Long Itchington to Calcutt Boats

Our overnight mooring at Long Itchington. We have a pair and then a flight of 8 locks ahead of us and we are on the look out for a lock buddy.

While I set the first lock.....

Trev found us a single-hander.  The boats were tied together leaving the captain free to  do the locks.

The plan worked well until we came to the first bridge which was too narrow to accommodate two boats!!!! Once we got over that we settled into a very efficient routine. Ron and I set the lock, Trev brought in both boats, while the lock was filling Ron went on to set the next one while I opened the gates. After exiting Trev assisted with closing the gates and it was off to the next one.

The local walking group enjoying today's entertainment.

Oncoming boats manoeuvred round us in there own way.....

In just over two hours we were on our final lock and I was very grateful for Rons help and insistence in winding most of the paddles.

With ropes untied Ron was off towards Rugby and we had two miles of cruising to Calcutt Boats where we are having the central heating serviced.

We met a pair of hotel boats - definitely a better option than doing the laborious lock paddles!!!

We pass a variation of the weird and the wonderful ....

then its out into the open countryside.

Our overnight resting place outside Calcutt Boats.

Calcutts service area is between locks one and two of the flight of three.  This morning at silly o'clock( 7.30) we moved up the locks and moored ready for our central heating engineer to arrive at 8.30

23 locks down and 1 to go then we will be heading for Napton Junction.

Saltisford Arm to Long Itchington

Finally on the move after two weeks on land and leaving Warwick which alas we did not manage to explore.

Depending on your direction of travel, the "Leamington Pound" ends or begins at the "Cape of Good Hope", the pub on the left.

The second of Cape Locks.

Kate Boats hire company is just beyond the bridge.

We took on provisions at the very handy canal side Tesco.

This sturdy stone aqueduct, spanning the River Avon marks the end of Warwick and the beginning of Leamington Spa.

New build suburbia is the order of the day....

Waiting at Radford Bottom Lock

From here we begin a 23 lock climb out of the valley of the Avon......thankfully we will be savings some for tomorrow.

The countryside east of Leamington is pleasant, if unspectacular.

Reeds have colonised the shallow edges of the canal.

C&RT in action helping us pull in the boat

Just love this rooftop log store.

Bascote Locks, two singles and a staircase are the final locks for today.

Staircase pair.

All out of energy and time to call it a day we are moored at Long Itchington recharging our batteries ready for Stockton tomorrow.

Ten and a half miles and 11 locks.

A flavour of the Saltisford Arm

The Saltisford Arm is situated at Budbrooke Junction

Here the old Warwick & Napton Canal met its close associate, the Warwick &Birmingham.  The two canals were opened at the turn of the 18th century and provided Birmingham with a more direct route to London than hitherto existed.  Eventually they were incorporated into the Grand Union in 1929.

The arm has been restored by the Saltisford Canal Trust.

The community orchard...

featuring......

The Sensory Garden

Picnic/BBQ area.

The actual terminus of the Warwick & Birmingham Canal lay at the end of the arm, closer to the town centre than you can get by boat today.

All in all a excellent place in its own right.

Scores on the doors to 31st July 2015

343 miles   180 locks   31 swing bridges   6 tunnels

Hatton Flight - Grand Union

It seems a age ago when we approached the start of the Hatton flight - 27th July to be exact.  A poor signal prevented me from up dating the blog before we set off to Burscough to deal with property business which took longer than expected.  

Thankfully we had company in the shape of narrowboat Pianisino which we recognised from being on the Lancaster Canal when we were. So it was two Lankie boats together.

Yet another version of paddle gear, very distinctive and laborious to use.

The enormity of the task ahead began to dawn....

Plenty of water coming down with us - how different from the Wigan Flight of 21 locks!!!

Safety catch with a difference

Always good to have a bit of one out one in and bear in mind that boat had completed almost the entire flight and it was only just after 9 in the morning!!!

The 21 chambers, spread over just two miles, have a combined rise of almost a hundred and fifty feet.

Along with other locks between Napton and Tyseley, a new Hatton flight of wide-beam dimensions was built by the Grand Union company in 1930.  The old narrow chambers were retained in the interim so that traffic was not interrupted. The remains can be seen here to the left of the photo. It is interesting to note that the old flight was numbered in the opposite direction; No 1 being the top lock.

Towards the end of the flight the locks become more spaced.

Three hours later and the final lock. I found the flight visibly daunting and physically no less of a challenge.

We head into the Saltisford Arm for a well earned rest.