Fenny Stratford, Stoke Bruerne and through that tunnel to Blisworth! (20 miles, 8 locks)

Working our way steadily through Milton Keynes,  we eventually passed the famous Train Mural at Wolverton again

Commissioned by the Milton Keynes Inland Waterways Authority, painted by the late Bill Billings in 1984 and recently restored

A fabulous uplifting sight of an old steam train with lots of carriages, the railway, apparently, the reason for the building of Wolverton back in the 1830s.

So if you have no garden on land, create your own onboard! 

The whole of the open section of this boat (above pictured) is an allotment with vegetables and flowers.  All was doing well because of the recent beautiful weather!

The 5 babies, still doing well! Getting mighty big now.  Tiny little wings still, which look a bit silly!

One of the last bridges coming out of Milton Keynes

The canal through Milton Keynes is very pretty, not as you would expect from an urban environment at all.  Parks border most of it, so it feels like you are going through a private estate rather than a large city!

The Ouse Aquaduct.  I do like to fast forward these bits, not good with heights and no railings!

View from the aquaduct, railing side

We moored at Cosgrove, planning to get to Stoke locks the next day to take us to Stoke Bruerne for the weekend.

Mooring the big boat next to the Fudge Boat, with the butty behind that

The weather was great fun, as we dodged in between the torrential parts and then carried on with our journey.  Luckily, the locks section was dry, but very busy, as other boaters desperately tried to get them done before the next shower.

View towards the tunnel at Stoke Bruerne

When we arrived at Stoke Bruerne, we were met with the decision to split the boats and moor them seperately, as it was so busy.  The butty, I moored between the The Candy Boat and the Fudge Boat, so much temptation!

The Woodland Walk which borders the canal has wire sculptures as part of it's attraction

Walking the dogs around here can lead you to some exquisite sights, like the wire sculptures on the Woodland Walk.

Deer

Lister isn't sure about the fox!

The tunnel entrance.3076 yards long and very wet inside!

After a few glorious days at Stoke Bruerne, most of the trading boats, including us, moved off through the tunnel to take their places ready for the Blisworth Canal Festival.  We would then all wait for the following weekend and prepare for a busy August celebration!