The Greyhound, Sutton Stop

Sutton Stop sees the Oxford Canal come alongside and join the Coventry at Hawkesbury Junction. It is a popular spot for boaters and has a marina and long term towpath moorings as well as the temporary ones we tied up to. An open area of grass beside us meant we got the best of the sun when it managed to shine. Not just good for the solar panels but also our moods.

A couple of hours after we arrived we went to meet Pete and Maggie for lunch at The Greyhound pub beside where the two canals joined. Pete had remembered it fondly from years gone by so we thought it would be a good excuse to spend some more quality time with family. The regulars were friendly, inviting us to sit at the table beside them. The menu was a bit limited for vegetarians like Pete and Maggie and even more so for Vicky but we settled on pies and a burger which were decent quality. It was a little chilly and unfortunately Pete was sat next to someone spouting racist, sexist drivel, spoiling the mood somewhat.

Outside the air was bone chillingly cold but we braved a short walk up the Oxford. Our side was quite rural, but the other was taken up by the huge National Grid Electricity Substation. A sign explained work the National Grid and Warwickshire Wildlife Trust was doing to encourage Water Voles and we also spotted some freshwater clam shells on the bank. After researching, Vicky identified them as Asian Clams; an invasive species. She posted a photo to a Canal Nature FB group and the concensus was that otters will most likely have been eating them! On the way back we heard a bird calling from the top of a tall poplar. Pete used Merlin to identify it as a Great Spotted Woodpecker just before it took off and flew in a wide loop, the orange hues of the setting sun making its red belly glow- beautiful!

The cold continued over the coming days, forming ice sheets over sections of the canal. A little snow fell but melted quickly during daylight hours. There were water taps a few hundred metres away but with the possibility of being iced in and unable to get to them, we began to conserve what was in our tank. We hadn't passed a marina nor seen a fuel boat in a while and having the diesel fire on meant our supply was running low. Vicky fetched some from a fuel station about a mile away using the 18.5l jerry can and trolley.

On Saturday we had lunch with Cath & Paul in The Greyhound. We'd booked it weeks ago so had been looking forward to seeing our friends for some time. The dining area was warmer than the bar and the food was good. The chef even did the a pie without egg wash so it would be vegan for Vicky!

Time slipped by quickly and snow was forecast so at the end of the meal Cath and Paul just had a quick visit to Rainboat to meet Mr Whiskers before heading back to home. We'd talked about our travel plans so hopefully we'll see them again before long 😊Leer más