Club Walk

Club Walk on the 16th February 2012

We will meet at the Barley Mow Pub, The Stocks, Cosgrove, MK19 7JD at 10.15am for a 10.30am start.  We will need to pre-book the food before we set off.

The walk takes us to Old Stratford and back and is approximately 4.5miles.  It is mainly flat but does involve crossing the canal over a lock gate.

David Allitt.

Canal Turn

As Rotarians arrived (eventually) at the Barley Mow in Cosgrove, we totted up the carbon footprint.  Two cars from Church Brampton, one each from Brington, Pitsford, Harlestone, Maidwell, Weston Favell and Great Billing.  Maybe a bit of car sharing might have been sensible!!

The Health and Safety Officer decided it was neither healthy nor safe for him to get out of bed and two others cried off with sickness, so a hardy eight set off on the February Rotary Walking Extravaganza.   The organizer, one David Allitt, outlined the route by the canal and the gentleman promised to look after the one lady, Margaret Jones.

We bent double to pass through the horseshoe tunnel connecting the two halves of Cosgrove and clambered up to the towpath beside the Buckingham canal.  After a short stretch, the canal forked and we crossed, carefully, on the lock gate to follow the right branch, which soon came to an end.  Apparently, the canal was blocked at this point as a result of the building of the A5 bypass.  Since this seemed to be some way away, the rationale rather escaped the bemused Rotarians.

Continuing alongside the empty canal bed, we reached and crossed the A5 into Stony Stratford.  Two stiles (or more accurately fences) necessitated the infamous Lawrence leg-over but no lasting damage was caused.

We headed eastwards through the Country Park and back alongside the River Ouse to the 19C aqueduct, which carried the canal over the river.  This was in the process of repainting, but most members managed to resist the temptation to verify the wet paint notices.

Following the canal back to Cosgrove, we passed many narrow boats moored alongside, some in better condition than others. Certainly,