Rain and leaves

I took a walk into Stoke Golding yesterday afternoon once the rain had cleared, the start of the ascent, how unusual the village is at the top of the hill, is along a footpath running through a cow field, watch your step there, then a short section of quiet lane with no footpath before you reach the outskirts of the village.

It is obviously a popular and still spreading village, with fairly recent developments leading off in all directions, 3, yes 3 pubs all very close to each other, The George & Dragon in Station Road and both the Three Horse Shoes and The White Swan in the High Street, once again I never ventured in any of them although at the time of my walk (lunchtime) only The George and Dragon was actually open. The parish Church of St. Margaret of Antioch is a very large imposing building but was hidden from decent camera shot by trees and new housing, and to be honest I’ve got enough pictures of pubs and churches for 2015 and was looking to find something a bit different to show you, I failed, I would have liked to have shown the primary school children running around enjoying themselves in the playground, all in their school uniforms, and having a wonderful time, but did not want to risk arrest by taking my camera out near children in this sad modern world! And so just before starting back across the field towards the boat I took this view instead.

That's Quinquireme just off centre,

Stoke Golding also has a small post office and a convenience store, that was good as I needed more milk, and not much else really, for what is now a quite large village I would have expected to see a few more shops and a  petrol station maybe, but the community obviously don’t feel the need with Hinckley and Nuneaton not to far away.

Today I moved on again away from the 48hour moorings and taking myself closer to Trinity Marina in readiness for my stay there next Tuesday, my timing was not good, having watched a drizzle of rain for an hour or more I decided to move at around 11am and of course no sooner had I got going than there was a very heavy 20 minute downpour, which then turned back to light rain as I approached a decent looking mooring, it has continued to rain steadily all day, but rain or shine, it beats being stuck on the M25. 

Of course being Autumn now the canal is full of leaves and they cling to the propeller, so every now and then just dropping out of gear allows them to fall away, if not a quick burst of reverse usually does the trick, it’s quite surprising how much they effect the performance.

I will probably stay where I am until Tuesday although I may walk further along and see if there are any decent moorings even closer but from memory when I passed this way heading down I think I will prefer to stay where I am, its countryside and peaceful here, no pictures from today as the rain meant I left the camera safely tucked away.

Total travel: 2.5 miles

Damsel in distress followed later by an unexpected sit down for me.....

........ All just a part of the life I have subscribed to.

Late Sunday afternoon I was minding my own business as you do and thought I’d check my gas bottle levels, so I’m on the bow deck having a look when the young lady moored ahead of me started to run towards my boat, she explained that she’d only been on the boat for 3 weeks and couldn’t start the engine as her starter battery was flat, could I help, using her jump leads, she had overstayed at this her very first mooring (she had a warning attached to her boat from C&RT )and was going to put the boat in the adjacent Marina to give her a chance to sort herself out, I said I could, so we (her sister had joined her for that day for moral support), pulled her boat back alongside mine, then found her jump leads weren’t long enough and I don’t own any, so I knocked on Ralph’s boat behind me and he obliged with a longer set, and we got her running.

I was both amazed and impressed, a complete novice on her own, who had decided to live aboard on this, a rented boat on an impulse, no idea about how anything worked really, no idea about even the two basic knots you need, and did not even know what the centre rope was, or what it was for, it’s actually the most important rope on the boat for a single hander, anyway I gave her some brief advice but she was in a hurry to get into the Marina before it got dark, hopefully she will get a lot of help and advice whilst there and go on to enjoy her adventure, she was very keen and happy to get moving and wasn’t at all perturbed by her lack of knowledge, I wish her well.

Yesterday I decided I had been at Market Bosworth for long enough  so I had a chat with Ralph and said cheerio and set off about 11am, it was a nice bright cruise and as I have some time to kill I didn’t go too far and pulled over to a towpath mooring just before Sutton Cheney Wharf, having tied up checked the stern gland and then the TV signal I looked at my phone, no signal at all, never mind, fired up the laptop, and hardly any Wi-Fi either, should I move or stay? I decided to stay just for the one night.

This morning I moved on again stopping at Sutton Cheney Wharf to do the usual emptying and filling, it wasn’t a very bright day but it was dry, I tried to moor on the towpath just before Stoke Golding but it was too shallow (a common problem on the Ashby canal I’ve noticed) so I moved across to the 48hour moorings on the opposite side, it is a little duck feeding and picnic area so a number of cars in the lay-by and the wind blowing across the open space was pushing my boat back out, I had wrapped the rope around my waist and was laying back into it as I normally do and the boat was coming towards the bank slowly when the wet ground under my boots decided it would have a laugh at my expense and released it’s grip on me, so I was now sitting on the damp grass watched by two amused ladies feeding the ducks and feeling grateful I was sitting in the canal.

It’s not a bad spot, TV signal ok, Wi-Fi ok, phone iffy, I will probably stay the 48hours. 

Open the side hatch and the ducks come swimming.

and the greedy Swan gets as close as possible.

Tonights mooring

Stoke Golding ahead

Total Travel:  6 miles

Market Bosworth

A bright although chilly and breezy morning meant I was able to head off for a stroll around the town so around 11:00 I set off along the tow path, over the new marina entrance bridge.

Looking rather new and half empty, and breezy.

Then up onto Station Road for third time to tackle the mile long uphill walk to the town itself.

Passing over the railway with Market Bosworth station below, the middle of the three stations that make up the ‘Battlefield Line’, Shenton and Shackerstone being at the opposite ends of the line.

 About half way up the hill I wandered along a private little access road to take this view overlooking the local golf course, I would walk across the far side of this view later.

And then returning to the main road this signpost signifies that you are entering the town, still a long walk uphill to go though.

