1st July 2020- 12th July 2020

We moored at Radford Semele for 2 weeks, while here I explore the local nature reserve and found the local Asda, where we topped up our groceries,   this was 15 minute cycle ride, all on cycle paths.  The earlier days of our visit here was marred with lots of rain and high winds so we didn't explore the area as much as we would have liked.  We ordered and picked up some prescription medicines here as the pharmacy was only a 10 minute walk away.
We hired a car from Enterprise ( 15 mins walk) and return to Kent for four days for  a family visit, we haven't seen our daughter and grandchildren since Christmas and its was so lovely to catch up with them once again.  We felt there was never going to be a good time to go so just bit the bullet and went.  It would have been lovely to be able to catch up with friends as well but due to Covid 19 it really wasn't practical to do so. We tried to book the boat into Saltisford Canal Centre for the few days we were going to be away but they were closed to visitors, so for only the second time we left Dunworkin on the tow path.  We really don't feel comfortable doing this, but Pat set up the CCTV cameras so we were able to monitor the boat while we were away, which gave us a little peace of mind.

13th July 2020
On our return we take a short 45 min cruise into Royal Leamington Spa where we stay for a few days.  We moor next to the student accommodation block which we were assured was a good place to moor and on further investigation found that it has a CCTV monitoring system as well as a water tap which isn't in the Nicholsons guide.  
We were really quite surprised at how nice Royal Leamington Spa was.  There is some lovely architecture in the Town Hall and Pump Rooms which now houses a museum.  The old town next to the canal was a bit run down and shabby looking but once we passed through this area and into the main shopping area the buildings were quite attractive. Just before the main town there are several nice park areas (Victoria Park and the Pump Room Gardens)  but we had a lovely walk round Jephson Gardens. This beautiful formal Victorian garden, complete with lake and water fountain and once the place 'to be seen' are listed as Grade II on the English Heritage register of historic parks and gardens and is  named after Dr Jepherson (1798-1878) the local practitioner who was largely responsible for the spa's high medical reputation. There is a cafe here which sadly was closed at the time but the small out door cafe was open and selling lovely ice cream, beverages and hot and cold snacks. 

15th July 2020
Before going onto Warwick, we take a short cruise up to Lidl and moor for a couple of days as Pat had a couple of parcels to pick up from the Amazon Locker in the Morrisons about 10 mins walk away. (not recorded in this vlog)

17th July 2020
  We move 2 miles today and negotiate 2 locks before mooring above the Cape Locks ready to ascend the Stairway to Heaven (Hatton flight of 21 locks). We had a lovely cruise, the weather wasn't too hot and we stopped for water at the bottom of the locks. The Cape of Good Hope at the top of the locks was quite busy with all of the outside tables full.  We did consider having a meal here but we really don't feel ready to visit pubs yet. 

24th June 2020
The day started a little cloudy and overcast, but it wasn't long before the sun came out and it turned into a scorching hot day.
We leave our lovely little mooring spot by Bridge 100 on the Grand Union Canal main line and head in a south westerly direction. There are initially, no locks and no villages as we pass through open countryside with a back drop of hills on this quiet section between two busy junctions.
At Napton Junction we follow the Grand Union Canal as it heads North to Birmingham while the Oxford Canal heads off to the South. We pick up some water before descending Calcutt Locks and diesel midway at Calcutta Marina before mooring just past Bridge 19. The temperatures by this time had risen to above 30 degrees C and we were both becoming a little over heated.  Ahead were the 10 Stockton Locks and there was no way were we going to manage them in the heat. Although we were fairly enclosed on this mooring, apart from a little road noise from the nearby bridge and the sheep and cattle from the nearby fields, it was fairly quiet here. We had travelled a grand total of 5 miles today.

22nd June 2020
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We leave our mooring on the North Oxford Canal near Willoughby and head towards Braunston, where the Oxford Canal meets the Grand Union Canal and is one of the busiest stretches of canal on the system. Although not the original meeting point the unique triangular junction has two iron bridges carrying the tow path over the canal.  Although there seemed plenty of mooring here, it was very busy and we would have had to go past the junction to moor up,  so we pick up water here but will return another day.   We continue our journey on the Grand Union Canal main line heading towards Birmingham. there was some lovely moorings at the beginning of this stretch of the Grand Union Canal or is it the Oxford Canal?  It seems that this section is shared, the Oxford Canal Company actually owned this stretch between Braunston Junction and Napton Junction, they charged excessive toll rates to their rivals in an attempt to get even with the Grand Junction Canal Company whose route between London and the Midlands was shorter and more successful. 
In 1929, it became part of the Grand Union Canal when several canals were merged.  
There are no locks on this section, no villages and the bridges are well spaced which makes for some very pleasant cruising.  
​We moor just after Bridge 100 where we find a lovely little mooring spot with a gap between the hedge where we can watch the lovely sunset.  This was a total of just 4 miles and we stay here for two nights.

