Maud Foster and Frith Bank Drains were probably the first of the Modern Drainage projects to be cut north of Boston. (Monastic drainage works had been taking place as early as the 11th Century) First attempts were cut in 1568 but proved inadequate due…
Tidel River Trent & Fossdyke, Newark to Saxilby
Well the adventure boating starts here, well that is what it was supposed to be, according to all the horror stories I had read on travelling the tidal Trent. But then we did have the benefit of a local guide,…
Trent Navigation, Shardlow to Gunthorpe Lk
As the river had dropped, we donned our specially purchased life jackets and set of on our third attempt to traverse the dreaded confluence of the River Derwent with the canal. The Derwent enters from the left, and is almost opposite the…
Witham Navigable Drains, Antons Gowt to New York
Anton’s Gowt Lock the entrance to The Drains Head room about 8′-0″, at Summer Level. Sir Anthony Thomas was one of the financiers of the land drainage project which created this waterway system in the 1650s. The Malcolm Alms on…
The Trent and Mersey Canal, Derby to Shardlow
The original entry to the Derby Canal from its present termination, the first bridge. The old toll house is now the home of the Swarkestone boat club. The remainder of the Trent and Mersey Canal to Shardlow is relatively uninteresting.…
Alrewas Village & National Memorial Arberitum
Alrewas is a lovely little village with some very quaint houses and a lot of big and very expensive cars parked in the yards. The view down from the canal bridge gave us a hint of what was to come.…
B&FC, Coventry Canal (unconnected section) & Trent & Mersey Canal. Cudworth to Alrewas
After a very pleasant night in the shelter of the Cudworth Tunnel approach we had a late start in bright sunshine, however the wind was still like ice as we continued along the Birmingham & Fazeley Canal to Fazeley Junction which…
Welcome to our new life living on a canal boat in the UK
Welcome to Braggaboutlife – An adventure in cruising England’s 3,000 miles of waterways with expeditions to canals and rivers in Asia Europe and Australia . Picking up our first canal boat. A second hand Black Prince Hire boat with a few…
Birmingham & Fazeley Canal. Gas Street to Spaghetti Junction
In the early evening and after a days shopping in Birmingham we walked back to Braggabout via the Mail Box Centre. The exit from the building is at first floor level and we were mystified by a bright red/orange hue…
Trent & Mersey. Alrewas via Burton on Trent to The Derby Canal
Up dated 2019 We were reluctant to leave the idillic moorings by the church in Alewas but we had a schedule to meet. If only we had known what was to come! Slightly odd bridge on the short river section Just…