July was a month full of highlights.

We started July at Shardlow and a beautiful day we penned down and proceeded down the River Trent to Trent Lock.

It was a gorgeous day when we again passed the entrance to the Erewash Canal (seen here as the brickwork just after the trees on the left). Next come the Trent Navigation Cranfleet flood lock between there and the sailing club club house with the mast. The tree lined hill is Red Hill that hides the towers of Ratcliffe Power Station. The railway bridge can be seen and just beyond there is the fearsome Trumpton Weir. Before the rail bridge you have to turn down to the south to enter the River Soar which is part of the Grand Union, and that is the way we went, on to new ground for us.

 We stopped for the night here at Kegworth Shallow Lock. the Soar was delight to travel down with cattle cooling off in the water and pleasant countryside to pass through. We had a walk around the village and were constantly reminded of one of Kegworth's time in the news when there was an air crash near the village as there are many planes coming in to land at East Midlands airport.

Our next stop was at Loughborough. We didn't stop in the small basin there, mainly as it was surrounded by tall buildings so no good for our solar panels. We were pleased to be able to get on a tour of  Taylors Bell Foundry. It is a small but fascinating place that is one of only two places still making bells in this way. The picture above is one of the bells from a Trinity House navigation buoy that rang due to wave action to warn of it's position in fog. Loughborough was a good place to visit with a nice park and museum and the chance to get to the top of the Carillon that was built as the war memorial for the town. There was a lady playing request there too. the view was good and the small museum at the base had very helpful staff too.

The River Sore can't really be mistaken for a true canal as it winds about and the banks are not really straight lines or easy to moor at. We were going to moor near Mountsorrel Lock but learning that there was to be a festival starting that night we moved on to  Sileby Lock. We had a nice walk up to what remains of the quarry and round the nice little town of Mountsorrel. On the way back to the boat along the towpath we came across a narrow boat poling along. It turns out that they had run out of fuel and it was hard work against the current. We hurried back to the boat and went and fetched them to the moorings opposite a fuel point at the small marina.Good deed of the day done.

After another night at Birstal we moved on to Leicester. The National Space Centre at Belgrave Lock is a strange sight. The river remains rural and with the threat of water level rises there are several places that have emergency moorings with long poles to tie up to. The country park around the old gravel and sand workings near our berth was great for walking round and many folk were taking the air. There was also a town wide garage sale with over a hundred homes taking part.

We had been told by many people not to stop in Leicester as it was dangerous. I hadn't really understood why but as we didn't follow the danger may have been a breech in the time continuum as we appeared to have been transported back in time! Richard III fever had gripped the city after finding him under a car park but there was a lot going on in the city and we had a great couple of days looking around. We did get a space on the pontoon moorings at Castle Park. We would have moored on the tow path too if there hadn't been a room there. It is well worth a stop to look around the place. 

After a couple of days we moved on, still through nice country. Above is King's Lock I think. The weather had been warm for a while now so the water in the cut must have been nice and warm too as we saw several grass snakes swimming along the canal. One even came up a lock with us. Our next spot was opposite the old village on Wistow so demanded that we walk around the area. The next day we were passing Debdale Wharf where Holderness was built so we went along to catch up with Andy and Jez at Andicraft before moving a little closer to Foxton for the night.

We were heading for Market Harborough as Helen was off home and we needed a place to hang out. We had a mooring in the basin that was always busy with the coming and going of hire boats and the pedestrians too. The town is good for shopping and a stroll too. I did another good deed when an American couple hadn't had much luck on their hire boat and had returned to base after only a couple of days. They had wanted to go up Foxton Locks but hadn't felt confident enough. I volunteered to assist them and we had a long but good day in the sun.

When Helen returned we also welcomed our friend Chris who was coming for a week with us. We were soon off and the first highlight for him was the ten locks of the Foxton flight.  The towpath, both sides, was busy with folk and I spent time with anybody who showed an interest in helping or anything else. I listened to some interesting explanations of who locks work, and was instructed by a very posh lady to explain all to her group of foreign students. I reckon I would make a good volunteer lockie. Shame we live too far away from any canals

After Foxton we ventured down the Welford Arm for a night and then onward to Crick. Following on we were down the Watford locks and had a night at Norton Junction. Instead of turning right to Braunston we hung a left and continued down the Grand Union. Our next mooring was on the off side by the church at Weedon Bec. We had a walk round the village to see the Military depot and barracks from Napoleonic times that seem to be in good condition, if not used for their original purpose. We were soon back and resting up in the heat with a glass or two of something cool.

The next day we passed through Blisworth Tunnel and moored just beyond at Stoke Bruerne. The photo shows the south end with the blacksmiths forge and a concrete ring with which part of the tunnel is lined after it was closed for four years until 1984. The ring gives some idea of scale of the tunnel when compared with Helen.

We had a lovely run down to our next over night at Cosgrove with it's horse tunnel under the canal to access the pub on the opposite side. There is also the Buckingham Branch leading off just by the lock. A stub is all that is now in use as moorings. Soon afterwards the canal crosses the Great Ouse using an impressive aqueduct. Above you can see Chris and Helen giving me a wave as they cross.

We got to the outskirts of Milton Keynes and said goodbye to our quest before plodding ever southwards. We had a couple of days in Fenny Stratford and spent a whole day at the Bletchley Park Museum. It is a lovely place with very informative staff and displays and telling a fascinating story. I would recommend a stop for everybody. We then moved on to Leighton Buzzard. Which had a busy mooring but was handy for the town. 

The next stretch of canal is probably one of the most beautiful of the Grand Union with hardly a road or building to impose. We stopped in the middle of nowhere and walked into the village of Slapton for a pint in the thatched Carpenters Arms on a lovely evening. The locks were then well spaced so not to seem too  uch of a chore and there was plenty to look at as we continued ever south to our final stop of the month at Marsworth Junction.