Napton to Long Itchington

13 locks:  6 miles

Today was the big day.
I had decided to turn left and go along the Grand Union Canal to Birmingham.  
I knew it going to be tough with some big lock flights in the first three days. Getting on for 40 locks!
I thought about a 7:30 start but in the end went for 8:15
Napton Junction was about 15 minutes away.
As always canal junctions are confusing and badly signed.
I eventually saw the small sign for Warwick and off I went left.

 






The countryside was very different to the Oxford.
First hrough the trees was Napton reservoirs.
Then it was the first group of locks ............the Calcut Three.
I decided to pop in at the shop at Calcutt Boats as I had left behind a mooring chain at Napton
But first I had to go down the three locks and avoid the hire boats returning to base.

As I was coming up to Bridge 21 I had an enormous surprise.
There was Maggie standing waving in the car park of The Boat Inn.

 Wow wow..................
No sailing in Southampton she was going to join me for a couple of nights.
She knew I had spent the night at Napton and knew I would at least start the Stockton flight of nine locks today.
All her stuff including the Brompton bike were quickly loaded aboard,
There were seven boats waiting at start of the Stockton Flight.

So it looked like we would have a good delay whilst the queue went down.

It was not to be.  At the front of the line was a single boat that was not partnered up.

So Hallmark was called through to the front.

Sadly the pairing with 'Dreamcast' lasted on lock as it broke down!

So we had eight more to do on our own.

Slowly and methodically we worked purest down the flight.

Eventfully the  people on the boats behind started to help. So kind of them.

We did the Stockton in 2 hours and 10 minutes.  Not bad for a flight which drops 55 feet
As 13 locks had been chugged through we decided to call it a day around 2:00pm just after Bridge 25 a stones throw from The Cuttle Inn and Two Boats Inn.

.

We had lunch af the later and returned for a briliant supper after cycling back up the flight to move the car 

Went to bed pretty early as very tired.