Narrowboat Firecrest – Page 6 – Coddiwompling with Narrowboat Firecrest

Wootton Wawen

We found ourselves mooring up at the pretty village of Wootton Wawen- if only because I love the sound of the name Wootton Wawen. So please indulge me if I say Wootton Wawen many times in this post. And with a name like Wootton Wawen, I knew there had to be some history worth reading up on, starting with the toponomy, (study of place names). Wootton Wawen is a combination of the words Wudu, meaning wood, and Tun meaning enclosed piece of land and Wagga, (aka Wagen) who was the original Saxon thane, ruling the settlement. Thus the name is essentially “the farm near a wood belonging to Wagga”.

The oldest records of the settlement date from around 723 when Aethelbald, king of the Mercians gave Earl Aethelric 20 hides of land (about 2000acres) to build a monastery, however within 50 years the Vikings arrived and burnt it all down. Undefeated a stone church was rebuilt and the Doomsday book records Wootton as having 7 hides, land for 9 ploughs, 23 villagers and a priest, and 23 smallholders who have 6 ploughs, 2 Mills at 11s and 8 sticks of eels; woodland 2 leagues long and 1 league wide Value £4. A hide is a unit of measurement roughly equivalent to 120 acres, traditionally considered to be the amount of land to support a household and cover rent and taxes, providing food for the manor house and men to fight wars. The 2021 census show 1400 people now live there and average house prices are around £600,000 I don’t know about the eels those houses would have now. The church is still standing with various additions but is proud to be the oldest church in Warwickshire.

The church had gone to a lot of effort to make it an interesting place to visit, and I suspect it had a thriving congregation.

Just up from our mooring is Yew Tree Farm shopping village with the most amazing craft gallery. If we lived in a house with wall space and window sills I’d have spent a lot of money there. There were several browsing galleries, including a hand made chocolates shop, antiques, clothes, garden stuff and a farm shop that had honey and ginger icecream, although it’s food range was rather limited or high end. (But there’s a well stocked village store as well.)

We ended up enjoying several more days at Wootton, it was sunny and peaceful, and after a week of heavy locking we needed to put our feet up and watch the water flow by.

Mesmerising colours both on the water and in the sunset

South Stratford Canal

This month, it’s exactly 7 years since we were last on the South Stratford canal, and that time we were hurrying to meet a friend in Braunston. Now we know better, and “encourage” our friends to come to us. The Stratford on Avon canal actually starts at King’s Norton, but the little village of Lapworth is is a busy junction on the canal system, with routes going north, south, east and west, and the North Stratford becomes the South Stratford

This is where we left the Grand Union Canal and the Lapworth link to squeeze through the narrow gap to head south,

Lapworth junction turn right for King’s Norton turn left for Stratford

And where our friends James and Caroline who live locally joined us for the day.

It’s an incredibly pretty canal, with a lot of unique features. The bridges were built in two cantilevered halves which allowed the horse drawn boats to be pulled through the gap without having to untie , simple and sensible really

And there are 6 very unusual houses built for the Lengthmen, these were the men who were responsible for maintaining the Lock and their length of the canal. The navvies who built the canals weren’t house builders so they put the skills they did have and constructed the roofs the same way that they did building tunnels, hence the barrel shaped roof

The Lengthmans Barrel cottage, most of these cottages have been extended now,

James and Caroline saw us through several locks so we thought it only fair to make James take the helm

Mmmm another scratch on the paintwork doesn’t matter that much

Yes James they really do fit into that narrow gap

After all that hard work

we moored up at Lowsonford and went for a very enjoyable meal out at the Fleur De Lys.

Sharing the load

Turning right at Wigrams, onto the Warwick and Napton canal section of the Grand Union is a good place to have friends. The next 21 miles has 46 double locks, and pretty though it may be, it’s hard work without a crew, at this time of year, there are usually other boaters to share the load.

