Hello
The the grass around here must be really tasty because Dillon's eating loads of it.
[Laughing]
We're at Illshaw Heath. . .
just before Hockley Heath. . .
is that the painter?
[Laughing]
Oh no, that's Hockney isn't it. David Hockney.
Hockley Heath is a village, it's a little bit further down about 20 minutes away
and then beyond that is the Lapworth locks. . .
You don't know what I'm talking about. You've heard of them haven't you?
I know.
I know there's a lot.
The reason this eyebrow is higher than that one
is because I know there's about six hundred locks.
Six hundred? [Laughs]
Which is 300 more than the last take we did.
Yes [Laughs]
But luckily they're all downhill.
I like down there locks more than I like uphill locks.
Don't know why.
So we're not coming back.
So we can go another way.
[Laughing]
As long as wherever we go it's all downhill I'm alright, I'm not bothered about it.
Oh dear.
[Laughs]
Just about. . .
Oh I don't know, about hundred yards away
there's a bridge, Bridge 20 on the North Stratford Canal, if you coming this way.
Must stop at Bridge 20, there's some moorings where we are, so remember this.
There you go.
and there's a bakery and a cafe called. . .
Wedges.
They make fresh bread and desserts and they have a chocolate fresh cream Eclair
and I'm not joking, it's as long as a baby's arm.
[Laughing]
Why is that funny? It is isn't it?
[Laughing]
Is it not?
Yeah.
[Laughing]
[Laughing]. You alright?
So you must go there,
it's really nice, we've had. . .
some fresh bread and you can either have it as a whole loaf,
or sliced
or extra thick cut sliced
[Whispers] It's like that.
We've eaten the whole loaf in one evening [Laughs]
We're bloated on bread.
I recommend the pork pies.
Oh yeah, fresh pork pies and Scotch eggs
and all sorts, it's lovely
so Bridge 20 North Stratford Canal,
get yourself down there.
Right, we have got to get off because we thought we'd have an early start and it's already. . .
Quarter past two.
Invisible watch.
Are you ready?
I am.
Come on we're going this way today.
Oh are we, Oooooh!
[Music playing]
When they built the North Stratford, well the whole Stratford.
when they first started building it, it was planned to be a broad canal. Broad locks and that's why
all the bridges so far have been quite wide, these nice, these big wide stone and brick arch bridges.
But when we get to the 620 Lapworth Locks. . .
[Laughing]
you'll notice something about the bridges.
[Music playing]
It must be chilly because my big coats on.
[Laughing]
Ladies and gentlemen. . .
if you'd like to look to your. . .
Portside.
You'll see the Hockley Heath Christmas Tree Factory
[Laughs]. Factory?
It is, it's where they make Christmas trees, it's where Christmas are born.
There's loads of em.
Some big ones over there
Oooh yeah, massive.
[Music playing]
Argggg! Shaun's got tripod shadow.
[Laughing]
So those two lift bridges. . .
a little bit of a warm-up. . .
ready for the 790 Lapworth Locks that are coming up.
It goes up every time you say it [Laughs]
I'm feeling a bit more limber now Have you noticed my big coats come off?
[Laughing]
[Music playing]
[Music fading]
Caaaaaarrrrrrr!
[Laughing]
Doesn't sound the same does it?
[Laughing]
Guess what I've got in my hand.
[Laughs]
A Windlass again.
A Windlass.
We're at the top of the flight of the Lapworth Locks
You'll do yourself some damage.
We've warmed, well I've warmed myself up on those lift bridges.
So these about 960 locks in the Lapworth Flight. . .
and we're gonna crack on. . .
and start with lock number 2.
Why is it called number 2? Why is it not called Number 1 if it's the top lock?
Because there's already been a lock 1,
Where was it?
I know where it was.
It was the guillotine lock as we came off the Worcester and Birmingham Canal, do you remember?
Miles away.
The one that Shaun crashed into three or four times.
No I did not.
[Laughing]
Right... Are you going to give us a hand?
No? Grab your Windlass
or what ever you want
and come and give me a hand,
You can get the boat done.
I'm off.
[Mechanism clanking]
[Music playing]
As you get to lock number 7, you reach Bridge 32 and it's a bit unique is this one.
If you're coming south from Birmingham, this is the first of its kind that you'll see,
but what's so special about it?
Well it's a crossover bridge, which means the towpath crosses from one side to the other
and in the olden days when the boats were pulled by horses,
it was easy for the horses and the ropes and the bridge to kind of get tangled up.
So this has got a cantilever design,
which means there's an inch gap right through the middle of the bridge for the rope to pass through
and you see that kind of cotton reel thing on top of the bridge,
that the rope goes round, it stops everything from getting tangled up
and means the boats can be pulled through by horse easier.
[Music playing]
Just after Bridge 32 you get to the top of what I think is the nicest and most
scenic stretch of the Lapworth Flight. Starting from Lock 8 at the top of the hill,
all the locks are close together as you descend down towards lock 14
and there's a wharf and some moorings and a shop down there.
Each of the pounds between the locks are quite big and they're built that way on purpose, so
that they can hold enough water to fill the lock because it gets quite busy,
especially in the summer
and there's loads of wildlife hiding in the reeds and bushes in each pound.
