A visit to Thrapston

Monday 21^st August; Peartree to Litle Addington FOTRN

What a beautiful morning to wake up to!  Swans gliding up the arm and early enough for a little mist to be rising on the river.

Peartree at 7.09 am

But by 8, when we were preparing to leave, the cloud had come over and it was time for an extra jumper each, woolly hats and even gloves!  But half an hour later the cloud had gone and by the time I had lowered the wheel-operated guillotine at Titchmarsh lock the extra jumper was well and truly dispensed with.

Gathering swallows at Titchmarsh lock

By 10 we were nearing the EA mooring below Islip lock, so we moored up and found the way into Thrapston to stock up on supplies.  Meg got a nice walk out of it too.  The butcher is good, but we were very disappointed with the sausage roll from the baker, which Dave rated at 4/10.  My cheese pasty was a little better at 5/10.  There was a café at the other end of the High St, which did take-away, so perhaps we should have gone there.

An interesting variety of businesses in Thrapston

There is a good Co-op up that end of the High Street too.  On the way back I stopped to smell the roses in the memorial garden (jubilee? coronation? I can’t remember, I know it was more than the war memorial at the far end).

Sadly no scent to these roses

Up Islip lock we went, and then Denford.  There was a lot of azolla weed above Denford, beginning to spread again after the weed boat ministrations a few weeks ago.  We had hoped to have a lunch stop on the Woodford mooring, but once again it was fully occupied, so we had a sandwich on the move.

Woodford Church

We had seen a large number of boats this morning – must have been all of 7 or 8!  Usually we see only one or two on the move.  There was just one this afternoon, at one of the Ringstead locks so we could have a conversation – that is one of the things we miss about being on the river.  They had spent a couple of months on the canals and were delighted to be back on the river - I had to confess we were really looking forward to getting back onto the canals!   Each thought the other was bonkers.  The two Ringstead locks are the last of the wheel-operated guillotines, thank goodness.  We reached the moorings at Little Addington at about 3.30, so that felt like another short day, though it wasn’t really.  The edge is very wavy and it took us a while to get the stern positioned correctly for the dog – the bow was much too far out for her.  But the bank was suitable for Dave to get the mop out and give the starboard side a bit of a wash and have a look at the scrapes from the chains in the locks.  A footpath runs along the top of the bank so Meg got a good walk – after she fell in trying to get a drink.

9¼ miles, 6 locks, about 5½ hours cruising.