Up to a bright cool
day, Niamh up o.k Derek raring to go, its about 1 hour or so to the dreaded
Hatton Flight. We set off before 9 to
fill up with water and Niamh had plenty of time to get ready. Bridge 64, the
entrance to our first taste of this piece of waterway and the beginning of
Niamh’s Holiday, well should we say working break with her mad Granny and
Grandad. Already fed the ducks and swan
families and geese who introduced themselves to Niamh last night. The Swan family, mum actually knocks on the
side hatch window to be fed, and the waring ducks are very amusing but at times
quite frightening when they hiss at you or the dogs. The water is nice and clean an d the towpath
and hedgerows are well maintained, we passed a few NBs, some moving and some
moored. The water point is opposite a
lovely set of houses, well I think there is more than one. Tom O Wood moorings is the name of the place,
what a cute name! The enclave, it is a
few houses all together, they have neat gardens, one even has a little water
feature with fairies at the bottom of the garden. In the field at the side there are some
really big goats, a couple in each of two fields, I wonder if they are breeding
pairs, it all looked lovely. The water
was clean, the grassmen cometh? Its covered in clippings now but very tidy. This bit of water is enhanced by the fact
that we are up above the fields, with little cottages and farms grouped in them
and herds of lovely fat brown and white cows.
There was also what looked like a field full of Christmas Trees? Well
pines at least. Its only August and I
just used the C word! According to Derek Christmas (in the shops) shouldn’t
start till at least December, you can tell who does the Christmas shopping in
our house, that usually starts in January for me. Shrewley Tunnel was strange to look at, there
was a walkway tunnel up in the corner, it was, when we got in there, very tall
and very wet. Niamh took some photos on
her phone, they were great, a lot better than with my camera. On coming out the exit for the walkway was
shrouded in bushes, so quite hard to spot, there was a new hand rail down the
side of the hill and down to the canal.
There was a mooring next to the
Warwickshire Yacht Club, mostly NBs, then another encampment just before the
bridge. We got to the top of the Hatton
Flight at 11, it was a long arduous days locking, we had just started to make a
drink and a snack and we were there, a little NB Ceil, was going into the lock
so we joined it, then no stopping till we got to the end. We got a system going, Mr Ceil opened the top
paddles and the top gates, someone opened one side for us to get in the Ist Lock. Derek and Mrs Ceil went into the Lock Derek
shut one side, Mr Ceil shut the other then Niamh and I did the bottom paddles,
Mr Ceil going down to the next lock to prepare it for us, most were empty so
they had to be filled and the gates opened.
Part of the way down (about ½ way) there was a boat coming up so we
opened the bottom gates and let ours out and them in, so it was slightly easier
for Mr Ceil as the lock was ready for us.
At first there were quite a lot of Gongoozlers as there is a picnic area
and canal shop/cafe on the right hand side of the locks. A volunteer did help
at one of the locks, only one I might add.
We reached the bottom of the locks at 2ish, it had started spotting with
rain about 4 locks up, it was ok as it cooled us down. When we climbed aboard, via steps at the side
of the last lock, it poured. Derek
sailed on to just outside Saltisford Canal (an arm owned privately with Marina,
moorings, chandlers, etc) but it looked really busy so he spent 20 minutes
reversing back to just after the last lock to moor. Niamh made her lunch, I
made a cuppa for me and Derek and had a piece of chocolate, we had nothing
except a fruit shoot since 11 so were tired and thirsty. Derek fastened us up on the mooring and came
in and made bacon sarnies and another cuppa, it was like nectar to our rumbling
tummies. I had a little nod, I was
really really tired and already aching, we had walked between the locks,
downhill and about 2 miles (yes thats all) it felt like 20. The water raises the canal by over 150, there
was an awful lot of water, the gates were very leaky, near the bottom the
towpath got flooded as we emptied the lock.
Derek took the dogs for a walk and sorted the tele but no internet. The rest of the evening was to be spent
mooching and watching tele.
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