Another tank of gas and back on the road again............" corny song line, but I will try to make it fit...........
Well not so much 'gas' but a tank of diesel and the 'road' starts on the Macclesfield canal in Cheshire and stretches hopefully onto the Thames tideway.
An ambitious journey which has taken some preparation.... especially the requirement for boats 45ft and over navigating the Thames tideway being equipped with VHF radio and a license to use it. Denise and I booked into a RYA course at the Debdale centre, Manchester, last October.
"MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY" and "PAN PAN" were a worrying salient feature in the role play that was part of the course. After learning of such mysteries as 'Digital Selective Calling' and 'MMSI' numbers to name but a few, we eventually both passed the written exam that allowed us to have an 'OFCOM' Ship Radio Licence.......ship? ship? I hear you ask.......well 'San Serriffe' is hardly a 'ship'
but if you want to ride the Thames tideway that is what the rules require.
Fitting the shiny new VHF set I noticed the very worrying label stuck to the front that announced that the unit was 'submersible' ..... I hope never to test that proud boast, but I suppose it will be some small consolation as I utter " May Glug Glug Day" as my 'ship' founders beneath me.
Before the reaching old father Thames a few more 'pedestrian' waterways have to be negotiated. Leaving Higher Poynton after the warmest April in 100 years, we descended the Bosley flight of locks in freezing wind and rain. It is one of the natural laws of the universe that soon as I stand on the back of the boat you can kiss goodbye to the sun.
Braving the the wind we headed towards Stoke-on-Trent and were surprised when nearing the lock flight at the Caldon canal junction to find a 'lock-keeper'. He was dressed in a hi-viz jacket and and proceeded to do all the locks for us, dashing up the flight on a 'bike. Who is this guy? I thought....no BW badge or jumper with the BW motif on. I came to the conclusion that he was a well-meaning 'enthusiast' that wanted to be a 'lock-keeper'. If you meet him on the Stoke flight, let him help by all means, but keep and eye on his technique, he might just make mistakes that could cause of accident.
After a night on a rather spooky mooring over-grown with trees next a hire-boat, we progressed onto Stone. Stopping at the chandlery on the 'Star Inn' flight to purchase a new chimney. The original had started to crumble with corrosion from inside and temperatures had sunk to such chilly levels that I wanted to make sure our fire-making kit was in fine fettle.
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| Great Haywood |
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| Great Haywood |
A new chimney and a fuel top-up was not the only call on finances, I was dispatched to Morrison's Supermarket en-route to Great Haywood......oh, I do hate pulling the 'granny' shopping bag on wheels through the streets, but I suppose it has to be done.....or starve (or worse still run out of beer!)
Storm clouds gathered as we entered Great Haywood so we closed the doors, lit the fire with our new chimney puffing more smoke than a Papal candidate declaration. After being fed and watered we settled back to watch the friendly fire and rain thrashing against the windows......could be worse, I could be standing on the back of the boat.
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| Fellows Morton & Clayton 'Dove' a few miles south of Fradley Junction. |
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| Storm clouds over the Trent and Mersey. |
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| Almost tropical........ actual sunshine at Fradley Junction |
Fradley Junction with hardy drinkers sat outside 'The Swan' sometimes called the 'Mucky Duck' hove into view coincided with the right time to find a mooring for the night. Being late in the afternoon most of the nearby moorings had gone so we turned at the junction operating the small swing bridge to enter the Coventry canal and going for some way before finding a mooring.
Fradley to the junction of the Birmingham and Fazeley canal is lock free and a pleasant mornings cruise through a flat landscape. Fazeley junction has still has something of old Lowryesque industrial aspect that is becoming a rarity on our canals as it gives way to modern development.
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| Almost Lowryesque - Junction of Coventry canal and Birmingham & Fazeley Canal. |
Above picture of the Coventry Canal and Birmingham & Fazeley canal junction attracted me because of the mirrored reflections of this industrial view . A water-colour artist called Steve Cronin http://www.steven-cronin-art.com must have had the same thought, asking me if he could use the photograph for the basis of a painting. This picture and his work can be seen at the web-site link or his shop on Ebay.
