Wistow to Leicester

Wed 6^th Jul  Wistow to Kilby Bridge

Since our last visit, a very modern house had been built in the grounds of the manor house. It had a flat roof and looked a bit like an airfield control tower.

Ugly house

There were four boats, including us, pointing in the same direction, and we thought we could share with one of them. In hindsight, we should have checked them out last night and made arrangements.  We were ready to leave at 0800, when we realised that one had already left. It was the hire boat from Leighton Buzzard. The other hire boat, from Napton, was all locked up with curtains drawn, so we thought they might be staying to visit the delights of Wistow. The third boat was obviously a liveaboard, and not likely to move today.

Leaving our Wistow mooring

Waiting by the lock

No fishing but in which direction?

However, we waited at the first lock for an hour and forty minutes, but no boat turned up to share with us. While we were there, a man came along with a bucket of swan pellets, which he proceeded to feed to the family of swans that were there. He knew the history of the two adults, how old they were, and where they had nested each year and how many cygnets they had produced. He also knew about the other families further down.

We finally set off on our own, having no-one to share with. At lock 27 we met two small cruisers which was helpful.

Into the lock on our own

Two cruisers

Tythorn Lock 28

We discovered that many of the locks had gates that opened by themselves, and despite leaving them closed, when we looked back, they had opened again. We gave up in the end, and we closed the gates we used, but didn’t bother going round again to close them again.

Leaving Lock 29 having closed the gates

Leicester 9 miles

Water lilies

We arrived at Kilby Bridge, and saw a bus going over the bridge. Looking online, we couldn’t work out what route had any bus stops anywhere near. Also, we discovered that the pub was not serving food at the moment. There are no shops here, and our plan to spend two nights here got modified, and we thought we would move on in the morning.

Kilby Bridge

Slidy piling

Moored at Kilby Bridge

We were mystified by a van that turned up periodically, and fired up a generator, which powered a water pump, and they gulped up a lot of canal water which went into a big plastic tank on the van. Then they drove off again. They did this at least three times.

We saw the Napton hire boat come and moor behind us for a while, and then they moved on. Another boat took its place, called Crocodile Smile. James went to see the crew, and found a single gentleman who said he lived on board, so there was no need to rush, so we agreed on a time of 1000-ish.

Several boats came and went, most of them pausing to fill up with water opposite.

We had our weekly Canal Ministries meeting on Zoom in the evening.

7 locks, 3 miles. Dep 0805, arr 0820 Lock 23. Dep 1000, arr 1205 Kilby Bridge

Thu 7^th Jul  Kilby Bridge to Kings Lock, Aylestone

There was a continuous queue of boats this morning at the water point opposite, and a boat called Nifty Fifty was on there for about thirty minutes from 0920.  When he had finished, he set off for Leicester, closely followed by Steve on Crocodile Smile. We said to Steve that it was fine for him to share with Nifty Fifty, as we still had the facilities to do.

We filled up with water, emptied three cassettes, and disposed of lots of rubbish, including things that been round our prop. We had a job to find the elsan point, as it was hidden out of sight behind the building, with no sign except on the door when you got there.

Leaving the facilities at Kilby Bridge

When we set off, we weren’t expecting to see Steve. Sure enough, when we arrived at the first lock there was no other boat to share with. To our surprise, there were two volunteers there who filled the lock for us, and locked us down. James walked ahead to the next lock, which was further than he thought, and as he arrived there, he spotted Steve just leaving the lock. James reset the lock, and Gabriel went through.

Crocodile Smile ahead of us

Wheat

Knights Bridge – Where is Harrods?

At the third lock, we were surprised to find Steve waiting for us on Crocodile Smile. We didn’t find out why he wasn’t sharing with Nifty Fifty. We had expected that sharing with an elderly single man, who had said he was slow, would involve James doing most of the paddle and gate work. Not a bit! We worked out a system whereby he would leave first through one gate only, and Gabriel would follow, using bow thrusters. He would go on to get the next lock ready, while James closed up behind. He was quick off the mark, and not afraid to climb ladders, walk along the roof of his boat, and play a full part in what turned out to be a good team effort.

Sharing with Crocodile Smile

Is this an instruction?

Another Knights Bridge

Blaby Mill

We met two boats, one of which was a C&RT work boat, The other boat we met in a narrow stretch with reeds, and as he went into reverse, he collected something on his prop.

Gabriel and Crocodile Smile

Whetstone Lock 35

Steve

Leicester 5 miles – getting there

Our last lock of the day was Kings Lock at Aylestone, and we tied up below the lock. Steve continued further. We gave out some leaflets to two ladies above the lock who were asking questions.

