Grand Union

Today’s the day ........................  to take to the water

Here begins the story of The Famous Five Friends who met up for their annual narrowboat jaunt – this time starting at Napton-on-the Hill, just to the east of Leamington Spa.

The canal this time was the Grand Union, part of the British canal system which starts in London and stretches some 137 miles to end in Birmingham.  It is a complex waterway with branches off to such places as Slough, Aylesbury and Northampton – but it was the Leicester arm that we had decided to follow.  This would take us through the well-known features of the Foxton and Watford Locks, both of which feature a staircase – and beside Foxton locks we would see the site of a long-abandoned inclined plane boat lift.  We would also find a couple of further diversions off the Leicester Line to Market Harborough and Welford, that we would find too tempting to resist.

But all that lay ahead.  Our boat was the trusty ‘Voyager’ – and this is us just gliding into Braunston Junction where we would moor up for our first night .....................