Braunston

19/04/12


Whilton Top Lock - Barby Wood Bridge 78
Total distance is 9 miles, 12 locks and  1 tunnel

Braunston Tunnel Approach

By 9.30am we were approaching Braunston Tunnel.  A slightly later start by Yogs standards but we couldn't arrive at Braunston Flight  before 9am due to the restrictions on the locks so a lay in it was :0).




The towpath is getting really bad, proper slippy and waterlogged with water sitting on the surface for a lot of it. 

Braunston Top Lock

At around 11am we pulled up at Braunston top lock.  There was a single boat in the pound below us and they waited for us to get through before they went into the next lock.


They were a lovely couple, had just bought themselves a 30 footer.  They used to have a 50 foot boat but as they were getting older and the 50 footer was getting a bit much for them they had decided to downsize.


We all then went into what can only be described as auto-pilot plodding our way through the locks till we got to the bottom lock and Braunston.  
We pulled up just past the marina there so we could have a walk back to take a gander in the shops we had passed on the way through the last lock.  We had a most hearty 'Welcome to Braunston!!' from another boating couple who were walking their dog along the waterlogged towpath and it really set the tone for the rest of our visit.

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At Bottom Lock is a shop that started aboard a boat moored at Braunston Turn, this is now a FANTASTIC shop inside a lock side cottage that is stuffed to the rafters with goodies.  You can take a look HERE to see what kind of paraphernalia they stock.  I was in absolute heaven!  I nearly gave the poor shopkeeper a heart attack with my first outburst upon sighting a pair of sterling silver windlass earrings!!  After the third or fourth I think he may have been used to me ;0).  

We also saw a Lee and Stort Brass Plaque which we thought was quite funny seeing as it was the first one we had seen since leaving the area.  That went in the basket with the earrings and postcards and I would have got a book I spotted on rope craft but the pennies would not allow :0(  

Sally Slap Cabbage

Across the way was a chandlers so we nipped in there and got some rope to make some lanyards and a new back rope as the one we had been using up till then was a bit rank and causing Yog to moan.  Back at base Yog spotted this boat.  
Definitely the best boat name we have seen so far  'Sally SlapCabbage'.

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