Foxton

Last night we ate at the Waterfront, the place was packed but we had a good meal and service was much better than I expected.

We moored up just after lunch yesterday and a little later a boat moored ahead of us, so had also cruised for at least a couple of hours. Like us they went to town and returned about 4 pm.they then ran their engine for a bit , they did this 4 times between 4 and 7-30 pm when we went out so we don’t know if they did it again after that.
This morning we were off at 10am for very slow, misty chug to Foxton as we had booked Sunday lunch at Black Horse. I hopped off to work the swing bridge as Diana found it rather heavy.
A question for all the gardeners out there.What do you do with all the leaves that you have picked up from a quarter acre lawn?
About a mile outside Market Harborough the Old Union Junction Canal society have some mooring One of the boats there is a fiberglass narrowboat. This is only the forth one I have ever seen.

Between bridges 11 and 12 the water is jet black and smelly, I do wonder if sewage is entering the canal along here. But then maybe the reed growth is very good at neutralising it

As we approached the old bone factory, I don’t know if that is what they still do? we had a Kite keep us company, unfortunately most shots were against the light sky. On The Black Horse web page they warn that service may be a bit slow to some people being on holiday, if this was slow service I would love to see them running at normal speed, probably wouldn’t have time to eat your meal. Being Sunday we had roast beef with all the bits.
We returned to the boat about 3pm to carry on to moor at the bottom of the locks. It was then that I discovered the domestic alternator not working, so I spent till 5pm fitting old spare which didn’t didn’t fire up, so a job for tomorrow

Todays journey 5 miles in 2 hours no locks

Market Harborough

As we only had a short way to go today we were slightly later getting away, although I was awake early thanks to a Woodpecker, not pecking wood, but calling  every now and then.
It was a glorious sunny day as we made our way to the terminus, again I suspect raw sewage is entering the canal as we went through a section where it was jet black, smelly and froth making.Between here and the terminus we passed 3 lady standup paddleboarders, I saw them later at the basin and asked how far they had gone, but they had stopped short of the black water. One of the fields we passed had a couple of groups of horses just standing in the sun.

We winded in the basin and then took the first available mooring on the arm before having lunch and then walking into town for shopping, we also booked a table at The Water Front for later this evening, it seems a very busy venue.

Today’s Journey
5¼ miles, no locks, 2¼ hours

Foxton

We woke to the sound of the base plate on the gravel, when we moored last night we were about 8” from the bank so the level must have risen an inch or so and the wind was moving us around.
At Welford Junction we turn left towards the top or Foxton Locks out target for the day. It wasn't long before we were passing the entrance of North Kilworth marina. The marina covers quite an area and unlike the normal open pools this one has islands and canal so looking in the entrance you see very little.

The next point of interest was Husbands Bosworth tunnel where about 200 yards from the far end we met the first boat of the day. Funny I remembered this tunnel as being one way, not two.
This year has been the best I can ever remember for sloes and there are still loads of good sized ones on the bushes , very visible now the leaves have fallen.

A little further on the towpath is in a very poor state of repair , I don’t know how long this temporary walkway has been in use, it doesn’t look fresh.

Our plan was to moor close to the top of the locks tonight and run down in the morning but as we approached bridge 60 we could see a long line of moored boats so we pulled in before we reached them.
We had lunch and as it was still early so we decided to go down the locks this afternoon. I stopped at the top of the locks and Diana walked down to find the Volockie, it turned out that not only was there a boat going down ahead of us, but there was also one coming up and they had just passed between locks 12 and 13, so we had a short wait before we could start our decent. We were the fifth boat to

travel  the flight today and as we left the bottom lock they put the chains on. It was just turned 3pm. We turned right and passed through the pedestrian swing bridge, Diana found this quite heavy and I had to give her a hand to fully close it, you cant get your key back if its not properly closed. We moored for the night at the first section of piling we came to after the bridge.
Today’s Journey

9 miles 10 locks in 4 hours

GU Leicester Line bridge 39

A bit duller today, but dry with a stiff cool breeze. Just as we were pushing off a boat came through the bridge behind, so being the gentleman I am I waited until he passed, It may have been polite but pointless as his wife was walking the dogs and he pulled over a short way up the cut for them to get back on, where I passed him.
For as long as I can remember there has been a boat in the field by the winding hole at Crick and its still there, it looks like a Springer to me.

