Sunday 13 October 2024

Looking for King Richard Autumn 2024 - Week 5



 Monday 7th October - Masters Bridge Rugby to Ansty


After a pleasant undisturbed night in Rugby we set off for a cruise to Ansty, again hoping to avoid the rain forecast for later in the day.  This is Newbold Tunnel, a short tunnel with a towpath that passes through the tunnel alongside the canal.




Dave happily steering the boat and taking a selfie at the same time, show off!

The Coventry and Oxford Canals are two of the oldest canals, and the North Oxford was originally a contour canal covering 43 miles of convoluted canal from Coventry to Napton.  Many of the meanders have been cut off and the canal straightened, leaving remnants of waterways which are now used as boatyards or private moorings.



We passed the land slip at Brinklow, February this year saw a massive land slip which closed the canal for several months to allow Canal and River Trust to clear the canal and stabilise the ground, the work that has been done looked very impressive.




This is Stretton Stop, formerly a point at which tolls were taken, and came into existence with the straightening of the canal, the old route of the canal is a boatyard now.  A swing bridge crosses the canal as the buildings are on both sides of the canal.





I think this is where one of the last loops of the original canal would have joined the straightened canal, the original loop goes under the railway and is now part of a golf course.  We arrived at Ansty and moored up before the rain started.  

9 miles, 0 locks, 3hrs 30mins








Tuesday 8th October - Ansty Visitor Moorings to Hawkesbury Junction



We left our mooring and headed towards the water point to top up the water.  Dave met Will and Henry, they were carrying out a habitat survey for the Grand Union Canal Transfer - bringing water from the Midlands to the Southeast.  The scheme will see canals in the Midlands used to move water to the southeast, providing thousands of homes and businesses with a reliable supply of drinking water.  We also asked them about the lack of sloes this winter, and they said it was a nature thing - an abundance one year will mean not so many the next and is a natural phenomenon.  No sloe gin this year then!


As we approached Hawkesbury Junction we passed this enormous electricity substation.  Alongside the edge of the canal are coir rolls held in place by stakes, these pre-planted coir rolls provide water voles with the perfect conditions, with sheltered burrowing sites and lush vegetation where they can forage and hide from predators.  So good to see this!



Here we are appproaching Hawkesbury Junction, we have come through the stop lock with a depth of 7 inches and are going to go under the bridge and turn through 180 degrees and head off up the Coventry Canal towards Fradley Junction.  
The alternative name, Sutton Stop, arises from the name of a family which provided several lock keepers there in the nineteenth century. In commercial carrying times, the junction was a major rendezvous for working boats awaiting orders for their next cargo from the many pits in the area. A stop lock on the Oxford Canal isolates the water levels of the two original canal companies, with the Oxford being a few inches higher.




The cast iron bridge over the actual junction of the two canals is a fine example of the Victorian engineer's art, and has a span of 15.2 m (50 ft). The bridge was cast at the Britannia Foundry in Derby, and was erected for the Coventry Canal Company in 1837, at a cost of £630.


The engine or pump house is a Grade II Listed Building, the lean-to at the rear is the oldest part and housed the first engine to be installed in 1821. Named "Lady Godiva", it was used to raise water into the canal from a stream flowing underneath. However, by 1837 this supply proved inadequate and a 35 m (114 ft) shaft was sunk and a new, more powerful engine installed alongside "Lady Godiva" in the handsome three-storey building which now fronts the canal.  In 1913 this water supply failed due to the sinking of the new Coventry Colliery and the engine house fell into disuse.

We continued up the canal and moored up for the evening at the top of the Visitor moorings.

4 miles, 1 lock, 2hrs 0mins


Wednesday 9th October - Hawkesbury Junction to below Bridge 8 - Burton Hastings




Today we continued along the Coventry Canal until we reached the junction with the Ashby Canal.  As we approached we sounded our horn and as we didn't get any response we carried on towards the turn.







