Rather draughty.

0 locks and 1.5 miles and 1 tunnel. Now moored at Blisworth

Yesterday, while having a browse through the Museum shop I came across a book about the Railways of Northamptonshire by David Blagrove  published by Wharfside Publications. I have purchased the book and have found very interesting reading. It not only covers the railways but the canals and the  working relationship between them.

I have found 2 amusing anecdotes in just the first 2 chapters. The first was regarding the building of the Braunston and Crick tunnels where the navvies struck serious problems with quick sand. Decades later the railways came along to build the nearby Kilsby tunnel and they also struck the same problem which trial bores had failed to detect. The canal company knew what the railway engineers might find but kept quiet. All's fair in love and war so they say. The tunnel eventually over ran the budget by £2m which was big money in those days. It doesn't end there though. Another generation later and the M45 motorway was being built nearby and LTC (Tom) Rolt the canal historian who had already researched the building of the London/Birmingham railway for his book about George and Robert Stephenson's lives as railway pioneers was asked to document the construction of the motorway. At a point where the motorway crosses the Kilsby tunnel  and the engineers struck the quicksand, surprise, surprise. Apparently the engineers were blissfully unaware of Stephensons problem at that point and were amazed that Rolt knew of the presence of the quicksands. Sounds like somebody failed to do their homework in both cases.

The other amusing thing was that the railways initially were only interested in the carriage of passengers and clean freight. It was noted that the London and Birmingham railway had little desire to carry coal insisting that it be shipped by barges on the canal. If coal was taken through the Kilsby tunnel for transshipment at Weedon or Welton  it was discreetly covered. It was reported that the Superintendent of Traffic had been reported as saying " What, coal by rail,they will expect us to carry dung next"!  He would turn in his grave if he could have seen the hundreds or even thousands of  coal wagons on the railways over the decades.

Some other interesting facts about the Kilsby tunnel is that it is 2423 yards long and took 3 years to complete. It killed or bankrupted 4 contractors, numerous navvies lost their lives.  Robert Stephenson was eventually put in charge of the project and by using 13 beam engines pumping 1800 gallons (8100 litres) a  minute for 19 months he eventually succeeded and the first train passed through within hours of the final brick being laid. Water has been an ongoing maintenance problem and was not resolved until 1957 prior to electrification of the line.

Last night the weather turned extremely windy making it difficult to sleep with things crash, banging around outside. By this morning the wind had eased and it was reasonably fine so we set off through the Blisworth tunnel.  Narrowboats Valerie and Ynete also followed us through. We had just arrived in Blisworth and started to moor when it started to rain. The rain was only brief and we have been getting sunny intervals  with occasional wind gusts all afternoon .

877 locks, 1187.5 miles, 34 Tunnels, 40 swing bridges and 19 lift bridges since Nov 2006

"TUBA"

Still moored above lock 14 Stoke Bruerne

Don't worry Sue, we are also members of TUBA (Technically Unlicenced Boaters Association) despite personally presenting ourselves for a new Gold Licence on 22nd November at BW headquarters at the Grange in Watford. We were told that our application would be forwarded to Leeds and that our licence would take 15 days to issue, yeah right, it wasn't direct debited from our bank account until the 24th December and is still in the post so they say. As of today's date a total of 44 days and still no licence. However do they keep track of it all? Surely in this modern age of computers it should be easy to keep a database and follow it all through. Motor Registration can do it on the spot, why not British Waterways?

British Waterways ready to go tomorrow

This afternoon we made the most of another fine day and went for a walk back along the canal towards lock 20. All the boats in the pound below lock 15 have now gone leaving everything set ready for the closure tomorrow. On the way back we deviated off to where there had been an old clay quarry which had it's own brickworks that had supplied the bricks to build the locks and possibly the Blisworth tunnel. The site originally had its own connection with the canal and is now a nature reserve. A mole had been very active in the reserve and in his diggings we could see lots of brick chips. Prior to the locks and tunnel being built a tramway was used to transship freight up to Stoke Bruerne and then over the hill to Blisworth.

Site of Stoke Bruerne brickworks, now a nature reserve

877 locks, 1186 miles, 33 Tunnels, 40 swing bridges and 19 lift bridges since Nov 2006

Tricky Locking.

7 locks and 1 mile. Now moored above lock 14 Stoke Bruerne

A back drop of a beautiful sunny day saw us set off up through the Stoke Bruerne locks. Locking turned out to be slow and tricky and we soon became aware of why the locks are being closed on Monday for repairs. The first problem arose at lock 18 where the pound up to lock 17 was very, very low. Luckily another boat was coming down through lock 17 so that let some water down, however I could see that there was barely enough water over the cill to get the boat out of the lock. Sure enough the boat grounded 3 parts of the way out and only got through with some excess power.

