Wandered towards Wanslip.

Before setting off we took advantage of the large Home Bargains just close by and came out with a little more than our list, as always.

Just close by our overnight mooring was this factory that seemed to have low down openings that didn't seem to be pracical for boat cargo operations, but one of them had a canopy over it. I was puzzled but as we passed by the very faded sign appeared to be for ice creams etc. Maybe some enterprising person thought about selling ice creams from the hatch.

It was half past ten when we set off and were very quickly at the Chain Bridge to the Leicester Arm. The Soar Navigation reached Loughborough from the Trent in 1778 and ended in the basin that is straight ahead. Last night we went for a walk and there are plenty of pubs and restaurants close by to the basin. The Leicester Navigation arrived in 1794 and hence the right angled bend into the canal.

The trip through Loughborough passes with plenty to see but once in the country you are soon at Pillings Flood Lock and back into the River Soar.

This section of the navigation is through water meadows with a wider and more curvaceous river that hardly seems to have a current. A lovely warm day made it almost idyllic. 

Barrow on Soar comes along soon enough with the turn under the bridge reminiscent of the River Avon. The lock is just round the corner and is quite a deep one at 9'7".

The gardens of Barrow extend right down to the river and have some great 'sheds' to sit in to take in the view across the Barrow Meadows. I wonder how much of their gardens flood. The houses are well up on a ridge so should remain high and dry.

Just before Meadows Farm Marina this householder had gone to town with the new boat house and mooring. I was expecting some very expensive vessel to be used inside, not just a little run about. Still some teenager or grand parent has a nice pad out of it.

We passed the 'Dutch houses' with their stepped gables and a little dock to make it look even more like Amsterdam, at the start of Mountsorrel. The bridge was built to take the line to the quarries above the town. Charnwood Forest is built on volcanic rocks and these have been utilised for many years. I admired a pink granite kerb stone in Loughborough and it is likely to have come from here. The railway was replaced by a conveyor that took the stone to a grading and loading facility by the main line. I'm not sure if it is still working.

The approach to Mountsorrel Lock has a weir, colourful boats on moorings and some old buildings. The landing is this side of the bridge. I nearly got caught out here as the swans neck almost got jammed under a timber that stuck out way more than the other locks we have passed through. Just shows you need to keep your eyes open at all times.

We passed through Sileby Mill, where we had moored on our other trip down here and the waterways continues to wander seemingly aimlessly across the flood plain. I expect we will get well used to scenes like this on the Middle Levels this summer.

We saw our first goslings of the year as we approached Junction Lock. The grey lag geese have a head start on the Canada geese this year. There was a nice stretch of pilling a little before the lock so as there was a great view across the water meadows we moored up for the day.

The weather has clouded over a little and feels a bit like thunder coming so I may not get some of the jobs doing I have planned. Still something will turn up to stop me sitting down, it always does.