Across the summit and down the other side

Thursday 21^st May; Radio mast moorings to below Elkington’s lock

It feels strange to be writing this in the baking heat of the Bank Holiday weekend, but it was grey, dull and very windy last Thursday morning – so it was cold cruising as the wind was in our faces.  Except when the canal changed direction, which was often!

Wide uncultivated field margins mean more prey for barn owls

At Griffin’s bridge the canal bends right back on itself, and with trees all round and nil visibility we sounded the horn.  With no response we started through and with the bow already through to the other side of the bridge hole another bow suddenly appeared from behind the offside vegetation.  Dave slammed into reverse of course - just as the other boat sounded its horn – and there was a collision.  They seemed to think that because they sounded their horn we should be the ones to stop!  They clearly hadn’t heard ours, and maybe they had sounded theirs earlier though it was one of the throaty ones and we certainly hadn't heard it.  They were extremely aggressive, shouting the odds about us needing a new horn and generally being unpleasant.  Maybe on our way back we will keep sounding the horn just to be sure we are heard.

Something lovely to calm our shattered nerves

The gas bottle had run out as we had breakfast, so a stop at Fenny Compton marina was called for.  We topped up with fuel and had a pump-out as well, and Dave bought some more grease for the stern tube as the existing pot will soon need replacing.

Is this a reasonable price these days?

It was late morning by now as it’s such slow going round the bendy bits.  At least the sun had broken through the clouds!  Now it was the Fenny Compton tunnel, converted to a cutting in 1868, but generally very narrow and we were pleased there were no boats coming towards us.

Fenny Compton tunnel

We stopped well before the Claydon flight for lunch and when we moved on to the top lock a boat was just coming into the bottom.  Once we’d pulled in and I had gone to help I discovered why it was taking such an inordinate time to fill.  The offside ground paddle at the top was out of action, and the offside gate paddle at the bottom was also locked off and apparently couldn’t be properly closed so was leaking.

Claydon top lock

There was a boat ahead of us so I had to turn the next lock, but there were volunteers at the middle one to work us through.  There is a little garden there and they do their best to grow a few flowers and veg, but it’s difficult as they are only there one day a week.

Claydon bottom lock

Then we started to meet boats on their way up, so apart from a paddle being out at the bottom lock it was all straightforward.  Rather than moor here we thought we’d get a little further on, so went past Clattercote Wharf where in late summer there are usually hundreds of pumpkins ripening.   There used to be a lot of scarecrows too but today just a few pale ghosts remain.

We dropped down Elkington’s lock and found a pleasant patch of armco in lovely warm sunshine.

7½ miles, 6 locks and a very reasonable split.