Discovering Brindley's Grand Cross: A Spanish Diversion

Three weeks in a Long Narrowboat

A blog of our adventures exploring the English Midlands aboard NB Eleanor. Our three week cruise commences from Clifton Wharf near Rugby. The planned route takes us north west past Coventry, Tamworth and Lichfield to Stafford then south to Worcester passing Wolverhampton and Kidderminster. The return voyage heads north east up the famous Tardebigge Flight of locks towards the outskirts of Birmingham before turning east down the Hatton Flight through Warwickshire passing Warwick and Royal Leamington Spa then returning to Rugby via Braunston - heart of the English canal system.

Saturday, 27 August 2016

A Spanish Diversion - Barcelona (part 2)

We have a couple of pics to share that were taken on the final day in Barcelona.

The Barcelona Metropolitan Cathedral Basilica was built on top of the foundations of the early Christian basilica. The works began in 1298 and were almost finished mid-fifteenth century.

Barcelona Metropolitan Cathedral Basilica

In the late nineteenth century, the Barcelona industrialist Manuel Girona Agrafel offered to cover the work of the facade and its two lateral towers. The work was carried out according to plans that already had drawn in the fifteenth century. The construction of the dome was finally completed in 1913.

Crypt of Santa Eulalia

Chorus

The cathedral has a Gothic cloister in which thirteen white geese live in memory of Saint Eulalia who was thirteen years old when she was executed during Roman times.

Gothic cloister and resident white geese

I have never seem a cathedral with so many Chapels each as richly decorated as those on either side.

Cathedral showing some of the Chapels in the background

A magnificent pipe organ has pride of place above the Portal of San Ivo though sadly the presence of a small electonic organ in the Chorus suggests that it only gets played for special occasions.

Organ

The District of Sants-Montjuïc features the very impressive Plaça Espanya including the Palau Nacional which is the Museum of Catalan Art at the tip of Montjuïc.

Placa Espanya with Centre Comercial Arenes de Barcelona (former Bullring)

The main attraction of the Plaça Espanya is the Palau Nacional which is the Museum of Catalan Art at the tip of Montjuïc (the etymology of Montjuic is the " Mount of the Jews " supposedly medieval Catalan and motivated by the existence of Jewish cemetery in the mountains).

We were advised that the best time to appreciate its beauty is at night when illuminated with the Magic Fountain in front. This incedibly generous water display was built for the 1929 Great Universal Exhibition. Sadly we missed the Magic Fountain show but have a photo to illuistrate what we missed.

Magic Fountain / Waterfall location (at sunset)

Magic Fountain show at night

Waterfall operating below the Magic Fountain

That's it for today.

The Skipper

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The Route

From Clifton Wharf we'll travel northwest on the Oxford Canal to Hawkesbury Junction, then travel northwest on the Coventry Canal to Fazeley Junction, then northwest on the Birmingham and Fazeley Canal to Fradley Junction, then northwest on the Trent and Mersey Canal to Great Haywood Junction.

From Great Haywood Junction we'll travel southwest on the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal to Autherley Junction, then south to Aldersley Junction, then south to Stourton Junction, then south to Stourport (the entry to the River Severn).

We'll then head south on the River Severn to Worcester, then travelling northeast on the Worcester and Birmingham Canal to King's Norton Junction.

The Round Birmingham Ring then heads southeast on the Stratford Canal to Kingswood Junction.

Our cruise then follows the Grand Union Canal to Napton Junction before heading northeast to Braunston Turn.

Finally we travel north on the Oxford Canal back to Clifton Wharf.

Narrowboat Basics

Narrowboats are 6 feet 10 inches wide and modern vessels are all made entirely of steel. The maximum length is about 72 feet (22 m), which matches the length of the shortest locks on the majority of the system. Modern narrowboats tend to be shorter, to permit cruising anywhere on the connected network.

Modern narrowboats are generally defined by two design features, the type of stern and the location of the galley/saloon.

Type of Stern

There are three main types of stern on narrowboats, traditional, cruiser and semi-traditional.

The Traditional Stern is the smallest stern area offering the least external space, and stems from traditional working boats. Ideal for live aboard, as it gives more room inside for living.

The Cruiser Stern style of stern offer a large expanse of external space, ideal for recreational cruising. An ideal holiday boat has a back deck of between 4-8 Feet in length, providing ample space on the back for several people to stand or sit and take in the scenery together.

A Semi-Traditional Stern produces a compromise between traditional and cruiser; these boats have the looks of a traditional stern craft but with the space of a cruiser stern.

Location of the Galley/Saloon

The vast majority of narrowboats until a few years ago were designed with the kitchen/living area at the front, bathroom in the centre and the bedrooms at the stern. One possible explanation why boats generally have the bedroom/s at the rear and saloons at the front is simply because that layout is a evolution of the original working boats.

There are a number of practical reasons for having this traditional configuration including the protrusion of the swim in traditional stern vessels and the location of the gas tanks in the bow gas locker area, but in recent times the "Reverse Configuration" has become popular. Many hirers and owners prefer to have the kitchen closer to the tiller.

Three weeks in a Long Narrowboat

Saturday, 27 August 2016

A Spanish Diversion - Barcelona (part 2)

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