Previous Year : 2009 The Bona Boater's Trips Following Year : 2011

2010 - The Grand Union Canal.

Crew : Pete W, Dave (BTS1) John, Chris (Nursie), Stan, Ernie, Alan & Pete M (who would join the boat somewhere along the way... Yelvertoft as it turned out)

Boat : Chiltern

From : Union Canal Carriers, Braunston.

Route : Braunston > Crick > Foxton > Market Harborough [w] > Foxton > Welford [w] > Yelvertoft > Norton Junction > Bugbroke > Northampton [w] > Stoke Bruerne [w] > Weedon Bec > Braunston.

Coverage : 95 Locks and 110 Miles.

Notes : John & Andrea Barlass met us in Braunston on their boat "The John Barleycorn" , Alan had a minor altercation with another boat and Pete W went onto the Nene to wind - without a Nene licence.

Saturday 22nd May

Lunchtime / Afternoon : Braunston. Pete W arrived at the boatyard with BTS1 at about 12 noon to find that John, Chris & Alan had already arrived and had loaded their stuff onto the boat. With their help, they too were soon loaded. There had been a suggestion that we might possibly meet up with John & Andrea Barlass, as they were were taking their boat "The John Barleycorn" out from Napton Marina for the weekend. We had also agreed to meet up with Stan in The Old Plough in the village, so after loading and having the obligatory instructional, we secured the boat and set off for the pub. Just as we were setting off to the pub, this 'large australian bloke with a Bolton accent' appeared as if by magic, so we all trooped off the the pub together. After several pints of Tetley Mild, Stan eventually arrived, so we had to have a few more, including the one bought by mistake for Pete M who wouldn't be joining us until Tuesday. We eventually set off for Crick and shared locks with John & Andrea. At Lock 3, Pete W nipped into The Admiral Nelson to get a quick pint for himself and one for John Barlass. This was subsequently decreed to be the worst pint of the whole week, if not the worst pint in the entire history of mankind. It was cloudy-ish, bottomy and the pump was sucking air, but the barman resolutely continued to try to serve what he probably knew was the end of the cask. We continued in convoy to Norton Junction where John & Andrea had arranged to stop for the night. We turned left at Norton Junction on to The Grand Union Leicester Section, and as they winded in the junction behind us, we waved them goodbye and continued on towards Watford Locks and Crick.

The Admiral Nelson, Braunston - The worst pint of the week

Waiting at the bottom of Watford Locks

Ascending Watford Locks.

Evening : Crick. As this was the week before the annual Crick Boat Show, we realised that we may have some difficulty in finding a mooring at Crick. Most of the available moorings at Crick are blocked-off for the whole week prior to the show. With this in mind, we decided we would take the first available spot we could find. This turned out to be the very first spot after Crick Tunnel, which left us with quite a long walk to the village. After mooring up we went in search of food and beer, and found The Royal Oak which had three decent ales including a Mild. It also had a Chinese takeaway on the premises which we could eat in the pub. Replete after a superb Chinese meal and several pints of mild, we sent Ernie (aka Gandern-the-Great) off back to the boat, and we followed him some 20 mins later. Luckily, on our return to the boat, we did manage to find a short cut.

Chiltern moored at Crick

Crick Tunnel is just visible

Sunday 23rd May

Lunch : None. We had intended to stop for lunch at either North Kilworth or Husbands Bosworth. On arrival at North Kilworth, though slightly late-ish for us for a sunday lunchtime stop, we found that we could not moor as the towpath and banking were in a very poor state, heavily overgrown and far too shallow.

We tried to moor at North Kilworth, but found we could not get anywhere near the bank.

Later, we tried to get in to the bank at several spots before giving up on the attempt and moving on. By the time we arrived at Husbands Bosworth, and had wasted half an hour or more in trying to moor at at North Kilworth, we decided that it was probably too late to risk a long stop here if we wanted to be absolutely sure of a passage down Foxton Locks that day, so we pushed on to Foxton. We arrived at Foxton top Lock at about 15:30, and after speaking to the lock keeper we were allowed to start down at about 15:45.

Foxton Locks - As usual, teeming with gongoozlers

Descending Foxton Locks.

Evening : Foxton. At the bottom of Foxton Locks, we turned right, moored on the Market Harborough Arm and walked to The Foxton Locks Inn where we found some excellent if initially, slightly expensive Caledonian Mild Mayhem. After the first round of beers, an eagle-eyed crew member spotted the '10p off for CAMRA Members' poster on the window next to his seat. This resulted in the production of various CAMRA membership cards and much negotiation at the bar which did eventually result in the said discount. This in turn for the pub resulted in the sale of lots more rounds of beer and eight meals. After eating and drinking we had a walk around the site and 'cranked' the inclined plane. We then decided to take a walk into the village. The Black Horse was closed due to a private party so we walked to The Shoulder of Mutton. This was another pub cum Chinese Restaurant. There were no people eating when we arrived so we felt honour-bound to drink as much of his rather nice Everards Tiger as we could before he eventually closed.

The Foxton Inclined Plane : How it worked.

1) The boat would arrive on the lower canal visible the top picture.

