Day 22: Slapton to Great Seabrook

 

From our mooring we can just make out the White Lion on the Dunstable Downs, made in 1932 to mark the site of Whipsnade Zoo and the largest chalk figure in England

Nearer to us on the canalside, these wooden holiday pods blend with the scenery rather attractively

A blurry shot, but we're seeing a good number of red kites along the canal, sometimes up to 4 together. They were extinct in England until the late 1980s and after successful reintroduction there are now 6000 plus pairs

Our method in these double locks is to loop the middle rope around a bollard for the steerer to hold the boat in to the side...then whichever of us is lockie can use the principle 'same side ground, opposite side gate paddle' to fill the lock and at the same time hold the boat in without it moving too much

Denis closing a bottom gate, showing how massive these are. It needs our whole body weight to move them - no need for the gym!

Pulling over to let the historic boats Bletchley and Bideford of Jules Fuels pass by. They were built in 1936 to carry goods on the Grand Union Canal and are carefully maintained by this company, which supplies fuel (gas, coal and diesel) to local and visiting boats

Bideford and Bletchley from the stern. Bideford on the left is an unpowered 'butty', hence they're lashed together

Ivinghoe Lock 33 and its attractive lock cottage, unusually set at an angle

Two boats coming down (always a welcome sight). The owner carves figures from logs he finds along the canal

The boats approach the lock, after exchanging a friendly word

Another pretty lock cottage, with orange blossom and pineapple broom in the garden


Seabrook Locks - we'll do another two or three and call it a day

Denis operating the manual swing bridge - again very heavy. No wonder we're eating like horses

At last, mooring up!

A beautiful evening

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