Foxton Locks

Leicester folk flock to the locks and incline plane in their droves to wander the heritage trail,gongoozle the boats, visit the museum and enjoy refreshments in the hostelries.

Approaching the locks a upper arm sweeps of to the right which in its day led to the Incline Plane by passing the locks and reducing journey time from 70 minutes to 12 minutes.

Foxton Locks consist of two staircases of five chambers each.  Boats can pass between the two and entry is by direction of the lock-keeper.

As with Watford locks there are side ponds and it's red  before  white.   The building to the right is the museum.

That is until the passing pound in reached and the red paddle is on lock five and the white is on lock six along with its own red and white paddle!!! Water is plentiful and this middle pound is turbulent as the original pound extended along lock 6 which is now grassed.

We are soon at the picturesque basin at the bottom.

Contact was made with Sam, the engineer who is going to sort our problems and we moored at the visitor moorings beyond the bridge to await his visit.

Crick to Foxton

We moved on from Crick on a drizzly Bank Holiday afternoon in search a better tv and Internet signal.

We thought we would head for Yelvertoft but we only found moorings half a mile further on. The rain came down and didn't stop for two days so we didn't move.  It gave us time to take stock, discovering a oil leak and bailing out seven two gallon buckets of water from the bilge!!! Also the new belts picked up from the boat show were not sitting as they should.

Feeling just a tad worn down by the many problems we have had this cruise a decision was made to abandon plans of going on the Thames, get the major problems sorted ( the stern gland, oil leak and belts) and head for home by continuing along the Leicester Line of the Grand Union on to the River Soar and back either up the Trent and Mersey or the Shroppie.

Now we had to locate a boatyard or engineer.  After 3 phone calls Foxton Boat Services were able to help and so on Thursday we headed off to Foxton. Passing Welford Junction where a arm branches away to the south-east for a mile and a quarter.

Husbands Bosworth Tunnel 

We pass through some very remote, but attractive countryside.  There are no villages on the canal here, Husband Bosworth being hidden by the tunnel.

Moored on the outskirts of Foxton, ready to tackle Foxtons to two staircases of five locks each first thing in the morning.

Crick Boat Show 2014

Friday evening saw the arrival of a steam powered traditional narrowboat towing a 'buttie'

The annual boat show is a lusty jamboree of boats and beer tents, marquees and craft stalls all eager to relieve you of cash- and they did!!!

Saturday can only be described as wet and wellies were the order of the day!!

Our first port of call was the Beta stand to collect our parcel of belts and bearings which would see the end of charging the domestic batteries of the

 starter battery and the start of catching up with the washing( 3 bags of it now!!)

The sun came out on Sunday and we spend a lovely day milling around with our visitors, Pol and Bill. We had booked a table at the "The Moorings", alongside bridge 12, for our evening meal and they did not disappoint, so good in fact we went back for  breakfast the following day.

Our entertainment for the evening - Big O and the Traveling Wilburys Show.  The original Traveling Wilburys formed in 1988 with a all-star line up consisting of Bob Dylan, Jeff Lynne, George Harrison, Roy Orbison and Tom Petty. the band produced two albums and an array of hit singles but never performed live together.  With this in mind, Roy Orbison tribute performer Paul Hopkins decided to join four other talented musicians to form the band.  As well as performing Wilburys' songs they each performed hits of each individual artist.

Other talented artists performed throughout all three days.

Monday was a sunshine and showers day but despite the weather it was a enjoyable weekend spent with friends old and new. 

G.U. Leicester Line - Norton Junction to Crick

At Norton Junction we do a "U" onto the Leicester Line of the Grand Union . This picturesque little toll house overlooks the junction.

Immediately on the right is one of C&RT's new fangled water points - it meets with the Captains approval but he prefers the look of the traditional points!!!

Meandering through the wood prior to passing the back door of Watford Gap motorway services, inaccessible from the towpath.

Two miles in and we approach Watford locks, a flight of seven with a four rise staircase.  Progress up the locks in at the direction of the lock-keeper who orchestrates the passing of boats up and down.

We progressed up the first lock and awaited further instruction, while the boat ahead of us was allowed to go up the first two.

Into the second lock and instructions given concerning the paddles of the staircase lock.

At the head of the lock there are two paddles, one red and further back a white one. It goes red before white.

There are side ponds where excess water is fed and used to refill the lock. The "red then white" pumping the water round in a circle, a great water saving system.

Just time to do a spot of rubbish disposal at the top and before we know it we are approaching Crick Tunnel

Crick Tunnel is almost a mile long with two-way working.  This time we had the tunnel to ourselves.

On exiting the tunnel we were met with a long line of double moored boats which we realised at the last minute were the moorings for the boat show.

I jumped off at the next bridge and went on foot to find our spot while Trev did a spot of reversing!!!

It was a plank jobbie but at least the sun was shinning.....for now....

The Grand Union - Braunston to Norton Junction

Seem a age ago since we left Braunston and a decent internet signal.

The triangular junction,with its twin Horseley Iron Works towpath bridges, was not the original meeting point of the Oxford and Grand Union canals, but dates from the improvements of the 1830s.

Prior to that, the Oxford had meandered between Braunston and Wolfhampcote, and the junction was in the vicinity of where the marina is today.

It really is a lovely junction!!!

The Stop House was originally the Toll Office between the Oxford Canal and the Grand Junction Canal.

The marina,

home of the "Braunston Bunch" aka nb Huffler, Charlotte and Jola No 6

6 wide beam locks make up the Braunston flight.

A variation on locking gear,

the gates having two paddles each.

Some interesting facts learnt along the way.

The mouth of Braunston Tunnel is immediately after the locks.

It takes about twenty minutes to negotiate and is two way. As it is our first experience of a two way tunnel meeting this boat seemed very strange,after meeting a further three it became the norm!!! The light was not at the end of the tunnel but oncoming boats!!!

Open countryside takes us to Norton Junction where the Leicester Section of the Grand Union diverges from the main London-Birmingham line.

5 Miles, 6 locks and 1 tunnel