moving on in the sun.

We had a very late start as after breakfast we popped round to see David, Marilyn and Lesley on 'Waka Huai'. There was general chat and scotch pancakes or pikelets as the NZ contingent called them. We discussed damp bilges and general chit chat before we decided to swap venues so that David could solve my IT problems in the form of my camera not working! David very quickly traced the source of the problem, a broken camera, so thanks for that diagnoses! In the end we set off after lunch following farewells for the year and possible plans for next year.

We were soon at Charity Dock near Bedworth and I think the new tableaux along the moorings have improved. I think the whole place looks neater these days, but there is still lots of room for improvement..

There is always a Tupperware party going on at the dry dock end of the dock. I don't pass often enough to know whether they ever change! The pile of scrap behind the boats must have some good stuff on it as there is the bow of a Morris Minor sat on top!

In the middle of a field was this very sparse tree. I reckon that the living bit will soon break off the rest of the dead tree. I wonder how it got in that state?

Between Hawkesbury Junction and Nuneaton there were several arms off. The first is the Newdigate Arm that went to a  colliery wharf.

The canal serviced the colliery but the canal carrying stopped before the mine closed in the end. The entrance to the arm from the Coventry Canal is still easily visible.

The second arm off was the Arbury Canal system. These were built on the Arbury Estate between 1764 and 1795. In all there were six individual canals linked together and entering the Coventry Canal.  The estate was owned by the Newdigate family and they discoverd coal and clay on their land. Along with the canals plateways interconnected the pits and wharfs too. Above can be seen one of the locks on the system. They had there own water supply on the estate so it could all be self running. The canals became unused around 1812 after the death of the son of the creator.

The last of the arms was the Griff Arm. This was also run by the Asbury Estate but was not connected with the other six canals. It serviced another of the family mines. The canal closed in about 1960. This is a picture of empty boats going under Coventry Road bridge on the way to load at the colliery wharf.

This is all that can be seen of the entrance from the Coventry Canal today.

I noticed this adorned tree on the way down and tried to capture it's sparkles. Unfortunately I failed.

Just before Nuneaton, at Chilvers Coton is Starline boats and the old wharf warehouse building. Three years ago we passed her and there was a burned out narrow boat opposite on the tow path side. We did laught when we saw it's name was 'Warm Glow'! I spotted it on the hard standing with no work seemingly to have been undertaken on it. It just shows you should think very carefully before naming your boat!

As we neared the fringes of Nuneaton we got our best view of Judkin's Mountain. or Mount Jud. It is the spoil heap from the granite quarry that was here. The quarry is no more as the whole hole has been filled in with domestic waste. It amazes me that this high tor can only be glimpsed from a distance when on the canals.

We were going to stop at Nuneaton and go to the large market there but as we were so late we thought better of it and continued a little way further and moored up in a nice quiet spot, except for the Trent Valley trains that is. I checked that there was internet and TV and settled down. As I tuned in the television I saw that last weeks bake off had just started so as Helen had missed it she got caught up. We will see what happens with the rugby latter on.