2) The boat entered a cassion situated in the pound visible in the top picture

3) This cassion running on rails, was then hauled up the plane with the boat in it

4) The cassion would the meet up and join with with the upper canal

5) The boat would then exit the cassion where the boat in the lower picture is sticking out.

Monday 24th May

Morning : Market Harborough. We took the boat to Market Harborough for no real reason other than that it's there, and we winded, though not entirely without incident. Stan attempted to wind at the marked winding hole, where a wooden bridge has been built across the end. One really must ask why anyone thought it a good idea to put a bridge there. Someone was also washing a boat on the water point opposite the winding hole - which made this made the manoeuvre even tighter, and Stan accidentally touched the bridge. At which point the woman washing the boat took umbridge. Stan pointed out that the last time he tried to wind here, he got shouted at for trying to turn in the basin next to all the nice shiny boats. Eventually, Gandern-the-Great once again came to our rescue and polled the front end round. We also tried to stop for water, but the combination of boats moored on the water point and our short hose meant that we could not get anywhere near a suitable tap, so we left Market Harborough, probably never to return.

Lunch : Foxton again. We arrived back at Foxton Bottom Lock by about 11:30, and after speaking to the lock keeper, we began the climb at about noon. Having climbed Foxton Locks, we moored up a short distance above the Top lock, then walked back down the flight for a lunchtime session in The Foxton Locks Inn. For some reason, the staff remembered us from the previous night, and the 10p CAMRA discount seemed now to be automatic. After a few pints here, some of the crew went to the museum and some others went to investigate The Bridge 61. After a couple more pints in Bridge 61, we set off for Welford.

Starting the ascent of Foxton Locks

Getting a free 'boat-wash' in Foxton Locks

Foxton Bottom lock.

The Foxton Locks Inn is visible on the left

The Bridge 61 is just off camera to the right.

A quick pint in The Bridge 61

Evening : Welford. After leaving Foxton Locks, we arrived at Welford and moored up some distance before the Marina entrance, and went to The Wharf Inn for a meal and some beer. Due to the collapse of the footbridge over the marina entrance, the towpath now goes around the outside of the marina basin. This diversion meant that we didn't spot the water point, as it is situated right next to the marina entrance but on the opposite side, so we didn't actually go past it to see it. If the footbridge had still been intact, we would have walked passed the water point and seen it.

Tuesday 25th May

Morning : Water at Welford. Having failed to get any water at Market Harborough the previous day, we knew that we needed to get some today. Having not seen where the water point actually was the previous night, we had assumed that we were going to have to take the boat all the way up to the wharf, even though the wharf looked rather too small to wind our 70' boat. Having to reverse out from the wharf looked like being a real possibility. It may only have been a hundred yards or so, but with boats moored both sides, it would have been a challenge to say the least. Fortunately, Pete W spotted the water tap just as we were passing it so we were able to stop, back up, wind in the marina entrance and then back up to the water point where we filled up. Having filled up we set off for Yelvertoft.

Lunch : Yelvertoft. We arrived at Yelvertoft, moored up and walked to The Knightly Arms, arriving there just as it was about to open. Several pints later, Pete M arrived so we had to have another couple of rounds just to make him feel welcome, and to give him The Token. After a short visit to the Post Office cum beer shop to buy some eggs, we set off for Norton Junction.

Yelvertoft Post Office, beer and egg shop

The village pimp and the village pump

Evening : Norton Junction. We continued on to Norton Junction although we had to moor some distance back from the junction to find a space. We went to The New Inn by Lock 7, which received some mixed reviews from those present. The beer was OK on this visit but the landlord was overheard instructing his staff how to get the very last pint out of the cask, which generally does not bode well. In my opinion, any decent landlord worth his salt, should realise that the beer is going off and should offer something else, and not try to offload the last dregs of the cask onto some unsuspecting punter. This, it would seem is exactly what he appeared to be advocating. Sadly, it appears to be an increasing trend across the pub trade - see Sunday at the Admiral Nelson. Foodwise, Pete W's rare steak was excellent but some of the folk who had the pies said that they seemed not to have been properly warmed through to the middle.

Norton Junction viewed from Lock 7

The New Inn alongside Lock 7.

Wednesday 26th May

Lunch : Bugbroke. We left the mooring near Norton Junction, and turned right at the junction and headed down The Grand Union Canal. We stopped at The Wharf Inn at Bugbroke for lunch. Despite advertising its own moorings, they were full when we arrived, though they were empty when we eventually left. It's a large new pub which serves Frog Island beers (..never heard of them before..) plus some other guests. After a few pints here, we pushed on towards Gayton Junction and The Northampton Arm.