20th June 2020
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​We have been moored at Brownsover near Rugby for 8 days and have replenished our supplies. The Tesco was within easy walking distance and it was a reasonable sized store.  There was also a couple of retail parks nearby for any other shopping requirements and the town was about 25 mins walk away with an even bigger choice of shops.
It’s time now to find a more rural mooring spot. We top up with water and head in a South -easterly direction down the North Oxford Canal. We climb the three Hillmorton locks, reputed to be the busiest flight of locks in the country. Originally three single locks these caused a persistent bottleneck on the now busy Oxford canal.  So in 1829, when the canal was shortened by 11 miles these were extended to the paired locks you see today thus relieving the bottleneck and improving the London to Birmingham route. The canal then meanders in a south westerly direction, we pass the new Dunchurch Pools Marina with its impressive gateway and finally moor just before bridge 87 near the little village of Willoughby, 5 miles south of Rugby. Total of miles travelled today is 8 miles.
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We thought we had found a lovely quiet isolated spot, and that can be said about tow path traffic as not many people passed while we were here.  However, boat traffic was entirely another point.  Because we were moored between two busy marinas and to be fair it was the week end, we had about 50 boats pass us in both directions!  Also the Government had announced the easing of some restrictions and leisure boaters were allowed to take their boats out for the day but still not spend overnight. So every boat that passed one way, passed again on their return journey! Pat had to keep going out to bang our mooring pins in as they kept coming out!
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​21st June 2020
It was our daughters birthday on the 20th, our son in law's on 17th and Fathers day today so we celebrated with  a virtual dinner party via FaceTime.  Rebecca chose the menu and the time and 30 mins prior to sitting down we got together to make the final preparations.  it was a great success and we will defiantly be doing it again.  

29th May 2020
We leave our mooring near Burton Hastings where we stayed overnight behind NB Lingalonga, they made an early start and we followed shortly afterwards. We cruise the last three miles of the Ashby Canal to Marston Junction. We turn left here, passing through Bedworth in a long cutting before mooring just before Hawkesbury Junction for a few days.  It was a hot sunny day and after 11 weeks on the Ashby it was a welcome change to cruise somewhere new. 
I take a walk down to Tesco while here and pick up a few provisions. It was a longer walk than I anticipated and turned out to be just over 2 miles each way.  On the Sunday we took a short circular walk round the lake and through the Miners Welfare Park before joining the canal again (approx 2 miles)


1st June 2020
It’s another warm and sunny day and since the weather is set to change in the next few days we decide to move down to Coventry Basin where we will spend the night before returning back to Hawkesbury Junction 
At Hawkesbury Junction the Coventry Canal meets the Oxford Canal but we continue straight on to Coventry Basin. There is quite a bit of canal history here and after topping up with water we pass Hawkesbury engine house which was built in 1821 and used to house a steam engine called Lady Godiva which was used to pump water from mines in the area to supply the canal.  It is now in Dartmouth Museum, having been decommissioned in 1913, having worked for nearly 200 years, the first 100 being at Griff Colliery in Warwickshire. There is also a cast iron Roving Bridge with a broad trellis pattern and dated 1837 where both canals meet. This was built by the Brittania Foundry in Derby. 


We expected to have to go down the weed hatch a few times on this stretch as there was quite a bit of rubbish in the canal, however we took our time and cruised slowly and didn’t need to. We stopped just before Bridge 8 where there is a large Tesco and while Pat stopped on the boat I stocked up on my depleted supply of store cupboard ingredients. 
We pass under the M6 motorway and wind through some busy industrial and urban areas where some smart new housing has been built before arriving at Coventry Basin which is situated near the town centre. 

27th May 2020

Leaving our mooring in Dadlington we continue our southerly cruise down the Ashby Canal. We pass Stoke Golding where we stock up with diesel, gas and water before experiencing some of the pretty and remote countryside this canal has to offer. As the farm shop is nearby I take a trip over there to pick up a couple of their lovely sirloin steaks (Dexter Beef) which we enjoyed with a bottle of red wine at the weekend. We moor overnight just before Bridge 17A so that we can top up with groceries at the Aldi which is about a mile from the bridge. We probably would have stayed here a little longer but I was woken up at 04.30 by the tannoy from the nearby Tesco Distribution centre.

28th May 2020
We pass through Hinckley the following day and the mooring where we would have stopped for the Lidl in Hinckley was full so we were relieved that we stopped at the Aldi. Continuing south we moor up between Bridges 8 and 6 once again behind NB Lingalonga to say our goodbye's ready to cruise off the Ashby in the next few days and go our separate ways.