Thursday 9 April 2015

Left Gayton Marina at 8.20am and stopped for a quick fill up of water etc then joined the Grand Union – first time for us ever on this part of the Grand Union Canal!  Arrived at the mouth of the Blissworth Tunnel at 9.35am – very dark, wet and cold in here but quite an experience.  It took us 40 minutes to get from one end to the other (3057 metres) we passed three boats coming in the opposite direction.  Carried on through Stoke Bruerne Lock – nice little village, then there is a flight of five locks, kept going through Old Woverton and Milton Keynes – quite a few parts of the canal have been ruined by people dumping rubbish etc.

We were heading for Fenny Stratford but spotted The Plough at Simpson and thought it looked like a nice place to stop for the night.  4.45pm.

 

 

Leaving Gayton Marina at Gayton Junction.

77 miles to Brentford - 2 hours by car - 10 days by boat!

Here comes Blisworth Tunnel.

Going in - is that a light at the end of the tunnel - no it's a boat coming the other way.

Just inside the entrance.

Meeting boat one of three.

Grab your hats - it's wet in here.

It's freezing in here.

That is a light at the end of the tunnel.

Finally at the end - 40 minutes later.

Don't just stand there Steve - get the lock open.

Stoke Bruerne - lovely place.

Would have been a nice place to stop but we have only been going for an hour or so.

 

Going over the Great Ouze Aquaduct.

Gifford Park, somewhere near Newport Pagnell (I think!).

A heron waiting for us at Simpson - south of Milton Keynes.