....that is Blisworth Tunnel.
My mooring at Stoke Bruerne was 2
days which fitted in with my plans nicely, yesterday I became surrounded by
trading boats, behind me the boat was selling bits and bobs, another selling
paintings, another was selling ‘canalware’, ahead of me an ice cream, cake and
tea boat, I was definitely the odd boat out and I think a lot of the
gongoozlers must have wondered what I was doing there in the middle of was
looked like a floating market!
I wanted to move on today anyway,
but not too far, the Belgian F1 qualifying started at 11:55 and I did not want
to miss it, so it was around 9:40 when I set the washing machine going again,
donned my lifebelt and set off towards the tunnel.
The tunnel is two way, with wide
beam boats being permitted transit through at 8am on Mondays to Fridays by
arrangement only, it wouldn't do to meet one of them half way through, and it's another reason to buy a ‘narra’, Blisworth tunnel is the 3rd
longest in the UK at 3,076 yards, there is no towpath through (hence the
lifebelt) and it has airshafts to provide ventilation, it takes about 30
minutes to get through, picture time!
Southern portal. |
In the gloom, it's actually not as bad as it looks but my tunnel light doesn't show up in the pictures, I can see ahead! |
Looking up at the roof of the tunnel and an airshaft, this one is concrete lined. |
Still gloomy! |
Another airshaft, this one doesn't look lined, I paused to take this picture, it was very wet with a stream of water coming through it! |
Daylight again. |
Blisworth Tunnel Hut, adopted and restored by Blisworth Canal Partnership in 2013. I wonder what they use it for. |
Northern portal |
and was immediately on the lookout for a suitable mooring, pilings, open to the sun and not too busy being the criteria, a nice section appeared between bridge 50 and 49.
Current Mooring:
Boat on the loose |
All secure again |
I’ve got the washing out in the
sunshine and someone in the distance has lit a nice big smoky bonfire, the joys
of being in the countryside, somehow I just don’t care!
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