As we are in the midst of a 'mini' hurricane at the moment
gardening is almost impossible
so I ventured out into the autumn sunshine and decided to walk the
length of the Saddington Tunnel.
This tunnel has the distinction of being the longest narrow boat tunnel
in Europe at 808metres long.
The tunnel was opened for boat traffic if 1797 and the original
towpath carries on over the top of the tunnel.
In the days of the horse-drawn boat the horse would be led
over the top whilst the men lay on their backs on top
of the boat and pushed it through the tunnel with their feet
on the ceiling.
I saw lots of signs of autumn
Fungi in the leaf litter
Elder leaves turning into beautiful shades
Mysterious symbols set in stone
The canal strewn with leaves
Make-shift bridges on the tow path
Secret pathways
Old Bridges
And finally journeys end.
The view from the top of the tunnel.
The Saddington Tunnel was a great feat of engineering
and has provided modern-day narrow boaters
with an exciting part of their journey on the Grand Union Canal.
(see the latest post on my blog http://elaineintheslowlane.blogspot.com/)
'The Wild Woman of Exmoor'
That looks, and sounds, like the ideal autumn walk! Flighty xx
ReplyDeleteYour autumn seems ahead of ours. Do you know what the fungus is?
ReplyDeleteI loved that walk with you, am on the same theme myself at the moment, early autumn, love where you live too, beautiful.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great place to take a walk. That rock is intriguing. I wonder what wore that mark into it. Great little boat.It just fits through the tunnels.
ReplyDeleteI love canals and all engineering associated with them. I live near the Anderton Boat Lift, you may have heard of it, and that amazes me. What a lovely walk and beautiful signs of the new season.
ReplyDeleteEveryone is talking autumn already (including me). How id you fare in the wind yesterday?
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed accompanying you on that lovely walk.
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