We struck lucky, making friends with a party of Australian men who had left their wives back home and come to explore the UK by narrowboat. Our heritage is certainly something to be proud of.

I hope that, if and when HS2 ever gets completed it will mellow into the countryside again just before Radford Semole

It will mellow and the trees will grow again, but I doubt it will last as long as our fabulous canal network. We said goodbye to our aussies who wanted to get to Warwick to visit Castle. We decided to have a few days in Royal Leamington Spa. Leamington is an odd place, you don’t see it at its best from the canal, although there’s some amazing street art

The town itself grew up around its mineral spring, when taking the waters became a fashionable cure all in the early 1800s. (Apparently the waters were actually a mild laxative so no wonder you felt well cleansed) Parks, promenades and bandstands with fabulous floral displays were created to entertain the visitors but despite the arrival of the railway, bringing more wealthy victorians, this prosperous period didn’t last. And nowadays its sadly rundown although the local council seem keen to maintain the gardens now, so it’s still a pretty place to walk around.

A Japanese Lantern flower in the glass house

Leamington and Warwick are so close, they seem to merge into one with only the River Avon between the two.

We’ve moored in Warwick before on the Saltisford Arm, but not this trip

The Saltisford Arm, well worth £10 a night to moor if you want to explore Warwick

We’d had the offer of a helping hand from my friend Jude

who was keen and eager to help us up the Hatton flight, so we set off straight away.

I’m not sure if Jude realised what she’d volunteered for but we never say no to sharing the load.

As we keep reminding ourselves, it’s cheaper than going to the gym

It’s a great sense of satisfaction when you reach the dragonfly pond,

Glad we don’t meet any dragonfly that big for real

Although there’s still 3 more of the 21 locks to go.
The Hatton Flight was opened in 1799 as part of the Warwick and Birmingham canal. Not only did it carry coal but also tea sugar and spices were being brought to Birmingham, it was hard work for the boatmen but it became known as the Stairway to Heaven because they knew that once they reached Camp Hill in Birmingham they would get paid. In the 1930s the unification of the network incorporated as part of the Grand Union canal and the decision was made to improve capacity by widening the single locks to double width. Not only was it unusual for canals to be improved like this, the new locks were unusual because they were built out of that revolutionary new material, concrete. Economic and efficient the new flight might have been, you’d have thought those engineers would have spared a thought for us leisure boaters, who don’t get paid at the top of the flight.

Those fellas don’t look like it’s too much of a struggle

Unless you count the evening view as a reward. Thankyou Jude, your help was very much appreciated, it was lovely to spend time with you and also to meet your family.

Looking down the Hatton flight towards the castle

And just thrown in for good measure, I’ve also squeezed in a flying visit back home to Suffolk to check out the view from my back garden.

The New Plan A

It was a ridiculous sense of relief to have, having finally given up on the East Anglian Adventure. We were back on the Grand Union and had a plan, not one we were going to allocate to the second half of the alphabet, this is the New Plan A. We are now heading towards Gloucester and Sharpness. We will enjoy the journey and embrace all the new opportunities it throws at us. The DIY tweaks and improvements intended to be done whilst close to home (and Eric’s much missed workshop) will get tackled another time. We’re heading west, towards the sunset.

As we’d only just come down the Grand Union, we decided not to dwardle on this section of our journey. Although we did take time to pay hommage to our two service heros deep in thought at bridge 21. I dont know if they have official names but we call them Tim and Prue, always impeccably turned out, although missing a large glass of red today.

Tim and Prue marking the 80th anniversary of D Day at Bridge 21

We struck lucky at the bottom of the Buckby flight by meeting a lovely couple renovating an old boat. They had minimal boat handling experience but were happy to follow our routine.

Experienced or not it still makes double locks easier if you can share the load. As we gazed longingly at the lovely cottage a at Norton Junction a familiar face approached us, well familiar to me, unless he can magically see out of the TV not my face to him as it was Robbie Cummings from the Canal Diaries tv show.

