Burton Hastings to the end and back to Shackerstone

Thu 1^st October

Burton Hastings to Sutton Wharf

We found evidence of Hugo’s hunting success on the floor this morning.

There was heavy cloud, and we didn’t get going until half past ten, by which time Penny from Heaven was probably well gone, and Eclectus had also disappeared. 

We passed under the A5, noting where we should moor next Wednesday, when we plan to visit a nearby folk club. We proceeded past the arm where Hinckley Boat Club has their moorings, and then we arrived at Trinity Marina.  We bought a chain and a fender, but they did not have the paint we want. We also emptied a cassette.

  

The Hinckley Arm

Penny from Heaven on her mooring

We saw Penny from Heaven moored up near bridge 21. The next stop was at bridge 23 where there was a farm shop. We came away with a pork pie and some minced beef.

At Ashby boats (bridge 25) we paused briefly to find that they don’t sell paints, but they were happy to act as a delivery address for us if it helps.

At bridge 27 we stopped on the visitor moorings while Hazel went to the Stoke Golding shop and bought some rolls, as we are running out of bread.

Autumn colours

After all the stopping and starting, we were ready to moor for the night, so we tried a few places, but it was shallow and we couldn’t get into the side. We finally found a place between bridges 33 and 34, just before Sutton Wharf.

There was a lady with a ginger kitten on a boat called Lowertown Lad. She had only had him for 6 weeks, and James recommended that she have a cat flap installed.  At least we knew that she would keep him in at night, so there wouldn’t be caterwauling when he met Hugo.

               

As we were going to bed, Hugo came in and miaowed at us, and seemed very excited and alert.

0 locks, 8 miles, 1 mouse

Fri 2^nd October

Sutton Wharf to Bridge 62 and back to Snarestone

We found the reason for Hugo’s excitement last night, as there were mouse remains on the doormat on the stern deck. That’s two days in a row. Well done, Hugo.

  

Our mooring before Sutton Wharf

There was bright sunshine as we made the short cruise to the Sutton Wharf facilities, where we took on water, and emptied rubbish and cassettes.

The offside visitor moorings for the Bosworth Battlefield were all overgrown. We moored here last time and there is a length for about 8 boats. No boats were there this time.

Balador from Aylesbury was on the Market Bosworth moorings, and we asked them whether they moored at Aylesbury Canal Society. They said they used to. They waited for us to pass and then pulled out behind us.

After bridge 42 there is the new Bosworth Marina, and a boat was just about to head out, but they waited for both boats to pass.

Emerging boat at the marina

At Carlton Bridge there was a sign saying, “You are now entering a SSSI”. We were asked to use only designated moorings, and not to allow grey water into the canal. That is water from the shower, basin and sink.  None of the moorings were marked as “designated”, and there was no clue as to how far the notice applied.  We were asked to stay in the centre of the channel. With a boat coming the other way we probably wouldn't obey this one. We never saw a notice saying, “You are now leaving the SSSI”.  

SSSI notice

 

Later research showed that the SSSI designation goes right to the end of the navigable canal. Perhaps they should say so on the notice. If we spend several days up at the top end, it will be difficult to refrain from the grey water issue.

We saw two kingfishers, which was good, and three buzzards.  We also saw several people fishing, which we thought odd in a SSSI.

We met another boat at a bridge, but they waited for us to pass. It was a caraboat, a trailable, floatable caravan, built in the 70s.

Caraboat

SSSI

More Autumn Colours

Then we had a very sociable day, with several “chance” encounters.

 

Firoza

At Shackerstone, just past the aqueduct, we saw Firoza, and had a chat with BCF friends Derek and Judy. We last saw them at the Taft a few weeks ago.  Then, just after bridge 52, we saw Eclectus, with Derek and Lesley, whom we had met two days ago with Mary and Jim. They had had a very negative experience with the lady in charge of the swing bridge near the terminus. She hadn’t wanted to open the bridge because she would miss the rugby. She was also hoping to "get her life back" now that the season was over. While we were chatting to them, Balador went past.

Derek and Lesley on Eclectus

As we moved on, we found BCF friends Roger and Pam McLellan on their mooring on Summer Breeze, which they have purchased from other BCF friends Peter and Jennie Carless.

We moved on past the badger setts where James saw a badger last time we were here (6 years ago).

 Woods

Flying the flag

Just before Snarestone Tunnel, a lady with a dog asked us if we were staying at the end. We assume this was the lady of the swingbridge. She said if we wanted to go through the swingbridge we needed to ask Tom, who would be mowing the lawn.

