Leighton Buzzard

After a morning meeting for Mike in Truro, we set off yesterday just after half past one. We had a straight through journey in just 5 five hours door-to-door with only the briefest of stops at Michaelwood Service Station. By the time we arrived it was dark but there were plenty of lights to enable us to unload. We had brought our dinner with us ready made - which made life a bit easier!

Before we could leave this morning we had to wait until the office opened at 10 o'clock so that we could return the jetty key. Mike popped to Netherfield for a newspaper whilst waiting. The marina is laid out so that it is quite tight for longer boats to move around - our first attempt failed, partly because a boat on the opposite jetty had a rather large wooden box structure projecting behind its tiller and we were concerned that if we even gently touched it, it might collapse! However, second attempt - with a little help from another moorer to hold our bow rope, we just made it. A second manoeuvre was then needed to allow Christine to visit the office!

Eventually we were on our way. Today, as promised, was much colder and, with the leaves rapidly falling from the trees, it felt much more like winter arriving. The day was mostly overcast but it stayed dry right until time to moor.

There are a number of striking lines of tall trees on this section and they look even more attractive in the autumnal colours.

Although most of Milton Keynes is modern development, the occasional older building is a reminder of the various small villages that had once grown up beside the canal and were sometimes the origin for the names of the different grid squares in the new city.

Fenny Lock Pump House

The first lock was at Fenny Stratford where a very shallow lock corrects problems the early canal builders had with the levels on an otherwise very long level pound - the previous lock was all the way back at Cosgrove on the northern outskirts of Milton Keynes. A boat that had been moored just before the lock was just setting off and we shared the work - there is an extra step in this case as a swing bridge crosses over the middle of the lock.

On the final edge of the urban area to the south we stopped at Willowbridge Marina to fill up with diesel. Another boat came in the opposite direction also wanting fuel - with the boat we came through Fenny Lock also dues in for fuel that made more customers in the boatyard's log book for the rest of the month! Four back was a boat at the end of September which gave an address in Cambourne! It later transpired that the boat that arrived at the same time us - although now liveaboards - they sold their house in Falmouth only six months ago.



Stoke Hammond Lock

We continued through Stoke Hammond Lock and afterwards Christine set about making soup for lunch. We moored before Soulbury and enjoyed said soup which was substantially made with some chicken stock from our freezer, including plenty of chicken bits!

Soulbury Three Locks

As we arrived at Soulbury Three Locks the Cornish boat we had met earlier was about to fill the lock but re-opened the gates to let us in. two volunteer lock keepers were also on duty - they have not had a lot to do in the past few weeks so readily set all three locks for us.

Leighton Lock

At Leighton Lock a wide beam boat was just coming down and then, as we began our ascent a hire boat from the nearby hire base arrived and their instructor asked if his crew could operate the lock.

The hire base was busy sending out several boats today but many more were just moored, taking up rather a lot of the width of the canal, leaving only a single boat width.

Not very much further came the centre of Leighton Buzzard - a quick stop at the sani station, we had to wait under the bridge as another boat was using the only space at the water point. Immediately afterwards we looked for a slot to pull in for the night. As with Milton Keynes there are numerous boats moored with every sign that they are here for some time.

10.9 miles - 6 locks