We didn’t stop to exchange autographs although I thanked him for an entertaining show. The storm clouds were gathering so we opted for a good nights sleep before doing the Braunston tunnel and flight. As luck is now on our side we buddied up again for the locks into Braunston

And found a mooring before the next storm clouds hit

We’ve spent many an hour mooching around Braunston, it’s got history, culture and butcher who sells the Best Braunston Bangers.

However, we might be in good spirits but what had happened to summer.

Somewhere around Bridge 100, the meeting point for many marina dwellers over a weekend G&T

But when dark clouds amass, the only thing to do is get the knitting out and try a bit of reverse psychology. Having knitted a boat chicken for Firecrest,

Meet Nen the Hen, knitted in Northampton where the Nene is known as the Nen

It was time to finish a wooly jumper for me in case the weather never improved

But you know what they say, it only rains when you forget your umbrella. Let’s hope the weather warms up

And sure enough we woke to blue skies and the temperature soared.

And he marched them up to the top of the hill and he marched them down again.

Do you ever get the feeling we should have seen the writing on the wall. We’d moored up in Northampton, keen and eager to get into East Anglia, ready to enjoy some river cruising on the Nene. The drizzle had stopped so we set off on foot to speak to the team in the Enviroment Agency office around the corner at Northampton Marina …..as we were stepping off Firecrest we could see someone “doing something” at Lock 17. That “doing something” turned out to be turning the boards from green to red, indicating strong flow, navigation not advised. Undeterred we started a conversation with the man who just so happened to be from the marina office. We picked his brains as we walked along hoping to glean some local knowledge…. the board would probably be up for 4 or 5 days depending on the weather, and Warmington Lock (between Oundle and Peterborough) was closed for winter maintenance until 30th of May although that was likely to be extended and Salters Lode lock was closed for the foreseeable, at least all summer, meaning we wouldn’t be able to get to Ely or Cambridge, both being anticipated highlights for our summer. As we returned to the boat through the town it appeared that the “whole” of the centre was being dug up, there were barriers “everywhere”, not somewhere you’d explore for pleasure. We felt totally dejected. I didn’t even take any photos. At least the red boards would give us some thinking time and Aldi and B&Q were only 5 minutes walk from our mooring.

Looking towards us at Cotton End, Northampton

It wasn’t all bad, the train station was also convenient and I’d got chores to do in the Lakes so I could go home from here

But as they say, it never rains but it pours. A CRT notification arrived by email, the beam at Lock 11 on the flight has suffered a catastrophic collapse and there could be a major delay in its repair. So now we were well and truly stuck, can’t go forward and can’t go back either.

Fortunately CRT was actually on the ball and once they had done their assessment, they instigated an emergency evacuation plan before they shut the whole flight down in order to do a full repair. There was a very helpful CRT officer called Abby who was keeping us personally informed. By this time Eric and I had decided to cut our losses and make a run for it.
1)We couldn’t leave Northampton whilst the boards were red, and talking to locals it seems there were only 2 people authorised to make decisions about the river levels so if they weren’t on duty, the red boards got left up longer than necessary.
2) we didn’t know how long it would be before Warmington Lock winter maintenance was complete, for that matter when would winter be over
3) we wouldn’t be able to get to Ely or Cambridge at all, because the “authorities” were playing politics
4) and now we risked potentially getting trapped by the Northampton Arm closure, because the oak beam had rotted through.

So we turned around, this time going up the locks

Back under the M1

Back through the well rotted lock 11, which instead of being airlifted by helicopter, CRT had actually cobbled together quite a substantial temporary fix,

Then traipsing through the long grass offside to work the locks Come on CRT, you might claim this is nature friendly, but this is not boater friendly, it’s downright dangerous: the ground is uneven with rabbit holes, you can’t see the bollards or the edge of the lock, its swarming with bugs that bite in the sun and soggy and wet in the rain. It might be due to lack of funds but its neglect, and negligent. And no, more signage warning us of potential trip hazards isn’t enough, one strip of mowing would suffice, then boaters and wildlife will happily share the space.

