The Grand Union is truly Grand Canal featuring wide locks, a variety of scenery, plus first-rate villages such as Braunston, Stoke Bruerne and Nether Heyford. The Central section of the Grand Union Canal carries the tourist from Braunston, to the Milton Keynes. Braunston sits atop the hill surveying the surrounding Northamptonshire countryside. The locks are nicely spaced out, and well maintained, so are easy to operate. There is abundance of room in the ponds in the middle of for maneuvering nearby oncoming boats. Braunston hamlet is as delightful a hamlet as one will find. Strolling through the main road never ceases to be a pleasant experience. A fine, typically cordial butcher, hamlet stores, and one of the best pubs around, The Old Plough. Try enjoying a fine pint by the open fire, or if the weather is fine, out the back to the beer garden. Braunston, being a busy cruising location, has its own Mariner, located under a fine Horseley Ironworks bridge. Although a busy part of the canal, good mooring spots can regularly be found along the towpath here, from bridge 93, to just before bridge 2. From here you can head up to Braunston across the bridge, walk to the mariner, or range to whether the Admiral Nelson, or Mill House. Braunston Tunnel is 2,046 yards long. It is wide enough for two boats to pass. It is a weird feeling watching the lights of other boat slowly drawing closer to you, while trying to keep your own boat clinging to the right hand wall.
Just to make things more interesting, Braunston Tunnel has a small kink halfway along, but we couldn't spot it. If you have time, moor by bridge 6, just out of the tunnel, and walk in to Welton. Well worth the pleasant stroll. At Norton Junction the canal branches off to the left, to the Leicester Section. We bear south and put in order for the Buckby Flight, with some pretty heavy locks. The duplicate locks of the Buckby Flight drop us down 63ft and stretch over a mile and a half. Whilton Chandlery is at the bottom, selling a good range of supplies, and the delightful Anchor cottage Crafts is all the time fun to visit in the middle of bridges 12 and 13. Accompanied by the railway on one side, and the M1 on the other, it is an sharp cruise in to the town of Weedon Bec. Good mooring spots here near the underpass and church. Weedon is an sharp village, in two halves. The main street, down from bridge 24, is filled with aged shops and a few pubs. But we found the other Weedon much more appealing. The underpass by the embankment leads to hamlet shops together with a chemist and general store, butcher, and a combine of pubs. Not too far down the canal away from the railway, is Stow Hill. Here is Stow Hill Marine, builders of fine finding narrow boats, a few examples of which (William and Anne) are moored there. There are good mooring spots here, nice and close to the very cozy Narrowboat Inn And a nice rear organery overlooks the canal as well. A lovely surprise is the hamlet of Nether Heyford, a short walk from bridge 32. Two great pubs, a hairdresser, general store, other cordial butcher, and large hamlet green. It's a pleasant cruise down to Bugbrooke, wide canal, and sharp scenery. Bugbrooke is a fair walk from the canal, but again, well worth the effort. It is an sharp village, with ochre colored houses, a news group come general store and off license there. abundance of mooring here near bridge 36.
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The Wharf, just opposite, offers Frog Island, and organery area overlooking the canal. A very cordial atmosphere with canal pictures on the walls, and great meals. From Bugbrooke it is an easy cruise down to Gayton Junction If you are feeling truly fit, take a range up the hill to Gayton. Moor by bridge 45, cross the bridge, and head over the field where you will be rewarded with a charming, rural village. Fine structure (Gayton Manor, and Gayton House to name but 2). At Gayton Junction, the Northampton arm heads off to the left to join the River Nene. We took one look at the 17 or so locks heading down the canal, and decided to take the bus to Northampton instead! There is abundance of performance nearby Gayton Junction, with boats moored along both sides of the canal and Alvechurch Boats hire fleet base just down the Northampton arm. The new mariner is on the right, as the canal heads towards Blisworth. Blisworth Tunnel boats are based here, and this is where our boat Stella was based for 2 happy years. There is water available, and pump out facilities as well.
The lovely hamlet of Blisworth, with its sharp sandstone structure is dominated by the lovely church, and has some sharp sandstone buildings. In the main road is a general store with off license, newsagent, and supplies. Moorings are plentiful, best ones being right opposite the boat yard. The overwhelming construction beside the boatyard was a corn mill, and was used by the Grand Union Carrying business as a depot. They are now flats. But Blisworth is most noted for its tunnel. At 3,076 yards long this some tunnel! As with Braunston Tunnel, two boats can pass in the tunnel, but it is a nervy palpate trying to cling to the right, avoiding the occasional drenching from above, as other boat slowly edges towards you. Luminous arrows in the ceiling indicate when you have passed the half way mark, and it is with relief that you finally exit into the sharp light at Stoke Bruerne. As Pearson's states, Stoke Bruerne is a canal town without equal. We wouldn't argue, and despite all the publicity and tourist attention, maintains its unique quiet personality. Moor in the middle of the tunnel and museum, take your time and enjoy Stoke Bruerne. The Boat Museum, with its gift shop housed in yet other old corn mill, sits with a group of equally handsome structure along the towpath. An sharp option of craft are tied up there, regularly together with "Sculptor"
Opposite, the Boat Inn, the subject of many canal postcards and photographs. There is a handy slight shop by the Boat as well. Also, just past all that activity, is the pilotage in a fine old stone building. The two locks at Stoke Bruerne, are followed by the five Stoke locks. They are wide, duplicate locks and we were often able to move through them often using only one gate. From here, it's a lock free cruise through the Northamptonshire countryside, to Cosgrove. The only town to tempt us along here was Yardley Gobion, a lovely hamlet with thatched roofed honey stone brick houses. At Thrupp Wharf is the pilotage Cruising club, right next to the pilotage Hotel. Try relaxing in the rear dining room overlooking the canal and surrounding countryside. Superb! Best mooring spots are just opposite the pub, and are often occupied.
The much photographed Solomon's Bridge welcomes the tourist to Cosgrove. There are good mooring spots here out the front of the Barley Mow, and right along the opposite bank. A row of poplars extend along one bank, while a tunnel runs under the canal from the off side to the Barley Mow. No shops here that we could find, but there is a kiosk by the caravan park. The peaceful quiet of the countryside soon disappears as one enters the outskirts of Milton Keynes. Wolverton comes as a bit of a shock, as there was a lot of construction going on, but a far from unpleasant experience, and an sharp change. The old Railway Works is remembered by illustrations on walls. At New Bradwell, the New Inn looked interesting. We were pleasantly surprised by Milton Keynes. Lovely wide canal, nice homes, good mooring spots, and a combine of nice pubs.
We moored by Bridge 81 and had a day finding nearby the shops and enjoying a combine of the pubs. The large shopping centre was superb, and we bought a new video cam-corder there. There is abundance of open space and it is a nice place to get out and walk. It is a very picturesque run through to stoke Hammond. This slight hamlet is reached from bridge 106, and it is a handy spot to grab a few supplies from the Super Store. There is more magic landscape cruising down to Soulbury locks, lovely homes, grazing cattle, birdlife and the occasional aggressive swan. The lovely, much photographed Globe in waits at Old Linslade. And so to Leighton Buzzard, where we had to visit just to see what a town with a name like that was like! It is a pleasant town, with cordial people, good shopping, sharp buildins and abundance of moorings. From here we headed back to Blisworth, bit the Grand Union continues on to London through Berkhampton, and Bulls Bridge.
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