Then a boat appeared through the bridge and we had to abort our turn, he then informed us there were two more boats behind him.





Fortunately for us, the lady on the bridge was from one of the boats and she made it possible for us to continue through the bridge.




Once through the bridge we passed the two boats on the wrong side but it was the only thing we could do, at least we were safely through and finally onto the Ashby Canal.  





We found a very pleasant and quiet mooring before the rain returned and spent some time repositioning the WiFi antennae on the roof of the boat.  We are hoping that we shall have better internet signal for the TV and phone calls.






Dave took Toby out for a walk between showers, but the ground is very soggy and they could only get a short distance.  Spot the boat in the distance!






Toby drinking from the canal, he is always given fresh water but he much prefers to drink from muddy puddles, streams and canals.  

5.75 miles, 0 locks, 2hrs 6mins









Thursday 10th October - Mill Bridge to Spinney Bank Farm Shop




A lovely sunny start to the day and we had a delightful cruise along the Ashby, big wide open skies and flat countryside.  In some cases you could see the next bridge in the distance.





We stopped for water at Hinckley, just beside the mile marker.  It tells us that we have travelled 5 miles and there are 25 miles to go to the end of the canal.  This isn’t strictly correct as the last few miles of the canal are no longer in water and we can only get as far as Snarestone, about 22 miles.  There is a small length of canal still in water going into Moira which is the end of the canal





The fields are very water logged, this one was like a lake in its own right!  We moored up at Bridge 23, where there is a Farmshop and visited the shop to stock up on supplies.  We then decided that we wouldn’t bother moving again and stayed there for the night.





We were fortunate, as the conditions were right to just see the Northern Lights over the bridge.  The slight green tint to the skyline changed to blue and orange.  Very exciting!

5.5 miles, 0 locks, 2 hrs 42mins










Friday 11th October - Bridge 23 to Market Bosworth

We woke to the first frost of the season, followed by mist rising from the canal and then the most glorious warm sunshine, perfect condition for an autumn cruise.







A lovely little mooring, tucked off the canal in a private tiny arm with its own pontoon, how idyllic!






The leaves are definitely beginning to turn now, stunning against the brilliant blue sky.





One of three incidents today, fortunately the boat wasn’t going too fast and was able to back up so that I could go through the bridge.  However another boat was going so fast that he grounded himself when he had to go into fast reverse!  This canal is so beautiful that it demands you take your time to enjoy it.  We moored up at the end of Market Bosworth Visitor Moorings and went for a stroll into the village. 




We passed this railway station.  
The Battlefield Line is the last remaining part of the former Ashby and Nuneaton Joint Railway which was opened in 1873. It runs from Shackerstone via Market Bosworth to Shenton in Leicestershire and is operated by the Shackerstone Railway Society.  On its open days it runs steam and diesel trains along the 5 mile stretch.




So good to see traditional crafts still being worked.  The front roof of the cottage has been completely replaced and the back is being top dressed.  It has taken the craftsmen 3 weeks so far and likely to take another 3 to complete.  It will look amazing when finished.





Market Bosworth square, a small medieval market town, Market Bosworth is steeped in a rich heritage and a legacy association with the Battle of Bosworth Field and more recently the Richard III trail.  We treated ourselves to delicious looking patisserie from Maison Rose in the square.


6.5 miles, 0 locks, 2hrs 42mins






Saturday 12th October - Market Bosworth to Shackerstone

After a cold drizzly start we decided to move on but the weather was still against us.  




The dark skies threatened rain at any moment, so we decided to pull over at Shackerstone and stop there for the night.  Just beyond the canal there was a field full of sunflowers, some still in bloom.must have been quite a sight during the summer.




We moored up at Shackerstone as the rain started, a peaceful mooring with just one other boat up the canal from us.  We had seen and heard the steam from a steam train whilst we were cruising, so were delighted to see that the steam train was running from Shackerstone to Shenton during the day and doing a ‘fish and chip supper’ this evening as a special. This was sold out according to the website.







