Braunston Locks, Tunnel and the Grand Union Canal

Braunston church overlooks the canal

When we got up this morning the weather looked pretty wet but the rain had stopped by the time we set off at 9:45 and the weather turned pleasant though with a cool breeze.  Onwards south down the Oxford through the countryside until we passed the tall spire of Braunston church on the hill and reached the Grand UnionCanal at Braunston Junction.    Here we turned left through the busy canalside area of the village with its marina, boatyards, chandlery, hire base and narrowboat cafe to the bottom of the 6 Braunston Locks.

We are now on a broad canal with locks able to take two narrowboats side by side.  Compared with narrow locks these are heavier to operate, take longer to fill and the swirling waters as the lock fills necessitates the use of ropes to stop the boat being thrown around the lock.  Added to this it started to rain again.  Never mind, we were through the locks in just over an hour which seemed pretty good going to us.

Shortly afterwards we passed through the 1.2 mile long and somewhat crooked Braunston Tunnel squeezing by 2 boats going in the other direction with only only a glancing blow on one.  After leaving the tunnel we ate lunch on the move and reached Norton Junction at 2pm where we moored for the night.