We stopped for water at bridge 19 where the boat with the dogs passed us before we had finished filling up. A little further on we passed this moored boat with an interesting bow fender.

It wasn’t long before we started to catch the boat with dogs as he travelled quite a bit slower than us and it was some distance before he could pull over to the towpath side and wave me by.
The highlight of the trip was when I spotted this little chap pop out of the water and sit in a bush, thankfully he was obliging in not flying away.

We carried on just past bridge 39 where the canal turns to face north west so we are sheltered from the wind by the hedge.

Todays Journey

9½ miles no locks in 3¾ hours

Crick

Steve got in touch with me with some information about the old hat factory at Atherstone and it seems there are some grand plans for it. Its Grade 2 listed https://hct-homes.co.uk/development/britannia-works-mill-atherstone/ .

Last night we ate at The Boat House as we were moored on their doorstep, it’s had bit of a revamp since we last visited both décor and menu.
This morning we set of in bright sun and thankfully didn’t have any rain bit the cloud did come an go.

Needless to say the Braunston flight was against us, no one to share with and no one coming down. Part way up the flight we passed Sharpness on her moorings, most of the pounds were down a bit, the bottom one by about 500mm. Nick Wolfe was moored above the locks, it looks as if he may have gone into flower transport.

We had a clean run through the tunnel not meeting anyone. At Norton Junction we turned left and passed the first CRT winter moorings we have seen. There was no queue at Watford Locks and Diana walked up and found the lady Volockie who gave us the OK to start up the flight, she walked down to meet us setting locks on the way. Below the lock I can only assume this is a victim of Avion flu.

We made good speed up the locks met by another lady Volockie half way up.
We had planed to moor between the top of the locks and the tunnel entrance, but with the wind direction we found the M1 a bit noisy so pushed on through the tunnel meeting one boat with a LED headlight. Once clear of the tunnel we carried on a bit and moored opposite the marina.

Todays Journey

9½ miles 13 locks in 5¼ Hours

Braunston

We set off at our normal 10am in bright sun, and light winds, within 10 minutes the rain coats were on and they stayed that way, we had a real mixture, light wind, light rain, heavy rain and strong wind with a touch of sun shine now and again.
It wasn’t long before we could see where the coir sausages were being used, they are tucked in behind this wooden piling and then planted with reeds. This was about half way to Hillmorton Locks.
All three locks were with us and as we entered the first the first squall hit us. With the traffic coming towards us we were able to leave all top gates open. The new housing development on the bind just prior to the railway is still on going with lots of places up for sale still.

It looks as if the wet docks just past The Waterside pub, with lots of work going on between there and Hillmorton Wharf, one boat in the wet dock and two moored outside the dock

We continued on past Barby Straight to get hit with yet a bigger squall. We called in at Dunchurch Pools to fill with diesel, turning round to come into the fuelling pontoon was interesting. As we left the weather started to improve  and we moored outside The Boat House at Braunston in sunshine.
Braunston has always been know as a black hole for mobile reception, well things have changed, this is my internet connection.

Today’s Journey

      8¼ miles, 3 locks in 3½ hours

Rugby Golf Course

As soon as we left this morning it started to rain and did that on and off all day. about a mile outside Ansty the canal started to turn black reaching its darkest by bridge 24, I suspect this is due to sewage entering the canal around the area of bridge 24, so an incident report on its way to CRT and maybe the EA, I am not expecting a reply. As we approached Rose Narrowboats  we passed this flat belonging to The Rothen Group loaded with coir sausages and loads of water plants, I am surprised they feel these are necessary on the Oxford Canal.

As the rain had stopped for a bit we decided to pull in and fill with water, while the tank was filling I crossed the canal and opened the swing bridge for an approaching boat. I was surprised to find a spanking new bridge, well balanced that could be swung with just one finger, how different to the old one with all the weights on the tail. We chugged on in the rain, very light but we still needed coats.
There were only 2 boats on the full length of the Newbold Visitor moorings, unlike Rugby which was packed. As we crossed the aqueduct between Rugby and Clifton Cruisers what looks like a pristine lawn is actually weed on the old mill pond.