We walked along the canal and up the footpath to the station crossing the River Sense as we did, the same river that flooded the fields when we were at Wistow on our way back from Leicester.






This is John, the station master, who sold us platform tickets for £1 each so we could visit the tearoom and watch the train arriving.  Well worth every penny!







A roaring coal fire, it did make the room look and feel very cosy even if a lot of the heat went up the chimney!



Steam engine 5199 arriving pulling 5 carriages.  We watched as the passengers disembarked, the engine uncoupled so that it could be coaled up for the evening’s fish and chip supper trip, then move to the other end of the train where it recoupled up and then pulled the train off again on its last journey of the afternoon.  It was a real treat to see and even better as it was a surprise.  I would highly recommend a visit if you are in this area.






A beautiful orange tree at the end of the footpath as we walked back to the boat.


3.5 miles, 0 locks, 1hr 24mins








Sunday 13th October - Shackerstone to Snarestone

A lazy start this morning and a very gentle cruise through to the end of the navigable part of the canal.  Snarestone tunnel was only short, 250yds, but decidedly crooked and certainly not safe for boats to pass each other.

We arrived at the terminus and put on water in front of the swing bridge which is temporarily closed at the moment due to known badger activity.  Once we had put on water we turned the boat round and moored up on the last available spot.  The boat in the photo, third from the right is ‘Calisto’ Mark on the fuel boat we shared locks with in Braunston.  He has gone back to his home mooring at Foxton and is waiting to load up this boat ready for his return trip.


We went for a walk down the closed off canal. This is Snarestone Pump House, built
 in the early 1890s by Hinckley Urban District Council for fresh water supply for Hinckley, the site made use of an existing coal exploration shaft. Later taken over by Leicester City Council, it was initially converted to electric operation, but subsequently closed completely. The buildings remain intact and have been converted to residential use.






This is the work being done to address the damage caused by badgers burrowing through the canal bank.  In order to reduce the risk of a major breach of the canal, they are filling metal cages with rocks and installing new metal piling to deter the badgers.







As we walked along the disused canal bed we could clearly see prints in the mud, possibly badger? 





Walking along beside the canal we could see several of these runs made by badgers as they cross the open ground, they disappeared into the hedgerows on either side and further up we found evidence of these runs entering a wooded area where the badger sett could be.






Back along the canal we could see evidence of burrows opposite where the work is being carried out.




In the distance we could see a pumpkin farm, a bright orange splash against the autumn colours.

3 miles, 0 locks, 1hr 42mins








Sunday 6 October 2024

Looking for King Richard Autumn Cruise - Week 4

 Monday 30th September - Foxton to Welford

Today we have another canal ‘first’ for us.  We have made an on-line shop with Sainsbury and asked to have it delivered to Gumley Road Bridge just behind where we moored.  We know that many boaters do this so we thought we would give it a go - and yes the driver arrived, Dave packed up the goods and the driver helped him carry it down onto the canal towpath.  How amazing is that?



Once sorted and packed away, we set out on a longish cruise to Welford.  We passed a pair of boats, engine and butty, moored up together so a narrow passage to get through.


The heron in the photo was on the towpath and took off just ahead of us several times and I finally managed to catch it on camera.



The Laughton Hills behind us, but shrouded in mist, it was a drizzly sort of day, enough to get nicely damp!

North Kilworth Wharf where we pulled in for diesel and to replace an empty gas canister.  They have a small fleet of hire boats and John said they were doing ok with their bookings.  The space was too small for us to moor in so there was a lot of shuffling back and forwards to get stern in for diesel and bow in for gas, but John was brilliant and did the gas bottle for us.



