We're away by 9.35 with Ian walking the dogs this morning and me on the helm. Very pleasant cruise along to Kingswood Junction but I make Ian get back on board and take Per Angusta off the Grand Union, through the junction and into the basin at Kingswood on the Stratford upon Avon Canal ready to start our descent to Stratford. In the basin, just before Lock 22, there is an automatic pump out station provided by BWB, if you've bought one of their cards in advance. Plus a watering point.
The
Stratford is a narrow canal so we are back to my favourite narrow locks
- so much easier if there is only one of you locking. However, today there
is a steady stream of boats coming up so we get down very efficiently
and quickly. This canal is very pretty with lots of these narrow metal
bridges. They were originally built in two halves with a narrow gap in
the middle to allow the towrope through as there is no towpath underneath
the bridges, so the horses used to have to go over them.
It is extremely hot so we stop just before Lock 30 at 12.50 for some lunch
and a siesta to let the heat go out of the day before we carry on. Eventually
stir ourselves at 4.30 and start off again. Filled up with water and emptied
the rubbish at Bridge 41 and continued our steady progress, meeting yet
more boats coming up. (Noted some very nice moorings
just north of Bridge 41 opposite the Fleur de Lys pub, possible stop on
our way back)
We got through the locks as
far as Preston Bagot Bottom Lock and started to look for a place to moor
overnight - Ian wanted to get away from the road, so he said carry on
for a bit. So we did and then we did a bit more and a bit more. Eventually
moored somewhere between bridge 49 and 50 at 7.30. 
Worth
noting that after Preston Bagot there is very little in the way of moorings
until past Bridge 50. There is a lot of vegetation along the bank and
a lot of the edges look to have collapsed. We tried one place but
there wasn't enough depth of water for us to get the boat close enough.
Further along we find about 40ft of metal edging and Ian gets the front
of Per Angusta in. Her stern is alongside some fairly fierce looking nettles,
but our backyard tonight had a fantastic sunset.
7
miles, 17 locks, 6hrs 25mn (24 miles, 59 locks, 19 hrs 35min)
Wednesday 31 August
According to the weather reports,
today is going to be a scorcher and we have the long run of locks down
into Stratford to do. So we plan to go only part way through the locks
(which are in three groups) and moor up for the rest of the day.
Ian starts off walking with dogs at 9.30 but doesn't get that far as the
towpath is very overgrown.The weather forecasters didn't lie and the day
is getting hotter and hotter. We go over a very small aqueduct (less than
a boat's length) and then a little further on go over the Edstone Aqueduct,
which gave me a chance to get this shot of Per Angusta from an unusual
angle as the towpath across the aqueduct is below the level of the water.
At Bearley Lock (sometimes called 'Odd Lock') we meet a boat coming the other way and her crew has the same idea as us, get a few miles under their belt and then moor for the rest of the day.
Reach the first batch of locks and boy are these gates heavy - they also won't stay open and keep trying to close on Per Angusta as she comes out. The locks also take a very long time to empty. Have noticed that all the locks since the Kingswood Junction have had a lot of leakage and the gates are not well balanced.
No thermometer but temperature is soaring and it is pretty humid. There's a short stretch between Lock 42 and Lock 43 with a couple of trees for shade, so we decide to stop here as we won't interfere with any boats waiting for the locks. Get the chairs set up on the towpath in the shade and make a salad for lunch. Watch as a few crews go by sweating and decide that we made the right decision even though the sun has now gone in. I decide to clean the brass - get it all done, call Ian out to admire my hard work when the heavens open. Thunder and terrific lightning, but we're OK because we're inside the boat and that acts as a Faradic Cage (means we shouldn't get struck). Just congratulating myself on remembering that, when I remember something else - we moored under trees for the shade!
Some hardy souls pass by throughout the rain, a mixture of boaters, joggers and cyclists, but we are dry inside, if a little warm as it is quite humid. But as the storm continues, the air does get fresher.
Ian
makes a blackberry and apple pie with apples from our garden at home and
blackberries from the hedgerows and we have that with ice-cream after
dinner. Sitting there, we have black skies and lightning to our right
and red skies to our left.