At lock 15 the bottom gates had a huge gap between the 2 gates and were leaking badly.The same problem at lock 14 meant that we were in the lock for the best part of 30 minutes with all paddles open waiting for the lock to fill. Within an hour of leaving the lock it was empty again so there is a lot of water being wasted. BW have most of their gear and work boats on site ready to start on Monday.

We thought with the impending stoppage there would be a lot more boats on the move but surprisingly there were only another 2 boats other than the 1 we passed at lock 18. This was Les on n/b Valerie and his travelling companion Andy on n/b Ynete. We met them coming up lock 15 as we were about to go for a walk so we gave them a helping hand through both 14 and 15.

While on our walk Dot decided to go via a bridlepath which was OK to start off as it was all short grass. Once we had reached the end of the pathway we crossed a farm field which had been sown with a spring crop. We started off by following a tractors track into the next field where we then followed the path of a dis-used railway line between the 2 fields. Even though we followed the hedgerow around the edge of the field it was sooooo muddy that our boots were becoming so heavy with the mud that it was becoming hard going. The farmer came along in his little all terrain buggy saying we should have followed the tree line on the other side of the field as that is where the bridlepath went. (The trouble with some of these pathways is the signage is not always visible and it takes a bit of guesswork) Unbeknown to the farmer we had spoken to his game keeper last time we were here and we knew that probably the real reason he wanted us to walk on the other side of the field was that the old railway track bed is his pheasantry where he raises up to 500 pheasants each year for his annual pheasant shoot and he didn't want us upsetting any remaining pheasants. Must be a good little money spinner for him.

By the time we reached the track down to the towpath by the Blisworth tunnel our boots were a real mess. Back at the boat I spent a good half an hour cleaning and washing our boots so we can wear them again. I think we will leave the bridlepaths until they dry out in the spring before walking them again.

877 locks, 1186 miles, 33 Tunnels, 40 swing bridges and 19 lift bridges since Nov 2006

Damp and Misty.

0 locks and 5 miles. Now moored below lock 20 Stoke Bruerne

This morning I was up earlier than usual so that I could do my bit for the Buckingham Canal Societies volunteer's efforts. I spent a couple of hours collecting up fallen and cut branches  along the canal bed and piled them up into several bonfires ready for the next working Bee this coming Sunday. Hopefully this will give them a bit of a head start to complete their objectives. I have not worked so hard since I blacked the hull 12 month's ago.

Once back aboard we moved back to the water point to top up before heading off towards Stoke Bruerne. The day had started out damp and misty and still had not improved by lunch time. We passed 2 other boats heading south 1 of which was in a great hurry as we saw his bow wave before we saw him,  he appeared to have no consideration for anybody but himself.

We stopped off at Baxter's boat yard for a new calor gas tank and topped up the diesel while we were there. Their diesel price was still 60p per litre but due to increase any day.

We had not been long moored up and settled in for the night when the weather took a turn for the worse and started to rain, only lightly but bad enough.

870 locks, 1185 miles, 33 Tunnels, 40 swing bridges and 19 lift bridges since Nov 2006

Retracing family footsteps.

Still moored at Cosgrove

A busy day started with Tim Garland arriving just after 9am to collect our cratch cover. While sorting things out in the cratch I discovered a stowaway in the form of a very healthy field mouse. He had made a home in the paint locker chewing up rags and feeding on nuts and seeds from Dot's bird feeders stored in the cratch. The feeders will have to be stored in a more secure manner in future. After taking everything out of the locker I managed to guide the mouse off the boat via a piece of wood from a drain hole onto the bank.

As the locker was empty I decided I may as well do something about the rust. Out came the grinder and all the heavy rust was soon history. Once it was all nice and clean I then gave it all a good coating of Owatrol rust treatment which I have to leave for 24 hours before I can undercoat it.

I had just finished tidying up when Tim arrived back with the repaired cover which was back on in less than 3 hours. Now that's what I call SERVICE. I can thoroughly recommend Garland Hoods to anybody requiring new covers or repairs carried out.

As the boat was now secure again we decided to take our planned walk along the Buckingham Arm to retrace my ancestors footsteps with temperatures sitting around 1.5deg C. Once past the moored boats in the only section in water we came across the bridge that was temporarily dammed in 1944 to secure the route from the Midlands to London but the dam was never removed.

