CANAL HOLIDAY

Caroline at the helm

Going up Foxton Locks

Lovely spot near Welford

Going into a tunnel

Foxton Locks

The pub at Foxton Locks

Thursday 28 June

We left early in the morning and drove to Market Harborough arriving there at about midday. We had lunch in Weatherspoons and got to the Union Wharf just before 2 o'clock and were subjected to a video of about 45 minutes beforen going through about an hours tuition about the boat. We eventually left the marina a little after 16.30 hoping to get to Foxton Locks before they closed for the night. However we didn't make it due mainly to the fact that we had to negotiate a swing bridge that Caroline found extremely heavy to move. Derek was driving the boat!!!!. As a consequence we had to moor opposite the Foxton Inn, which was a really delightful spot and found that the food in the pub wasn't bad either.

Friday 29 June

Up early and our first really sharp turn to get into the bottom lock which is central right in the above picture. These locks are in two flights of five interconnecting locks. This means that the five locks were such that you went into the next as you exited the previous one. It took us an hour to get to the top with Caroline doing all the hard work of opening and closing the paddles(sluice gates) and lock gates. Then there was a seven hour run to a place called Crick which is just north of the Watford \Gap Service Station om the M1. This also meant that we went through our first tunnel which was a little scarey especially when you have to pass a boat coming in the other direction. We did found a truly wonderful pub in Crick called the Red Lion where the food was excellent as was the service , to say nothing of the beer.

Saturday 30 June

Another early start and of to the south to encounter another tunnel a bit longer this time. We reached the locks at Watfor Gap at about mid-morning and had to wait for about half an hour before we could go down. These locks consist of a flight of three locks the same as Foxton and a separate lock at the top and anaother at the bottom. Then on to Norton Junction where ther main Grand Union Canal joins the Leicester Branch. After lunch in the local hostelry we turned right and headed for Braunston. The tunnel on this stretch is over 2000yds long and has an S bend in the middle and would you believe it we had to meet a boat coming the other way right in the S bend. The other boat managed to get itself broadside accross the tunnel just as we approached it and as a result we hit it faily hard even though Derek put our boat in full reverse. After the tunnel there were more locks down to Braunston and for the first time we had to share the locks with another boat, side by side and meant that Caroline had help operating them. Braunston was very crowded but we were lucky enough to find a reasonably good mooring place. Braunston itself is a lovely village full of history connected to the canals.

Sunday 1 July

Once again an earlyish start so that Derek could wind (turn the boat around) before

there are too many boats about and we set off up the locks that we came down yesterday. We once again shared the locks only this time with novices (we were old sweats of 5 days) who came into the locks far too fast and really bashed our boathard on at least two occassions. There had been a lot of rain overnight and the water was pouring over the top of a number of the lock gates. The tow path was also awash in places as well as being washed away. We made it back to Crick for the night onlt to find that the Red Lion does not do food on Sunday evenings.

Monday 2 July

Quite a lazy day really. Just a short motor to Yelvertoft and a walk into the village and then on down a spur canal to Welford. Just before you get to the end of the spur there is a wonderful spot with a single lock. We had to wind at the end and then moor for the night before walking around the village.

Tuesday 3 July

The day was spent travelling back to Foxton Lock where we spent the night in exactly the same spot as Thursday.

Wednesday 4 July

Our last day and we went north towards Leicester. This bit of the canal was very narrow and twisting in places. Lunch was at the winding place before travelling back to Market Harborough via Foxton. We moored at the marina about 5.45 had a shower and changed before taking the car to Crick for a lovely meal in the Red Lion.

Thursday 5 July

Breakfast and then the drive home getting there about 11.30