A Barge Adventure Along Foxton Locks
In all honesty, if you would have even approached me to say, "Hey Steph, fancy a travel adventure on a barge?" I would have thought how random.
But once we were on our way, it was one of the most relaxing things I've ever done. Surrounded by nothing but a humming sound of the boat and beautiful autumnal coloured countryside, there was nothing more to do but sit back and enjoy the four hour ride to the next marina.
Along the way we also had a few little friends following us whilst we fed them bread. I've seriously never seen a swan get this close, whilst being nice.
Once moored up for the evening, we made our way to the local pub for some well earned beers and food.
But when my husband seriously asked me about this and I began to ponder the the question. I soon realised how quintessentially British it was. Exploring the canals set alongside idyllic countryside is like sometime you would see in Wind in the Willlows or Beatrix Potter; and as someone who is always up for a new travel experience, here begins our journey along Foxton Locks.
We arrived at 11:00am to be greeted by in-laws how had rented the boat for a week. Our first challenge was getting the boat out if the marina and through the locks - or for a better word, we had to start locking.
A pretty tiring experience, I won't lie. Forget going for your morning work out if you're about to embark on this. From other heavy gates to twisting paddles open, it's a non stop process that lasts another between 10-45 minutes - depending on how many locks you need to go through.
Also, I'd recommend gloves, as your hands will get seriously sore. Another thing to bear in mind - depending on the time of year - is to dress appropriately. I opted for converse, jeans, a chunky knit and my faithful water and wind proof Joules coat. I would also recommend taking a hat and scarf, as it can get pretty chilly when on the top of boat.
But once we were on our way, it was one of the most relaxing things I've ever done. Surrounded by nothing but a humming sound of the boat and beautiful autumnal coloured countryside, there was nothing more to do but sit back and enjoy the four hour ride to the next marina.
Along the way we also had a few little friends following us whilst we fed them bread. I've seriously never seen a swan get this close, whilst being nice.
Once moored up for the evening, we made our way to the local pub for some well earned beers and food.
The next morning, we set off back to Foxton Locks and enjoyed a cheeky sausage sandwich before climbing along side the boat to sit and enjoy the views of the front.
Making our way back down the 45 minute lock trail. We finally moored up the boat and finished off our weekend with a wonderful pub lunch.
Perfection.