The tunnel we noticed had a bend in it, although it was only 250yds long.

Snarestone Tunnel

As we approached the old terminus, we found Balador moored up. The swing bridge was across the canal, and we went to find Tom. He wasn’t keen to open it at first, but we said we had come all the way to see the new section, on the recommendation of Ashby Canal Association people at the Huddlesford Gathering. He asked us to wait 30 minutes while he finished his section of lawn mowing.

Swingbridge

We mentioned this to the people on Balador, and offered them a lift. They hadn’t wanted to go, as they couldn’t turn round at the end. We couldn’t turn either but this didn’t trouble us, as reversing is easy with a bow thruster to keep you straight.

It turned out that they were Chris and Judy Clegg, who used to moor in Aylesbury Canal Society and they edited and produced the famous ACS Launderette Directory. They also know David Brennand, and they used to be members of BCF.  It was a pleasure to have them with us as we cruised to the end, through the new bridge 62 and back.

The new Bridge 62

End of navigation

 Still 8 miles to reclaim

Chris and Judy

Tom opened the swing bridge for us again and we reversed back through, before turning round in the winding hole.  We wondered why they keep the swing bridge locked. We would have been happy to open and close it ourselves. They have made a great job of the restoration. It would have been good to have some enthusiastic volunteers to show it off and tell us about it.

We returned through the tunnel and moored soon afterwards. Balador went past, heading for Shackerstone.

Hazel hung out the washing in the remains of the sunny day.  She then spoke to Rob on Freedom, the next boat along, who had two dogs.

We had a call from daughter Amanda to say she has broken her ankle. She was among crowds walking back to the station from the Wales v Fiji rugby match in Cardiff, when she stumbled on some uneven tarmac. She had spent seven hours in hospital.

0 locks, 11 miles, 2 tunnels, 2 swing bridges, 1 mouse

Sat 3^rd October

 Boat emerging from Snarestone Tunnel

It was cloudy this morning, and it never really got sunny.  We walked back up the hill by the tunnel entrance, and waited for a bus. When the bus arrived we discovered we were on the wrong side of the road, but it still stopped for us.  It was ten-minute ride into Measham via Appleby Magna.

We bought a hacksaw in a hardware shop, and then walked up to the Christian bookshop that Derek (Firoza) had told us about. We were hoping for recent albums of worship songs, but there was little stock left, as they are selling up. Hazel bought an autobiography of Selwyn Hughes.

We had a look round the church of St Laurence, which has box pews, and very worn stonework.

St Laurence, Measham

Honeycombed stonework

 

Box pews

Church ceiling

We then went to Tesco Express to stock up our cupboards.  We had an hour before the bus, so we had lunch in Gilly’s Pantry, which was very good.

We saw a sign to a museum but couldn’t find it.  Later we discovered it was the old railway station which will be alongside the canal when restored.

On our return to the boat, we noticed that a fishing competition was just about to start, so we made our getaway, and cruised slowly back towards Shackerstone.  We saw Rob walking his dogs.  We also saw Roger McLellan again, cleaning his boat.

 Summer Breeze

We moored on the 48H moorings, planning to go to the 10am service the next morning in the parish church. 

Shackerstone 48H mooring

James tried to make a phone call, but there was no signal, so went up onto the bridge. He phoned Rose Narrowboats, but they don’t stock Hempel paints. He phoned Wharf House narrowboats in Braunston, where we had bought the original paint, and found that they had run out, and had been waiting for some on order for two weeks. Hopefully by the time we get there it will have arrived.

On the gate by the bridge he saw a notice with the times of the church services, which were very different to the pattern indicated in the BCF church directory.

He saw Derek (Firoza) across the canal. He was returning from his boat, and he showed James the way to the church.  There were some people in the church, and they were getting ready for a harvest festival tomorrow at 4pm.  There was no morning service.  He spotted some out of date BCF leaflets, which he removed.

Walking back to the boat, he had a conversation with some Australians from Melbourne who were very interested in the canals. They had never seen any before.

James decided that it was too far to walk back to the badger setts in the dark.  We also decided that, as the weather tomorrow was good, and Monday and Tuesday were not, that we would carry on tomorrow and miss the 4pm service.

0 locks, 3 miles.

Next week:  hoping to visit the folk club at Hinckley on Wednesday before returning to the Coventry and Oxford Canals on our way south for the winter.