Meeting up with more 'old' friends

Yet another peaceful mooring with great panoramic views meant we slept well and we're looking forward to catching up with our very good friends, Sue and Pete. They found our mooring tucked behind the mound and remains of Fotheringhay Castle.

Our mooring from the top of the mound

We enjoyed much chat and laughter over coffee before heading off to The Falcon for lunch, which was a short walk away and to Sue ' s delight the magnificent church, St Mary the Virgin, was open so after a delicious lunch, served in the pub's conservatory which overlooks the church, we had a look around. From the outside it looks huge but on stepping inside it seems to shrink! It is a bright interior with no stained glass. Apparently, Elizabeth I had all the stained glass removed and the cloisters and a large part of the church destroyed!

St Mary the Virgin Church, Fotheringhay

Sue and Pete had planned to take us to Oundle, a pretty little town dominated by a public school, for a stroll and tea but unfortunately, the showers had turned to torrential,  heavy rain so a brief drive through was all we could manage. We did manage a cuppa but in Waitrose rather than a pretty tea room.

It was great to see these lovely people again and they departed with promises of not leaving it so long 'til we meet again.

Saturday morning and time to start our up river journey. Strong winds and waters against us meant that our 6 hour journey downriver took 7 hours of battling but Hunters Moon did well and got us safely to Thrapston and a safe and secure mooring to spend, what was forecast to be, a wet and wild night.

Thrapston

Both in need of a day off the heavy rain and gusty winds of Sunday kept us put in our dry and cosy boat.

Fotheringhay

After another wet morning the skies cleared and we enjoyed another day on this picturesque river. The sun came through and for a while we travelled past more spires under clear blue skies. The wind was strengthening all day and the rain showers, that had been forecast, soon blew through. Sid only got a little wet!

We had planned to moor overnight at moorings marked on our maps just above Ashton Lock but on our arrival we were greeted by large No Mooring signs positioned all along the bank. So, we ventured on!

An infinity lock!

We had arranged to meet good friends, Sue and Pete, at Fotheringhay on Saturday but ended the day getting there in very blustery conditions a day early. Hopefully, they can make lunch on Friday because we are keen to start our return journey upstream on Saturday. The river is running very fast and with more rain forecast it is not likely to improve. Our journey upstream is bound to take longer with the current against us and the guillotine lock gate requiring raising after we have left the lock.

We are moored beside the mound of Fotheringhay Castle, where Richard III was born and Mary Queen of Scots was beheaded.

Our mooring at Fotheringhay

Let's hope the rain stays off tomorrow long enough for us to explore a little.

Meeting 'old' Friends

Heavy rain greeted us on Tuesday morning so we had very slow start. We were due to meet 'old' friends Matt and Wendy in Wellingborough later in the day so once the rain eased a little we made our way through 3 locks just hoping the rain would keep off. It didn't!
We found the moorings in Wellingborough almost empty, which, was hardly surprising as we had seen very few boats during our trip from Northampton.

Tesco is close by so a quick top up of provisions took place before Matt and Wendy arrived.  Much chat and catching up took place having not seen each other for over 5 years, before we were driven, by Wendy, to the Stag in Great Doddington  for a most enjoyable meal with a few beers.

It is always so good to see friends on our travels.

Wednesday was a day for making progress downriver in order to meet up with more friends towards the end of the week.

This really is a lovely, relatively, narrow river which winds it's way through the county of  'squires and spires' named presumably because lots of squires live here, which we can't  attest to, but  around every bend of the river a different church spire comes into view. In fact it is reputed that from the hilltop at Wollaston 27 churches can be seen, on a clear day!

Some of the spires

On the stretch of river between Wellingborough and Thrapston we encountered our first manual guillotine locks. The lock works in exactly the same way as the automated ones except, someone, namely Jenny has to lower and raise the guillotine gate by hand, to be precise by turning the lifting wheel 90 rotations to lower the gate and another 90 rotations to lift the gate. Muscles Jenny managed the 3 manual locks encountered today  and the other 6 automated ones before we found yet another beautiful mooring for the night .

The wheel on the manual guillotine 

Heading down river from Northampton

 After a wet and miserable Sunday, when we decided to remain in Northampton and explore a bit. However, it was do miserable we didn't do much exploring but hunkered down and got cosy on Hunters Moon.

The Guildhall, Northampton

Christmas Church, Northampton

Town Lock, Northampton

Monday morning we were raring to go. The sun was shining again and we made quick work of the first three locks on the river which take us out of Northampton. Then we were faced with the first of the many  guillotine locks. These look imposing but, being automated, they are quite straightforward if a little slow.

The sun came and went and the wind picked up but we made good progress along this winding and picturesque waterway. We had joined The Friends of the River Nene before leaving, being advised that it was useful to be able to use their moorings as moorings on the river are few and far between generally. We were delighted to have received this advise when we came across a lovely mooring just upriver of Doddington Lock.

Hardwater Farm  Friends of the River Nene mooring

A good first day on the river.

Best Made Plans

As we have known many times before the best made plans can go tits up in our world on the canals !

We left our mooring opposite Gayton Marina on another bright but cool Saturday morning to face the 17 Locks, which take us down to Northampton planning to be there by lunchtime.

Waiting!

