A bendy muddy canal - Napton to Claydon

Wednesday, 17 December 2008 18:29

Above Marston Doles to below Claydon Locks


Another summit traversed! What a glorious sunny day. The light was amazing and such a blue sky!
The canal meandered its muddy way around the hills and through arched brick accommodation bridges marking farming land.

We were continually looking back to whence we came over ploughed or fallow fields. Some of these were contentedly grazed by flocks of sheep, lifting their heads as we passed by.

The canal takes huge bends at Stoneton and then a very long bend around Wormleighton Hill. The tiller needed to be well over to get around and needed a strong arm to keep it there - mine on this occasion!

After we had negotiated Wormleighton we passed our second boat on the move - Nb Debdale - photo here for Adam!


Fenny Compton was next - there was someone on the water point filling a 400 gallon tank from a tap at the bow and a tap at the stern. This meant no one else got a look in at a tight spot at the best of times! There are lots of moorings here, permit holders and some visitor moorings, all leading up to the marina a little further on.

Fenny Compton Marina had lots of berths vacant. Were the boats all out cruising, or is this a sign of the times, as the credit crunch and the higher cost of boating takes its effect? Oh dear, now we were approaching Fenny Compton Tunnel. I had no problem with staying on the stern today! Perhaps it might have something to do with the fact that the roof of the tunnel was removed in 1868.   It is now a steeply wooded cutting, becoming rather overgrown with canal side vegetation. There were a couple of guys strimming at the beginning but it is really the off side that needs seeing to. As the railway runs parallel with the tunnel maybe it is railway land?

After the tunnel there a few more bends (less severe) and the top lock of Claydon lock flight comes into view.

These are very attractive locks, some with very narrow arched bridges at the bottom. I noticed that a couple of the locks taper inwards and also widen towards the bottom gates!

We met a boat coming up at lock 19, so I hung around briefly. The whole drop is only 30 foot 6 inches through 5 locks, so they are not very deep and fill and empty quickly. We stayed in the bottom lock for a while. It was very pretty with the sun filtering through the trees. However we were not there to admire the view but to wash the boat! A BIG advantage of narrow locks is that both sides of the boat can be washed easily and at the same time! Providing there are no other boats waiting, or in sight, the job can be done fairly quickly! John washed one side and I did the other.

John knew that the bucket he fished out in the Napton locks would come in useful! It is in very good condition and was worth salvaging After doing the boat wash we were both ready for a cuppa so we moored not far from the bottom lock. A quiet peaceful mooring with the trains in the distance.

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