Tag Archives: Norton Junction

A Walk at Norton Junction

Tuesday 16 June 2020

murpworks - The Tales of Silverdale - Braunston sign image

A Walk at Norton Junction

The interior painting continues – a slow job being brought to fruition by mu. I’m writing. Tenses, Elevenses, a Vege Deli Sandwich crated for Lunch. Then we went out.

We drove in search of Everdon Stubbs (an SSSI). It was Little Everdon we found, which took us through a little village, sown a dead end road what looked like the very long route up someone’s driveway. We found Everdon but no Stubb. We decided to drive back and go on to Long Buckby Wharf. In the past, we had walked to here but not beyond.

Up The Junction

murpworks - The Tales of Silverdale - Norton Junction bridge image

Norton Junction is just a few hundred yards from the Top Lock. It’s where the canal splits to Braunston and to Leicester. On our previous travels we had narrowboated to Braunston, threading past the beautiful cottage that sits in the crux of the canal junction, on green lawn, with trees and a Shepherd’s Hut. An idyllic site. We walked on, up over the footbridge, behind the cottage and over the canal bridge. This drops down onto the canal towpath on the Braunston side. There was just the occasional boat was moored in this serene spot. It was quiet and peaceful. If you pass this way, it’s worth stopping and taking in the scenery here. We walked on, which took us two bridges further, then turned and walked back.

murpworks - The Tales of Silverdale - Norton Junction canal image

Braunston is four and a quarter miles from Norton Junction which would have taken a little while, therefore maybe a walk for a little earlier in the day.

rp – peace and narrowboats

A Bit of An Update

Thursday 11 – Sunday 14 June 2020

A Bit of An Update

Thursday 11

Thursday saw us go for a drive in the surrounding countryside to see a few villages. Both Crick and Yelvertoft have figured highly in the YouTube Channels we avidly watched each evening once we decided to buy a narrowboat again. Everyone has either lived there or driven past and vlogged it. Both were very nice places on the canal. We ‘oohed and aarhed ‘ and saw the canal and gave a hurrah for we were part of it now. Back in Daventry we picked up a takeaway coffee at Coffee Number 1, just before it closed – an unexpected pleasure in these times. It was all socially distanced as I was the only person in there. There were shields up at the counter and a one-way system in operation.

Friday 12

Friday was Tim: our son’s Birthday so we got video call. I also finally got to send the Makita back (you may recall it wasn’t the Multi-tool I was looking for).

Saturday 13

Saturday saw us start the day with a drive-by, sorry, drive thru coffee in Northampton courtesy of Costa (there’s no loyalty, we’ll drink coffee from anywhere). We got to sit with a view of very nicely landscaped gardens. In the distance was a tower. It reminded me decidedly of Orthanc! In the afternoon we walked to Buckby Top Lock, along the canal towpath. Half way, the little shop was closed but a narrowboat was selling crafts and we bought a Toilet Roll Holder made of brass piping. It was very hot.

Just beyond the Top Lock, you come to Norton Junction and just before there, there is a sign showing four and a quarter miles to Braunston. Add onto this, the distance we had already walked and it would be just a bit tooo far to walk to the Boathouse pub and back, once they open again – shame. there is still The New Inn at Buckby – much more doable.

Sunday 14

Sunday saw us set out with good intentions to visit Milton Keynes. We’ve been once before and wanted to spend a little time and understand it a little more (well, it was more me wanting to than mu). Round and round and up and down. Nothing was open, was it too early? Or was everything still in enforced closure. After what amounted to what seemed like four days, we cut our losses and set off back. The motorway services on the way back (there was a detour as a road was closed) proved to be no less entertaining with the Costa Drive-thru being closed, leaving a ‘make it yourself at a machine’ the only option.

Back at Whilton Locks, we had a Cheese & Onion pasty at the Whilton Marina Cafe to console ourselves – delicious as ever. It’s nice sat in the sub by the Buckby Flight Bottom Lock or Whilton Lock or Lock 13. I never know what to call it.

I published Piece 1 of The Tales of Silverdale – a Pirate Ship in Dark Waters on our Ko-fi page. Afterwards I downloaded Pirates of the CaribbeanThe Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) and watched it. We love that film.

rp – peace and narrowboats