Home again

 We set off from Anstey at 9:10 in cold blustery weather made less comfortable by light rain blown in the wind.  By 12:30 we had reached Rugby where we stopped for a rest and some lunch on board.

Approaching the swing bridge at Sutton Stop

Passing by the swing bridge

Canal scenery soon after Sutton Stop

We set off again at 13:15 and when we reached Hilmorton Locks we were pleased to be assisted by volunteer lock keepers on 2 of them.   The gusty wind continued throughout the journey and could have made manoeuvring in the marina very difficult.  Fortunately the wind direction pushed the boat directly towards our moorings.  We finally tied up at 16:05.

Daily Statistics

Distance - 16.17 miles
Locks 3
Swing bridges 1
Duration 6 hours 15 minutes

Total Journey Statistics

Distance 50.41 miles
Locks 8
Swing bridges 2
Duration 20.83 miles
Average speed 2.91 miles/hour
Average cruising time 2.98 hours/day

Returning home from Coventry

 After an enjoyable day and a half in Coventry it is now time to head back.  We left our moorings in Coventry Basin at 10:05, turned the boat around and stopped just beyond the entrance to fill up with water.

Then made good progress averaging 3mph to join the Oxford Canal again at Hawksbury Junction. We continued cuising until the visitor moorings just after the small village of Ansty where we moored up for the day at 14:00.

Passing below the M6

Artistic footbridge on the Coventry Canal

Entry to Hawkswood Junction and the Oxford Canal

View from Hawksbury stop lock towards the entry

First ducklings of the year

Moored near Ansty

Daily Statics

Distance 9.1 miles
Locks 1
Duration 3 hours 55 minutes

A day moored in Coventry

We stayed at Coventry Basin all day. Denise had a Zoom meeting in the morning whilst I did what shopping I coud at the nearby Sainsburys city centre shop.  Sadly it seemed rather rundown with half the self scan tills not working and several of the items on the shopping list not available.

After lunch at the small Portugese cafe in the Basin we walked into the centre again, found most of the groceries we needed at M&S and returned to the boat.

Into Coventry

 For only the second time ever in our boating career we went into central Coventry where we hope to stay until Friday.

We set off at 10:15 after filling up with water.  Firstly we had to descend the 1-foot stop lock down from the North Oxford Canal to the Coventry Canal and then turn left at the subsequent junction towards the end of the canal at Coventry Basin in the city centre.

Hawkesbury Junction Stop Lock

Modern canalside housing on the way to central Coventry

Impressive footpath bridge over the Coventry Canal

A tight squeeze at the entrance to Coventry Basin

The journey was uneventful but quite interesting with, for the most part, tree-lined sections separating areas of attractive modern housing.  We passed through the narrow bridge at the entry to the basin and temporarily stopped at 12:30 at some no-mooring signs to look for somewhere to moor. 

At first sight the whole basin seemed full of narrowboats but we then saw an area off to the side with convenient mooring rings and bollards where no-one else was moored.  Since there were no signs saying otherwise we tied up there for the night.

Moored in Coventry Basin

Daily Statistics

Distance 5.73 miles
Locks 1
Duration 2.5 hours

Hawksbury Junction

 Another bright and sunny morning.  We left our moorings near Brinklow at 9:55 and arrived at Hawkesbury Junction visitor moorings on the outskirts of Coventry just before 1pm.  Very pleasant scenary but the only photo today is of stationary traffic on the M45.

Daily Statistics

Distance 7.84 miles
Locks 0
Movable bridges1 (photo on our return journey)
Duration: 3 hours

Rugby and beyond

 

Leaving Hilmorton Top Lock

At 9:45 we set off from our overnight moorings above Hilmorton Locks  in sunny and calm weather.  Then down the 3 Locks and on to Rugby.   There we shopped for the next few days' dinners. 

After lunch onboard we left Rugby travelling towards Brinklow where we moored up at 15:30

Attractive views on th way to Brinklow....

Mooring on spikes at Brinklow

Daily Statistics

Distance - 7.8 miles
Locks: 3
Duration: 3 hours 35 minutes

Out for the first time in 2026

 We arrived at the boat yesterday lunchtime and after unpacking the car drove to the local Sainsbury's to stock up on provisions for the next few days.  In the evening we visited the marina's monthly street food and beer event enoying a pint and a half of local beer and some very tasty jerk chicken.

The night was exremely windy and noisy as the waves splashed against the sde of the boat.  The morning was slightly better  though there was a strong wind blowing across the marina from the west.   We finally decided to set sail at 11:30 revving the engine to get the power to avoid being blown against the pontoons and moored boats.

Approaching the M45 bridge

Alpaccas (?) grazing by the canal

Moored near Hilmorton Locks

Out of the marina on to the North Oxford Canal the weather was pleasant and sunny with very little wind thanks to the shelter provided. by the canalside hedges.  We arrived at the visitor moorings above Hiltmorton Locks at 1pm where we decided to stop for the night.

Daily Statistics

Distance 3.89 miles
Time: 1 hor 35 minutes