Last Post

 

This season of our life is at an end.  Our time travelling on Tacet is up.  We are starting to make the arrangements for the new season of life back in the real world, returning to the bank.

Tacet will still be our home while we put into action the process of selling our old house, buying a new home and selling Tacet.

We want to say thank you to all the people we have met and shared a cup of tea or meal with over the past two and a half years.  Thank you to all you blog readers following our progress. Thank you to those new friends found on the way.  Thank you to family and friends at home who have put up with our absence. Thank you to our God and his goodness and provision for us.

That was beginning to sound like an ‘award’ speech. So lets move on.

Our travel statistics show how much ground water we have covered, practically  twice round the system. Everyone asks what or where are our favourite places.  We find that really hard to answer as we have enjoyed exploring everywhere, some for the beauty, some for the history, some for the interest, some for the people there. There’s nowhere we wouldn’t go back to, but if we had to pick out some, then it would be something like this………….

 

 

 

 

 

 

    

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What a lot of memories, it was so hard to choose a selection of best bits, and then of course we remember our Jumble, who loved being a boat dog.

 

However, I’m not sure that even yet we qualify as proper boaters…………….as neither of us have ever fallen in!

Gosh it’s hard to close this chapter, writing the blog has been a big part of our ‘gap year’, and I’ll miss it, but will still enjoy reading our favourite boaty blogs and keeping in touch with those on the cut. Thanks for travelling along with us………..

 

……………….So long, farewell, auf wiedersehn, goodbye……..

                                                                    

                                                                                            …………………….and safe journeys.

Jephson Gardens

We enjoyed another visit to Leamington, walking up through the Regency main street known as the Parade and looking around the unique smaller shops in the side streets and visiting the exhibition at the Pump Rooms - ‘This Green and Pleasant Land’. 
Leamington takes its name from the river Leam which flows through the town and is another spa town with natural, mineral rich springs. I have blogged about the town previously, so today will focus on the Park.

The Jephson Gardens are located opposite the Royal Pump Rooms and the river Leam runs alongside. The gardens were created in 1831 and were originally known as the newbold Pleasure Gardens.  In 1846 the gardens were renamed in honour of Dr Henry Jephson who lead the expansion of the town as a health spa.  There are formal bedding areas and lots of lovely trees, a lake and fountains, a tropical glasshouse and a cafe.
Today we spotted several large carved tree stumps, new pieces of art completed this year. Some just for decoration, some made into seats too, the pictures and cut faces of wood have been polished. They were quite impressive.

And we enjoyed feeding the cheeky squirrels too.


Once on our way, it was good to see the church at Radford Semele had emerged from it wrappings.  Over the past two years as we have passed it has been shrouded in scaffolding and plastic. Now it is sporting a very finely finished tower and new roof, with what looks like an extension on the side. You can just see it across the fields.





The hedgerows are full of fruit and berries along here, loads of crab apples, hips, haws and sloes.

 

And how about this rose, blooming on the 1st of November!

 

Leamington Spa – Long Itchington  6 miles, 10 locks

Into Warwickshire

 

 

 

We have had another lovely autumn day, not so cold today even though we barely saw the sun, but this was the view from our windows just before we set off towards Hatton.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shrewley Tunnel was soon ahead, its not very long and you can clearly see the other end, but it is unusual with the horse tunnel at a higher level.

 

 

 

 

We have worked the Hatton flight 4 times before, so it seems familiar now.  Today we were on our own as we went down, but we met several boats coming up and for the last 4 locks were joined by another.  They were all hire boats, it has been a noticeably busier week as it’s half term.  They’ve had quite a good week.

 

Trying to find some different pictures of the flight, so as not to repeat previous blogs.

 

 

 

 

 

We had completed the journey to Warwick by lunchtime, and we walked into the town, for a quick wander round and visit to the antique shops.  We had quite a few visits here last year when we were ‘stuck’ at Lapworth before Christmas.

  

In the Medieval period Warwick was controlled by various Earls of Warwick, many from the Beauchamp family.  It became a walled town, today only the east and west gates survive.

 

 

William the Conqueror started building Warwick Castle in 1068 on his way to Yorkshire to deal with rebellion in the north.

The castle developed into a stone fortress and then a country house and today is a popular (though very expensive) tourist attraction. Which is why we have never visited it.

 

 

 

 

The Great Fire of Warwick in 1694 destroyed much of the medieval town and as a result most of the buildings post-date this period.

  

 

And then we moved on to Leamington Spa and look forward to visiting the town here again tomorrow.

9 miles, 23 locks, 1 tunnel