On the left as you walk up this road are some very large detached houses but mostly set back and hidden from view while on the right is a fairly modern estate, the small Catholic Church is a more modern building.

 Around this point the housing becomes mixed and closer together approaching the town, and then amongst the usual houses you suddenly find this beautiful thatched property.

The garden is a real mix of oddities carvings and such, just a couple of pictures but there was lots hidden away and tucked into little spaces, delightful, I bet the owner is a real character!

Next door this house has its own fuel pump, very handy when there is a strike J

When you see the ‘chippy’ you know you are almost there, “The Batter Of Bosworth”

This imposing building is “The Dixie Grammar School” with the sign above the door in Latin and me being a right scholar....errrm...... I Wiki’d it.

From Wikipedia.........

“The earliest records of the School's existence date from 1320, but the school was re-founded in 1601 under the will of an Elizabethan merchant and Lord Mayor of London, Sir Wolstan Dixie, by his great-nephew Sir Wolstan Dixie of Appleby Magna, who came to live in Market Bosworth in 1608.”

I bet you did your work there or paid the price!

The market square seems to double as a car park nowadays and somewhere to leave your delivery bike.

 “The Old Black Horse Inn” currently not an Inn but a rather nice looking restaurant.

And some nice buildings just off the market square

Not something we see these days, a water pump in the street.

Walking around the outskirts of the Town Center I came across this peaceful little Garden of Remembrance although not at its best this time of year.

And obviously with its links to the Battle of Bosworth there was a very nice informative display area.

I hope you can read this poem, enlarge it if not

The Church of England’s “St Peter’s Church” dominates the back of the town although there is also a large park area and a hotel and spa opposite that for those that can afford a stay.

My circular route took me back towards the town center where “Ye Old Red Lion Hotel” occupies the corner of Main Street and Park Street.

I then headed off across country leaving the town center by way of the aptly named road “Back End” which runs alongside the Co-op Store along a section of unmade lane and across the golf course

 There is a small airfield here which I saw no evidence of use but it was signed to warn you not to loiter!

Hedge reduced in size in case the pilot misjudges the height.

Then across the cowfield, they did not seem at all interested in me.

And back over the railway line and then bridge 43 to get me back on the towpath and back to the boat.

It was a very pleasant walk around and through a lovely little town. 

Took a walk around Shackerstone....

...on Saturday, another lovely small village with a big church and a big pub, I didn’t venture inside either.

The very small village green was on ‘Main Street’, these villages don’t seem very adventurous with the street names.

The Rising Sun 

Typical example of the housing.

I am not sure if the village hall was still in fact a village hall or a private residence, the attached residential property next door certainly looked as though it was originally part of a much larger hall.

The Village Hall

I then crossed the canal again and walked up to Shackerstone Station, the other end of the ‘Battlefield Line’ railway, but there was not much happening and unless you are a railway enthusiast not much to see but this is the front of the Station.

On Monday I moved off at 10am and headed to Market Bosworth, as I passed Congerstone I looked to see if by some small miracle my mooring chain was still in place but no such luck! so I carried on and found a towpath mooring just before the new Marina entrance.

I wandered all around the outer reaches of the marina to eventually find the Chandlers, as the site is still not finished you cannot gain access from where I am mooored about 2minutes away so it was more like a 15 minute walk, access will be a lot easier once all the work is completed. I replaced my mooring chain and bought a spare.

Yesterday I took an uphill walk to the town center to pick up some provisions and returned again this morning to get some fresh vegetables from the very small farmers market (one fruit and veg stall and one fishmongers van) I also visited the local butcher and bought some bits in there.

I am staying here a while as I only have one more stop to make before reaching Trinity Marina on November 3rd where Quinquireme will have a weeks rest, and I will do the touristy bit here if and when the sunshine returns but from what I’ve seen so far it’s a lovely little town.

Current Mooring.

Total travel : 4 miles  

Snarestone and a little further.

Yesterday I took a walk around Snarestone, along the towpath first to reach the Tunnel (250yards) South portal

Snarestone tunnel South portal

 Up the steps brings you into the car park of “The Globe”

Through the car park, cross the road and down the public footpath brings you back to the towpath, Snarestone tunnel has no towpath through it and it is one way traffic I suspect because of the bend halfway through it or it could be because of lack of headroom if two boats were passing side by side.

Bend in tunnel restricting width.

Snarestone only really has a “Main Street” with a couple of little side roads leading off, nothing remarkable or noteworthy and I only spotted the one Thatched property which was split into three cottages, there was a primary school and a mix of housing quite a few being new.

I pottered around for the rest of the day and in the afternoon I caught the fuel boat Auriga (Rick) and took 54 litres of diesel and 3 bags of smokeless coal, that should see me until I'm off the Ashby, I then had a chat with Sue who lives at the current terminus along with her husband on their narrowboat and looks after the Ashby Canal Association shop/office.

This morning I could not decide whether to move on or stay another night, phone and internet signals are both very poor, but it was quite cold and overcast, not ideal cruising weather, however at 11:30 I decided to move, so onwards through the tunnel, this pathetic attempt is the best of three pictures I took,

 My lovely camera won’t co-operate when it’s totally in the dark, refusing to flash, I need to work out what the problem, anyway here is a better effort of me exiting through the North portal.

Stopping at the service point at the terminus to do the usual emptying and filling.

Approaching the current limit of navigation, the small swingbridge.

Looking from the swingbridge to the section under restoration

Looking back from the swingbridge, winding hole is behind the boat on the left.

Ashby Canal Society Office/shop

I then needed to reverse into the winding hole to turning around and retrace my journey back to Shackerstone once again passing only one other boat.

Tonights mooring

Unfortunately the phone and internet signals have not improved!

Total today 4.5 miles : 1 Tunnel (twice)