After negotiating the Glascote locks we headed through Tamworth in afternoon sunshine that was actually warm and added that special ingredient required for pleasant cruising - good weather!
After going under the M42 bridge we passed a coalmine pit-head wheel that is painted and displayed at the side of the canal - all that is left of the Pooley coal mine and surrounding pits. Finding a good stretch of mooring a little further on we decided to have an 'early bath' especially as the fair hamlet of Polesworth is nearby with its ancient stone bridge over the River Anker. Pesty Westy 'Suzy' and I trotted to the nearest curry shop and returned with the bags full of Pappadums, Chicken Rogan Josh and Rice with lots of extras.....sod the healthy diet we will start tomorrow....
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| River Anker - Polesworth |
Ten days ! This was going to knock a large hole in our scheduled booking for a few nights mooring in Limehouse Marina prior to joining the Thames Tideway at the end of May. What do we do for ten days?
..........so we decided to explore the Ashby canal as a place to while away the time.
Moving through Nuneaton underneath overcast skies and driving rain adding to the news of the stoppage made us feel miserable. The Ashby was still some way off and it was nearly 6pm before turning under the bridge that marks the start of the canal. It was Denise's birthday so I was determined to find a pleasant pub serving meals to celebrate. The nearest was a place called 'Limekilns' some five miles further, on arrival the few moorings nearby were all taken and the pub looked closed anyway!
Finding a mooring for the night was problematic and it was nearly dark before we banged in the mooring pins. A nice lady with a dog suggested the chip shop in nearby Hinkley so off I strode to purchase Cod and chips. Not exactly a no expense spared birthday dinner, but we enjoyed the the best piece of fish we have had for some time..... all washed down with a couple tins of Lager....we know how to live !!
I plugged in the Laptop the following morning to check on BW stoppage notices and the Ansty stoppage had been lifted for a couple of days. We shot out of the Ashby like a rat from a drain and headed full steam ahead for the Oxford canal..............
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| Sun shines on the Coventry canal . |
Back on the Coventry we passed the 'Charity Dry Dock' we were uncertain if this meant it was available free for hard up boaters or just a local name. Charity dry dock is manned by a staff of mannequins dressed in various outfits - a splash of humour on a boring stretch of canal so look out for the mannequins and give them a wave - if they wave back I suggest an alcohol free regime for a while.
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| Charity Dock Mannequins |
Leaving the Coventry canal to meander its own sweet way to - can you guess? yep, correct for maximum points - Coventry! we joined the Oxford Canal at Hawkesbury and raced for Ansty before BW changed it's mind and started to demolish the bridge again........
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| Turning onto the Oxford canal at Hawkesbury....left hand down a bit or you end up in the front room of the 'Greyhound' |
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| Oxford canal |
pub. Just the abutments were left and the canal was open for business - and so was the Rose and Castle !
(mainly for meals not really for standing at the bar for a pint)
Pushing on the following morning we covered the next ten miles through Rugby, pausing for a shopping trip at the nearby Tesco 24 hour store. Hillmorton locks were reached in the afternoon - these are twin single locks in a flight of three - all of them busy with traffic.
Reaching Braunston the following day we joined the Grand Union canal and started to climb the flight
of six locks in the company of another boat. Two crews make the work a lot easier, not to mention saving many thousands of gallons of water.
Braunston tunnel at over a mile long followed. An easy tunnel to negotiate being high and wide enough for two-way traffic. A couple of miles brought us to the delightful 'Norton Junction' bathed in clear afternoon sunshine and blue skies. This is where the Leicester section of the Grand Union parts company with the main line.
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| Norton Junction Grand Union |
A 'Holy Trinity ' of excellent moorings are available just past the junction, including BW services, plentiful moorings and a pub in the shape of 'The New Inn' at the nearby Long Bucky lock. Buckby is the name given to the hand-painted water can always seen on working boats and replicated on modern boats. Apparently ( the story goes) a young lady was kept almost a prisoner in 'The New Inn' ( once upon a time many years ago when it really was 'new' ) and painting Buckby Cans to be sold to passing boatmen She died of a broken heart over a unrequited love ( unrequited because she had to paint cans day in day out!)
