After the excitement of the previous day we had quite a peaceful and uneventful trip in comparison as we journeyed further down the Grand Union Canal. We passed some very enviable properties with canal frontages along the way. Most of them would look very nice with a certain boat named Tempranillo moored at the bottom of their garden!
This one for example:
Ideal...or is it?
When we got closer we decided that perhaps it was not as perfect as we first thought!
Blame Richard Branson!
There are however others to choose from. If only we had enough money left after buying the boat. Except it would be a waste as we would be always cruising.
Our next challenge was to be Blisworth Tunnel. This is the second longest continuous tunnel on all the UK canals. It is 3076 yards long - that's 1 & 3/4 miles! In the dark and cold and damp.
The first attempt at building this tunnel was a failure. In 1795 the canal from the north reached a hill at Blisworth and by 1800 the canal from the south reached the same hill on the other side at Stoke Bruerne. So a tramway was built to transport the cargo from one side of the hill to the other. The second attempt was successful and the tunnel was eventually opened on 25 March 1805. The Grand Union Canal Carriage Company employed 'leggers' who's job it was to power the loaded narrowboats through the 1 & 3/4 mile tunnel by laying on a plank on their backs and 'legging' each boat along by walking on the tunnel walls.
Blisworth North Entrance with Legger's Hut on left.
As we entered I was hoping that there would be no other boat coming the other way, and we almost made it until about 600 yards from the far end I saw a light switch on and move forwards into the tunnel. However the Captain slowed down as we met eachother and we passed without touching.
Blisworth South Entrance with Smithy on right.
Just down the canal is Stoke Bruerne where there is a small Canal Museum. We had just missed a big weekend in the local calendar. It was The Village At War Celebrations and the place had been buzzing, apparently. It was still quite lively and as it was such a beautiful evening Sue and I made for the museum. The entrance fee included an audio tour of the area including Blisworth Tunnel. That's how I know so much about it. Did you know.....no I won't bore you with anymore trivia.
Moored outside The Boat Inn whilst we visit the museum.
After the excitement of the museum we decided to go down the next flight of locks and we found a quiet mooring place a couple of locks down.
Evening light over Stoke Bruerne Locks
Next morning we awoke to yet another lovely day but Sue had been battling with a heavy cold or viral nasty ever since Tempranillo's launch and on this particular morning it really started to get the better of her.
Morning Sunlight.
Our original plan was to try and get to Milton Keynes but it was time to turn around and get Sue back as best we could. This was going to be quite a challenge for Sue as negotiating each lock is really a two handed affair and with her not yet being a confident Captain it meant she would still have to do the physical stuff while I controlled the boat.
The canal at the point we were moored was about 40 feet wide and our boat has a 7 foot beam. This left about 33 feet of water between us and the opposite bank.
One might think that 33 feet is wide enough to get a 7 foot wide narrowboat through but no...I had just got out of bed when we were hit broadside by a rental boat 'Captained', and I use the term loosely, by a very apologetic person with a South African accent. How much room did he need? He was about to try and enter a lock! Glad we weren't ready to join him.
As mentioned above the canal at this point is about 40 feet wide and Tempranillo is 51 feet long so this is obviously not a place to turn. Due to the current lack of water across the canals British Waterways are insisting that each boat should wait for up to an hour for another boat to come along and then pass through each lock in pairs and thus conserve water. We waited a while and then followed a small, old restored work boat with a lovely sounding Lister engine into the adjacent lock. Poor Sue had to work three locks until we found a space to turn. We then latched on to Tranquillity owned by an elderly couple who had been boating for years. He loved it, as I do, but Mrs Tranquillity was not as keen, it turned out. She would have a good chat with Sue as they worked the lock gates together then she was off to ready the next lock leaving Sue to ride with me as she got more exhausted with each wind of her windlass. And Captain Tranquillity was left to fend for himself. He entered each lock first and I followed until we arrived back at the Boat Inn where he insisted on stopping for a pint.
Captain Tranquillity looks longingly towards The Boat Inn at Stoke Bruerne top lock.
I needed a Post Office and we need provisions including medication for Tempranillo's not too well First Mate, so we moored outside the museum to see if they could help.
Stoke Bruerne Canal Museum straight ahead.
They pointed us to the nearest shop which was through the other end of the Blisworth Tunnel, so off we went. This time we encountered four oncoming vessels in the tunnel but didn't make contact with any of them. Brilliant!
By now the wind was getting quite strong and was coming at us most of the time from the port side. From the West, and I was tracking the boat for a lot of the time with the sharp end aiming at the left hand bank.
Nose into wind just to stay in the middle of the canal.
The tricky bit came when I had to negotiate each bridge, of which there are many. This meant straightening up at the last minute and then being ready for the next gust on the exit. It certainly wasn't a boring trip back. Well not for me, but I'm not sure Sue felt the same way.
The journey was also uplifted by signs like this along the way.
I know the feeling!
