Weedon Bec

After lunch we took ourselves off down the towpath, found a hole in the hedge which lead us down some steps.

At the bottom of the steps we discovered for the first time some boaters bins to disgard any rubbish which is handy. We walked under the canal and took a right along the Nene Way footpath, which took us to the cSt Peter and St Paul church. 

The church I think is incredibly pretty, it has a Norman tower and is hemmed in and overlooked from both the Grand Union Canal embankment and the West Coast Main Line viaduct. The main part of the church was built in around 1825, with the chancel being built in 1863. Hopefully I may get to look inside over the weekend.

We walked under the railway bridge and into the heart of a very pretty little village with some old properties. Our aim was to find the village hall and playing field which is where the fete is being held.

We found the village hall and grounds which are bare right now but tomorrow that will all change.

It was then back into the village.

Near to the canal is the former Napoleonic War era Military Ordnance Depot.  There are eight original storehouses arranged in two lines on each side of a branch of the canal which once was connected to the Grand Union Canal located a short distance away.  The connection to the canal has long since been filled in and in fact a new housing estate has been built since our last visit, where the barracks used to be.

The Grand Junction Canal reached the village of Weedon in 1796. With the Napoleonic wars in Europe, this  encouraged the English government to set up a military supply depot, but it was decided to set it up well away from the coast so there was no risk of Napoleon getting his hands on its contents. 

The branch of the canal entered the Depot under a portcullis at its eastern end. It was set in a building known as the East Lodge integrated in a high brick perimeter wall. When the railway was built, it too had a branch into the depot. 

There were also a Barracks in the village, holding a standing battalion, plus a troop of cavalry and a troop of horse artillery. The main part of the barracks was demolished in the 1950's. It is nice to see that the depot is still in use for storage and light industry. It is a shame that the public cannot walk through to see the canal and the buildings though.

The Plume of Feathers is looking for a new owner.

It was lovely to walk through the village again and to see only a few changes. On walking back to the boat, we met up with Sharon and Lew on NB Midsummer and Jacquie and Stein on NB Like Ducks 2 Water. We stood and had a lovely natter with them all. The last time we saw Jacquie and Stein was in Braunston last Christmas, when they were new to the canals. They are still loving every minute of their time on the water.

Back on the boat, it was time for a coffee and a chance to put my feet up whilst browsing the blogs.