be rather wet it was all fine.  We pottered through Crick, quiet now that the show is over and most boats have departed.  It looks as though some of the display boats are still being lifted.  As you can see, the sun beat the clouds and summer is here!

We were aiming for the mooring we hoped would be free at Crack’s Hill – and it was, between bridge 14 and the winding hole.  Straight away we took Meg and crossed over to check the sheep situation – none on the hill, so up we went to the top.

Our mooring from Crack’s Hill

We were aiming for a longer walk, so we carried on down the other side following the footpath which comes out at bridge 17, not far from Yelvertoft marina.  It was still windy, and we could hear the soft ‘whump, whump’ of the wind turbine blades.  It was a long walk back around a large loop of the canal, made longer when we noticed Meg was not carrying her ball – we went back to check, failing to find it – only for her to give us a funny look as we returned to roughly where we'd noticed it was missing, and she poked her nose into the undergrowth and retrieved it.

After a cuppa, Dave washed the port side and roof while I cooked tea.  It was a beautiful evening, sheep and birds our only neighbours, and later on, bats in the moonlight.  Fab.

Just under 6 miles, 7 locks.