Difficult locks and now we are going backwards on the Basingstoke Canal

Wednesday, 27 July 2011 12:04

Phew - what a cruise!

Langman's bridge and St John's Bottom Lock 7

Today we tackled St John's Lock Flight, only five locks but ......

We take everything "in our stride" and so today may have been a challenge, but we enjoyed it. The St John's Locks are a flight of five locks lifting the canal from Langman's Bridge in Woking to the outskirts at Kiln Bridge, Hermitage. We had arranged to meet one of the Rangers at 11am as they would supervise and re-caulk the top gates after us.

We waited in the lock until Chris arrived

One lock down, four more to go. The bottom gates of lock 8 would not shut and Pete, the other Ranger had to get on Epiphany and clear the silt away from the cill before we could work the lock.

We had both Rangers help us then

But there was more trouble ahead. We could see that the pound above Lock 9 was down, very down, so John went ahead to let water down through Lock 10.

It was a very pretty pound, but I was thoroughly stuck as it was so shallow

Such is the rarity of moving boats that the residents from the cottages came out to watch "a boat". Actually I was not moving, so I had a great chat with them as they asked questions about living aboard and cruising the waterways.

It took me nearly 20 minutes to go 0.06 of a mile to Woodend Bridge across the middle of the pound. It was another 10 minutes before I arrived at lock 10, all of another 0.04 miles! Was I glad to see that lock. We continued our chat as they and other dog walkers met us at the lock. Oh no, the gates wouldn't shut again. This time Chris was on the back of Epiphany with the caulking spade.

Caulking spade

Forty five minutes later, we finally reached the top lock after a repeat performance of a shallow pound and me being stuck in the middle of the canal. That was a marathon lock flight - 2 hours.

Goodbye St John's Locks

The Rangers had recommended that we turn at the winding hole above Hermitage Bridge as they thought we would be too long for the one nearer Brookwood Bridge.

Moored Boats

We squeezed past these moored boats and arrived at the large winding hole - restricted a little by a large wooden houseboat and a couple of dumb barges. There was still plenty of room for us to turn though.

Hermitage winding hole

So now the backwards bit began. We wanted to go as far as we could go. The next flight of 3 locks at Brookwood are not open. John reversed the half mile to Brookwood, passing Hermitage Woods and potential moorings on the north bank. The next winding hole would have been OK after all - even for a longer boat, but John said the reversing was all "good practice".

Brookwood Bridge, with the bottom lock beyond

Close up of the lock - both gates open and top cill visible

This is a far as we can go

Find out why on our next blog ....

Basingstoke Canal, Arthur's Bridge to Brookwood Bridge
2.57 miles, 4 hours 10 minutes, 5 locks