We left Stoke Bruerne on Good Friday, working our way down through the seven locks to the service point where we watered etc. before moving out into the countryside for a lunchtime stop at Thrupp Wharf. We had been told that the Navigation Inn was well worth a visit so how could we ignore that advice? This is a Pub that focuses on food and the menu was quite extensive if a little dear but surprisingly, it was dog friendly! After a quick pint we moved on to Cosgrove and planted ourselves on the 48hr visitor moorings in the heart of the village. We moved out yesterday onto 14 day moorings just by the aqueduct which crosses the River Great Ouse.
Above, a view of the River from the aqueduct.
The horse tunnel beneath the canal.
The Iron trunk aqueduct crossing the Gt Ouse south of Cosgrove.
This chap is walked past our boat each day though Floyd is less than happy about him..
Our current mooring
4 comments:
This is the second time that you have shown a tunnel, or now an aqueduct, where the horses have a separate path thru the area. Before the narrowboats were powered, how did they get them thru the tunnel, etc.?
Did they depend on the current? But that would only work going in one direction. I am perplexed.
bob
Hi Bob
This particular aqueduct has a towpath so the horse would have dragged the boat across and the horse tunnel that runs below is just for access. In the instances when a tunnel doesn't have a towpath the horses would have been led across the top to meet the boat on the other side and the crew would have 'legged' the boat or hired men to 'leg' the boat through. This entailed hanging a plank out each side of the boat and a 'legger' lying on his back on the plank and 'walking' the tunnel wall to propel the boat through. At Blisworth tunnel which links the villages of Blisworth and Stoke Bruerne there were dedicated teams of 'leggers' in each village. Current would be of little use because there isn't one on a canal; no, it was leg power that did it until boats were powered..
Lesley
oh how i wish they would join those two waterways up. sadly the bedford-milton keynes link which would link the fens to the rets of the world will be a long time coming!
But very welcome when it does arrive Amy!!
Lesley
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