Thursday 21st March 2013
Ramble 14: Grafton Regis, bridge No. 57 to Blisworth which
is about 5 miles.
Upon returning to the canal after six cold months, the
surrounding countryside seemed at first to be rather muted and bare on this
rather cold and overcast day. But there
were signs of Spring (official from today) all around with sheep and their
lambs in the fields, catkins, daffodils and snowdrops in hedgerows and bunnies.
While passing under a bridge, we exchanged jovial chitchat with
two couples aboard Long Eared Owl, a holiday canalboat, not knowing that we were
to meet up several more times during the day at various points. They made similar progress and were staying
overnight at Blisworth.
The recent wet weather had made the towpath muddy in places
but it certainly wasn’t impassable as it had been last November at the point where
the River Tove flows under the canal. The water levels were still high with
much swirling of currents and signs of the high water level still visible
on the banks.
Soon after, on the opposite bank of the canal, we were all fortunate to see a Barn Owl flying
off, having caught a mouse (or similar).
Out catching a late breakfast (or midnight snack!)perhaps.
We passed a nature reserve. It is the site of old clay pits
from which bricks for the Blisworth tunnel were made. Canalside activity increased as we approached Stoke
Bruerne with maintenance workers grass cutting and other boaters around. In fact, it was positively busy in the centre with
school and foreign student parties on land and many boats moving on the water near
to the museum. We stopped here for refreshments and generally watched the goings
on. We gathered that the school parties were visiting as part of National Science
Week and near to the Blisworth Tunnel entrance a blacksmith had been kept busy
giving demonstrations. It was near here too we saw several wire sculptures, one
of a horse and cart reminding us of the tramway that ran in the early 1800s to
link the ends of the otherwise completed Grand Union canal.
Building the 1.75
mile (2.8 km) Blisworth Tunnel, the longest self-navigable canal tunnel in the
UK, seems to have been a nightmare taking several years. The first attempt failed
due to collapse of quicksand, killing several people. Another route was dug out
and it has a kink in it where the lines didn’t meet exactly. Repairs were made
to it during the 1980s and methods worked out for installing concrete rings
(one of which still lies at the Stoke Bruerne end) prior to building the
Channel Tunnel. Originally leggers would propel the boats through the tunnel
(this was re-enacted in 2005) and there is just enough room for two boats to
pass each other inside.
While walking over the tunnel we saw 3 or 4 ventilation
shafts/chimneys of differing designs with obvious spoil heaps nearby, along
with farms with tunnel in their names. It certainly wasn’t so pleasant walking along
this stretch with hills and motor traffic.
We did spot a novel lawn mower
though.
It was not long after seeing Long Eared Owl boat emerge from
the dark and wet of the tunnel that we were walking into Blisworth.
Our walk ended
at the point where there are a block of flats, once a flour mill, and a busy
boatyard.
It was a very interesting
walk and we were pleased to be joined by Margaret, Hugh and Glynis.
