We saw our first feral mink today.

Sorry, I know the picture looks a bit like the Loch Ness Monster, but I didn’t have time to fetch the good camera. It swam across the canal and back when we were waiting for a lock to fill and then climbed up and crossed the towpath. Yes, they are a nasty invasive species driving the water vole to extinction, but it’s still cool to see one in the wild.

We are going downhill now, and we teamed up with another boat, Daydream, for the cruise to Leighton Buzzard. Daydream has bow thrusters and I have bow thruster envy. Most of the time you don’t need bow thrusters to maneuver, but if you are hit by the wind or a current from a side weir, they can save you some embarrassment.

Today we also logged first thatched cottage, and our first cows in a while.

I know you want to know, why is the town called Leighton Buzzard, and not, say Leighton Eagle, or Leighton Vulture? In the 12th century the Dean of Lincoln had two villages called Lecton in his diocese. To avoid confusion he decided they are named Lecton Busar and Lecton Bromswold, after the local prebendary for each town. As for the duties of a prebendary, your guess is as good as mine, but the probably include scrottage, nummington, and probing-in-ordinary. Lecton Busar was not content to remain Lecton Busar. Over the years it has been Lecton Busard, Leythton Busard, Leytone Bosset, Leighton Beaudesert, Laiton Busard, and Layton Bussard.

There has been a market here for a thousand years or so, and the main shopping streets are flourishing today.

Yes, that is a Pizza Express in the old fire station. More interestingly, some of the bollards have yellow frogs on them.

The market square is dominated by a 15th century cross…

…and a 19th century battle swan.

However, probably the best thing about Leighton Buzzard are the gargoyles on the church.