But despite my grumbles it was a very pretty journey back up the flight

And we ended the day feeling more confident now we were back on the main canal network

Spitting distance

After sitting down last December and deciding to purchase a gold licence so we could spend the summer in East Anglia, we are on the final few days of our very protracted and frustrating journey, we set off with spring in the air and a spring in our step.

Only to have it clouded over by the time we reached Gayton Junction. We picked up some fuel from Blisworth Marina, (about 15pl cheaper than nearby marinas ) and off we set up the Northampton arm.

Gayton Junction going onto the Northampton Arm

Only 17 locks down

The first 12 are a flight so easy for Eric and I to work as a team, I set the lock, he cruises in, whilst I walk on to set the next one, by the time he’s let the water out I’m usually back in time to close up as he cruises on. And thankfully there’s only one lift bridge which is usually raised.

And as we were working our way down the flight, my adventurous Sister in Law was in South America ticking off her bucket list visiting the Iguaçu falls in Brazil, Lock 9 did its best to impress….

There’s some interesting art work along the 5 miles between Gayton Junction and Northampton

And the M1 motorway thunders overhead .

And another friend was visiting Chelsea Flower show as we made our way down the flight. Sometimes simple is just as good.

And we made it. Well almost, the heavens opened just as we reached Cotton End in Northampton, which is still on the canal, and under CRTs management and there were rings so we moored up. Our final, lock, Lock 17 is within spitting distance . Once the rain stopped we thought we would take a walk up to the Marina office and talk to the Enviroment Agency about river etiquette, buy ourselves the required access key, and prepare our anchor etc ready for the River Nene after a good nights sleep…..

This is a trip of 165 miles, 1½ furlongs and 137 locks from Macclesfield Visitor Moorings (Pontoons) to Northampton Lock No 17. And had we cruised for 7 hours a day (which admittedly we wouldn’t even contemplate let alone achieve) we could have done it in a fortnight. (Screenshot swiped from AC Canal plan)

A Creative Week in Weedon Bec

Heading south on the Grand Union Canal, below Whilton Marina

We had almost reached our summer destination; East Anglia, albeit a good 2 months later than we’d planned, so what would it matter if we dawdled in Weedon Bec for a week. Theres a lot of opportunity for creativity here, and I had friends close by, so with us bagging a mooring in full sun, ie good solar power, and no need to run the generator..

A misty morning but by 10am the sun was cracking the flags

…Eric took the opportunity to return home, to do some essential house maintenance, leaving me to play. There is a brilliant quilting shop in Weedon called the Bramble Patch. It stocks even more fabric than I have in my stash back home. Inspired by the Great British Sewing Bee, I bought myself a little pattern, some coordinated fabric to make a summer sunhat. This sewing machine rarely gets used on the boat, and even though it’s the tiniest of models I was debating whether or not it earnt its storage space. Its won a reprieve for now.

Weedon also has a creative hub housed in the Depot. The Depot was built during the Napoleonic war by George III to house the English ordinance, (gunpowder) in a more central location away from the south coast, in case Napoleon invaded.

Looking towards the clock tower at the Depot

Nowadays the historic warehouses, which have seen a variety of military use right up until the 1980s are home to antique warehouses, offices, classic car showrooms and bike showrooms, book stores and cafes.

We might live life in the slow lane, but I’ll always hanker after a sports car,

But my favourite is the Riverknits studio. Home to Becky and Marcus, who have created an artisan yarn brand, which they dye themselves. They regularly hold open days and knit and natters, and the week I was there there they hosted a mini yarn festival with a host of other independant yarnies. I met up with friends and we were in our element.

And yes I bought wool and a book.

