Delay On River Avon

Saturday 27th @ 7.45pm.

With each day the weather continues to improve. Our transit up the 21 locks of the Hatton Flight was only interrupted by the occasional shower.

After starting the flight of double locks alone we were joined by ‘Scruffy Fox’ who were ahead of us at the start but decided to wait after we were about 5 locks in. We then completed the flight together, entering the final lock in just short of 3 hours.
At the top lock we stopped to empty our toilets and bins, which we had to complete from inside the lock due to a hire boat moored on the water point having lunch! Not the done thing!! We then continued on through a wooded cutting towards the Shrewley Tunnel and moored for the night.
On day 6 we moved off around 11am after a heavy downpour. As we approached the entrance to the 433 yard Shrewley Tunnel we came across ‘Celtic Kiwi’ a time-share boat from our home marina that had passed us that morning. They had unfortunately broken down. After checking that help was on the way we continued through. The Shrewley tunnel was opened in 1799 with the completion of the Warwick and Birmingham Canal. After emerging, stopping briefly at Turners Green to take on water opposite a beautiful old beamed house, we continued lock free until our turn onto the Stratford and Avon Canal at Kingswood Junction. We were looking forward once again to getting back onto one of our favourite canals and single locks.
After turning South and locking through the canal pursues a fairly direct and wholly peaceful course, apart from passing under the busy M40 motorway! By lock 28 we passed a barrel-roofed cottage, typical of this part of the canal and was given some plant cuttings by it’s sociable owner. After chatting for a while we moved on and met coming in the opposite direction ‘Patience’ another boat moored at our marina. After a brief chat we finally moored at around 5pm at Lowsonford, opposite the Fleur-De-Lys pub, an attractive 13th century cottage which once incorporated a bake house. This was in fact the first day we hadn't got wet!
With all the recent rain we checked with the River Avon Trust to establish if the river was in flood. We’ll be joining the Avon next week. As we had thought it was and so currently closed to navigation. We took the decision to slow down and so we'll remain at Lowsonford until the 28th.
Here we have so far enjoyed some good pub food, decent weather and some excellent company with Graham and Jennifer off 'Best-O-Mates' who we met having moored next to. We've also got some good cycling time in over the 3 days visiting Henley-In-Arden and Hatton. Are plan is to move off tomorrow, Sunday..