Along the way we came across about 10 hardy volunteers who were busy removing new saplings and rubbish from the canal bed even though it was trying to snow. They had built numerous bonfires which helped to keep them warm in their endeavours. Apparently the Buckingham Canal Society has obtained the services of a surveyor but the canal bed needs to be cleared and benchmarks placed along the towpath before the end of March. We carried on to the end of the first section which has been cut off by the A5 dual carriageway which is where locks and a tunnel or Aqueduct are going to be required to get past this roadway. To my minds eye this canal wouldn't take much to re-open but BW are not in a position to do anything so it's all going to be down to volunteers and donations. Any body interested in helping in what ever way they can, can contact the society or the Membership Secretary, BCS 33 Hambleton Grove, Emerson Valley, Milton Keynes MK4 2JS.

The volunteers go out 3 times a month, on the 2nd Sunday and the 2nd and 4th Thursday of each month. Anybody able to help can contact the chairman (Athina Beckett) on 01908 661217.

870 locks, 1180 miles, 33 Tunnels, 40 swing bridges and 19 lift bridges since Nov 2006

Fine and chilly.

1 lock and 7 miles. Now moored at Cosgrove

Yesterday we awoke to find a full rubbish bag in the water up against the boat. Well, being a tidy Kiwi I pulled it out only to find that the contents had come from the Milton Keynes City council 'Tut, Tut'. The bag contained envelopes addressed to "The Householder". Inside each envelope was a letter explaining the rubbish collections for the holiday period and 2 extra plastic rubbish bags. There must have been the best part of 100 envelopes so can you imagine what would have happened had all those plastic bags got loose, many boaters down weed hatches in freezing cold water muttering curses. Anybody want any rubbish bags?

Novel way of using recycling materials spotted along the towpath

Our 48 hours had been and gone at Campbell park so it was time to move on. The weather was fine but chilly and with a threat of snow tomorrow we wanted to get closer to Stoke Bruerne to beat the stoppage next Monday. At Great Linford we found diesel n/b's Beverley and Ascot so we stopped and topped up the fuel tank, another 38 litre's. There were a few other boats on the move also but we had a quiet trip up to Cosgrove where we are moored just above the lock.

The skyline is changing alongside the old Wolverton Railway workshops.

Tomorrow Tim Garland from Garland Hoods will collect our cratch cover to replace a zip which was damaged whilst locking. While it is away being repaired we will investigate what there is of the disused Buckingham Arm which has strong links with my family. Several Number 1 boatmen,coal merchants, farmers and several births are all part of my families connection with this part of the 'Cut' dating back to 1842. About 1 mile from the junction with the Grand Junction (GU) canal was 'Canvins Wharf' where one family member was a coal merchant. The villages of Lechhamstead, Passenham and Deanshanger are also mentioned in the family tree which is being collated by Phyl & George Barber . Phyl is a cousin 2 or 3 times removed.

What with the birth of 2 female members of the family at 'Lady Capels Wharf' near Watford my connection with the 'Cut' gets deeper and deeper.

870 locks, 1180 miles, 33 Tunnels, 40 swing bridges and 19 lift bridges since Nov 2006

It's big and it's different.

Still moored at Campbell Park, Milton Keynes

Today we walked into the Milton Keynes shopping centre across Campbell Park via one of the many cycle/walkways around this place. The park itself is huge,well kept and tidy. You can see by the way the town is laid out that it has been designed and built in the modern automobile era. Flyovers crossing dual carriageways abound and there was a conspicuous absence of traffic signals. The streets are laid out in grid formation and the whole place looked very American. As for the buildings they are nothing startling but they are a mixture of retail, office and inner city apartments and the word "cubism" comes to mind. The only exceptions are the theatre and the sports complex with its indoor ski slope.

The open market is very cleverly placed underneath a dual carriageway flyover so the majority of it is under cover. The city fathers obviously have a zero tolerance policy on graffiti as there was very little of it about but you could see where it had been removed from bridges and walls.

Once inside the shopping centre, which is also in grid fashion, it's vastness with shops as far as the eye could see is mind boggling, a shopaholic's delight. Outside John Lewis's store is a large open entertainment area which had a magnificent Xmas display with the theme from Wind in the Willows. Ratty, Mole and Toad where there with all their friends in various diorama's of stories with a Xmas theme. One pleasing feature was story boards in braille placed around the diorama's so that the visually impaired could enjoy it as well.

Also for young and old alike was a 1900's merry go round which was different in that it had 2 decks or levels. This huge machine was in beautiful working condition and was in popular demand. Santa's grotto was also there but now closed until next Xmas as Santa has gone home to recuperate from all his night time deliveries.

As this is our last blog for 2007 we would like to wishes all our followers/readers,
where ever you are in the world a happy and prosperous New Year.

869 locks, 1173 miles, 33 Tunnels, 40 swing bridges and 19 lift bridges since Nov 2006