In this video I take my narrowboat on the Grand Union canal from near Gayton Junction to Stoke Bruerne, via Blisworth – and Blisworth tunnel – all 3,075 yards of it. Weirdly, as I went through, there was a bit of an unsettling ghostly apparition…
Another little jaunt along the Grand Union canal in the narrowboat saw me departing from Weedon after a pleasant couple of days, and heading towards Gayton Junction. I stopped about a mile before Gayton though so as to stop in the countryside.
In the second of my Autumn cruising videos for 2018, I leave Norton Junction on a blustery morning and turn 90 degrees right, to head south down the Grand Union canal on my narrowboat. The first thing to deal with is the Buckby lock flight of seven locks, then it’s just a couple of miles to a mooring at Weedon Bec.
You might not believe it – but I’m going off cruising. Yes, in my own boat. Before the winter maintenance shutdown begins in November, I’ve got two months to chug around the canals so I’ve decided to head south, down the Grand Union towards London.
On a beautiful sunny day in June I drove to Wales for an experience of the canals as they used to be, with the boat drawn by horse!
When I received a panicked phone call from The Narrowboat Experience, who were stuck half way up the Grand Union canal and just too tired to carry on, of course I had to help. So I jumped into my car, shot off to Whilton Marina and ran down the towpath to find Anna and Kath, and give them the benefit of my extensive canal and locking experience and wisdom. This is the record of the day.
My massive 2017 cruise around the canals of England is drawing to a close and in this episode I take on the massive 21-lock Hatton flight again – this time with a Special Guest Crew. After that it’s a quick hop around Warwick and Leamington, up and down some more locks and the end is in sight.
It’s the penultimate vlog from my Great 2017 Cruise and a short hop up the South Stratford canal from Preston Bagot, through Lowsonford and up to Kingswood Junction at Lapworth. Here I turned east along the Lapworth Link and out onto the Grand Union canal before pausing for the night.
On a glorious day in mid-June I departed from the canal basin at Stratford-upon-Avon and headed north up the South Stratford canal. En route I ducked under low tunnels, breathed in for narrow bridges, held my breath on an aqueduct, saw some unusual wildlife and showed off my pasty white legs. All of those treats are included in the video.
Filmed way, way back in the dizzying summer scorcher of mid-June, this is the final section of my trip up the River Avon in Warwickshire, from Offenham lock (where the last vlog ended), to the canal basin at Stratford-upon-Avon. Along the way there was lovely scenery, gentle river tranquility, and a plethora of ice cream at the end.
