A jaunt to Braunston

Saturday 25 June: Braunston Working Boat Rally

Most years we get up early, travel the two hours to Braunston village in Northamptonshire, walk down Dark Lane to the Braunston bottom lock, look at the moored working boats moored abreast, then adjourn to the Gongoozler's Rest café narrowboat by Braunston Marina entrance, for a full English breakfast. Dodging any showers, we photograph the boats, especially as they negotiate Braunston Turn bridges on the working boats parade, watch the morris dancers, then visit the stalls which sell all sorts of canalia: This year, John bought some excellent canal books from the deck of a working boat, including E. Temple Thurston's famous book "Flower of Gloster", about his 1911 voyage around the canal system. We always find kindred spirits to chat to, as canal enthusiasts congregate. Now we have two daughters at Leicester, we take the chance to have a family get together later in the day, too.

Liana admiring Owl

preparing boats for the procession

Six tugs used to tow joey boats full of pipes through Gosty Hill Tunnel, near Hawne Basin, BCN

Braunston Marina: the entrance bridge  and this section were originally the Oxford Canal, before a short cut was dug across a valley at Braunston Turn

Liana chatting as brasses were polished

a fully loaded fuel boat

three point turns with butty can be quite impressive!

President steaming nicely!

Adamant, the other steamer

quite a few ordinary boaters got mixed up with the procession!

Photo at Braunston Turn/Junction, taken from the island between the two lovely Horsley Bridges, looking down the Oxford Canal to Birmingham.

morris dancers