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Published: September 7th 2013
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2 locks, 441 in total.
This is the first time that we've seen leaves floating in the cut – coupled with the condensation on our windows this morning I fear that autumn is upon us.
We had a short motor into Weedon this morning – back to our roots as this was where we hired our very first narrowboat from Concoform Marine, who had a narrowboat shell made of concrete in their boatyard. I took a group of Sea Rangers on
Hawkweed and the rest is history! Today, sadly, our hopes were dashed of finding a good place to celebrate our ruby anniversary tomorrow – 2 pubs had closed down, the third was being refurbished and the last one didn't serve food; the Chinese was only takeaway and John doesn't like Indian food – looks like that meal may be put on hold.
At one of the locks this morning there were two young men from a boat, not sure what to do next – I think this was the first lock they'd worked. I distinctly heard one of them
We think this is a bird hide.....
These bushes are actually growing in an old fibre-glass dinghy although they've possibly gone through the base and rooted in the canal. There is a hollowed out area, accessible from the towpath. suggest they ask 'this chap' - I dropped my voice an octave so that I didn't embarrass them
too much and helped them through their difficulties.
Just before Weedon was a sign to the 'Heart of the Shires' shopping village – we will investigate on the way back and report our findings.
The best thing in Weedon was the remains of a Royal Ordnance Depot, with several Grade 2 listed buildings, although we couldn't wander around as the buildings are currently being being offered for use as workshops and trade outlets. Weedon is almost as far from the coast as is possible and had/has good transport links, making it the perfect site for the Military Dock, a 600 yard offshoot from the Grand Union. There is a yellow brick gatehouse with a portcullis straddling the dock at one end and from what I could see there was another gatehouse (and portcullis?) at the far end. The entry arm from the Grand Union to the first gatehouse was partly filled in and built on when the army finally pulled out in 1965; a boatyard at the end
apparently told prospective house buyers that its yard had been there for 25 years so don't move in and then complain about the noise! In its heyday the Ordnance Depot had 12 magazine gunpowder stores for 5000 barrels, separated by blast buildings filled with earth, small arms ammunition, 800,000 weapons including 250,000 muskets and 30 pieces of field artillery, accommodation for two regiments, barracks for 500 soldiers, stabling for 200 horses, a riding school, and later a hospital. There were three large pavilions for King and cabinet, including a Royal Pavilion for King George III in case of a Napoleonic invasion. Although it was not used after 1920, it is believed to have been designated as an evacuation staging post for Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret during the Second World War, from where they would have gone on to Prestwick and then Canada.
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