Bascote Locks

Saturday - no internet
The Blue Lias pub may look very modern from the outside but it's a bit weird inside. Tables are arranged in small booths, varying from private little nooks for 2 people to slightly larger ones seating up to 8.  I think the original impression was meant to be ‘quaint’ but to be honest they just look like bus shelters, complete with tiled roof and plastic gutters. Hanging baskets dotted round the pub are filled with dusty plastic flowers…..altogether a very strange place. We didn’t eat in there as the menu was nothing to get excited about, unless you like everything fried, but the Adnams Broadside beer was excellent if a bit expensive at £3.30 a pint.

We didn’t rush to set off this morning, instead we sat and waited to see if anyone came down the Stockton Flight that we could pair up with. After an hour no-one came so we set off alone. A little while later, when I went in to brew up, I found out that I’d trodden in dog muck and had traipsed it right through the boat as far as the kitchen. YUK!  Thank heavens for washable door mats and Amtico flooring is all I can say. It must have come from the pub gardens but wasn’t from our dogs as I ALWAYS pick up. Those owners who can’t be bothered. shouldn’t be allowed to have a dog.

It was a very showery morning and after mopping the floor and washing the mat, I started  working the locks with Roger driving the boat. The staircase lock at Bascote is large and the gates are huge and extremely heavy.

Bascote staircase bottom lock

We moored for lunch in between locks 16 & 17 and again waited for someone to share the next few locks but we didn’t see anyone coming in either direction. We’re now moored just above lock 22. Some of the pounds between the locks have been a bit low and a notice on lock 22 says that BW had to be called out yesterday as the next pound is really low. It looked Ok to us but we’ll see what it’s like in the morning when we carry on.

middle of nowhere above Lock 22 (no internet)

Stockton

We waited for a boat to share Calcutt Locks and then later pulled in for lunch while they carried on. A couple of hours later we arrived at Stockton Locks which is the start of virgin territory for us.

Stockton Top Lock

We waited for a short while hoping to pair up again for the 8 locks but no-one came, so when a boat came up out of the first lock we set off down alone. At the second lock we could see down the flight and 3 locks down there was a pair of boats just going into the lock, coming up. One of their crew had seen us coming down yet she still emptied the 2 locks between us making us either wait 20 minutes or start refilling the locks again and waste the water, again. When they finally arrived up the lock it was obvious why they’d done what they had. They were travelling together, the women being a real sour faced pair and the men pretending to be “real” boatmen. You know the ones, fairly new boats with shiny put-put engines, overalls, flat caps, pony tails and the total effect spoiled when they open their mouths and speak with a “posh university” accent. One of the men couldn’t be bothered winding down the paddles so just got back on his boat and left it to me. We've found before that these types look down their noses at any boat that doesn't have vintage engine and seem to think they have priority at moorings and locks! I just keep my mouth shut and let them get on with it.

The lock ratchets are totally different to any we’ve come across before but the mechanisms themselves are fairly easy as they’re hydraulic. The gates are large, steel and quite heavy but I enjoyed the work.

looking back up the flight, lock bye-wash waterfall on the right

Just as we started down the last lock the heavens opened but luckily there’s a pub at the bottom and we moored right outside ready for a pint or two when it opens at 6.00.

According to the guide book, Stockton Locks are set in blue lias limestone in which the fossils of giant reptiles have been found.  No doubt that’s why the Blue Lias pub sign has a dinosaur on it.

There’s a caravan park and several fishing pools & a lake behind the pub and if it hadn’t been raining as much as it is, we might have walked round them. Maybe tomorrow, right now there’s a pint calling.

no sign of a frog prince