Not far today

Saturday 16^th September; bridge 46-45 to Weedon aqueduct

It was a proper September morning when I got up to let the dog out – the railway was invisible through the mist and I just missed a lone moorhen swimming across the canal.

It was clearing quite rapidly in the sunshine and I took another photo as a train went by.

Could the passengers see us?

Those trains were frequent and were getting a bit annoying but we still didn’t manage to cast off till about 9.45.  What a change from all those early mornings on the Nene!  The canal was busy from early on. 

A variation on the usual hand-made signs

Whenever we were beginning to think how peaceful and quiet it was, another batch of boats would appear round a bend or at a bridge hole.  It was lucky the four pairs of canoeists who passed us did so fairly early, but even so we had to ask them to wait while we negotiated a bridge hole and the moored boats either side. We wanted to moor at Weedon to get a paper, and conveniently were approaching the moorings just before lunchtime. 

He was fender-to-fender with two other boats and seemed a very friendly type!

It looked very crowded on both sides of the canal so we moored at the end of the Armco before the aqueduct.  After lunch we took Meg and strolled down to the shop for the paper, then went to have a quick look at the Royal Ordnance Depot, not expecting to be able to see much as we had the dog with us. 

Well-spaced ordnance buildings along both sides - and a traffic cone in the canal

The Ordnance Canal, now derelict, is at the same level as the Grand Union, but the stretch leading to the GU is now under a housing estate.  As you can imagine, security was taken very seriously indeed, with a gatehouse manned by military personnel at each end for land access, and a portcullis for the water.

Serious security at the gatehouse

It turned out that dogs were allowed in the Visitor Centre (link) so we went in, and were greeted by John who, as a third generation employee, and now a volunteer, was a mine of information.  We have recently read about the 1664 ‘Delft Thunderclap’, when an explosion in the gunpowder stores destroyed a large part of the town, so asked about the large gaps between buildings – was it to minimise damage in case of explosion?  Well yes, but not from the magazine (where the gunpowder was stored) which was on a part of the canal which extended way beyond the other gatehouse (the white building beyond the tree in the previous photo).  This consisted of a high brick wall surrounding a row of buildings, where explosive was stored in every other building – the ones between being filled with earth to the rafters so that any blast was directed outwards and didn't affect the others.   The workers here were paid the same as any other workers, no danger money in those days!  The visitor centre isn’t big, but has a few exhibits from various periods and some photos.  There is a Lee Enfield rifle from World War II (well secured, and unloaded) which is still in working order.  You can pick it up – it is HEAVY! – as long as you ask first - and he shows you how it works.  Other, older, examples were in a locked case.  There is far more information in John’s head than is on display, especially about the army during the two World Wars – and it was all fascinating.

We strolled back passed the Jubilee Field, where a football match was being played, and across the infant Nene, here only ankle-deep.

We hadn’t intended to stay here tonight, but after looking at the maps decided it would be as quiet as anywhere below Buckby locks,  so we stayed put.  I checked the stoppage notices – Colwich lock has been mended, so our original plan stands.

6 miles.