Leaving Milton Keynes behind us we continued on our journey to Fenny Stratford where they have a swing bridge over the lock which complicates things slightly. The swing bridge must be moved to allow the boat into the lock as it straddles it and then must be returned to its original position so that people can safely cross the canal. We parked the boat just before the lock as it was midday and i had read that the lock side put, the Red Lion, had a great array of beers. I was slightly surprised that R only had a guiness and the landlady decided a lime and soda wasn’t worth paying for, so that was on the house. It was an unusual pub in that it was decorated with sayings and wittisms on the walls and it was obviously loved by the locals because it was very busy for a Monday lunchtime. The lock also was unusual in that the water difference is only a foot! It hardly seems worth all the effort! We had to call in at Willowbridge Marina – we have some metal stakes on board for mooring purposes and you really need 4 of them. R thinks he may have left 2 behind somewhere as we could only find one bent one on the boat! So armed now with 4 once again we are reassured that we have alternative options for keeping the boat moored safely.
The afternoon light was so beautiful as we cruised along the canal, and the fact that it looked more like a river because of its width, I decided to take some video footage. I was explaining how relaxing it is but how also you need to be alert for boats suddenly appearing or locks and low and behold we turned a corner and a lock was surprisingly there, right in front of us! I think i hadn’t quite read the map right because the locks are all marked! I find them a bit spooky when unexpected because you cannot see further than the imposing lock gates which are dark and heavy. I don’t know that all lock gates are so intimidating. I do vaguely remember some advice from a seasoned boater who suggested that when we first went on the canals we stuck to the waterways with single locks. However that was also when we thought we were going to head north rather than South. I don’t think we have so much option if we want to come South and the Oxford canal is not a viable option at present. It transpired that that lock was at Stoke Hammond with a further three locks close together a short distance ahead. We decided to moor up and tackle the three locks in the morning.
NarrowboatTLC 