We went for a bit of a shop this morning and had a nice coffee and early lunch at the Old Bakery Cafe. A quick round of the charity shops for what we are looking for and then some items that Helen wanted before heading to Aldi's for the last of the shopping.
Atherstone was built by the Trent Valley Railway in 1847. The full opening of line was delayed due to some bridges needing strengthening but it fully opened on 1st December 1847, the same day that GMT was adopted by the London and North Western railway, of which TVR was part. It became part of the London Midland and Scottish grouping in 1923 and then London Midland on Nationalisation in 1948.
Helen took us down the locks today. There was a fair bit of waiting for other boats to leave/arrive at locks but much smoother than when we were coming up.
Smoothly done, as nearly always. The sun had been shining as best it could, and when it did it was nice and warm. It was a pleasure dropping down the locks, and as there was nobody on the water point once again we stopped and topped up. All done in 10 mins.
There is a rare mile post on the Atherstone flight, 8 miles to Fazeley Junction and 9 miles to Marston Junction.
Grendon Wharf dry dock is a nice setting and always have boats in. However I have never, ever passed when anybody has been working on them. Is this just just my poor timing or do they work nights?
Just by Hoo Hill the canal passes really close to the railway, but you wouldn't know it, until a train passes that is, as the trees shield the view of it and it is very pleasant, again until a train passes!
As you pop under the West Coast Mainline on the approach to Polesworth you pass the sewage farm and up on the flank of Hoo Hill is this monument. It is erected to record'The site of the chapel of St. Leonard'sat Hoo. Demoilished 1538'. It seems that when they were building the railway the discovered the burial ground of the chapel. The obelisk was raised soon after at the instigation of Sir George Chetwynd of Grendon Hall. When the railway was widened the monument was moved to a distance from the original site and further away from the tracks.
Lees and Atkins yard was started up by the Sephton family that were boat builders at Sutton Stop, Hawkesbury Junction. One of the five sons moved her to start up in business. This was later taken over by the Basset Green family and then in around 1912 Henry Lees Atkins took it on. They have built several boats that are on the historic register today, and they became well known for their painting of their Roses and Castles.
This seems a very nice oddity to find on the canal by Alvecote. Is it an old inspection barge, a new'ish build or an escapee from the Thames?
This was the scene of my head-on collision with a boater. I was heading in the other direction through the bridge. I feel sure she didn't even realise I was there until she hit me as she was still going belly to ground even though there is a boat moored by the house. I was going full astern but it was quite a bump. I was truely shocked as I would never have thought she would take no evasive action at all! The garden has had a few more things added since then. I'm pretty sure that the giraffe is new.
2 comments:
There was someone at Grendon dry dock when we passed just over a week ago — although I wouldn’t swear he was working. It was a Saturday, so maybe they just do weekends?
Hi Adam,
It is good to see that canal time is alive and well. Very relaxed indeed. That boat has been aground awaiting somebody to do something for ages. Mind you I'm sure that is no indication of the working practices of the yard. I'm sure that there work is excellent. Cheers for now, Tony and Helen.
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