Market Harborough

This trip was our first "just for fun" trip where we weren't trying to get the boat to or from anywhere against the clock.

Friday 23rd February 2007

Around the marina

Raining. Long slow journey so arrived at the boat about a quarter to three. Needed water so didn't leave marina until about twenty to five. Went straight up to the Watford flight and moored just below. Walked up to inspect how they work, but not much wiser. These locks are a staircase with side ponds. They all have a red paddle at one end and a white paddle at the other. Liz at the marina had said "Red before white, you'll be alright, but white before red, you'll wind up dead". Encouraging...

Engine on 1h50, about a mile, no locks.

Saturday 24th February 2007

Watford flight to Downham village

Very rainy night but slept quite well despite proximity to motorway and were up early. Yes, that's Watford Gap services over there! Even so, a boat came past before we were ready, just after eight when we had only just started the engine. Ric went up to the first lock of the staircase to see how to handle it but it turned out that they didn't know either. Some judicious and cautious winding of windlasses whilst watching for turbulence showed that the locks don't empty into one another. Instead, there is a side pond between each lock. Each lock has a red top paddle that fills it from the next pond up and a white bottom paddle that empties it into the next pond down.

Away about nine thirty after Ric got back from helping the other boat up the entire flight.
It took a couple of attempts (and a ramming of the bank) to get the boat into the bottom lock as the bywash was running very hard from the left of the lock entrance and pushed the boat back into the mooring point. These are narrow locks and in very good condition, so quite quick to work. We got away from the top lock about five past eleven.

We saw some lambs just past Kilsby Road bridge (8) but they were quite big so were probably from ewes that had been kept in over winter. We hope.

We weren't reading the map so came to Crick tunnel unexpectedly. This turns out to be a wet tunnel so the RNLI mascot bears (who were sitting in the life ring on the companionway cover) got a bit wet. It was drizzling when we came out of the tunnel at about noon so they went below for a towelling-off. Ric stayed on the helm and got wet.

Stopped for lunch in Crick about a quarter past twelve, but decided not to visit Crick this time and moved on again about one. We saw a kingfisher about ten past three but no other notable wildlife all day. Most of the towpath along here seems pretty dire, and the edges look very rough. Probably not good moorings. Finally came to some good edges and moored just before bridge 37 just after four. This is the site of the medieval village of Downham but there is nothing to see - it has all been ploughed flat. We had considered a walk but it was still raining so Ric washed the available side of the boat instead.

Engine on 8h05, 11.5 miles, 7 locks.

Sunday 25th February 2007

Downham village to Welford and Husbands Bosworth

Slow start - raining so reorganised the boat. Under way about 10:45. No good moorings beyond bridge 37 until 39. You would need long ropes and a gangplank (which we have, but still...)

Kingfisher skipped about three hops ahead of the boat just after bridge 40.

Good moorings near the junction of the Welford arm, which we reached at about 11:30 and turned towards Welford. Narrow section around bridge 2 has a good edge. Bridge 3 is missing, but the foundations still restrict access to the one and only lock on the arm. Continued into Welford and moored for lunch very near the end of the arm at 12:20. There is space to wind at the very end in front of the pub.

Welford has a number of waymarked walks and a very pleasant wildlife park on the way into the village, which has a pretty comprehensive local stores. There are also the remains of kilns very close to the canal, with an information board describing the industry that brought the canal here.

Back under way about ten to three. Lots of gongoozlers at the lock. Ric gave them some amusement by banging the boat a bit, though not as severely as in the Watford flight yesterday. The (single) ground paddle on this lock seems to be on the wrong side.

Back to the junction and turned right for Foxton. Towpath edge here too seems pretty rough so not good for mooring until the pipe bridge. Saw a couple more squirrels just before Husbands Bosworth tunnel, which Jane negotiated in about 20 minutes. We carried on until there was a decent edge that would take paperclips, and finally moored at almost exactly 5 PM

Engine on 4h00, 8.5 miles, 2 locks (one lock, twice!).

Monday 26th February 2007

Husbands Bosworth to Market Harborough

Hare having breakfast in the field across the tow-path as we were having ours.

Set off about 09:45. Usual small birds, and a squirrel just after bridge 55. Reached Foxton flight about 11:15, moored for a quick look then started down. Met up with lock keeper at the middle pound but he left us to it so we assumed we were doing it about right ;-)

Reached bottom of flight about 12:30 and spent some time backing and filling into a tight mooring beside the water point, only to find that it has been shut off because of ground-works for the inclined plane. Tied up for lunch, then walked up the plane, surprised by how much was still left. Back via the towpath and Rainbow bridge, where we saw long-tailed tits at very close range.

