Hilmorton

Wednesday 24 September 2014 – Hilmorton, Oxford Canal

Awoke this morning to the sound of rain drumming on the roof and was prepared for a wet journey.  When I started at 08:00 it had stopped and there have been blue skies with dark cloud patches all day, but the rain has held off although it has been a bit windy.

There has been a steady stream of boats going the other way (including Bessie Surtees, Braidbar No 92) and also a few going in my direction, so there has been company.

The run to Rugby was uneventful but at the Willow Wren Arm there was a dredger blocking the canal with a sign saying up to 30 minute delays.  As I approached he stopped dredging and moved all the gear out of the way so I didn’t even need to stop.  I moored at Master’s Bridge to nip in to Tesco, and just after I had resumed travelling came across a boat completely adrift with boats coming the other way.  I pulled alongside just as a boater from one of the other moored boats came to help.

At Hilmorton Locks only one of each of the pairs were operational so I decided to go up today rather than wait for the morning.  It turned out that a refurbishment and fitting new gates were being done to Lock 5 (one of the top pair) and C&RT had closed the other locks to prevent congestion.

Those who have seen Ice Breaker in the last year will know that when moored up I have been flying the Westmoreland County flag (Yellow Teazle on a background of Red and White horizontal stripes) but I have now changed to the Cumbrian flag (Green top half with three white five point flowers and a wavy blue and white bottom half).