There's no queue today though, just us and a boat about 8 locks in front of us,
so it shouldn't take us too long.
[Music playing]
Nice to see the CRT trimming their bush.
[Laughing]
[Music playing]
[Music fading]
Ooooh!
That was hard work.
We're at. . .
Lock 19. . .
of the Lapworth Locks. . .
of the 996. . .
and Bridge 35A
and it's Kigswood Junction
and we've got a decision to make here.
We could do a little left. . .
that's your right, isn't it?
[Laughs]
on to the Grand Union Canal. . .
and from there we could go back up towards Birmingham. . .
or we could go south easty
towards south easty places.
or we can carry straight on. . .
and go down the Stratford Canal, the south version which goes to. . .
Stratford.
Stratford-Upon-Avon
Which way shall we go?
[Music playing]
This is Lowsonford, it's a tiny little village just after Lock 30 in Warwickshire.
It used to be part of the Forest of Arden and even in the middle
of winter as you can see it's just so pretty and peaceful and we got the last visitor mooring.
[Music playing]
The pub's definitely the heart of the village here. It's the home of the famous
Fleur-De-Lis Pies, believe me we've tried a few, they are gorgeous and we couldn't
have moored in a better place, because the weather was about to take a turn for the worse.
[Sound of rain]
When we got up the next morning, we noticed a tree hanging at a funny angle
right behind the boat. If it had come down all the way it would have hit the stern.
But about a hundred feet in front of us another tree had come down and that had
completely blocked the canal it's just in front of the Loch. Now over the last
day or two hundreds of trees have fallen across the canal network and the Canal
and River Trust are working flat out with contractors to try and get them all shifted,
but even in the water there's hundreds of branches and twigs and
debris just waiting to get caught on the prop. So we're not going anywhere today.
Miraculously a team from the Canal and River Trust arrived the very next morning
and just using good old hand tools and muscle power, they managed to cut away
enough of the tree to allow access past it, but this still loads a trees clear further down.
We're not in Lowsonford anymore.
The CRT managed to cut away the tree
Yes.
But a lot of trees came down, so did we get stuck behind another four?
Four? [Laughs]
and have to turn round and we've gone back up to Birmingham.
Ohhh, I do like Birmingham.
Or did we go back up this... I like how you're looking.
or did you go back up the Stratford. . .
and then take a right onto the Grand Union and we're now in Warwick.
Ohhh, I like Warwick. She's a good singer.
She is.
[Laughs]
Or. . .
Did we manage to get down to Stratford-Upon-Avon?
There's a thought.
I like Stratford-Upon-Avon.
And then jump on the River Avon and go down to Worcester or Gloucester.
[Gasps]
I like Worcester.
We did have our engine serviced ready for a river trip.
We did.
Ryan came down the other day and gave Silver Foxe's beating foxy hearts. . .
a bit of a service. I wish he'd given me abit of a service.
Ohhh! [Laughing]
No, I don't mean like that.
[Laughing]
I don't mean like that.
But yeah, he changed the filters and the oil and the gearbox oil and everything. The usual stuff.
A bit of poking and prodding about and she's sounding lovely again.
So did we do that?
Well. . .
the good news is, that we know.
You don't. The bad news is that you've got to wait while next week.
We're not telling you.
Unless you recognise this building behind me
and that could be a clue.
Yes.
and the river to our right hand side, your left hand side,
see I've got that now.
Have I? Hang on.
Yeah.
Which is. . .
literally. . .
that far. . .
from flooding.
[Laughs] and we're here.
Which is why I keep looking that way.
That is it for this time,
you'll see where we are next week. If you've enjoyed this vlog please give it a big
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If you hit the 'Join' button on our homepage,
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I do
There's a link coming up for that after the outtakes.
I know where we are now.
Tell me.
Yeah.
No. [Laughs]. No.
We'll see you next week, take care of yourselves, bye bye.
See ya, bye.
[Music playing]
I like patting his head [Laughs]
Stratford. Yeah yeah [Blows raspberry] fourth mistake.
We're [Coughs] choking in smoke.
[Laughing]
Hello
[Laughing]
It's about halfway down the. . .
no it's not.
It's not doing it
[Laughing]
Today. . .
we're gonna have. . .
[Laughs] is this the beginning or end?
I just spat a little bit then.
It's the law!
Is it Kingswood Junction?
Bare with.
[Laughs]
Some [Beeeeeep] had left the
bottom gates open and the paddles are all the way down to Kingswood Junction.
I'm saying [Beeeep] it could very easily have been somebody, I don't know with difficulties
that couldn't manage it but I think it's [Beeeeep]
You can't say that.
and I just did.
We're gonna get a dislike for that.
It's like on tender hooks isn't it?
Got to wait now while next week.
Are Tender hooks like meat hooks?
[Laughs]
We're leaving everybody on meat hooks. . .
till next week.
There's a thought.
Where are we honey [Laughs]
While the CRT were busy. . .
clearing the trees
from in front of us.
Or did they?
Well yeah, because we showed it on video.
[Beeeeeep]
[Laughs]
Doctor Foster went to Gloucester
Yeah.
In a shower of shhh..... Rain.
[Laughing]
[Music playing to the end]