Historic Braunston

Braunston Tunnel

Braunston Locks

During the night we could hear the M1 motorway and the railway in the distance but the faint noise did not disturb our sleep.

At 8.55 we cast off and within a few minutes turned onto the main line of the Grand Union Canal. 

lack of boats at Braunston

Soon we encountered a major feat of canal engineering – the Braunston Tunnel. It is over a mile long so the far portal looks like a pinprick of light when you first go in. Another boat followed us into that eerie space their spot light shining a long streak on the water. Two boats approached.

The Captain passed the first easily but was warned that the boat behind had never been in a tunnel before. However the rookie pilot surpassed himself inching past our boat gently- unlike another hire boater who rammed us in this same tunnel 6 years ago.





Leaving Braunston

original Oxford Canal bridge

We entered the locks after the tunnel and waited for the boat behind to join us. Often people don’t wait but rush on alone. However the locks can be worked quicker with two boats as one crew member can go on  ahead and prepare the next lock and open the gates while the other crew member closes up.

on the Oxford Canal

We flew down the locks aided at the third by volunteers painting all the woodwork as they set the lock for us and opened the gates. They worked the paddles carefully so as not to smudge the wet paint and waved us on our way. We also met boats coming up so those locks were waiting for us to go straight in.

Below the locks our companion boat moored up but we cruised on through a strangely deserted Braunston. Normally there are boats queuing to go up but there were only two moving along the canal and there was plenty of places to moor. Braunston was a bustling settlement in the days of freight as the Oxford and Grand Union Canals met there.
 

We eventually moored for lunch beyond the junction with the Oxford canal opposite sheep filled fields.



Barby straight

At 1.30 we set off again enjoying the warm weather. A boat passed with girls sunbathing on the flat roof as if it were mid-summer. Lottie also enjoyed stretching out on the sunny  rear deck. In contrast to the Leicester section the Grand Union Canal had more boats moving, many of them hired. On the long straights there was always a boat in sight but then I could see over a mile down the canal.

 


restored garage

We passed an old canal side garage that had been lovingly restored to its former glory with its old signs for Pratts Motor Oil intact. the complex also boasted of an old phone box, a dove cote and a wishing well. 




Wishing well and cottages

We arrived at Hillmorton (the first of the narrow chambered locks) to find one of the paired locks being repaired. Well it was cordoned off behind vivid orange mesh with work boats surrounding it but six fluorescent jacketed workers were supping tea in a barge. I guess it was their tea break as it was 3.00.


Unusual garden furniture

We descended the other lock finding the paddles and gates light after so long on the heavy wide locks. At the lowest lock on the flight the easy to operate lock was worked by volunteers. We needed help like that back on the arm wrenching wide locks where there was no one.

We moored below the flight and went in search of ice-creams. It was lovely sat at the lock side cafe relaxing in the shade.