Full Circle

From Loughborough we travelled 9 miles up the River Soar to arrive back at Trent End, the junction between the Trent, Soar and Erewash Canal.  It had taken 46 days to complete the ring and we both agreed it had been a very good trip. 

The weather had turned and as we didn't have any more low bridges to encounter we were glad to keep the wheelhouse up.  We turned west and headed back to Shardlow for the weekend as Nic, Gaz, Shaun and Laura and the kids were coming to see us. 

Shaun and Laura brought their new pup, Teddy a 10 week old chihuahau lapso cross who was adorable.  His tiny size and long soft fur hid a sharp set of teeth as Kev found to his cost when Teddy bit his nose!  

Teddy 

We drove over to the Ragley Boat Stop, the pub whose moorings we used on the Trent and Mersey Canal.   We all had an excellent meal but Shaun found the 48 ounce steak a bit on the large side.  

Heavy rain was bringing up the river levels as we headed north and although the flood locks were shut the indicator boards still showed we were safe to proceed.  Luckily the lockies are manning the electric locks on the Trent until the end of the month so we didn't have to operate them ourselves.   The sun came out when we moored at Hazelford Island so we enjoyed a walk into the nearby village of Fiskerton.

Hazelford Weir taken from the footbridge across the river.  Hazelford Lock is on the left, the white mooring bollards can be seen at the top of the bank. 

At Newark Sarah came to visit us.  Sarah & I enjoyed  a walk round the town and making some purchases in Boyes' haberdashery.   Sarah has tempted me with a challenge - to write a 50,000 word novel in November for the National Novel Writing Month.  Sarah and I have signed up and are giving our plots some thought.  If anyone is tempted to have a go the website is     National Novel Writing Month   

Our journey from Loughborough to Newark

Kingfishers

From Foxton we followed the pretty winding canal to Market Harborough and took a mooring with the hire boat company in the canal basin.   Another piece of canal art stands on the wharf, a labourer with a plank which has been designed for a sundial.

The labourer sundial sculpture in Market Harborough Basin

 The busy town has some interesting shops and an unusual building whose original purpose was to combine a grammar school with a market.  

The old grammar school at Market Harborough.  On the left of the photo is the church which doesn't have any grounds, the pavement runs alongside it's walls. 

On our return journey to Foxton I was surprised when the driver and passengers jumped out of their car after I'd closed the road with a swingbridge barrier.  They wanted to take some photos as Brent III sailed through and Bess obligingly posed on the roof. 

Returning to our northern route we had one more tunnel.  Saddington is a short tunnel and is home to some bats.  On our way through we checked the roof but disappointingly only saw spiders, the bats were out of sight in the numerous bat boxes fixed to the tunnel walls.  

The next day locks took over from tunnels as we started the descent into Leicester and then moored up on the jetties outside Castle Gardens.  Our waterway key let us into the park which is shut to the public at 5.30 so we enjoyed a private garden in the evening.  Leicester has an excellent fruit and vegetable market with a difference.  Most of the produce is sold by the bowl, each bowlful costing a pound.  Leicester deserves it's reputation as a shopping centre and our star buy was a ceramic coated frying pan which Kev immediately tried with an omelette.  It really is non-stick.  

After seeing the sights of Leicester we continued north through it's suburbs.  The canal flows in and out of the River Soar and there were some weirs on sharp turns at the junction of the water courses.  Trees and bushes on the banksides often made it difficult to see which way the canal turned but provided a habitat for the little kingfisher which flashed electric blue across the river ahead of us.  

We saw several more kingfishers on our way to Loughborough, a pleasant town with plenty of moorings for visitors.  In the town hall art gallery I enjoyed seeing pictures by a local artist and Queens Park, in the town centre, has a 151 feet tall Carillon war memorial, colourful budgies and cockatiels in a large aviary and a small museum.  The case used to cast 'Great Paul', Britain's largest bell which hangs in St Paul's Cathedral, is also on display in the park.  

The case used to cast Great Paul.

 Our journey from Foxton to Loughborough

  

Tunnels

We had intended to leave Braunston on Monday morning but over the weekend Kev developed toothache.  Luckily the first dentist we rang in Daventry was able to give him an appointment on the same day and treat him on the NHS.  