On arriving at the top lock we are met with a smiling Ben, the CRT man, with the news that one of the pounds on the flight is empty and he was closing the flight until he had managed the water. So, we made coffee, Sid did some tinkering, Jenny did some cleaning and we waited in the warming sun. It is a beautiful spot overlooking the Northamptonshire countryside in it's autumn glory.

Top Lock

Through Top Lock at last.

A picturesque flight of locks

under beautiful blue skies

About an hour and half later, Ben reappeared, having filled the flight and telling us we should be good to go but to be aware that the infamous Leon was about and would offer to help us down the flight but would ask for payment.  He is known to fleece boats of £10.00- £30.00,  which is used to fuel his evident liking for cider. Just say no!  Jenny added Thank you! He was fine about this and even closed the bottom gates of lock 2 for free!
The sun shone and it got very warm as we made steady progress down the a flight and we made good time 'til we got to lock 12! Here, on a lock sighted under the M5,  the bottom gates were open and as Jenny went to close them the nose of a boat appeared around the bend.  The skipper, having difficulty  seeing against the low sun,  dithered and was not sure whether to proceed despite Jenny waving him in. Eventually, he slowly proceeded to the awaiting open lock. He dropped his crew off to assist with the lock a made his way in. The crew informed Jenny that this was her first outing on a narrowboat so was am novice! We all have to start a some time! Although not confimed,  it also appeared that the skipper was also a novice.

Great art work by local school children

and churches, under the bridge carrying

the M1over the Northampton Arm.

Whilst all this was going on, and unbeknown to Jenny, the water in the pound, where Sid and Hunters Moon were waiting, was getting lower and lower and, when we started to fill the lock, even lower resulting in Hunters Moon getting stuck on a ledge!  This was where the main problem had been earlier, so there is obviously a problem in this pound. We had to wait for some water to be brought down from the lock above to lift HM off the ledge so she could proceed.

All in a days boating and the sun continued to shine, but time was now ticking on as we  approached lock 13 where the locks are more spread out. The final 4 locks seemed to take  an age, 2 hours to be exact and we eventually arrived in Northampton tired and very hot a lot later than expected.

The Carlsberg Brewery heralding our arrival in Northampton

We found the marina where we could purchase our licence for the River Nene so are all  ready to go.

Autumn Sunshine

Glorious, warm, autumn sunshine accompanies us as we make our way along the Grand Union Canal from Wigrams Turn, up the Baunston Locks, down the Buckby Locks and through to Gayton Junction. With cool mornings and evenings sleeping is no problem and during the first few days of our travels we feel rested and renewed.

Leaving Braunston

We paired up with Roger and Liz (from Twickenham!) and their friends, on nb Mameduke, to ascend the Braunston Locks. So with plenty of crew this was an enjoyable climb. They decided to stop for lunch at Norton Junction but having had a nibbles type of lunch on route we had made the decision to continue down the Buckby flight before stopping for the day.

A shared ownership boat had just finished taking on water and joined us for the decent. On board were the owners, an older grey haired couple, much like us, their two sons with their partners, their 18 month old grandaughter, and two beagles. Quite a boat full! However, it did mean there was plenty of muscle to work our way through the heavy locks on this flight. Jenny took advantage and did as little as possible! It was a jolly, sociable afternoon.

A busy Buckby flight

We now find ourselves, once again sitting in beautiful early evening sunshine, enjoying a gin and tonic at the top of the Northampton Arm of the Grand Union, ready to make our decent of the 17 Locks which will take us down to Northampton and then on to the River Nene (pronounced 'Nen' in these parts).

Cheers!

Narrowboats approaching on the Grand Union

Otter spotted

Travelling along a sunny Oxford Canal today we were alerted to an otter playing on the waters edge amongst the reeds.  The first we have ever seen on the cut. Sadly, he was too quick for a photo! Great to see though.

Autumn 2019

Monday 16th September

Here we go on the autumn leg of our travels.

We have had a glorious spell at home with grandchildren, family and friends keeping us busy as well as a great few days in France visiting our old narrowboat chums, Sara and Pete, who now own a Dutch steel cruiser, which they took over the Channel at the beginning of the season to cruise the French waterways.  Sadly for them,  their season has been cut short due to lack of water on many of the French canals. They made it as far as the Loire region, rather nice! However, we had a great time on board Marina and also getting to know the surrounding area under stunning blue skies and hot sun. We also sampled far too much of the local wine.

Marina moored in Briare

Back on board Hunters Moon, however, we find ourselves with overcast skies and spells of drizzle as we left Fenny Marina on Monday afternoon. The morning had been spent preparing the boat for our trip and  stocking up with provisions before setting off towards Braunston. From there we will head to Gayton Junction and on to the Northampton Arm. We are then hoping to make it as far as Peterborough.

Earth moving for HS2 alongside the Oxford Canal

As our readers know from the past these are our plans but sometimes they do not work out quite as we intended.

ps

I apologise for there being no conclusion to our summer travels on the blog. I am not at all sure why that was but rest assured we did make it back to Fenny safely after passing through Hawkesbury Junction, which appears to be the last post. The tablet on which it is typed is getting rather old and grumpy now so it might be a case of the writer also getting old and grumpy when the machine stopped working efficiently.