To Cosgrove

We moored for the night after the Iron Trunk Aqueduct, which is much more impressive from below than above.

Two direct hits

We moved from Linslade to Milton Keynes today, stopping to avoid a soaking.  Little to note except that for the second day in a row I have destroyed an ant’s nest in mooring up.  Yesterday they came swarming out of the ground after I drove in a mooring pin; today they had colonised the space behind the sheet piling that I put a mooring clip into. 

Hard aground

Sunday morning saw us, and several other boats, hard aground in the pound above Marsworth’s bottom lock.  The water had gone down a foot or two overnight, perhaps because the gates leak badly, and the top gates always swing open for some reason.  This appears to be a daily occurrence.  We were soon afloat after some water had been let down the flight and on our way. 

Paired with another boat, we made faster progress on the way back down and moored for a late lunch at the Grove Lock, after the shower that was about to hit in this picture.

Cowroast and back

Torrential rain started almost as soon as we set off from our mooring up the last few locks to the summit.
Fortunately the sun came out to show the long summit pound off at its leafy best. 


After lunch at the Cowroast Inn we retraced our steps. The White Lion is boarded up and for sale, but the Anglers Retreat was still open for dinner.

Marsworth Reservoirs

This stretch, with widely spaced locks on the way to Marsworth, has some great views of the ridge of the Chilterns.

Kingfisher

From last night's mooring just above Stoke Hammond Lock.  If you have the smartphone eNature app then you can report sightings like these to be added to the C&RT database, and also see what others have reported in specific locations.

Home alone?

Somewhere between Milton Keynes and Stoke Hammond.