Toothache free we set off up the 6 locks of the Braunston flight and approached Braunston Tunnel, at 2042 yards our longest yet.  There is two way traffic in the tunnel and as we entered we could see a pinprick of light in the distance, a boat coming in the opposite direction.  The tunnel barely looked wide enough for two boats but when we eventually met Kev steered us passed without touching.  Several more boats followed and then a disconcerting s-bend had to be negotiated before we could see daylight and the exit.  It took 20 minutes to travel through the tunnel and we were pleased to emerge into sunlight.  

The unassuming entrance to the long Braunston Tunnel

At Norton Junction we turned north onto the Leicester Line of the Grand Union Canal.  Shortly after passing Watford Gap services we arrived at Watford Locks and then onto Crick Tunnel, 1528 yards long with no s-bend.  We didn't meet any boats either but were glad to be through quickly because the roof was constantly dripping.  Reinforced brickwork and a section lined in wood show there have been problems in the past with the tunnel's stability. 

At Crick I had a surprise meeting with a colleague from work who'd moored up next to us.  We also saw the narrowboat Dover which featured in the TV series Narrowboat and Narrowboat Afloat with Alan Herd. 

Narrowboat Dover

There was one more tunnel, Husbands Bosworth, before we arrived at the top of Foxton Locks.  The locks are a big tourist attraction and we arrived on a busy sunny Sunday afternoon.

Horse and Boy statue at Foxton

Foxton is famous for the inclined plane boat lift which was built in 1900 to bypass the locks.  Boats were carried up or down the plane in 2 tanks which counterbalanced each other.  The tanks were connected by an endless cable which was powered by steam and pulled them up or down the rails.  High running and maintenance costs resulted in the demise of the inclined plane lift but the site of the tracks are still visible on the steep hillside.

Looking down the steep gradient of the site of the inclined plane boat lift. The tanks came up the lift parallel to the canal at the bottom which is now used as permanent moorings.    

Foxton is also famous for it's ten locks, arranged in two staircases with a small pound in the middle.  On Monday we booked in and came down the first staircase.  There are two sluices on each lock, one empties into the lock below and the other into a side pound. From the side pound the water empties into the lock two below thus saving water.  

Coming down the Foxton Locks, the side pounds are on the left and the winding gear is colour coded.  The red gear opens the sluice to empty water into the lock below and the white allows it go into the side pound.   

In the middle pound we tied up and did some lock-keeping for the five boats coming up.  As the top lock of the bottom flight was filled we emptied the bottom lock of the top flight to maintain the water levels.  Our volunteering duties over we were then assisted down the remaining staircase by the friendly Lockie and a group of Paraguayan tourists who thanked us for letting them have a go!

 Our journey from Braunston to Foxton 

Braunston

At Hawkesbury Junction the Coventry Canal connects with the North Oxford canal which took us south-east.  Not long into our journey we noticed the engine was overheating.  We topped up with water and then topped up again,  nothing seemed to be amiss but the engine needed another top up.   Once we'd moored up we had another check round but still couldn't see the source of the problem so Kev rang the River and Canal Rescue, the AA of the waterways.  They would be with us that afternoon but also checked if we needed provisions, water or anything else because that is all in the service they provide for stranded boaters.  

Before RCR came to our rescue we realised the cause of the problem.  Remember we drilled a hole to fit the solar panel cables and heard running water?  A pool of water in our utility area confirmed our suspicions and we spent some time removing shelves and panels to access the pipes.  The drill had made a neat hole in the pipe taking hot water from the engine to heat the hot water tank in the galley.   After replacing the pipe we just had to refill the cooling system. This is always tricky because air locks form and it took a couple more days running to bleed out all the air.  

The North Oxford is mainly rural and pretty but conveniently passes through the outskirts of Rugby near a Tesco.  On the approach to Braunston we looked out for the medieval ridge and furrow field patterns which are still clearly visible.  

The mounds are medieval ridge and furrow field patterns which dominate the countryside on the way to Braunston.

We moored up at Braunston, a busy junction where the Oxford canal joins the Grand Union. Working boats selling diesel, coal, gas and other items are a common sight in this area.  We bought some coal and were surprised how many different types of solid fuel the boater stocked.   

