Onto the Grand Union Canal

Sunday, 19 September 2010 20:24

Three Canals in one day

We had travelled down the Lapworth Flight on the Stratford Canal, Northern Section and passed through Lock 21 onto the Stratford Canal Southern Section. It was good to recall just how much effort it had taken by David Hutchings' team to restore this waterway in the early 1960s. It behoves those to whom the responsibility of maintaining the Navigation now falls to remember the blood, sweat and tears expended.

It would be remiss of a Cornishman to fail to include a picture of this boat, moored on the link between the Straford Canals and the Grand Union Canal:

Narrowboat Kernow

Reaching the end of the Link, I passed under bridge 37 and turned right.

However, instead of continuing in a southerly direction, I put Epiphany's engine astern and reversed northwards about 200 yards, to find a mooring space for both boats - Epiphany and Petroc; as we are going to be staying here for a few days, we wanted to make sure that we could have a satellite TV signal. Why is it that when there are no spectators everything goes swimmingly? Well it did ... and there was space for both of us to be moored adjacent. Success!

Having staked and sprung Epiphany, I texted Petroc (who had stopped off at the Sani-station to do the necessary) to say "turn left at the junction and moor 200 yards up" and strolled back just in case the phone wasn't to hand. I arrived just as Gill was bringing Petroc through Bridge 37. (I have reversed the chronological order to give the correct impression, I hope)

2:1:  

Under instruction, Gill turned northwards and found our weekend mooring:

Lovely!

Stratford Canal, below Lapworth Lock 5 to GU Canal, near Kingswood Bridge

3 hours 27 minutes, 1.36 miles, 15 locks