Canal Cruise - Day 4 - Gumley Road to Kilby Bridge

We departed at 09:40 and immediately came to the Foxton Lock Flight. Boats have to register with the Canal and River Trust volunteers who manage the passage of boats through the flight of 10 locks. 

 

The flight, which took four years to build, was completed in 1814 and is the longest, steepest staircase flight of locks in Britain. It will  take us down 75 feet to the plain we can see far below.

Midway is a pool to allow a boat coming up to pass a boat coming down, thus doubling the through put.

The front gate of each lock became the rear gate of the next lock.

Each lock is only wide enough to take one boat, so an 'inclined plane' was later built along side. This could take two boats at a time up or down on rails.

Even with the assistance of CRT volunteers, there were a lot of paddles to open and close and lock gates to move.

After 50 minutes in the flight we were through and as it was now close to lunch we stopped while the cafe cooked bacon and sausages in bread rolls for our lunch.

But there were more locks, here we have to drop to pass under the bridge.

And the 880 yard long Saddington Tunnel.

Here we pause to let an oncoming boat through the bridge, and we moor for the night at 18:45.

I was sceptical of Dan's plan that Deliveroo would accept a bridge as the delivery point, but it did, and we ordered from Tipu Sultan. The portions were huge and they also gave us a vegetable curry and poppadoms we hadn't ordered.

Gumley to Kilby Bridge - 10 miles - 22 locks -1 tunnel - 8 Hours

Go to Day 5 here

Go to Day 1 here