Hawkesbury Junctioon

Today's Canal : Oxford

Another lock free day, although when we set off we were not committed to that - we might find ourselves having to pass through Sutton Stop to find a mooring. 

Before setting off, Mike walked back to Grime's Bridge, Christine visited it last evening. It carries a farm track, used also by moorers just ahead of where we moored. but it appears that someone has reshaped the handrail on one side resulting in the colourful decoration! No structural damage though.

From the bridge it is possible to see most of the mooring - we were the last one in the picture but another boat came along after us and moored right in front.

nI good time we prepared to set off and Mike attempted to cast off at the bow first. The rope came out of the chain around the armco with no bother but then the chain itself proved another matter. Unwittingly, yesterday Mike put the chain down through a gap where two sections of armco meet, leaving a very short gap. The construction of the armco seems to have a slot at the end close to the bottom, This was enough for a link in the chain to catch on and then passing boats had pulled it tight, locked into place by another link. 

Mike pushed, pulled, talked to it nicely an even gave it stern (or was it bow?) instruction but no movement. He decided to see if removing the ring from one end would help but no. Desperate not to give in and leave the whole thing where it was, he started to hacksaw through one of the chains but he only made limited progress when suddenly it all came free! (Like all the best Chinese ring puzzles of our childhood) We were at least half an hour later leaving than we expected! Sorry, too busy, no pix.

15 minutes later we made our first encounter of the day with motorway - her we passed under the M6, later we will go beneath the M69 and finally run very close alongside the M6 again.

Shortly after the motorway we then came to the very high level Nettle Hill Bridge. This carries a private road to Mobbs Wood Farm where there are several businesses, including a children's party venue, a recording studio and a guitar maker.

For some while the electrified railway line followed the route originally taken by the canal - although this was the line of the straightened canal from about 1820. We were surprised to see very little traffic - perhaps just one freight train carrying a long line of containers. We managed to find a noticed that stated engineering works were expected to close some of the line around here with replacement buses instead, for passengers. But how then did one freight train make it through?

Approaching Ansty we passed through the golf course, mostly on our left but with some holes on the right. It seems to be a very open club with prices accordingly. Not that we have any experience of these matters, you understand, but full membership is £82.50 pcm which, to our untutored ears, seems quite reasonable.

Here an underpass allows golfers, with our without their buggies, to transit from one side to the other. It looks from old maps that this is where the old line ran before the straightening.

Ansty Hall was bult in the 17C as country home for a wealthy family. It remained with descendants of the family until 1965. More recently it has been converted to a 4 star hotel and in 2023 it was acquired by the Exclusive Hotels group.

We paused at Ansty to replenish our rather empty water tank. The tap has a good flow and we were complete sooner than expected.

By now the rather grey start to the day had given way to much brighter weather, plenty of sun and blue sky but a stiff, if warm, breeze, which stayed throughout the afternoon.

This time the motorway was the M69.

This bridge, along with several others, has indented into the concrete the identity of OCC 1941. Started in 1769 The Oxford Canal Company remained profitable until nationalisation in 1948 and was still part of important freight traffic for a few years after that. 

We continued on towards Hawkesbury and found a mooring at the start of the 7 day Visitor section above Sutton Stop lock. There was no space closer. We cannot be seen from the lock - we are just around the corner in the far distance. Althiugh a designated mooting there is nothing to assist tying up so this was the first time in some while that we had to get out the pins and  hammer! Time for lunch.

We eventually stayed put - moorings around the junction just onto the Coventry Canal were all full and we would have had to take a short diversion up to Bedworth and back to find something. There has been plenty of spaces a few minutes before we arrived at the junction but we took a chance as we did have Plan B.

Late afternoon we both, separately, took a walk around the junction with various historical buildings still preserved.

Christine took a look at the well known Greyhound Pub - she discovered that it was taken over by a new landlord quite recently had seemed to have a reasonable menu. Tempted though she was for this evening, alas they were fully booked! Just have to put up with Mike's pork stir fry.

Moored next to the lock was nb Yarwood, built in 2012 - inspired by traditional designs (not a replica!). The original owners published an interesting blog of its construction and then their voyages on board. However, they sold the boat in 2017 and the new owners have not revealed their travels! (They may have sold again recently) No-one was aboard so we could not discover anything more . . . Boat still looks very handsome.

6.0 Miles - 0 Locks