Evening : Northampton. At Gayton Junction, we turned left on to The Northampton Arm of the GU. Having descended the 16 narrow locks down to Northampton, we moored by some newish looking flats just across the River Nene from the Carlsberg Chemical Works, otherwise known as Carlsberg Brewery. Good moorings with solid banking and rings. Not knowing Northampton, we set off for what we thought would be the town centre. The first pub we saw was a big corner edifice called The Olde White Hart Inn. It looks reasonably interesting (at least architecturally) from the outside, but as there was no obvious signage proclaiming any sort of real ale, we chose to ignore it. Subsequently, we discovered it had no real ale at all, and was posh and rather expensive. Not our sort of place and a good job we didn't go in. We walked a bit further towards the town past the carlsberg megakeggery. The next pub we saw was The Malt Shovel Tavern. It looked less interesting from the outside than the last one, but looks can be deceptive. It turned out to be Northamptonshire CAMRA's Pub of the Year. Loads of beers including Frog Island and Great Oakley for which it is the brewery tap, along with foreign beers and ciders. What's more, the barmaid knew how to direct us to a decent curry house called The Royal Bengal on Bridge Street. After several pints of mild and an excellent curry, Pete W selflessly volunteered to take the black spot for a walk in the rain - and he walked it straight back to The Malt Shovel Tavern where he managed to get another round of mild in, but only just in time for last orders.

Passing Gayton Marina

Descending the narrow locks of The Northampton Arm.

Thursday 27th May

Morning : Winding on The River Nene. Pete W winded the boat by locking down the one remaining lock onto The River Nene, spinning her round then locking straight back up again... and all without a Nene Licence, but we got away with it. We climbed the sixteen narrow locks back up to Gayton Junction and turned left on to The Grand Union main line and headed towards Stoke Bruerne.

Lunch : None. We stopped at the village of Blisworth for lunch. It was already known that the canalside pub called the Moon & Stars had been closed for some time but it had now been completely gutted. We walked into the village to try the The Royal Oak only to find that too was also closed for the week for decoration and alterations. We returned to the boat and decided that we would press on to Stoke Bruerne without a lunchtime stop. It was on the approach to Blisworth Tunnel that Alan had a little altercation with another boat on a bend. The other steerer says he sounded his horn, but no one on the front of our boat heard it. We hadn't had any beer that day, so that can't be blamed - Ironically, if either of the pubs had been open, the altercation probably wouldn't have occurred at all.

Blisworth - The Royal Oak was shut for decoration

The steering committee deciding what to do next.

Afternoon / Evening : Stoke Bruerne. We arrived at Stoke Bruerne at about 14:30 having not had a lunchtime pint. We moored just beyond the south Portal of Blisworth Tunnel and repaired to The Boat Inn for some much needed refreshment. After a brief sortie to look at the sights of Stoke Bruerne, and for some of us to visit the Canal Museum, the remainder of us had another refreshment session in The Navigation. Later, we all returned to The Boat Inn for even more refreshment and an evening meal. Having been so thoroughly refreshed some of us felt inclined to leave the pub early in order to go back to the boat and try and sleep off some of the excessive refreshment...

The Boat Inn, Stoke Bruerne

A few pints in The Boat Inn

The canal museum...

The gauging dock

Stoke Bruerne

Friday 28th May

Lunch : Weedon Bec. We winded the boat and left Stoke Bruerne and moored up near Weedon but at first we could not see any easy way to get across the canal to the village. The nearest bridges were both out of sight in either direction. We were about to give up when John noticed a gap in the hedge. Upon investigation there turned out to be steps down to a road which ran under the canal. We walked into the village and went to The Plume of Feathers. We all sat down while Pete W who was on The Token waited at the bar.. and waited.. and waited.. until the barman eventually arrived. The beer, when it duly arrived was OK, but Pete W had been on the cusp of a Token Holder's decision to go elsewhere - he didn't know where, but anywhere that was prepared to sell beer would do, and he would have gone if the bloke hadn't appeared just when he did. After a few pints here, we repaired to The Maltster's Arms where we had several rather nice pints of Courage Best.. a once common beer which none of us had seen for quite some time. Suitably refreshed, we returned to the boat and set off on the last leg of our trip to back to Braunston.

An unruly mob approaching The plume of Feathers, Weedon

Bullshit Corner in The Maltsters Arms, Weedon

Shades of Tolkien... ?

The 'Three Farthing Stone'

Evening : Braunston. On arrival at Braunston, we stopped just above Lock 1 so that we only had the one lock to do next morning. We then went to The Old Plough for a meal and more Tetley's Mild.

Late evening sunshine over Braunston.

BTS1 on The Token in The Old Plough, Braunston

Settling the mess bill in The Old Plough, Braunston

Last orders.. at last.. Now can we go home please ?

Just time for Port & Stilton back on the boat

Saturday 29th May

Morning : Rain. The only real rain of the week. It really pi$$ed down with a vengeance. There was a group of schoolkids being shown how to work a lock, and how to work it very slowly and very carefully - meanwhile, Pete W was stood there waiting in the pouring rain getting steadily wetter... Grrr ! Eventually, we locked down and moored up at the boatyard. Luckily, the rain had stopped by the time we came to load up the cars, although it had started again by the time we got onto the M1 - but by this time, it didn't really matter any more. After a frantic emergency petrol hunt, Pete W, BTS1 & Ernie eventually went to The Karachi in Bradford for a curry, The Al Halal supermarket for supplies then home for another year.

Previous Year : 2009 The Bona Boater's Trips Following Year : 2011