Kings Lock Tea Rooms

Sharing Kings Lock

As we moored up, two people were watching and videoing, and they wanted to know all about Canal Ministries. We joined them in the lock cottage tea rooms, and we all shared our testimonies. Jean had become a Christian aged 51, and it had transformed her. James, her son, had become a Christian in San Francisco after a series of “God incidences”. It was lovely to meet them.

Hazel Jean James James

We walked across an ancient packhorse bridge and through some meadows to a shopping centre, which was further than we had anticipated.

Packhorse Bridge

About the bridge

We visited Superdrug, Boots and Smiths, and had a pleasant meal in Volpo Lounge. We were too tired to walk back to ASDA, so we called a taxi.

We phoned Club Taxis, and told them we were outside WH Smith. We were told it should be twenty minutes. After half an hour, we were going to phone them again, but we spotted a taxi arriving. We asked him if he was from Club Taxis, and he said no. We asked him if he could take us, and he said he had a booking, so he couldn’t. James was just about to phone again, when he had a text message to say, “Taxi outside WHITE VERSO.” We had asked to be picked up outside WH Smith. James  looked at a store guide, and couldn’t see White Verso anywhere, so he replied, “Where’s that?” Then he had a phone call, difficult to understand from a taxi driver to confirm the booking. He heard Hazel’s voice in the background, and realised it was the taxi driver we had been trying to communicate with. So, he took us back across the canal to Aylestone, and dropped us in a small car park next to the canal bridge. We realise now that White Verso was describing the car, which was indeed white, and looking online we have found that there is a Toyota Verso. We didn’t know that. We do now.

Searching the store guide to see where White Verso was.

Moored below Kings Lock

9 locks, 5 miles. Dep 1050, arr 1450.

Fri 8^th Jul  Kings Lock to Leicester

After a very peaceful night, we enjoyed breakfast in the Kings Lock Café which was very pleasant.

Back on the boat, as we were departing, some people hailed us from the towpath, saying they were also Christians. The people here are very friendly, and many have wanted to chat.

Leaving Kings Lock moorings

Aylestone Mill Lock

We were now on the River Soar, and there were several tight bends. We passed a canalside Aldi store, which we visited last time, but not today. At Aylestone Mill Lock, we had just gone in, and James had opened one of the bottom paddles when we saw a boat appear behind us. James closed the paddle, and went back to fill the lock again, as we had only gone down a few inches. However, as the lock was almost full again, a second boat came round the corner behind us, so we decided to empty the lock again. This time we had a problem putting down one of the ground paddles, which seemed to have something jammed.  In the end, we emptied the lock anyway and left it to the two boats that had arrived.

New ducklings

Gaggle of geese

Aylestone Mill Lock

Paddle that wouldn’t go down

Being locked through

We noticed a lot of Himalayan Balsam here, as well as a large area of Japanese Knotweed. Then, round the corner, we found Floating Pennywort. All invasive plants that need to be dealt with. There was also some blanket weed.

Floating Pennywort

Blanket Weed

The next lock was St Mary’s Mill Lock, which was almost in our favour, except for leakage. The final lock of the day was Freeman’s Meadow Lock, which was much deeper, and alongside a long weir. After that, we were into the long straight river section in Leicester, with rowers everywhere.

St Mary’s Mill

Freemans Meadow Lock

Leaving the lock

Rowers ahead

Bridge 1 Mill Lane Bridge

When we arrived at our mooring, there was one other boat there already – the hire boat from Napton. Castle Park Gardens is a secure mooring, with a locked gate from the pontoon to the gardens. At dusk they close the gardens, but there is one gate that can be opened with a C&RT key.

Moored at Castle Gardens

It was very hot, and we opened all our windows to allow a breeze.

Later in the afternoon, we had a surprise phone call from Anne Murphy, who had joined BCF at the recent Crick Boat Show, and who lives in Leicester. This is where the “Fellowship” part of BCF kicks in. We didn’t know each other, but we invited her to join us, and within half an hour she had arrived. After lots of chat over a cuppa, we all went off for a good meal at a Lebanese restaurant.  It was good to meet her, and she is coming again on Monday, to help us through Leicester perhaps as far as Birstall or Thurmaston. She has a bus pass to get back.

Cedars Lebanese Restaurant

James Hazel Ann

After the meal we went our separate ways, and we visited a large Tesco nearby and stocked up with provisions. We returned to the boat via the locked gate accessible with a C&RT key.

Moored at Castle Gardens

View from the moorings at night

3 locks, 3 miles. Dep 1145, arr 1325.

Next: two days in Leicester, including church somewhere on Sunday, before heading further down the Soar