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| 'New Inn' at Long Buckby lock |
Buckby cans are still painted ( in more humane conditions) a little further along the canal and can be purchased from a lock-side cottage which is just stuffed full of hand painted canal art. If Buckby cans are not to your taste - I am sure the ice-creams available might be!
A stop at the Gayton Junction services and onward to Blisworth tunnel - third longest open to navigation at 3057 yards ( non of yer new fangled metres here). I am always filled with trepidation when a boat is coming the other way on a two-way system, it always looks as if you about to crash head on. Thanfully my nerve has held so far and have always have manage to squeeze passed with inches to spare. Eventually we emerged blinking into the daylight straight into a WW2 time-warp as a 1940's De Havilland Tiger Moth biplane over flew the boat at 200ft with pilot waving!
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| Blisworth Tunnel |
Perhaps he was trying to tell me something as I tried to nose into the lock-mooring near the BW Waterways museum and a fierce wind caught the boat sending it nearly to the other side of the canal with me with it as I tried to steady 'San Serriffe' with the centre rope!
A couple of American tourists came to the rescue and together our combined efforts manged to wrestle the boat to our side of the canal. As I entered the lock in company with another boat I looked back as the very same thing happened to another boat keeping the Gongoozlers in full time occupation.
Milton Keynes was to be our next 'pit-stop' and took the advice of local boaters that we would find a Tesco store not far from Bridge 70 and a recent development of new apartments. Stock full of Tesco goodies we set off for our evening mooring at Gifford Park - all good advice again as this little place has just about all of life's essentials - pub, shops, BW services, take-away and even a post office if you have forgotten your mother's birthday.
A lock-free cruise in sunshine the following morning brought us to Milton Keynes Marina where we found the launderette services were available to non-moorers. This proved correct and with a friendly member of staff showing us to a visitor mooring. After doing the washing we visited the marina 'carvery' - all in all a great place to stop. We in fact visited their sister marina at Willowbridge some four miles further when one of our gas cylinders became empty - again same friendly reception and service.
Moving on towards Leighton Buzzard we passed the the canal-side 'Globe Inn' which is an archetypal 'Olde Worlde' pub not very far from the location of the famous £2.5M 'Great Train Robbery' heist. I am sure that the Great Train Robbers did not have much time for a pint at 'The Globe' as they made their getaway - but make sure you do !
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| The Globe Inn - Grand Union Canal |
Passing the Aylesbury and Wendover arms of the Grand Union we had an attack of the wind ( metrological not physiological ) which made working through the multitudinous locks a tricky job. Holding 'San Serriffe' at a lock mooring became a uneven battle as she tried to crab to the other side of the canal where bushes and trees were waiting to ensnare. Adding to the gusting winds were thrashing rain squalls that eventually made things beyond a joke, so we moored at Berkhamsted after loosing the one-sided battle against the weather.
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| After the storm - a welcome touch of sunshine at river-like Berkhamsted. |
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| "Now let us discuss a fee for this photography........three slices of bread.?.....yes, that will do nicely" |
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| Apsley BW marina (right) on the Grand Union near Hemel Hempsted |
Feeling 'cream-crackered' I noticed an Asian Restaurant near the marina and to avoid the work preparing a meal we soon found ourselves up to our armpits in Poppadoms, Curry and Lager......oh, I so love our national dish !
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| Sharing a lock near on the Grand Union or 'Grand Junction' as it was originally called |
Preparing the boat in the morning I noticed a boat in Apsley lock and we soon had another friendly couple to share the locks down towards Rickmansworth with the added bonus of superb sunshine. There is a TESCO with their own visitor moorings at Batchworth ( area of Rickmansworth ) and we grabbed the opportunity to stock up the food and booze cupboards.
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| Many and varied vessels on the Grand Union as we near London........... |
Moving towards Cowley Peachy the following day we passed through Uxbridge where Air Marshall Lord
Dowding directed the Battle of Britain. Despite that vital piece of history the stretch from Uxbridge is frankly remarkable for being unremarkable all the way down to the Paddington Arm which would take us into central London. This last 20 miles proved an easy but boring cruise which did not change in character until the delight of 'Little Venice' triangle flanked by Regency houses.
