On Thursday (09/09/2021) we left Union Wharf at Market Harborough on the Leicester Line of the Grand Union Canal. We passed Great Bowden Hall which is 17th Century and later and built of coursed ironstone with steeply pitched stone slate roof. The development of this Grade II Listed building was completed by Enterprise Heritage in 1998 comprising of luxurious apartments for residential and retirement.
We went through the long windy channel between reeds and bulrushes around Gallow Hill and through two swing bridges to the pound at Foxton Bottom Lock and the junction with the Grand Union Canal Main Line.
We moored up next to the Bridge 61 pub and went to talk to the Lockeepers. Although we arrived at 12:00 noon we were told that it was unlikely that we would get through the locks today as the last entry to the bottom lock was 15:15 under the current overnight closure plan to conserve water in the system.
Lock keepers seem to have been more efficient in the old days, even though this one had only one eye and one leg!
We resigned ourselves to staying put overnight and joining the queue for the Foxton Lock flight at 09;30 tomorrow. Steve went to help other boats through the locks more quickly and helped a single-hander come down through the ten locks.
A chap arrived with a new boat that he was hoping to deliver today. The lock keeper got onto his walkie talkie and the controller said to the C&RT volunteer “tell him that he has got as much chance of getting through the locks today as you have of winning Euromillions tomorrow (and you probably have not even bought a ticket)!
We retired to the Foxton Lock Inn and were able to get drinks and crisps before last orders at 17:00. The pub seemed to have a Mad Hatter theme.
We chatted to a couple with a black Labrador who had just had a litter of puppies and Ross and Amanda from narrowboat Chuffed.
We woke up on Friday (10/09/2021) morning to this view. This pub had also switched to winter hours and closed at 17:00 but a lot of old lags had brought several drinks and bottled beer from the shop to keep them going at the tables outside for a few more hours.
We walked up to the C&RT shed at the top lock at 09:30 and got ourselves onto the waiting list for today. We also availed ourselves of breakfast baps at the Top Lock Cafe, along with the crew of Chuffed and Carpe Jugulum (which apparently is a comic fantasy novel by English writer Terry Pratchett, the twenty-third in the Discworld series, and is a play on the Latin phrase carpe diem ('seize [literally, "pluck"] the day') and 'Jugular vein' - in other words 'Go for the throat').
At 09:40 we were into the bottom lock and began our ascent to the top lock.
The red paddles had to be opened before the white ones. The red ones let water in from the side ponds and the white ones let water out into the side ponds, so the water was constantly recirculated except for the top and bottom locks which emptied into their respective pounds.
We made our way up quite quickly and efficiently once we were in, overtaking a boat coming down at the halfway point.
At the junction with the Welford Arm we turned left and made our way to Welford, passing through the little Welford Lock.
Vera approved our our mooring spot at Welford Wharf.
Ross on Chuffed recommended the mooring taken here by Willow and we were able to move into it on Saturday morning when Willow moved on.
There were Canal & River Trust Services here at Welford Wharf.
We walked down to the Wharf Inn in the hope of getting some Pipers chorizo crisps.
On Saturday (11/09/2021 or 9/11 in the eyes of our US cousins) we were able to move down from our canal-side mooring and down to the end of the wharf, as Willow departed for pastures new.
Steve and Vera walked to the village shop and after passing over the bridge over the River Avon and through Welford Pocket Park they came across this statue of Postman Pat and his black and white cat.
This called for a selfie.
In the afternoon we binge watched the final three episodes of The Handmaid’s Tale Series 4.
Steve and Vera went for a walk and ended up helping narrowboats through Welford Lock. For one boat it was there first ever lock and were relieved to have assistance.
Back at the Wharf Inn the staff for a busy Saturday night with food and live music.
It prided itself as a real ale pub with three regular beers and three guest ales on offer.
The Kingpins began belting out popular cover versions and just finished their set as we got ready for bed at 21:00. This picture is from their Facebook page.
We had begun watching Virgin River on Netflix. Seeking a fresh start, a nurse practitioner Melinda Monroe, moves from Los Angeles to a remote Northern California town and is surprised by what and who she finds.
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