Hail to the Hive!

We continue our adventures on the Canal and River network aboard 'Badger' the narrowboat as we aim to make it to Stratford upon Avon to meet up with our friend Hive account@diveratt.

We have another 21 locks to go on the Grand union North and this flight of locks is called the Hatton Flight. They seem like a lot of work and in some cases they feel like it, but they are all part of the narrowboat abd canal experience. Without the locks it all wouldn't be possible as they allow waterways to connect at different elevations criss crossing the country.

And I think they are really cool and a fantastic historical industrial legacy.

And endless supply of picture postcard views!

After tackling the flight (in the rain mostly hence the lack of photos of the 21 locks) we made it to a little place called Shrewley.

Now there's a tunnel a little further down here and as Hive account@diveratt told us he had bought us a surprise present for the boat. A new Headlight So we stayed here for a couple of nights. It was a nice spot.

And we had ample provisions.

The next dy Hive account@diveratt arrived bearing his gift of a superb 1950's American Police Searchlight.

What a beauty!

He installed it for us and then we had to give it a test run in the tunnel.

It worked beautifully.

It was only a short tunnel, 396 metres, but was nice to give the light a test run.

and even when it's not in use it looks awesome on the roof of Badger. Really in keeping with the vibe of the boat.

But now we must push on as we have a long way to go and will need to turn off the Grand Union North soon.

Ok there's a sign with "Stratford Canal" on it so I best be turning Badger here then.

No traffic coming so in we go.

and this little arm connecting the Grand Union North Canal to the Stratford Canal is the Kingswood junction.

Ok so if I read the map correctly the lock on the right takes you north and the very slim passage to the left is where I need to go....I think!

Very tight in here and there's a gentlrman sat on a bench watching me very closely. That always makes me think I may not be doing this correctly so we shall see.

All good and now we are headed south on the Stratford canal and Hive account@millycf1976 is getting to grips with the new locks.

They are different mechanisms to the Grand Union North and very tight locks.

I noticed the footbridges passing over have a slot, or a gap, between them.

I asked one of the other boaters and it seems they were so that the ropes that the horses were harnessed to for pulling the barges didn't have to be disconnected as they passed under the bridges in the old days. The horse would go around the bridg and they would pass the rope over then through the slot allowing the horse to keep pulling the barge and not having to untie them.

We have many to do and it looks like the weather may change at any time. It really is beautiful on this stretch of the canal network, the bridges and lock cottages really look like a page out of history.

It's time to start looking for a good mooring though.

And I think this is good for me.

Oh yes!

The next day we made the final push south and before we knew it we were entering Stratford upon Avon.

From countryside to Urban areas in a flash, well as much as 3mph can be a flash I suppose.

And we found a perfect space in Bancroft Basin in the Heart of Stratford Upon Avon directly in front of a memorial to the bard himself, William Shakespeare.