28th May 2011...........
' We are not in Kansas anymore Tonto' - became apparent as we moved onto Paddington basin where visitor moorings are available. This is central London just literally a stone throw from Paddington station. Moving towards the end of the arm we found all the best moorings predictably taken so we turned around and found a mooring just about ten-minute walk from Little Venice with nearby bus and Underground routes to all the touristy places.
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| Little Venice - central London |
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| Little Venice |
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| San Serriffe moored at the end of Paddington basin, Central London. |
' Suzy' added her twopenny worth, by barking every time somebody passed !
Moving towards Limehouse through Little Venice and Camden Lock took most of the day to negotiate the twelve locks and we arrived at about 3pm.
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| Camden Lock |
We had decided to spend a few days in Limehouse Marina and emerged from The Regents Canal that has hardly been changed with the passing of time into the marina that is surrounded by expensive modern development where once cargo of all types was loaded into barges and narrowboats to be taken to central London and beyond.
Some confusion with our booked mooring, led to a lot of manouvering back and forwards through some very expensive plastic Gin Palaces. We had to get the correct mooring as we had invited our wheel-chair user son for the weekend and he can only get into the boat from the bow.
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| Limhouse Marina.......don,t touch the paintwork! |
Things were sorted when the BW Marina staff suggested we use their new purpose-built mooring for disabled boaters and passengers. It had never been used and we were the first customers ! I was a little put out that they had not mentioned this facility when I had first telephoned them. Oh well, "all is well that ends well " as me old mum used to say.
In the event the marina staff were very helpful allowing him to bring his car into the marina and we enjoyed out stay at Limhouse. Moorings for the disabled are far and few between and I congratulate BW marinas for getting this facility spot-on ( ramp angle and mooring height, etc)
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| Purpose built mooring for the disabled at Limhouse - steps have been taken from the boat interior allowing more room to get the wheel-chair inside ( and they make a good tea table) |
A visit to the lock-keepers office concluded with a time of 13.30 the forthcoming Sunday as the best time to coincide with high water at London Bridge.
This left us a few days to chill-out and visit all the usual London tourist attractions. Superb weather blessed our stay until........... ( yes, you are ahead of me) our date with the Thames tideway.
Gusting winds and rain under a grey overcast sky added to our apprehension as we entered the lock in company with two other boats. Limehouse lock gates are actually opened gradually to let out the water and we descended to tide level with for and aft ropes on the vertical risers.
Leaving the lock first we were met with very choppy water as two large vessels passed the exit walls adding their wash to the confusion. Creeping to the 'blind' exit I gave the horn a very long blast and nosed 'San Serriffe' out into the Tideway to lessen the chances of being run down by a thirty-knot 'Clipper' hydrofoil.
I had already tuned the VHF to London VTS on channel 14 and waited for a break in transmissions to report our entry onto the tideway...........
"London VTS this is Narrowboat San Serriffe, over"
"Yes San Serriffe....what can I do for you" over
" Narrowboat San Serriffe reporting entering the Tideway from Limehouse and proceeding upstream for Teddington -over"
" Thank you San Serriffe - you are inbound for Teddington from Limehouse - over
" Correct London VTS - San Serriffe out"
This was my first 'live' VHF transmission and it all seemed to work ! I got back to the job in hand as the boat was riding up and down the heavy swell at alarming levels never, ever, experienced on canals or rivers.
I was looking downwards along the roof of the boat as it sank into a trough and prop vibration increased as
as it started to clear the water. Experimenting with throttle settings I managed to lessen the effect of the swell
and stop the bow's inclination of slapping into the oncoming waves.
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| Check behind ! A 'Clipper' hydrofoil just passed HMS Belfast. River Thames |
As we moved upstream towards Tower Bridge the swell started to lessen and the wind became less of a challenge'
"Keep a good look-out for traffic coming up behind you" is one of the best pieces of advice I had read about the Thames Tideway - and it was so right!