Weedon Bec is a great place for a boats to stop. It’s simple and non fussy, but there’s 2 good convenience stores, a revolution outdoor laundrette, a variety of eateries, but sadly no dedicated boating facilities such and water, bins or fuel. But there’s plenty of mooring, and the neighbours are cute

Even Louie the sidecar dog in my header photo has his own website http://louiethesidecardog.com/

Some Perfect Spring Cruising

After my little jaunt away living the highlife, counting puffins Eric had moved Firecrest through Leicester and was waiting for me at Kilby Bridge. The weather was perfect and we were keen to be on our way.

Sometimes there’s no need for lengthy details as we watch the world go by

Sometimes the scenery and tranquility just speaks for itself as others just watch us go by, whilst we disappear into the tunnel

Sometimes quite a lot of people watching us go by, but what do you expect going up Foxton Locks on a sunny Sunday afternoon

Just so long as they evenings are peaceful

But its in the tunnels that you really hope you don’t meet anyone,

Mmmm that looks like 2 boats coming towards us, hope they move over. Crick tunnel is two way

But meeting a lockie on the Watford flight is always welcome.

The Watford flight would be very pleasant if it weren’t for the M1 thundering alongside the canal

And finally, Norton Junction. We’ve arrived at the point where our current Plan xxx route and our original plan A route rejoin, and we thought we’d have been here in March.

Fun Firsts and Firm Favourites

Whilst I was off on my puffin adventure with Amanda, I took advantage of being close to family and friends and ticked off a few “firsts” for me,

Always good to see my favourite daughter and her favourite chicken, (my favourite son wasn’t around for a photo) And to spend a day at one of my favourite places with my bestie,

Before heading to Amanda’s and my favourite furballs

Where she took me to see her favourite team, Posh

Yes Posh had just taken the lead with their 3rd goal of the match

Admittedly Peterborough United isn’t my favourite team, but as Amanda has a season ticket and I’d never been to a real live match before, I did enjoy the experience and I can understand why so many pay good money to stand in the cold for 90 minutes every Saturday. The atmosphere was buzzing and it was exciting to be part of the crowd. Completely off the scale compared to watching a match on the telly.
And whilst I was feeling sporty, Amanda is also a race horse owner. Admittedly only the whisker on his nose, as part of a syndicate, but never the less Lilkian was due to run and she had owners tickets so off we ran to Chelmsford for the race. Another first for me and good fun being wined and dined, and allowed to stand in the paddock to discuss tactics with the trainer and jockey…

but alas Lilkian came home last

Video

And then it was time for me to come home, to my favourite hubby and favourite narrowboat

and look what was waiting for me

Addendum to Iceland part 2, the main event

Today was the day we had been looking forward to for several months.

We were going to land on Skomer Island and go puffin hunting. Clad in our most waterproof clothes we set off on our 15 minute boat trip, determined to enjoy our day.

No sooner had we left the boat when the puffins were hopping up the stone steps with us. Posing for photos.

We were welcomed onto the island by the assistant warden, who told us it was a good day to see puffins because, unlike us, they enjoy a bit of wild weather. Our main instruction was to stick to the paths because most of the birds on the island live in burrows only a few inches under the ground, and whilst they didn’t want any twisted broken ankles, they really didn’t want any squashed puffins. It was roughly 4 miles to walk around the island,

Skomer had been inhabited by farming families up until 1950s. The earliest archeology dates back to the iron age and there was clearly some historical structures still standing.

Nowadays there’s a year round warden and seasonal researchers studying the wildlife. Most people visit the island on a day trip. The puffins are also just visiting, and make their annual visit between April and July. And we were treated to far more than just the puffins, the island was covered in beautiful bluebells and I imagine there will be more flowers and heathers throughout the season

And the scenery was spectacular

But it was the puffins we really wanted to see

There are roughly 40,000 puffins visiting Skomer each year and I think we saw most of them

We were given clear instructions to stick to the paths so we didn’t damage the puffins burrows, the puffins were free to wander, and we really did have to be careful not to tread on them.