Canal Cruise - Day 6 - Birstall to Normanton

 

We left Birstall at 09:10 

Vivid green floating weeds sometimes left only a narrow channel to steer the boat down

and they clogged some lock gates, but herons found the floating weed-beds good place on which to stand.

We moored for lunch at Barrow-upon-Soar and walked into the town for supplies.

After lunch we had to pass Barrow Lock. Krisie found it easier to use the road bridge (Bridge 29 - Barrow Lock Bridge) to get to the lock paddles on the other side.

But she did get some time to watch the passing scenery.

This splendid rail bridge has the date - 1860 - it was completed picked out in dark bricks.

The spire of Normanton church was visible above tree for a long time before we reached it.

Nicholson's Guide says, "The inhabitants of Normanton guard their waterfront jealously, making it extremely difficult to get ashore."

Luckily there was space for our 68 foot boat at The Plough where Dan had made a dinner booking for 19:00. 

We moored at 17:00 and had time to explore. Nicholson's warned of a chain ferry at Normanton but we saw no sign of it from the boat. An information sign at its jetty said the ferry's history could be traced back over 800 years but now it operated only at weekends between April and September. 

Normanton's church is next to the ferry. It was built before 1256 and replaced an earlier church. 

By now it was getting dark, so we returned to the boat for a restorative glass of fizz before dinner, and to admire the sunset.

Excellent food at The Plough and they gladly brought extra servings of vegetable and chips. 

I had the Boozy Bullock Pie, described as In memory of Audrey whose recipe made this pie famous. A delicious shortcut pastry case packed with lean tender beef cooked with beer, red wine, onions, mushrooms. bacon and herbs.

Leaving the pub after dinner we had only to go to the end of its garden to find our beds.

Birstall to Normanton - 14 miles - 9 Locks - 6h20

(plus 90 minutes moored at lunchtime)

Go to Day 7 here

Go to Day 1 here

Canal Cruise - Day 5- Kilby Bridge to Birstall Lock 45

 We left at 09:00 with a stop to fill up with water and dump rubbish.

The canal architects incorporated the River Sence and, on this stretch, Sence joins the larger River Soar and the waterway widens. 

We had to stop at King's Lock (named after George King, the longest serving lock keeper, who lived in this cottage for the forty years he managed the lock).

The delightful tea rooms in the lockkeeper's cottage cook to order and they offered to deliver our sausage and bacon baps to the boat when they were ready, so that was lunch.

This heron wasn't put off by us using the lock.

But we were approaching Leicester where we saw relics of the industrial past which were the reasons for the canals.

We had a reservation at The White Horse, a canal side pub which was a very short walk from where we moored at 17:35. 

They had one of the best red wines of our trip, a 2018 South African blend of 36% Shiraz and 32% each of Cinsaut and Pinotage, from the inimitable Bruce Jack.

Kilby Bridge to Birstall Lock 45 - 15 Locks - 12 miles - 7h50

plus 45 minutes moored for lunch

Go to Day 6 here

Go to Day 1 here

Canal Cruise - Day 4 - Gumley Road to Kilby Bridge

We departed at 09:40 and immediately came to the Foxton Lock Flight. Boats have to register with the Canal and River Trust volunteers who manage the passage of boats through the flight of 10 locks. 

 

The flight, which took four years to build, was completed in 1814 and is the longest, steepest staircase flight of locks in Britain. It will  take us down 75 feet to the plain we can see far below.

Midway is a pool to allow a boat coming up to pass a boat coming down, thus doubling the through put.

The front gate of each lock became the rear gate of the next lock.

Each lock is only wide enough to take one boat, so an 'inclined plane' was later built along side. This could take two boats at a time up or down on rails.

Even with the assistance of CRT volunteers, there were a lot of paddles to open and close and lock gates to move.

After 50 minutes in the flight we were through and as it was now close to lunch we stopped while the cafe cooked bacon and sausages in bread rolls for our lunch.

But there were more locks, here we have to drop to pass under the bridge.