I looked over my shoulder and noticed a large 'Clipper' hydrofoil doing warp-factor 8 or 9 on our stern
quarter. Like a gentleman he slowed to about 15 knots and slid passed smooth as silk on its sleek twin hulls.
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| Smile for the.......... ( radio controlled ) camera in the 'pigeon-box' |
Tower Bridge was now coming close and seemed to be full of tourist boats going in all directions as I tried to second guess their next move in this three dimensional game of chess. I had a cheeky ambition to go through the center span if safety allowed. Things developed very quickly as I tried to understand what the large stationary vessel on the other side of the bridge was going to do............
"Trawler Crusher - Trawler Crusher, this is London VTS bridge opening is now in operation for you"
"Centre arch is out then" I mused as I noticed the two 'Clippers' next to me seemed to be waiting and then started to slide towards me. Even they were giving way to the oncoming large vessel and making the side arch. I starting to feel a little hemmed in between them and the moored large boats so I did the sensible thing and let them go first as we tagged on behind like the minnow that a narrow boat is on the Thames.
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| Surrounded by 'Clippers' the small narrowboat convoy makes its way to Tower bridge...... |
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| 'Clipper' passes HMS Belfast |
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| Nearing the Houses of Parliament after a rough ride on heavy swell from Limehouse. |
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After passing the iconic Battersea Power station the Thames became something of an anti-climax with none of the excitement of dodging large vessels, no tourists waving and everything settled down to a pedestrian pace in the rain.
Last few miles into Teddington the Thames has islands that are 'left to the right' ( keep on your right) as the upstream BW tideway handbook described.
We had been helped by the bridge diagrams which show which arches to be used and is well worth following as you progress - they also publish a 'downstream' version.
 Teddington lock arrived and we moored just past the lock for the evening. I walked back to the lock-keeper's office to obtain a Department of the Environment Thames River license....... which worked out at about £100 for two weeks ( it is calculated on the boat area). I was soaked through and felt as if we had crossed the north sea instead of the Thames Tideway......dripping water all over the license paperwork in the lock office.
Lighting the fire, preparing a hot meal and and an even hotter 'toddy' we sat down to reflect on our Thames adventure..
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Rowing crews train against a setting sun on the Thames at Hampton Court A familiar figure seemed to drift into the camera viewfinder during our visit to Hampton Court - everybody seemed to ignore him! I did a low curtsey just in case I ended up in the 'dungeon'..................... |
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| River Thames takes on a tranquil character after leaving Teddington in the sunshine |
Sunday 12th June 2011
We moored at Marlow last night straight into hundreds of screaming drunken youths with attendant police shipped in from surrounding areas to keep this otherwise pleasant town descending into chaos. Why? this was the local regatta weekend. I took Pesty Westy 'Suzy' for a walk in the town centre about 10pm into what was a frankly a frightening experience. Police seemed to be stationed every few hundred yards and I was thankful that we had moored away from the town centre and near other occupied boats. Beat a hasty retreat back to the boat with even gutsy Suzy looking rather nervous and kept the mobile-phone close for the rest of the night.
Moving on to Henley on Thames this morning as soon as the lock is open ( Regatta is not till July there ).Having trouble getting a good reception on the 3G broadband dongle on the Thames. Had no trouble up't north last year.......3 seems to struggle with reception near the river and London.
Our escape to Henley on Thames was blessed with persisting rain. I am talking REAL rain.... the sort of rain you get in the United Kingdom when all the farmers are complaining about drought. Dressed in wet-weather gear including over-trousers, wellingtons and a damp smile, we were ready for almost anything............SMILE! WE ARE BRITISH............WE REALLY ARE ENJOYING OURSELVES!
Greeted at Marlow Lock by a family of Gongoozlers complete with their own wet-weather gear who smiled and waved I really felt proud to be British....we can enjoy anything including standing in the rain and watching a narrowboat pass through a lock!
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| Narrowboats in Shepperton lock |
Moving passed Marlow we were diverted into a channel so that we did not get mixed up with the
Regatta dragon boats. Races were underway with crowds along the banks cheering them on with hardly a policeman to be seen. Perhaps all the boozers from the night before were still in bed with a hangover.