The turning for the Welford Arm, left off the main canal.  The short stretch of canal known as the Welford Arm was one of the last canals to be built, completed in 1814. It was created as a feeder canal, drawing water from three reservoirs to feed water to the main Grand Union Canal.  In the early 1800s, the area primarily relied on agriculture but the canal allowed a growth in business opportunities. Welford Wharf supplied local people with coal and wool, whilst locally-sourced produce could be “exported” to other parts of the country.




There is one lock on the Welford Arm with a rise of 3’6”.  We arrived down near Welford Marina and turned the boat in the 70’ winding hole, I then reversed the boat down the arm to the first set of visitor moorings, about a quarter of a mile, we slotted into a neat little mooring and stayed for the night.  Unfortunately phone reception and WiFi were non-existent, so a quiet evening listening to the radio.

8.75 miles, 1 lock 4hrs 12mins.



Tuesday 1st October - Welford to Clay Barn Bridge

We decided to move on today even though it was quite wet and a little windy.  




This was the stretch of canal I reversed down yesterday afternoon, in the distance is the small boat we were moored in front of with a solo boater and the most gorgeous husky dog



Concentrating on bringing the boat into the side as there was another boat using the lock ahead of us.  



Waiting on the lock landing for the other boat to exit and pass me before I can get into the lock.  At this stage it began to rain properly and Dave took over the driving and I went below and cleaned the kitchen.  We eventually stopped quite close to Yelvertoft so the phone and WiFi signals are much better.

7.75 miles, 1 lock, 3hrs 24mins




Wednesday 2nd October - Clay Barn Bridge to Crick

A much drier start to the day, so we set off from our mooring and headed towards Crick.  Unfortunately the drizzle set in once again and we travelled in light to heavy drizzle all the way.


We arrived at Crick and moored just after the first entrance to Crick marina.  Once it had stopped raining we took a walk into the village.  We were fascinated by this huge mast with numerous aerials on what seemed to be a mobile trolley, I wonder what that’s all about?



On our way back we checked out the facilities which we shall use when we leave tomorrow morning.  
We are having a few problems with our batteries, they are now 7 years old and are not able to stay charged overnight, so in the morning we have a flat bank of batteries and need to run the engine to top them up.  We have been in touch with an electrician who works with many of the marinas in the area, and this afternoon he was at Yelvertoft Marina and called in to see us later in the afternoon.  He confirmed that the batteries needed replacing and we have booked him to sort this out for us in the New Year.  In the meantime we carry on doing what we are doing and all should be well.



4.25 miles, 0 locks, 1hr 45mins

Thursday 3rd October - Crick to Norton Junction





A brilliant start to the morning, sunrise over Crick Marina, absolutely stunning!






We left our mooring and headed off to the facilities, we had to wait whilst another boat was filling up with water, and we took the opportunity to wipe down the solar panels and clear the roof of the leaves brought down by the wind and rain.






Dave driving the boat through Crick Tunnel, it was rather wet in the tunnel as seen by the drips on his sweater and in the distance you can see the headlight of a boat following us.  It has been a long time since Dave felt confident enough to drive the boat through a tunnel so I felt it deserved a photo to celebrate!



We arrived at the top of Watford Locks and joined a queue of boats waiting to go down the flight.  We are number 4 of 6 boats waiting!  We both spent sometime browsing in the book exchange and came away with some interesting novels. Toby had several walks up and down the locks and after 2 hours waiting we were ready to go!




At last, into the top lock we go and 40 minutes later we had completed the flight and continued on our way to the junction where we turned right towards Braunston.  We tucked in on the end of a line of moored boats and enjoyed the sunshine.


 


Our view for the evening, looking out over open fields, blue skies and sunshine.







5 miles, 7 locks, 2hrs 30mins + 2hrs waiting

Friday 4th October - Norton Junction to Braunston







Another glorious sunrise from Norton Junction and across the fields.  Slightly misty this morning but the sun soon came out and heralded a lovely sunny dy.







Blue sky behind trees beginning to change colour with the change of season, the shades of green, orange and brown are beautiful.