And the 880 yard long Saddington Tunnel.

Here we pause to let an oncoming boat through the bridge, and we moor for the night at 18:45.

I was sceptical of Dan's plan that Deliveroo would accept a bridge as the delivery point, but it did, and we ordered from Tipu Sultan. The portions were huge and they also gave us a vegetable curry and poppadoms we hadn't ordered.

Gumley to Kilby Bridge - 10 miles - 22 locks -1 tunnel - 8 Hours

Go to Day 5 here

Go to Day 1 here

Canal Cruise - Day 3 - Crick to Gumley Road

 

We left Crick at 09:40. Travelling in October showed bright colours as leaves changed from green, such as this bright yellow tree, and bushes were covered in berries.

Dan spent all day, every day, standing at the tiller.

A canal meanders through the countryside and you could be many miles from towns.

Many of the original brick-built hump-backed bridges are farm tracks joining fields separated by the canal's construction.

We came upon our third tunnel in two days. Husbands Bosworth Tunnel was completed in 1813 and is 1166 yards long.

We moored at Gumley road bridge at 17:10, and walked in the dark to the Bell Inn in Gumley. No taxi would come for us so a waitress at the pub kindly took us back to the boat.

Back on board the Captain and crew discuss the coming route. We have moored just before the Foxton Flight of locks. 

Crick to Gumley - 18 miles - 0 locks - 1 tunnel - 6h45 

(45m lunch stop)

Go to Day 4 here

Go to Day 1 here

Canal Cruise - Day 2 Sunday - Braunston to Crick

We departed at 09:30 heading east towards the Leicester Branch of the Grand Union.

We soon reached Braunston Tunnel. Opened in 1796 it is longer than a mile, at 2,048 yards. 

There's no lighting, other than the boat's headlight and the air gets progressively colder as the boat steadily heads into darkness. It took 20 minutes before we emerged

 into a green tunnel of overhanging trees.

At Norton Junction we steered left onto the Leicester Branch

 and soon came to our first lock flight.

Canal & River Trust volunteers were there to assist, operating paddles and gates on one side while Krisie (above) did the other. It took almost an hour to traverse the seven locks which raised us 52.5 feet.

Then we came to Crick Tunnel, built in 1818 and 1528 yards long. This was short and straight enough to see the other end before we entered it.

Krisie had special t-shirts and caps made for her and Dan. The shirts bore a picture of a narrow boat on the front and the word CREW in large on the back. The caps had CREW. And that was true: as experienced narrow boaters they worked the boat while we enjoyed the views.

We arrived at Crick at 16:00, bought Cava in Crick Co-op and enjoyed a bottle before dinner at The Wheatsheaf.

As it was Sunday, I had roast beef and we shared a bottle or two of excellent Franschhoek Cellars The Churchyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2020

Braunston to Crick - 9 miles - 13 locks - 2 tunnels - 5h45

(stopped 45 minutes for lunch)

Go to Day 3 here

Go to Day 1 here

Canal Cruise - Day 1 Saturday - Napton to Baunston

 

We met Dan and Krisie at Napton Marina at 14:15. The staff showed them the gubbins (technical term) of Annabelle (above) our home for the next two weeks and we were off at 15:30 heading eastwards to Braunston, five miles away on the Grand Union Main Line Canal. We arrived two hours later at 17:30.

Cruising in the dark isn't allowed so shorter winter days limits cruising time. It was bright and sunny but cold.

The route Dan planned was to head east to Braunston, and from there north up the Leicester Branch of the Grand Union, turning west onto the River Trent, then turn south on the Coventry Canal back to Braunston, and then west to return the boat to Napton Marina, following the blue route (above) anticlockwise

Dan had made a booking for us at The Boatyard at Braunston where the Steak and Ale pie enclosed in shortcrust pastry satisfied a boater's hunger.

There was a complimentary bottle of Champagne in Annabelles fridge which we enjoyed before dinner.

Napton to Braunston - 5 Miles - 0 Locks - 2 hours

Go to Day 2 here