Day 2 - Hilmorton to Hawkesbury Junction

After a leisurely start to the day we descend the 3 locks at Hilmorton.  Pushing on towards Rugby we cross the River Avon by aquaduct.  This stretch of canal we recognise as the place where we undertook our Helmsmans  Course - lets hope we don't run into our instructor!  Soon we arrive at Rugby for lunch which offers the opportunity to shop for a few items.

In the afternoon Anthea and Lizzie walk the towpath, armed with a camera and rejoin the boat much later in the afternoon at Bridge 38.  Not long out of Rugby we come upon the Newbold Tunnel, which whilst not very long is quite unique in having a towpath on both sides.  The towpath used by walkers is illuminated with blue and green lights which makes it appear more like a grotto than anything else.

Anthea and Lizzie are now back on board as we make our way towards Ansty where we think we might find a place to moor overnight.  In quietness of the canals we spot a Kingfisher in the reeds which is no more than 6 feet away from us - is there a camera at the ready, no of course not, lets try not to make this the story of our lives!  When we arrive at Ansty we find a drunken sailor on the towpath doing something unspeakable into the canal whilst in the field on the opposite bank is a fully camouflaged man equipped with a rifle and telescopic sights - the thought of stopping here overnight is soon eradicated from our minds.  Somewhere between Ansty and the Hawkesbury Junction we find a deserted piece of canal to moor overnight.

Day 1 - towards the Ashby Canal

Having topped with water and diesel we set off towards Braunston.  It is sunny and we have a moderate following wind.  The canal is much busier than we had expected possibly because the hire season is not quite at and end.  At Braunston we encounter much traffic and some boats attempting almost impossible manoeuvres, so we are pleased to navigate the narrow passage that takes us on to the North Oxford canal.  Once clear of Braunston we stop for lunch.

The rest of the afternoon is spent travelling up the North Oxford canal until we reach Hilmorton Top Lock.    This we decide will be our overnight stop.  The dessert for the evening meal is to be Blackberry and Apple Crumble, the blackberries being picked at lunchtime.  We feel that blackberries are going to form a large proportion of our diet as they seem to be in great abundance.  In the early evening we prepare this years Sloe Gin ready for Christmas.

Ashby Canal - Here we come!

It is Friday afternoon 28th September 2012 on the eve of our first extended trip on Digitalis. We have chosen to take a trip up the Ashby Canal as everyone tells us how quiet and pretty it is. The weather looks as though it is going to be kind to us, so now all we have to do is top up with diesel on Saturday morning and head off towards Braunston