Days 39 - 43 Hawkesbury to Rugby

Day 39 is Saturday 1st August and we travelled from Hawkesbury, on the Oxford Canal near Coventry, south east to Cathiron. 

A sighting of Lindy Helen, a boat built in 1963 by Taylors of Chester for a Mr Smout to hire to holidaymakers on the Llangollen Canal.  It is completely wooden, mahogony on an oak frame and has been carefully restored after periods of decrepitude. It's based on a Norfolk Broads cruiser, but with the width reduced to 6'10" to accommodate the canal locks

 A view from the back showing the retractable wheelhouse roof

Lindy Helen in her heyday in 1971 crossing the famous Pontcysyllte aqueduct on the Llangollen Canal

Just before Stretton Stop the canal runs on a long and high embankment with views into the surrounding treetops

After Stretton Stop and its tiny swing bridge, we carry on through All Oaks Wood

Dense and overarching boughs - a cool corridor in the summer heat

 

Back to farmland and a flock of neat little sheep

A sunken garden in a boat!

 

Boat Inn Cottage (no longer a pub)

 

One of the many elegant cast iron bridges on this canal

 Walton's Bridge, Cathiron with its interesting speckle of lichen

 

Sunday 2nd August and we planned to find a mooring in Rugby for a few days, to shop and for Jan to catch the train back to Sawley for the campervan's MOT.

 

A handsome colour combination on Oslo (spotted by Jan, who is currently going through a fixation on all things Norwegian)

The Nordic theme continues

 

Approaching Cathiron Lane Bridge...

... and the view back of this wide and impressive structure

 

At the boatyard near Falls Bridge, a boat craned out for painting

 

Newbold Tunnel is miniature at only 250 yards...

 

...and has walkways on both sides.  Despite the short length, we put the headlight on, since noticing an oncoming boat did the same

Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday Catnap was on the visitor moorings at Rugby while we caught up with MOT, shopping and other chores.