Return to the Ashby

By iangbell, Posted on August 1, 2017

The last 2 days have involved more shopping, only 1 lock, but 3 different canals, and one of them was new to Heather.

We left our mooring between Hillmorton and Rugby yesterday, heading for the Tesco store near the canal in Rugby. It wasn’t nearly as exciting as toilet shopping, but necessary all the same.

The effects of the straightening of the North Oxford in the 1820s are very apparent around Rugby. There are several, now redundant, side branches whilst the mainline of the canal carries on in straight lines over embankments. After Rugby, several of these side branches are marked by these elegant iron bridges.

We eventually joined the Coventry Canal at Hawkesbury Junction, and took the compulsory pictures of the junction bridge and the engine house. We turned north on the Coventry Canal for a short dash up to Marston Junction to join the Ashby Canal. Pippa has been trying out life as a roof-dog. Problem is this, she spends most of the time barking. Sometimes at people, sometimes at other dogs, but most of the time at nothing (or is that everything). At least on this part of the Coventry she could bark at something impressive – a gorilla in someone’s back garden.

I had experienced the Ashby last year when single-handed, this is Heather’s first new canal for several years. We didn’t go far. I had marked up our map last year, so I knew there were decent moorings after a couple of bridges.

This morning, we didn’t get going that early. Someone decided he would stay in bed a little longer. The rural and sometimes shallow nature of the Ashby soon becomes apparent. A big contrast to the Coventry Canal.

We refueled at Trinity Marina in Hinckley and we were then aiming for the Spinney Bank Farm Shop to get some Ashby Sausages. On the way we passed many moored boats. The Ashby seems to have more than its fair share of “interesting” boats. Last year I commented on the Black Pearl. This year we both noticed this boat, overflowing with well-tended vegetation, and complete with a dedicated kennel boat for the dog.

We pushed on to the farm shop, looking forward to the sausages. Disaster! They were sold out, cleaned out by some particularly hungry agricultural contractors yesterday. The sausages are handmade at the shop, but only once a week, on Wednesday, which is tomorrow. We resolved to stop in on the way back if we could.

We pushed on, past the Bosworth Battlefield and Market Bosworth. Having had a mainly sunny day, we were now being chased down by some very ominous dark clouds. And they chose to unload on us just as we were getting close to the battlefield. We were aiming to get to Shackerstone at the end of the canal to sample the Globe Inn for dinner. But we didn’t make it. I had forgotten how shallow parts of the Ashby can be. Shallow water really cuts down the speed you can do, so we ended up stopping near Congerstone, about 4 miles short.

Of course, the weather had now cleared up, so we were treated to a good sunset.

Let’s see if we can get some sausages tomorrow.

A Proper Summer Day

By iangbell, Posted on July 31, 2016

Eventually, today was what a proper British summer day should be. Totally undecided between sun and rain. In the end we got a bit of both.

But before that, it was almost a disaster.

This morning was one of those times that I was grateful to have developed a regular habit of checking the engine bay every day. It has become just part of the routine. On lifting hatch this morning I was surprised to find the sheared off end of a screw resting, neatly, on the starboard engine bearer. A quick check showed that this was the end of the locking screw that stops the engine mount nut from moving. I retrieved the rest of it, still screwed into the engine mount.

As a result, the engine mount had loosened, and that does explain the extra vibration we experienced yesterday. Not a good situation. A loose engine is one of those things that can start damaging more parts, like the propellor shaft and its coupling. Luckily, I found a spare in the box of parts the previous owner had left. So, emergency averted, I though it was a good idea to check the three other engine mounts to make sure. Then I found where the spare locking screw must have come from, one of the other engine mounts! It wasn’t loose and must have been like that from before we owned Heron. Still, it’s not right so I will have to source a replacement. I just don’t think there is that much urgency.

The rest of today was about enjoying the proper British summer and, for me, trying not to repeat myself from the trip up the Cheshire Locks in June. As a result one of the few pictures I took was of this kneeling cow.

And more sun and clouds.

I’m sure Heather and Nick were enthralled to learn where I injured my leg and how wet it was “when I was here in June”.

We ended up travelling a lot further than we expected. I am certainly having to recalibrate my estimates for daily distances now that I’m not single-handed.

We did come across a boat traffic jam at Middlewich, as everyone seemed to want to turn onto the Middlewich Branch. It is often busy where the branch joins the T&M, as there are two locks very close to the junction. On a summer weekend you often have an audience at Kings Lock, as it sits next to a pub of the same name. Today I provided the entertainment, gaining a sarcastic round of applause when I bumped the lock gates.

Our mooring tonight is on one of the formal mooring sites provided by the Shropshire Union Canal Society. This is the one overlooking Winford Top Flash and the River Weaver.

And Heather managed to capture an atmospheric sunset, reflecting off the water.