Set out again about 14:30 heading for Market Harborough, steady progress up to bridge 4, where we realised that we needed a key. Moored well before the bridge and walked up to it to see what sort. Turned out to be the ordinary BW key. Passed the (very heavy) bridge, thankful not to be walking back to the junction to buy a key. Enchanting stretch of canal but no moorings.
Passed a dredging operation between bridges 9 and 10. The BW people on the helm make pusher tugs and barges look so simple. Ho, hum...

Decided to moor on the approaches to the town since the edge improved a lot. Stopped on the loop after bridge 14, with fields on the towpath side and some seriously impressive houses and gardens on the other side. Engine off about a quarter to five.

Engine on 4h50 (in three bursts!), 9 miles, 10 locks.

Tuesday 27th February 2007

Market Harborough to Welford Junction

Cold and overcast so we made a slow start. We seemed to have plenty of time so decided to moor in Market Harborough near the basin and walk into town.
The basin is large and surrounded by moorings for "canaltime" boats, with some nicely-restored and appropriately-developed buildings around. There appears to be one genuinely old building (now a restaurant) but the rest is really consistent. The "Frank the Plank" statue is actually a sun dial with the plank serving as the gnomon. We must go back when there is some sun to read it by.

We were having a refreshing cup of coffee in Café Nero when Jane asked "When does the Foxton flight close?". There followed a rapid return to the boat and a swift farewell to Market Harborough. What we saw of it struck us as a really pleasant unspoilt place. We'll be back.

Back at the swing bridge, caught up with a Canaltime boat moored diagonally across the cut. You have to do this if you're single-handing because the bridge operates from the wrong (not towpath) side so if you open it with your boat moored conventionally you can't get back to it. He went ahead whilst we closed the bridge.

Lots of wind on this section so made a lot of sideways progress. Reached the locks about 2PM. Caught up with the Canaltime boat and sneaked ahead whilst they took on water. Turns out he's not single-handing but has disabled wife so he and Jane helmed the boats whilst Ric did most of the shore work. We reached the middle pound, half-way up the flight of 10, just as the lock-keeper arrived to lock the flight. He did so, then helped both boats up the rest of the flight. In the rain. Thanks, Mr. Lockkeeper!

Cleared the locks at a quarter past three and cracked on, since the Watford flight is likely to close at about the same time tomorrow. Spotted a perched kingfisher about twenty five past three. He sat tight whilst we passed, then flew ahead and did it again - not the usual experience. Saw another one catching a fair sized fish about four.

Reached Husband's Bosworth tunnel about twenty to five. That gave us about a quarter of an hour respite from the rain. This tunnel is quite dry, unlike Chirk.

Reached the end of the Welford arm a bit before half-past five and decided to carry on. There are good moorings here with several boats already moored up. These are the first good moorings for a while. The Canaltime boat turned left to Welford here, hoping to make the pub. We carried on to just past bridge 40 and moored for the night about twenty past five.

Stern gland is behaving well but rain comes into the back of the boat through our engine covers. The alternator belt is squealing a bit under load, and seems to be getting worse. May just be the wet but must remember spanners next trip.

Engine on 6h15, 13 miles, 10 locks.

Wednesday 28th February 2007

Welford Junction to Norton Junction

Relatively early start to get through the Watford flight. Strong winds, rain after lunch. Underway about ten to nine, stopped almost immediately to check fan-belt but everything seems well done up.

Saw some partridge near Downtown bridge and a squirrel just before bridge 32 but wildlife generally keeping under cover.

Stopped for lunch at 12:15 at astonishingly muddy public mooring in Crick. Under way again about a quarter past one, into (very wet) tunnel five minutes later with Jane on the helm. Twenty minutes through the tunnel, then on to the Watford flight about five past two.

At this point we caught up with a single-hander having an interesting time. He had just bought the boat at Crick and had very little experience. He had snapped his stop cable so couldn't stop the engine, didn't know how to get the boat out of gear and had already banged his knee badly. Ric helped him down the flight, doing all the shore-side work for both boats (again!). The lock-keeper came to close the flight just as the other boat reached the bottom, and there was a moment of confusion when Ric started to refill the second lock - the lock-keeper hadn't realised he'd walked straight past House Sparrow in one of the staircase locks.

Away from the locks about a quarter past three, moored just past bridge 3 about five to four. Under trees. In the wind and rain. Ric washed off the decks a bit and fitted draught excluder strip to all the doors before we retreated into the warm. No photos - too wet!

Engine on 6h15, 13.5 miles, 7 locks.

On the Thursday we just got the boat pumped out and back on the mooring. Very windy, but no drama about manoevring. Left the boat about 10:45. Engine on 1h40, 2 miles, no locks.