Lazily to Leamington.

It started out cloudy again this morning but it soon brightened up. I popped up to road level and got a paper from the garage just down the way. We set off but didn't go very far as we stopped by Bridge 46 to go shopping at Tesco's. As it is so handy we did a four bag refill so we are full up again. You are spoiled form, choice on this stretch between Warwick and Leamington as there is Tesco, Morrison's and Lidl all very handy for the canal and with moorings too.

This is the aqueduct over the River Avon and is the site where there are hopes to connect the Avon with the Grand Union by the Stratford and Warwick Waterways Trust. There would be four locks up from the river to the Grand Union level and the flight would run parallel to the canal and enter the canal behind the camera. There would be several other locks and engineering works to carry out but you never know it may occur before we hand in our windlasses.

The River is already used as we saw these canoes passing noisily as everybody was having agreat time.

More canoes to be found when we walked into Leamington and through Jephson Gardens and the couple on the River Leam.

There were plenty of folks using the Gardens and the fountain was cooling  with the little shade and the water must also bring down the temperature close to it. It is the Hitchman Fountain and commemorates Doctor Hitchman who popularised the spa of the town for medical reasons and so brought prosperity to the town

This is the Royal Cioat of Arms over the door of a Travel Lodge!! In fact it used to be the Regent Hotel. It was completed in 1819 and was one of the largest hotels in Europe with a 100 rooms. In 1830 an 11 year old stayed in the hotel with her Dad. When she became Queen she allowed the town to become Royal Leamington Spa. In 1998 it closed and was the subject of several plans, one of which was to demolish it. In the end it has reopened as a Travel Lodge and a Wagamama retaurant.

On the opposite side of the road to Jephson Gardens are the Pump Room Gardens that were also busy. The grandstand has survived and All Saints Church towers above the pump room. The church seems to be having plenty of external repairs done at the moment.

We walked past the station and from a distance it looked like a Soviet era building. As we got closer closer it seems like a poor attempt at a Art Deco building. It was built in 1854 by the LNWR.

We walked back to the boat and read the papers in the sun on the back end.