Henley on Thames Royal Regatta Regatta is in July but preparations were well in hand as we passed along the well defined channel markers that keep ordinary river traffic away from regatta proceedings. It was obvious that the world famous Henley Regatta is a very well organised affair.
Driving rain and cold temperatures were making the decision to stop early for the the day an easy one.
We noticed some signs for moorings at £6 per night and decided to 'give the cat a gold fish' and grab the opportunity just in case there were no other moorings further on.
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| Henley on Thames |
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| Henley on Thames |
Just as soon as we neared the banking a man seemed to materialize immediately with money changing hands before I could knock the mooring pins in ! Oh well, I mused this is Henley - perhaps they need the money! Moving through the town the following day we noticed the moorings there were £8 per night, so at least we had saved a couple of pound. I might say at this point that Henley was the only place on the Thames where we were charged for mooring. Most are only 24 hour moorings with the
exception of Abingdon where you can stay for five days free of charge - a good move by the local authority that must help the local economy considerably as boaters use local shops, pubs and supermarkets. In our case we used all aforementioned including a Launderette on the Oxford Road
about twenty minutes walk from the river.
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| Boat houses like these are unique to the Thames............ |
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| " I say, where is the driver chappy ?" ....A humble Thames riverside abode..........complete with launch. |
A late start from Henley the following morning found us in Reading by the middle of the afternoon
and we moored in the centre of town just past Caversham Bridge where there is an area of well manicured park land. There are notices here for £5 per night mooring fees, but a park worker told us that the first 24 hours were free.
Covering only 10 miles the following day we had a lazy cruise in the sunshine to Goring, a gentle pleasant village that would be perfect setting for a 'Miss Marple' episode. Sitting next to the boat soaking up the sunshine with a few bottles of Oxfordshire ale was really what I had really signed up for with this boating lark.
Oh well....sitting around in the sunshine drinking beer will get us nowhere - nice though! So we decided to progress onwards towards Abingon where as previously mentioned you are allowed to moor for five days. We were very luck and found the very last mooring in this popular watering-hole at about 3pm in the afternoon. We decided to have few days 'rest' here including taking the local bus for a visit to Oxford ( about thirty minutes away) and spent the day as tourists soaking up the academic atmosphere, which is as near as I will ever get to an Oxford education.
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| Get ahead - get a bow-tie. Students in Oxford |
As we approached Oxford in the boat we found ourselves in the middle of a regatta again. A young lady with a mega-phone told us where to go (very politely ) and we obeyed the buoys, staying out of the regatta channel only to find a ladies rowing team at full belt coming towards us on the 'wrong' side
what do you do? I tried to turn away but they turned towards me!.....I did not have to be a 'Mystic Meg' to see smashed oars and a capsized rowing team in the very near future, so I stopped the boat dead in the water, sounded the horn in lively fashion and waited for the sounds of splintering wood and shouts from the rowing team as they were thrown in the water. Fortunately they stopped dead also and the matter passed with polite exchanges and no smashed oars....apparently THEY were on the wrong side !!!!
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| Oxford Regatta |
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| Narrowboat run aground (left) in the shallows near Oxford. |
Our two-week Envoironment Agency license purchased at Teddington lock some 100 miles back had only a couple of days to run, so we headed to the end of our Thames adventure. The River Thames runs for a further 27 miles navigable miles to Lechlade but we decided to leave that for another time as we passed through Kings Lock and onto the 'Duke's Cut' that would take us back onto the canal system.
'Duke's Cut' is described by Nicholson's Guide as a 'charming rural canal' but we found it depressing after the grandeur of the Thames especially the overgrown unkempt lock that heralds the junction of the Oxford Canal. We had undoubtedly been spoiled by the views, magic and pure history that makes the Thames one of the world's greatest rivers. We had certainly been spoiled by the friendly lock keepers that made our journey easy work. It came almost a shock when we entered the Oxford canal realised we had to do the locks again!!!!!!!!!!
Para-phrasing Mr Schwarzenegger ......... " We will be back" :)
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| King's Lock Weir. |
“It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live.”
― J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
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