The joys of canal boating

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Concerto on Oxford and Grand Union Canals

We all loved Concerto and we all love canal boating. Canal boating has its own rituals and culture. Those on the canals are a mixture of those who live on their boats, the British grey nomads and those like us – pesky hirers with not much idea. Boating in the canals is very different to any type of boating in Australia. The canals are narrow, with many low bridges, many boats to pass both moored and travelling the other way and then there are the locks. To get to our return point at Warwick, we went through 27 locks – including a “flight” of nine and a double stair lock. Andy is the captain, Jack the cabin boy, Eliza the tiller girl and Harry and me whatever Captain Andy requires us to do.

Return to Stretton under Fosse via the Grand Union and Oxford Canals

The pubs along the way, the countryside, the villages, the towns and the quirky and interesting people we have talked to along the way and of course our trusty Concerto are what have made this week such a memorable journey. Our invaluable canal guide book describes what it is like to travel on a canal….

“And herein lies the greatest secret of canal travel:……a calmer stress free existence emerges…..”

Well not quite stress free. Concerto weighs approx. 5 tonnes and is not particularly responsive on the steering (except of course when you take you mind off the tiller and she automatically veers for the bank). Then there are the other boats and narrow and low bridges. But when not avoiding collision it is relaxing and even I managed steering Concerto whilst watching the British countryside go slowly by. Concerto could manage 4 miles per hour at her best and often the people walking along the tow path would pass and be well in front at no time at all.

We travelled no more than 50 miles in 8 days but in this time was able to relax, unwind and soak up the English countryside.

Thank you to all for providing comments on our travel blog. It is great to share our journey but also to hear from you too.

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