It looks as if Clifton Cruisers have knocked the building behind the diesel pump where they use to do boat repairs and built a new shop selling aquariums and equipment. They have also removed overhead canopy that use to be mounted on the front of the brick building, could it be they are turning their back on boat work?
Our target for tonight was Hillmorton Locks, but as we only plane to get to Braunston tomorrow we stopped slightly short by the golf course for the night, as far from the railway as possible.

Todays Journey

10¾ miles, no locks in 4½ hours

Ansty Visitor Moorings

This morning I crawled out of bed and it was thick fog, so I crawled back in for a but.
Last night I said we moored just through the turnover bridge, some of you may be wondering why there is a turn over bridge when the towpath continues on the east side of the canal all the way to Coventry. You have to look a few hundred yards north to the old Griff Arm, now disused. The tow path was on the south of the arm and at the junction continued down to the turnover bridge for the horses to join the main towpath to Coventry or Fazeley, as can be seen by this map from Waterway Routes.

We could hear fireworks up until about half ten last night but we couldn’t see any, this was probably due to the giant new warehouse we were moored next to, surprisingly we did get a TV reception but aerial orientation was critical. the building is huge and the earth embankment that it stands on looks to be supported by green sand bags.

We made our way down to Charity Dock and here is a sight not many have ever seen, its the entrance to the dry dock, everyone knows it’s there but few have seen it.

I hoped off the boat in the narrows just before Hawkesbury junction to walk across and set the stop lock ready for Diana as she brought Harnser round the 180° junction turn.
We now left the Coventry Canal and were on the North Oxford Canal.
One of the things we noticed was the number of men out lure fishing  between the junction and Coventry Cruising Club and most of them had what looked like an ID card on a ribbon round their necks. We have often seen the odd one or two fishing like this but not the sort of numbers we saw today.
It was interesting that CRT appear to has cut the reeds along the edge of the towpath along the canal, it must be part of the new vegetation management contract.

We planned to moor at the Ansty Visitor Moorings tonight, I wish we had moored slightly earlier as we ended up mooring in a good rain shower started less than 5 minutes earlier.

Todays Journey

7 miles 1 lock in 2¾ hours.

Nuneaton

The weather forecast wasn’t too good for this morning with rain, thankfully it stopped before we set off at 10am and stayed away until lock 3 where we had about 10 minutes of it.
The first four locks were in our favour as was one of the top five, so that’s just over half. Lock 6 is a bit unusual as it has an iron guard rail running the length of the lock to protect the lock edge from the towing line when horses towed the boats. I am surprised its not been removed as a tripping hazard.

We stopped at the top of the locks to get a few essentials from town, but once back on board had lunch on the move, its the soup season again.
The old factory in Atherstone is looking very sad these days.

At Mancetter we passed The Rothen Group’s yard where I was going to say the ex working boat Archimedes, but its not ex anymore, is sat looking very splendid.

We carried on and were surprised by the colour of the water we encountered which changed suddenly back to the normal grey just after Anchor Bridge, it was a very pink shade of brown.

As we approached Nuneaton one of the houses backing onto the towpath have third to brighten their boundary wall up.

This was just before the allotments, I know today is November 5th. and bonfire night but we counted 12 bonfires on the allotments, most of the smouldering, smoky heaps. I an glad I didn’t live opposite or even that moored boat on the right.

We carried on through Nuneaton and moored by bridge 18 opposite the new giant warehouse, I may be able to get a photo when we are further away.

Todays Journey.

9¾ miles, 9 locks in 4¾ hours

Atherstone flight

We set off from home a bit earlier than normal as the alarm which was set for yesterday morning went off again this morning. Thankfully the weather was far, far better than yesterday and apart from getting held up for 15 minutes on the M6 where that had just finished recovering a broken down HGV.
Once at Alvecote we went into the Samuel Barlow pub and found Mathew to pay our years mooring. The pub is now open again on restricted hours.

Once we had our invoice it was off to unload the car and have a bit of lunch before setting off in bright sunshine at quarter to two. The canal was quite busy and we did meet another boat on the move, as the afternoon progressed the weather actually got even better but by the time we reached the bottom of Atherstone Locks it was turning chilly. We did two locks and then moored for the night at about 4pm.

Today’s Journey

5 miles 2¼ hours with 2 locks