Sad creatures that we are, it will be late to bed for us tonight - one
of only 3 programs we want to watch on the TV this week isn't on until
11.20pm so I'm not expecting an early start tomorrow.
5.5 miles, 4 locks, 3 hrs (29.5 miles, 63 locks, 22 hrs 35min)
Thursday 1 September
Last night's storm has certainly cleared the air - it is a lot fresher. However, Per Angusta looks awful - the rain has left lots of dusty marks all over her, plus the brasswork is going to need doing again.
Leave at 9.05 and make steady progress down into Stratford Basin. We are still undecided whether or not to go onto the Avon; people we spoke to yesterday said that it was really lovely and the water isn't flowing fast. Meet a couple today coming up a lock who have just come off the Avon and are very enthusiastic, the lock takes a long time to fill so we have plenty of time for a chat and they convince us that we should give it a go
Stratford Basin is a very lively place with 48 hour visitor mooring, most of it on pontoons; it also seems to be right in the centre of town. Far too much hustle and bustle for me after our peaceful time on the canals. This is the end of the Stratford Canal (and I forgot to take any pictures) - going through the lock at the end of the basin takes you out onto the Avon for which you need a separate licence. The Avon has only been made navigable by the Avon Trusts (Lower & Upper) and the licence fee goes to help support their continuing work. The break between the Upper and Lower Navigations is Evesham, and you can get a licence just for the Upper Navigation (or just the Lower Navigation) at a cost of £28. But going down the River if you go through Evesham Lock into Evesham itself, then you need the Lower Avon licence. A joint Upper and Lower Licence costs £44.
Ian goes to the Tourist Information office to get a River Licence and ask if there is a chandlery. (Nicholsons say there is but I tried ringing the number and got what seemed like a private answerphone). Track the chandlery down - it is just across the road from the Basin on Clopton Bridge - it's called The Chandlery, but the girl in the Tourist Information Office referred to it as the boat shop. It is operated by Avon Boating, 01789 269977 and they were very helpful and patient, kitting us out with an anchor, chain, etc. Also, only charged us for the anchor and chain, not the shackles and a few other bits and bobs we bought and then gave us a 5% discount. I am happier about going out on the River now we have an anchor, although everyone we spoke to said that they had never used their anchor. Better safe than sorry.
Well we get out onto the Avon and it is frenetic with rowing boats, river launches, etc coming at us from all directions - just what I wasn't too keen on when sailing, but once we are through the first river lock things calm down. Talk about a difference, we have gone from this:
to this:
The locks are very different too - they look very daunting and heavy, but the paddles are counter balanced and there is no struggle to wind them up or down. The gates also open and close easily.
So, first impressions of the
River - it is very beautiful, incredibly clear, we can see to the bottom,
and seemingly, now we are away from Stratford, we are the only people
on it. However, there isn't the freedom that you have on the canals -
you have to moor in specified places and you can't just pull over to the
towpath to walk the dogs, etc because there isn't a towpath.
We
make good progress but you have to read the navigation notes in the guides
and keep your eyes peeled for the blue and red arrows. The red arrows
point to the weirs, the blue to the locks. And the arrows aren't that
big - but I still have a go at steering.
As I said earlier, you have to moor at designated spots - mainly by the locks and there isn't that much space if you've got a couple of long narrowboats in. We plan to moor at Pilgrims Lock and get there to find two boats spread along the moorings. Ask one boat which has space at either end if he would mind shuffling one way or another, which he duly does. Ian does a great job of manoeuvring but even he can't get a 60 foot boat into a 50 foot space! Then we spot some mooring pylons the other side of the lock so go through.
This
is a lovely spot and here is our backyard for tonight.
As I said earlier, the water is incredibly clear and clean so I take at advantage and wash Per Angusta with river water in the hope of getting her spick and span again. Whilst Ian cooks tea, I get my mop and bucket and a chamois out and half an hour later, she looks much better on her roof and one side - we'll just have to moor on the opposite side tomorrow!
10.5 miles, 19 locks, 6 hrs 35 min (40 miles, 82 locks, 29 hrs 10min)