Flooded fields by the Grand Union in Northamptonshire

Briar Rose left its mooring before us this morning. I'd gone to have a look at the iron trunk aqueduct over the Great Ouse, and the rest of the crew took their time over getting up!

Ally and Ben left us just above Cosgrove Lock, having moved their car to the facilities block for an easy transfer of stuff. This is Cosgrove Church from the canal.

Then we cruised on, just the two of us now, through rural Northamptonshire in sunshine and a stiff breeze. Hardly any rain, though, which was a nice change! Many fields were flooded, and the canal's overspill weirs were busy.

After a pause for lunch we winded just below Stoke Bruerne Bottom Lock and tied up on the 48 hour moorings. We'd decided not to go up the locks even though we'd have had enough daylight. Instead we went for a walk along a footpath to the village of Ashton, a mile or so east of Stoke Bruerne across the fields. The pub marked in my 1980 OS map was, amazingly, open (The Old Crown), but we were much too early for food so we walked back along the road to Stoke Bruerne and down the locks in the gathering gloom to Jubilee for a cup of tea and a read of the paper. Jan's cooking up some grub - involving the last of the Christmas turkey - as I write this - it smells nice!