Approaching Braunston Tunnel and in the distance is the headlight of a boat coming towards us.  Unfortunately the light was incredibly bright which meant that the glare of the headlight and the glare from the water made it very difficult to judge the position of the boat and contact was made.  The male driver then shouted at me that my light was wrongly positioned!  Oh dear!




At the first lock we joined up with Mark on Star Line fuel boat ‘Calisto’.  Here we are entering a lock side by side, so brilliant when it works well!  He also sold us some coal and kindling straight onto the roof of our boat without carrying it!  Mark talked about the boat that hit me and complained about the halogen lights being so bright, saying that he didn't go into the tunnel until the boat was clear because he finds it difficult to judge the position of their boat and he might hit them.  So, was it my fault we hit each other?







The locks in Braunston were quite busy, this is Ella and ‘Calisto’ behind me passing another boat going into the lock we have just left.




We moored up in our favourite mooring above the last lock and I went to get some fresh bread from ‘The Boat Shop’. Clare took over the running of the shop a month ago and is gradually bringing in various improvements, we treated ourselves to new sweatshirts with ‘Braunston Grand Union canal’ written on them, very smart!  Well worth a visit if you are ever up this way.

3.5 miles, 4 locks, 2hrs 30mins







Saturday 5th October - Braunston to Hillmorton Top Lock




Before we set off this morning we were very excited to see ‘Minuet’ pass us on its way up the locks.  We owned shares in ‘Minuet’ before we bought ‘Ella’. She is still looking very smart. 





We went down the last lock with another boat which had moored behind us last night.  Strangely enough as he came into the lock he lost all power and couldn't move backwards or forwards.  The volunteer lock keepers pulled him into the side once out of the lock and Braunston Carrying Co. were going to have a look at the engine for them.






At Braunston turn we moored up at the chandlers and bought some waterproof grease for the hinges on the gas locker and weed hatch.  Then we carried on up the North Oxford Canal past Barby Moorings with the three alpacas grazing near the entrance.







There is a line of boats as you pass Barby Moorings, quite pleasant in line moorings but quite narrow and it was made more difficult by these two boats breasted up doing some repair work.  





This line of buildings are the opposite side to Hillmorton Wharf, possibly buildings associated with the loading, unloading and storage of goods during the trading era, but now transformed into atttractive dwellings.





Passing under a bridge, we could see that it had been painted with pictures depicting the history of the game of Rugby, although they have faded badly.




This is ‘Badsey’ moored outside the Cafe of the same name and has recently been bought by Richard from Roach coalboats.





Looking up the locks from the bottom set of locks.  They are narrow locks and there are three pairs of 2 parallel locks.  The locks were designed to act as mutual side ponds, with a paddle between the locks enabling water to be transferred from one chamber to that adjacent, thereby saving water. Although no longer operational the winding gear can still be seen between the locks today.

8.25 miles, 1 lock, 3hrs 30mins





Sunday 6th October - Hillmorton Top Lock to Masters Bridge, Rugby

Today we are going down the three locks and straight onto Rugby.   We hope to moor up, go and do some shopping, Tesco and retail as there are some things we need to replace.




First of the locks and we were lucky as there was a boat coming out so it was ready for us.  An easy drop down passing 2 other boats on the way.  These locks are meant to be the busiest set of locks on the network, with around 9,000 boats passing through in a year.




Passing over an aqueduct over The River Avon, it is 85 miles long and rises from a spring in Naseby, Northamptonshire and is the same River Avon that flows through Stratford Upon Avon.





We found a pleasant mooring before the main bridge and Dave did the Tesco shop before lunch and we visited the retail park in the afternoon.  


3 miles, 3 locks, 2hrs 6mins







Looking for King Richard Autumn 2024 - Week 5

  Monday 7th October - Masters Bridge Rugby to Ansty After a pleasant undisturbed night in Rugby we set off for a cruise to Ansty, again hop...