Lowsonford

Today's Canals - Grand Union and Stratford

After yesterday's efforts no-one was in any hurry to set off this morning! It was a pleasant, sunny day and not many boats passed us as we stayed moored up.

In the end, just before 10:30, Mike found enough effort to pull the pins and we set off. However, it was a fairly long pound, almost two hours to the next junction.

Shrewley Tunnel

After about 20 minutes we reach the 396 metres Shrewley Tunnel. There was a boat ahead of, just emerging into the sunshine at the far end as we arrived at the southern portal. It is a remarkably high tunnel and wide enough for two way working, but we did not have to test that out today as the next boat in the opposite direction arrived as we were leaving.

The tunnel does not have a towpath and in the days of horse pulled boats, they and their handler had to walk over the top. The tunnel is probably a bit too long to drift through although in the past we have seen a horse drawn boat do that in a similar length tunnel. Otherwise, before diesel power, they would have had to help by legging.

Meanwhile, Alice was back to her favourite pastime - reading and keeping up with her own challenge. Now on to her third book, a detective mystery.

The canal, characteristically wide and usually with plenty of depth (although just after the tunnel it seemed a little shallow), winds its way with much evidence of the amazing work done as part of the Keynesian initiative in the 1930's in which concrete edging was installed along much of the route from London to Birmingham. If only it were as possible to sort the economy so easily these days!

We have moored a couple of times in the past just below Rowington Hall - there is even a church lurking in the trees on the hill top!

Just being a bit creative with the camera! Well, let's be honest, we copied the idea from another blog - thanks nb Chance!

And so to Kingswood Junction where we turned left off the Grand Union and the short link to the Stratford Canal. Looks like a few boats failed to make the turn. After rather a lot of the brickwork ended up in the water, a protective barrier is now in place for those with a steering problem.

Just around the corner is a sani station and we were keen to fill our water tank - drinking a lot of squash at the moment! Christine took the opportunity to check out opportunities for meeting up with our car at the next lay over.

Lapworth Junction is actually a triangle - with one arm going right to the northern section of the Stratford Canal (up a lock) whilst straight ahead, slightly left, is to the southern half. At one time this link also had a lock but that has long since been removed. The straight through section also has a lock on it.

Water tank filled and we set off down the narrow locks, so very different from the Grand Union. we dropped down a couple to find a short stay mooring - the pounds are short at first and the first one was already filled up. time then for a good lunch break.

After lunch, with yet again eggy bread for Alice - at the moment a firm favourite for lunch time - we continued down the locks. There are very few long pounds on the southern Stratford. altogether there are 35 locks before reaching the River Avon.

Many of the footbridges close to the locks on this canal were constructed with the unusual feature of split cantilevers, leaving a small gap in the middle. This was to allow towropes to pass through without the delay of untying them from the boat and re-attaching to the towing horse the other side.

There was by now, after a lull over lunch, a steady stream of traffic in either direction. At several locks we had someone wheeling from behind with a boat arriving below and crew from all three boats available to work the paddles and gates. Little time, however, for anything other than a fleeting conversation. At one lock we passed nb Wren's Nest, one time moorer at Lower Heyford and which we also spotted at their present mooring just south of Banbury when we came through on our last trip.

Many of the lock cottages on this canal were constructed using the same design of barrel roof. It is said that the engineer responsible only really knew how to build bridges and arches!

Mike was amused by the signpost by the lock which refers to the track crossing over a narrow bridge at the tail of this lock: "Unclassified County Road". Even as a footpath is was barely discernible - a reminder that in calling something a road until just over a century ago often meant little more than this. When the canal was taken over by a railway company they put up warning signs about such bridges not being safe for motor cars - hoping, no doubt, that they would not have to improve them to such a standard!

We were thinking about a meal out tonight and as we arrived at Lowsonford, the sign for the Fleur-de-Lys pub indicated that patrons could moor. We pulled in temporarily whilst Christine checked out the menu. This pub was once the home of a famous range of pies, now manufactured elsewhere but they still feature on the menu.

The reason, bearing in mind that pub nights out are not frequent on our canal itineraries? Well, it ought to be a secret but 47 years ago to this day we started our honeymoon on our first ever canal holiday. Something must have gone right - not sure what!

6.6 miles - 9 locks