d up to the tunnel mouth.The tunnel mouth at the Stoke Bruerne end.
This is n.b. "Sculptor" belonging to The Waterways Trust
There are a few classy historic boats here belonging to The Trust (I think). A pair of working boats went up through the lock, sounding and looking fine: for non-anoraks, the boat being towed is a "butty" - un-powered.
I was particularly taken with a print of Paddington Basin in 1801 - a total contrast with its latest reincarnation as a flashy and agreeable mixed-use development (see much earlier blog entry.) It may be artistic license, but the area appears to be in fields and there is a windmill in the background. The scale is amazingly small.
There are remains of a small tramway alongside the canal near the tunnel mouth, with a charming reminder of the traffic it once carried - it linked the two lengths of canal before the tunnel was completed. It is hard to imagine the impact of hundreds of "navvies" arriving in a tiny village, to dig the canal and cut the tunnel.
It's a peaceful spot - maybe not so at the weekend: two boats can pass in there, although I would prefer to have it to myself ! Oh, and it's haunted, too............................. "leggers" walked the boats through the tunnel - 3 pence for an empty boat and 5 pence for a loaded one, which took about an hour. The horses went over the top of the tunnel. It was a pretty rough trade and leggers had to be licenced after brawls over who got the jobs. Brass arm bands denoted official leggers.
"leggers" at work: photo Blisworth images
http://www.blisworth.org.uk/images/Canalone.htm for some wonderful images, then visit the Museum !
Just a flavour of what it is like in there....... no problem, but it seems a long 30 minutes.......
