Sunday roast.

The sun was well up when we got up. We had lit the stove the night before and it was still warm too so was nice and cosy to get up to. Helen had a walk up the canal a way to see if there were any spaces for us. In the end we decided to stay where we were as the sun was on the panels by 1100 and anyway the sun disappeared in the afternoon. We are under trees to the rising sun to the east.

We had decided to walk up to Hartshill village to have Sunday lunch at the Malt Shovel. They started serving at 1200 so after walking up the hill via a footpath and the towpath and buying the Sunday Times we were through the door at 1205, and there were already folk sitting down. I had the roast pork and Helen the beef with all the trimmings. There was cabbage roast and boiled spuds and carrots and peas, with a yorkshire gravy and stuffing. It was fine for £3-95? All washed down with a pint of Bank's bitter. Afterwards we decided to go for a walk.

Springwood Marina.

From the pub we walked round the north of Hartshill Quarry down to the towpath and then along to Bridge 27 by Springwood Marina and then round the south and west of the quarry. It was about 4 miles in total. There were limited glimpses of quarry but it is very deep and now holds quite a lake. The water was pumped into the canal but has now been allowed to fill the workings. The main product taken was quarzite for roads but also Fullers earth clay and slate. It stopped production in 1994 I think when the workings got so close to the village that the Nuneaton road collapsed into it! There was a memorial of flower tributes where two 18 year olds had died in the quarry. It was a big fence right round it but it does look very tempting, even for me. It must be a haven for birds and plants, even now, and I wonder how long it will be before it is opened up as a visitor attraction or filled in with rubbish as a very handy landfill site.

The smaller workings to the north of the site.

The Canal and River Trust Hartshill Maintenance yard. I lovely group of buildings with a covered dock and with clock tower.

Once back at the boat we sat with the paper and a cup of tea and slice of cake. By 1700 it had got nippy enough for Helen to light the fire so we should be nice and snug for the night.