A working boat ties up alongside his customer's boat.  The boat on the left is moored up at the water point and the arches in the background are bridges over the canal junction.   

Braunston is an attractive village with some old dark ochre ironstone buildings.  We were surprised to see the wooden frame of an earlier dwelling preserved on the side of a brick house.  

The frame of an earlier building preserved on the side of a house. 

Our journey from Hawkesbury to Braunston

Technology

The nights are drawing in and there is a nip in the air, autumn is on the way.  This year's fruit harvest is impressive, trees are laden and the hedgerows are full of glossy blackberries, elderberries and rosehips.  We watched a squirrel gathering acorns and had no trouble finding sloes to make sloe gin.  Kev even spotted a wild hop vine growing at the side of one of the Atherstone locks.  

There are seven Atherstone Locks and they are notoriously slow to fill.  We arrived on a busy day, as we were going up the locks boats returning from a festival were coming down them. This saved some time opening and closing lock gates and with the help of the volunteer lock-keepers we were soon up the flight. 

We've seen an increasing number of boats with solar panels on their roofs.  The boaters we've spoken to are all impressed by their performance and some also recommended a company, M&R Controls.  After some further research we placed an order with M&R Controls for four 100 watt panels and an advanced controller to maximise electrical input.  This combination should provide all the power we need on a bright sunny day and make a good contribution in less than ideal conditions.  Delivery was arranged for Thursday in the Greyhound pub car park at Hawkesbury Junction.

We had opted to fit the panels ourselves and although they are relatively easy to connect up laying the cables was time consuming.  Kev was pleased to spot a short cut by drilling through one of the panels to feed the cable through.  As the drill went through it hit something and I thought I heard running water but only for a few seconds.  We were sure there were no pipes at the back of the panel and so finished connecting the cables.  

The next day the sun shone down as we drilled holes in the roof, fitted the brackets and paused to chat to other boaters.  As we connected the last panel the sky clouded over but we were still pleased to see a flow of electricity into our batteries.  Since fitting the panels the weather hasn't been ideal but we have already reduced the time the engine is running just to charge the batteries. 

Coventry is 3 hours away by canal or half an hour by bus, we took the bus.  The city looks like a new town as the majority of it's buildings were bombed during World War 2.  The cathedral was also bombed and all that remains is a shell with fragments of stain glass still attached in the window openings and the tower with it's spire.   We climbed the 180 steps up the tower and this time I'd remembered my camera. 

The shell of the cathedral viewed from it's surviving tower.  The building on the left is the new cathedral. 

   The Transport Museum had an impressive collection of exhibits.  The early precarious cycles caught my attention and some of the first cars and motor-bikes looked equally dubious. Kev was interested in the large motor-bike collection, spotting machines from his biking days. Bringing the exhibition up to date was the latest Jaguar and two world land speed record holders.  The display and the machines themselves, which were far bigger than I imagined, were interesting but we decided against a ride in the simulator.  

Thrust 2 which achieved 633 mph to break the world land speed record in 1983.  In 1997 this record was broken by         Thrust SSC which was also in the museum but wasn't as photogenic.

Gales and rain were forecast for Sunday so we stayed at Hawkesbury Junction for another day.  The bad weather didn't materialise and we enjoyed an excellent meal in the Greyhound that evening.

Canal art on a bridge at Hawkesbury Junction

Our journey from Polesworth to Hawkesbury Junction

Design and Architecture

Our journey continued in a south-westerly direction with the A38 roaring alongside us.  The locks on this stretch of the Trent & Mersey are narrow, built for narrowboats.  Travelling upstream we enter the lock through a small pair of lock gates but exit through a bigger single gate.  

Kev steers into Tatenhill Lock

Just before Alrewas a lock takes us onto a river section and we're pleased to turn away from the A38.  Alrewas is an attractive village with old beamed and thatched houses.

