It isn't very far to Foxton from Market Harborough but always seems to take longer than you expect. As we were in no hurry it did not matter. We were booked into Debdale Wharf for a few days as we had to go home.
The old Wooden Step Bridge No.14 has given way to a new road bridge to access the large number of houses that are being built on the other side of the canal. Land by canals certainly does seem to be prime real estate. Like the C&RT are always saying, being near water is good for you, and the bank balance it seems.
The bone factory wasn't smelly today. Modern emissions standards working I assume. The company that own the business pick up about 10,000 tonnes aweek of animal by products, fallen animals (fellmongering in the old parlance) and food waste to make into animal feeds, oils, fertilizers and power station fuel, as well as generating electricity from it themselves.
We have always been on the way somewhere previously so have never stopped to have a walk around the site of the Inclines plane and museum. This time we did as we were ahead of schedule. The museum is small but perfectly formed and it is well worth a walk around the place too. It is interesting to see that the inclined plane only lasted 11 years before it was broken up. 
I narrow boat was sunk while loaded the scrapped equipment. I wonder if that was the reason this rail was left or this is a bit of a mock up of what it used to be like. It took 12 minutes to go up or down, including the floaring in and out of the caissons.
At the very foot of Foxton Locks were some stables and a blacksmiths I think. They were near derelict in 1966 when Tony Matts moved in to set up Foxton Narrow Boats. He soon had them converted into a tea room and shop for the many visitors. He had quite a battle with British Waterways in 1980 when he wanted to convert the lower buildings into a pub, but procession is 9/10th of the law and in 1980 Bridge 61 was opened and after several refits it still is. I believe it is still owned by the Matts family too. It has two smallish room and the tiniest hatch of a bar to serve. When we visited they had three real ales on, one of which was Adnam's Southwold.
Two of the three beers were from Langton Brewery which is only about 4 miles away as the crow flies. The brewery was started in 1999 at the back of the Bell Inn at East Langton, about 4 miles from this pub. They were supplying the pub and the cricket club over the road. Inevitably the beers grew a fan base and they had to expand with a move in 2005 to Grange Farm Thorpe Langton. The 4 bbl plant installed soon had to be further added to in 2010 and again in 2016. Their sales area is spreading so keep your eyes open for them.
This 3.9% golden ale seems to be one of those that some really like and others don't. I'm afraid I was in the later camp. I wont say I didn't like it, just that there wasn't really very much to it. It just didn't do anything for me at all. Perhaps that is just as well that it is a seasonal beer, but having said that it seems to have been around from April to November last year. It is obviously named after the top lock of the ten at the Foxton flight.
I then tried their Thomas Lift. A bitter at 4.4%. It poured with a nice creamy head and a deep chestnut colour. There were lovely caramel notes with the generous malts in the beer. This sweetness was ofset with the next taste on the buds of hops. Plenty to keep you going so definitively more my style. The beer is named after Godon Cale Thomas who was the architect of the inclined plane lift. It is a shame it isn't still in assistance as it would be definite 'wonder of the waterways'. A bit like this beer. I'm keeping my eyes open for their best selling beer Inclined Plane.
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