The Grand Adventure - Day 5

As we were just about to cast off we got the call. Dana had gone in to labour early! I could tell that Lee wanted to return home, you know what women are like, even though she said we should crack on with our holiday. I was not so sure as I knew it would be on Lee's mind throughout the journey so I came up with a compromise - we would spend today going to the Coventry Basin and from there we would start our journey back to Gayton Marina.

We were quite a lot closer to Hawkesbury Junction than I though so we would easily get to the basin and back to Hawkesbury today. Where the Oxford Canal and Coventry Canal meet is perhaps the smallest lock I have ever seen, it must have only been a couple of foot level change so we were through it very quickly. We turned left and on to our first urban canal.

The girls take control on the Coventry Canal

Urban canal have a beauty all of their own, one minute you are meandering along behind factories, shopping centers and football grounds with nobody even aware that you are passing and the next you are cruising right through the center of canal side building developments with people all around. Just before we got to the actual basin we were told by a boater coming in the opposite direction to be careful ahead as there were a few drunken Polish guys shouting and messing around. We passed without too much stress, they were just boisterous idiots with nothing better to do than shout at boats! I found it quite funny actually!

A tight entrance!

As we approached bridge No.1 I could not believe how low and narrow it was, barely enough to get Hannah through as you can see by the picture above. Once through it opened out in to a nice open area which was eerily deserted. How very strange, a lovey spot for the city folk to enjoy right on the water, nice little shops and residencies but nobody using them. We turned straight around and started the leg back to Hawkesbury Junction.

Turning Hannah around in Coventry Basin

I was really quite enjoying my urban experience but I must admit that I prefer the solitude of the countryside and it's characters, quaint villages and canal side pubs! Once we arrived back at Hawkesbury Junction we went back through the lock and moored up amongst all the other boats. No cooking tonight as we were treating ourselves to a pub meal and a few ales before setting off home tomorrow.

Moored up at Hawkesbury Junction