Two of the old houses at Alrewas

While we were moored at Alrewas I took the opportunity to visit the National Memorial Arboretum which is a centre of remembrance.  The vast grounds contain over 250 memorials each unique in it's design.  The Armed Forces Memorial, standing on higher ground, dominates the site.  Two semi-circular stone walls surround two straight walls which are the backdrop for two bronze sculptures.  One statue is in front of double doors carved as if they are ajar with a gap cut through the stone.  On the 11th hour of the 11th day in the 11th month a shaft of sunlight shines through the doors and illuminates a bronze laurel wreath in the centre of the Memorial. 

Bronze Sculpture in the Armed Forces Memorial, the figure on the left is standing in front of the doors.

 The stone walls are carved with the names of thousands of armed forces personnel who have lost their lives since the end of the second world war.  Walking around the quiet, well tended grounds and seeing the names of so many people who lost their lives was quite moving.   

At Fradley Junction we turned onto the Coventry Canal and for us new waters.  This pretty canal with it's neat grass towpaths and reeds growing along the canal banks follows the contours and so twists and turns on it's way south-east.   As a result progress is slow but this is a small price to pay for the lack of locks.  We moored up at Whittington where colorful back gardens lined the canal and when we walked into the village we found the verges alongside the footpath had also been planted up.

After Fazeley Junction the Coventry Canal turns north-east through Tamworth before resuming it's route to the south-east.  Our next stop was Polesworth, a small town with an impressive gatehouse dating from 1320 which was built for it's abbey.  The abbey was later demolished and the church which now stands on the site benefits from the grand entrance.  

  

Polesworth's gatehouse

Our journey from Burton on Trent to Polesworth

Eating Out

From Holme Lock it's a short journey down the Trent to Meadow Lane Lock which takes us onto the Nottingham Canal and into the busy city.  For some time Kev has been pondering about buying a tablet so our first stop was Currys.  After discussing our requirements with the helpful staff we emerged with a tablet and a "Mi-Fi" which uses the SIM card from my dongle to create Wi-Fi.  The tablet is useful for the internet and we both already have a favourite game.  

The canal took us back onto the Trent and we moored up on the quiet jetties outside the lock onto the Cranfleet Cut.  The owner of a cruiser came to ask for help because he thought he'd flattened his battery and couldn't start his engine.  Kev fired up the generator but after some time charging the battery the engine still wouldn't start.  The owner decided to leave the boat overnight and arranged a lift home.  Kev said "Don't worry about your boat I'll keep an eye on it."  

Early next morning Kev went out with the dogs and the cruiser looked OK, by the time he came back it was sinking.  The water wasn't deep so the boat didn't completely submerge but it was still a shocking sight.  Kev rang the Canal & River Trust and from the boat's license number they were able to check their records and ring the owners.  As we left they were trying to arrange a recovery.     

The sinking cruiser

The short Cranfleet Cut leads to a junction, the Erewash Canal heads north, the River Soar flows south and we sailed west on the Trent.  At Sawley Locks our journey continued on the Trent & Mersey Canal.  

The busy area around Sawley Locks.  There are two locks, one in the centre of the photo and one to the left, to prevent delays for boats.  The boats in the foreground are British Waterways maintenance craft.  

At Shardlow the canal turns through tight bends and it's renowned wharf buildings line the route.  There were a lot of boats on the move so we took the first available mooring which happened to be opposite two pubs.   After perusal of the menus we had an excellent meal at the New Inn.  

The next day we took another mooring outside a pub.  "The Ragley Boat Stop" has moorings with electric points which are always useful.  A couple of boaters, Les and Lorriane, introduced themselves and after chatting awhile we found we had a lot in common.  We enjoyed a very good meal in the pub with Les and Lorraine and back on the moorings we were joined by another couple for a sociable evening. 

The canal had been busy during the week and on Saturday we saw 8 boats in a queue for a lock.  Luckily we were travelling in the opposite direction.  We were pleased to find space to moor at Willington but some late-comers were not so lucky.  On Sunday we set off early to avoid the water traffic and arrived in Burton on Trent mid-morning.  Unfortunately we were a little too early as no-one had moved on.  Undeterred we tied up opposite the moorings, had a cup of tea and waited until a boat moved off.  

Mural on the wall at Horninglow Basin, Burton on Trent.  On the other side of the barrier is the A38.

       
Our journey from Holme Lock to Burton on Trent