Dadlington

 The Plan yes there is one of sorts and it can be found at  
https://canalplan.uk/journey/15105_cp  but of course that may change.

I had to walk to  the nearest post box this morning so it was 10am before we got away. C&RT contractors are still working on the piling opposite the entrance to the Ashby canal, they had just started last time we passed in April, It looks as if they are just attaching the top fendering now. Even with the work boat there, there is more room than you think, turning into the Ashby from the north is the easy bit. It must look quite intimidating as you noise out of the junction.

There use to be a stop lock as soon as you turned into the Ashby Canal but that was taken out of use many years ago, but in its place half way down the old lock chamber The British Waterways Board known as BWB installed a lifting stop gate to be used if ever there was a breach on the Ashby canal to save losing water from the Coventry canal. The northern end of the Ashby canal was very prone to mining subsidence which is why the present terminus is at Snarestone.

The Ashby Canal Trust  are at the moment refurbishing all the mile posts that require attentions, so some are nice and bright like this one, where as a few are all black still awaiting the white highlighting. This one is 5 miles from the junction with the Coventry Canal and 20 miles from what will be the terminus when restoration of the northern end is complete

We stopped for water by the above mile marker and by then we had already met 6 boats, while we were taking water 5 came past us as well as a couple more towards us. This canal is nowhere near as quiet as it use to be and in the 10 miles we have covered we have probably met 20 boat and as its only 4pm I expect there will be more. We moored for the night on a shortish length of piling at Dadlington, this is just beyond the visitor mooring by the road at Stoke Golding which were quite full. Since we have been here another boat has joined us, hopefully this evening when its quiet we will see some Water Vole.
The weather, in a couple of words, hot and sunny.

Todays Journey 10.2 miles, no locks in 4¾ hours