Back to our home moring

 We are now berthed in our home marina after a short journey from Rugby.

We set off at 8:55 and after about an hour reached the 3 lock Hilmorton Flight.  Fortunately all the locks were set in our favour by boats coming down so we were quickly through.  We entered our marina and moved straight onto our mooring at 11:55.  We will stay here tonight so we can take Densie to nearby Braunston for the urgent work on the engine vibrations and prop shaft leak that provided continual concerns during our journey.

Despite the problems this has been a very enjoyable trip. But time to go home.

3 hours travelling, 3 locks,  6.24 miles

Statistics for the whole journey:

37 days out, 196 miles travelled, 210 locks, 8 moveable bridges. 126 hours on the move.

Rugby

 Another good day's travelling in dry sunny weather.

Densie in Hawkesbury Stop Lock

We set off early again at 8:15. The change from Covrntry Canal waters to those of the North Oxford occurs at Hawksbury Stop Lock which prevents the Oxford Canal waters flowing into the Coventry - very important 200 years ago when each canal was owned by separate companies.  The picture shows the lock empty.  When full the water level is perhaps 6 inches higher.

On the North Oxford Canal in Rugby

Having asended our only lock of the day we cruised on steadily for about 11 miles through isolated countryside the only housing seen being the small village of Ansty. Other than Ansty it was all fields and trees and the occasional road bridge.  We finally reached Rugby and looked for moorngs.  Unfortunsately all of the offical moorings were full so we had to moor about half a mile further on.  Although we always stop in Rugby to visit the nearby Tesco this tme it was not necessary as we have more than enough groceries to take us home.

We did have a period when we were seriously worried.  Checking the voltages of both the engine and domestic batteries we were shocked to see both were unusually low.  This coud indicate a major fault in the electrical system, perhaps both sets of batteries failling or a short circuit somewhere that would prevent us restarting the engne.  We rechecked several times and the situation was the same.  However perhaps 20 minutes later we checked again and the voltages were normal - a great big sigh of relief.  But what could cause the low readings I have no idea.

5 hours 45 mins, 1 swing bridge, 1 lock, 13 miles

Hawksbury Junction

 Sorry, no photos today as we are focussing on getting home so that ongoing problems with the boat engine can be fixed.  Fortunately they have not interrupted our journey so far and do not seem to be getting worse.

We set off at 9:50 pleased that the rain is over.  The weather for the whole day turned out very pleasant.  The first job was to complete the 5 locks of the Atherstone flight which we did in hour, much faster than expected.  This was made possible by the help of the volunteer lock-keepers who ensured that the constant stream of boats up and down was coordinated so that as one boat left a lock it was set ready for the next boat moving n the opposite direcion - one up, one down.

We then passed through attractive scenary to Nuneaton which seems to have improved since our last journey through the town and on to Hawksbury Junction in the outskirts of Coventry.  Here the Oxford Canal leaves the Coventry Canal and we hope will take us back to our marina over the next 2 days.

6 hours 20 minutes, 5 locks, 11.44 miles.

Rain

We are not moving today - rain stopped play.  Cold as well, the central heating helped.

Atherstone

 As today's rain was postponed until tomorrow we decided on another long day in case we did not want to move on Tuesday.

At Tamworth the Coventry Canal crosses the River Thame 

Our journey took us through Tamworth where there are 2  notoriously slow locks.  Fortunately when we arrived we were first in the queue to go up - we are now ascending after having descended all the locks since Gailey on Thursday last week.   By the time we left the first lock 5 boats had turned up at the bottom waiting to follow us.

Then out of Tamworth into pleasant but unremarkable agricultural and wooded countryside via Polesworth to Atherstone.  Here there are 11 locks and we had debated whether to moor at the bottom or possibly go all the way up.  However we compromised and have now moored halfway up at official moorings near the town.

10 miles, 8 locks,5 hours 45 minutes

On the Coventry Canal

Fradley, approaching the junction

The Swan at Fradley

On the Coventry Canal

 Another day another canal.  This morning we turned off the Trent& Mersey onto the Coventry Canal which will take us to the outskirts of that city.

The weather forecast today was for rain in the afternoon and the whole of tomorrow. So yet again we set off before 9am to descend Woodend Lock.  There was a small queue of boats wiating to go both up and down so it took a little time for us to eto through.  The delay was made worse by one of the paddles being out of use.  Oddly enough (or not) the same paddle had been unavailable last time we were in the area about 4 years ago.

The next point of interest was Fradley, perhaps the best known visitor boating location in the area with a junction, flight of locks, boating services, cafe, swing bridge, and the Swan, allegedly the most photographed pub in the country.   If you have a calendar picture or jigsaw of a canal pub, it could well be the Swan.

At Fradley Junction we turned right off the Trent & Mersey onto the Coventry Canal. The Trent & Mersey has always been a canal of  major importance whereas the Coventry really is second league.  In places it is narrow, shallow, winding and overgrown with vegatation.  The delights of the first 10 miles from Fradley are limited, today they were overshadowed (literally) by the dull grey sky.

Surprisingly there were a lot of other boats on the canal, both moored and on the move. At one point we met another boat coming the other way as we were passing one which was moored.  The oncoming boat was travelling too fast which forced us into the offside of the canal where we ran firmly aground.  The engine was not powerful enough to pull us off and even with the help of crew from the boat following us it took a lot of time and effort to get back into the main channel.

After lunch on the move we wer both getting tired and decided tro moor up in the outskirts of Tamworth.  We had only just secured the boat when the rain started.

11.5 miles, 3 locks, 1 swing bridge, 5 hours 45 minutes.

Down the Trent&Mersey Canal

The Trent & Mersey Canal follows the Trent Valley near the West Coast Main railway line

Aqueduct over the Trent at Rugeley

High Bridge at Armitage near Rugeley

Today we completed most of our travels on the Trent & Mersey Canal with pleasant warm mainly sunny weather.  Some years ago Densie was based in King's Bromey Marina here so we know the canal well, however it seemed more attractive then we remembered.

After leaving Great Haywood we descended Great Haywood and Colwich locks near which Denise saw a pair of Kingfishers which I missed.  Our next stop was Rugeley.  Formerly a mining town with a large power station there has been much improvement in recent years including on the canal side.  It has become a useful place to stop for passing boaters particularly since a large Tesco opened by the canal.  Here we shopped for the groceries we will need for the rest of our journey, except for some veg which we can get later.

Moving on to the edge of the town we refilled our water tank and then through a heavily wooded area to Kings Bromley Marina where we emptied our waste tank.  A further mile down the canal we reached Woodend Lock where we have moored for the night.

5 hours 55 mins travelling, 2 locks, 11.45 miles