The Icicle Cruise

I was in two minds whether to venture out with Hallmark on the Hillingdon Canal Club's winter cruise. But the weather was fine and there was no snow and ice was about!

In the end 7 boats made the trip.

Hallmark cruised with Mike aboard  NB Solveigs Song. Here is Mike at Uxbridge Lock 

 

The trip up the four locks to Harfield  was slow as Mike still seemed to have gearbox trouble.  We moored just below Black Jacks turning round at Troy Cut 

 

 

The club had booked a meal at The Old Orchard, a great pub with amazing views over the lakes and gravel pits surrounding the canal 

After a good meal and a few beers I left for Uxbridge quiet early on the Sunday morning travelling with Peter and NB Ehawee.

First snow of the year

It's mid-February and here is the first snow of 2017. Only a small amount but enough to show on NB Hallmatk's green roof.

It's a really cold night and the wood burner is burning brightly

A repainted Hallmark heading home to Uxbridge

Now at Cowley Lock cruising back to Uxbridge.
The only lock of the day!
NB Hallmark is on her way back from a month at Bulls Bridge wet dock where she has been completely repainted.
What a great paint job by Steve Marriage.

A working day at Thrupp

I am back at Thrupp for my first working day at the Thrupp Canal Cruising Club.

There is plenty to do.

What great preparation and planning.

The stuff needed for the day is piled high.  

Tools galore.

Paint and brushes.

Loads of earth for tub planting and so many plants too.

Wood for fencing repairs.

Tons of stones for tow path renewal

And very clear lists of what has to be down.

What an amazing turnout of members and so brilliantly organised.

I met a group of really friendly members during the day.

And I even enjoyed wheeling barrow loads of stones to improve the towpath!.

It was tough work............... but.................the food at lunch time was great.

My first day was ended with a really good 'Morse and Chips' down at the village hall

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Return to Thrupp

It is a great Saturday morning and I am on my way to Thrupp.

Sadly no Hallmark today.

I took the bus out of Oxford to Kidlington and then trudged up the Banbury.

After cutting through a hedge I was back at the amazing Oxford Canal.

I am going to a meeting at the Thrupp Canal Cruising Club.

I have decided to be a a non-mooring member there.

This brings certain advantages like becoming a member of the Association of Waterway Cruising Clubs (AWCC) which offers the possibility of short term moorings at other clubs.

My 'interview with the Number 1 and the membership secretary goes well and I am offered membership.

This means more trips to Thrupp (by bus) for working parties and events.

But I'll be back with Hallmark in the summer as I hope to cruise towards the West Midlands again. 

Day 5: New Inn at Send to East Molesey on the River Thames

12.5 miles    8 locks

Today's plan is vague.

We could spend one more day on the Wey Navigation stopping around Weybridge or make it all the way back to East Molesey.

We left Send at around 9.10 and headed for Papercourt Lock going up what is known as the Broadmead Cut.  

Although canalised there are some great meadows to be seen.

Just before the lock comes Tanyard Bridge named after a tannery which was sited nearby.

As you approach Newark Lock there are great views of the old Newark Proiry

We stopped at at Parvis Wharf just before Parvis Bridge to go to the chandlery at TLC (now renamed The Locker Maintenance and Supply Company.

http://www.thelocker.co.uk/

What great people run this place and they had just what I wanted............ a replacement chimney cap for the one I tipped overboard a couple of days ago.

The canal is cross by the enormous M25 viaduct.  There are so many pillars supporting it.

At this stage the wooden sound proofing along the viaduct sides are reasonably effective.

Before New Haw lock the noise of the M25 run running near the canal becomes nothing but awful!

There is such traffic noise!

Soon we were at Coxes Lock.

Probably one of my favourite places on the Wey.

First the wide expansive mill pond with a bank of Alder dividing it from the canal.

Then it is the flour mill now converted to luxury apartments.

It is then a short distance to Weybridge Town Lock.

For the first time today the lock is ready and in our favour.

We are lucky as there is already below the downstream gates.

It has stopped there rather than on the lock mooring round the corner.

Realising we 'have first shout' as the lock is in our favour the boat backs away from the gate into centre stram.

We are nearly at the end of the Wey Navigations.

The sun is belting down as Hallmark approaches Thames Lock.

The lock keeper has his windlass ready and we are soon through the 'normal' lock and then the stop lock.

We decide to stop at the Anglers below Walton Bridge for a coffee to set us up for the final few miles and the 'clear up.'

It was going to be touch and go whether we would make Sunbury Lock before the 6.00pm closure,

We were in luck with about seven minutes to spare.

As always the assistant lock keeper is so friendly and helpful.

So it a final chug home along our own bit of the Thames.

Hallmark make a very good turn above Platt's Ait and for the first time in the last three returns to the mooring I line up the boat perfectly and cruise alongside and tie up.

Tired................... but what a great short trip.

Day 4: Godalming Wharf to New Inn, Send

We pulled away from Godalming Wharf about 9.00am and slowly moved down to the winding hole.

Swinging Hallmark round was considerably easier than we imagined and we were soon off heading for the first lock of the day.

This is just up down river  at Catteshall.

Things were already happening at Farncombe Boat House.

It is a busy little place and its hire fleet seems really popular.  

There is even a canalside cafe.

The river channel runs behind to moorings and weirs.

After Unstead Lock comes 'Gun Mouth'. 

The gunpowder factory that stood at the junction of the Wey Navigations with the Wey and Arun Canal has long gone.

But the entrance still has it's linked name .

Restoration of the 1816 canal continues but this is further down the line.  

The entrance is only navigable for a mile or so. 

Before too long we are heading into Guildford once3 more.

The sandy banks on the left side are impressive and no doubt a great sliding place for local kids.

Guildford now-a-days makes great use of its river and canal.

Great improvements have taken place over the last 20 years.

We had hoped to stop in central Guildford for the night. 

We thought that Daphune Wharf would be ideal.

But there are limited moorings and to make matters worse all the National Trust facilities were open for schools parties only.

So after lunch at the wharf we pushed on and headed for the New Inn at Send.

We had a good afternoon run and found a brilliant mooring right by the pub.

The scenery was stunning all the way.  

It was especially good around Worsford Gates.

   

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