Sunday 22 June 2025
We hadn't been put in the boat this year yet. We need to be in Birmingham in early July as we have booked ourselves into another BCNS Explorer Cruise.
WIth Alex aboard we set off for Cropredy. The weather was hot and we left in the late afternoon when it had cooled down a bit. We crossed over with Caroline (the saw lady) who was paddle boarding toward Banbury where she had her boat. The pound above Boughton Lock was very low and we had to navigate with great care past the curlew meadow. Te curhlew was not presenting him self today. This pound has been a problem and later in the month it was closed for a couple of days becasue of low water.
We arrived at Cropredy Mill 14 day moorings just about dinner time and settled in for the night. We had a salad meal and went to bed. 3.3/4 miles, 3 locks 3 hours
Monday 23 June 2025.
We were up early and The Best Mate opened her birthday cards. We set off on or way coming up behind a workboat and hopper just after Cropredy Bridge. The workman were kind enought to let us through ahead of them. The trip to Claydon Locks was uneventful and the levels in the pounds were on the weir. However the levels in teh flight were not. Two pounds wer very low. At the middle lock we met a vlockie who set off to the top to let some water doen form the summit level. We achieved Fenny Compton Wharfe at about noon and settled on the first mooring by the pub. After taking on water we reversed back ont this mooring and waited for Supercrew to join us. It was an entertaining afternoon as we washed the boat and watched the boats interchanging at the water point and some attempting to turn. A couple made it!
We went to the Wharfe Inn for dinner and were pleasantly surprised that this has improved considerably since we last ate there about two years ago. It was so good that our son wrote a glowing review.
Suepercrew arrived at about 8.00 pm, settled into the boat quickly and suggested that we use the remining hours of daylight to make up for the waiting time.
We cruised on until sunset and moored for the night just short of The Wedding Bridge.
8.3/4miles, 9 locks, 5.1/2 hours
Tuesday 24 June 2025
We wer uo early and set off straight away to navigate the summit level. We arrived at Marston Doles at about 8 am and found that we were not the first boat to go down. The day was heating up fast and hats and suncream were in order. There were no problems with the flight and we had a good road down. The pound between the two Marsotn Doles locks was low but otherwise everythig seemed in good order. We were through the flight by 1030 am and so dropped the small amount of rubbish we had and continued on to turn at Wigrams onto the Warwick and Birmingham Canal (GUC). Passing through CAlcutt Locks we went on to Stockton Marfina, the hime of Kate Boats. Here we found they were closed! The manageress was very understanding of our need for a pump out and diverted one of her staff to attend to us. Well worth the £25.00.
We crossed the canal to the Stockton visotor moorings and at lunch inder the shade of the trees.
Then we navigated the Stockton flight and stopped for Ice Cream at The Two Boats. After a crew conference we decided to go on to work the locks to the bottom level at Radford Semele.
The next locks were the Bascote Staircase. On arriving here we found that a hire boat had managed to ground between the two locks. "The top lock was full when we started" the shore crew pleaded. Oh yeah! Lettting down a bit more water floated the boat and they rose up without a problem. We then navigated the locks without a problem. At the botttom was another hire boat whose skipper was displeased that we had not let it come in to the bottom so that we changed over in the middle. I pointed out the instruction signs where CRT now forbid this practice.
The crew took the remaining locks in their stride and we moored at Radford Bottom Lock No 23 for an on board chicken curry and rice.
A quick review of teh birdlife seen included the ubiquitous red kite, grey heron, reed and sedge warblers, reed bunting and grey wagtail. Ther is a notable dearth of swallows martins and swifts.
18 miles, 31 locks, 13 bours
Wednesday 25th June 2025
We let go at about 6.00am and were soon at Cape Locks to take on WATER. Having filled we then went on to Hatton Bottom lock. Bottom Lock Dave was not around. No one was around so we set off on our own. At the third lock two volunteer lock keepers appeared and we were assisted until we stopped at Middle Lock for lunch. It was a relaxed ascent and ALex had time to photograph a bush cricket on a lock gate.
My friend who used to be a taxonomical entymologist with the British Museum of Natural History comments, "
Roesel's Bush-cricket - nice find" After lunch we were absolutely surrounded with volunteers. There must have been eight of them and we had more help than we needed. There was an intake of new volunteers training that day! We deposited what little rubbish had accumulated sonce Napton and contiued on our way to moor at Tom o' the Woods for the nioght. We decided to stop here because we did not have time to finish the Lapworth flight that day. We were glad we did as the pub porovided very good food and we really enjoyed dinner with a bottle of Prosecco that they had on offer.
12 miles, 24 locks 9 hours
Thursady 26th June 2025
An early start again to take the flight by storm. Almost imediately after leaving our overnight mooring I saw a kingfisher. It flew by, did a quick circle, and disappeared over the hedgferow. We like Lapworth flight but some of the twists and turns to get into locks are interesting. We did not have to make any complicated change overs with other boats. The top level was shallow and some boaters had difficulty staying afloat when passing moored craft, basically taking too wide a course was hazardous. Not far past Hockley Heath Drawbridge one boat that grounded refused all offers of assistance. Why? We left him struggling.
Apparently the environment and habitat is improved by the installation of reed beds. These allegedly provide shelter for birds and voles. Boating visibility certainly isn't high on CRT's agenda.
We achieved our aim and moored opposite Gas Street Basin. We went to Miller and Carter for a lovely dinner. The staff served us well.
18.1/2 miles. 19 locks 9 hours
Friday 27th June 2025.
This morning we took on water at Cambrian Wharf and then moved to a 14 day mooring at Sheepcote Street Visitor Moorings turning at Icknield Loop junction. The 14 day mooring outside the Roundhouse is prebooked for "historic boats" from March to September on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. This was Firiday and it was empty. A complete waste of space.
1.1/2 miles, 0 locks, 1 hour
