Wending our way to Watford.

 It was quite misty this morning. I had slept like a log after laying down the new runner in the galley and dinette last night. It looks okay.

This field of wheat looks pretty good. The farmer must be relieved.

This summit pound looks like a river in places with the trees growing over the canal and reeds becoming well established. I have seen the towpath mowers out and about but not so much as previously. I have no objection to this as they seemed to want to make the banks like lawns. If you want it like that where you moor take some clippers and do the bit where you are. They do need to keep an eye on saplings growing though.

I have just noticed the blue engineering bricks on the edge of the bridge hole. I have just registered in my brain that they are obviously to same the brickwork from the old tow lines as they are harder than the red brick!!!

It was dry when we set off, but within ten minutes it started to drizzle and slowly picked up to light rain that stayed with us for the rest of the trip. It would have been miserable if there had been any more than the breath of wind that was with us. Some obviously felt it was cold, dank and miserable enough to light the boat stove. In fact through the day we spotted about 10 of them. It was 15 degs. outside.

There a few of these glamping pods in the field just after Yelvertoft. I did notice outside of the village, south of bridge 19 near the water point, there were some brick work remains on the off side. It seems there were at least 3 lime kilns here at the turn of the 1900's but they had gone off the map by 1950.

Not the best of hurriedly snatched photographs but this is one of the Old Union Canal Society milestone trees. The metal ones you see give the distance from Leicester. The original Grand Union used trees as mile markers and the Canal Society reinstated these in 1980. I'm not sure if they are all there still. I have seen a few but the plates aren't painted and looked after. These milepost mark the distance from Foxton, rather than Leicester.

There are several of these 'minimalist' bridges on the summit.

These bits of narrow boats are merging into the field over the years, with Crack's Hill in the background.

They have the footbridge almost up at Crick and the work boat was just passing the bits for the other stairs and only delayed us a few minutes.

You couldn't see the other end of the tunnel until well inside as it was so dull at the south end. We didn't meet anybody and as you may expect it was drier inside than out!

We were straight in at the top lock at Watford and it didn't take long to get to the bottom. As we were wet anyway we decided to stop for a quick top up of water before continuing on our way.

Helen gives the all clear at Hatton Junction and we make the st'bd turn towards Braunston.

A hurriedly taken picture of the weeping willow and the corner cottage before having to get us through the bridge hole.

No room on the moorings at the first bit, as you can see from the photo, but we carried on to past Bridge 7 and pulled in roughly where we had been on the way up. Of course as soon as the pins were in it stopped raining and the sun came out. I have actually really enjoyed today despite the wet. As I said if it had been windy it would have been a very cold difference.

Moving Onwards and Upwards.

It seemed to start spitting with rain as we were getting up but nothing much. Several boats passed us leaving the basin before we got underway. One thing I meant to tell yesterday that the River Welland that runs through Market Harborough was once the boundary marking the land of Danelaw to the North. The area of Danelaw was where the Danes laws held sway, to the south it was the West Saxon and Mercian laws of the Anglo Saxons. This boundary was set by treaty in 876 AD but the term was first seen in 11th century. I suppose in once sense anything north and east of this line could be construed as 'The North.' No way.

In the news recently, and for years to be honest, was been the need for more homes to be built. They said that only 200,000 have been built in the previous year. I think all of them must be by the canals as on our travels we see thousands of new estate, large and small. Admittedly I have no idea what 200,000 homes looks like but the new estate west of Market Harborough seems to be huge spreading from Bridge 14 almost to the centre. Then there are the new homes near Hillmorton, Fazeley Junction Middlewich etc etc. The C&RT slogan is 'making things better by water' isn't it

The next bridge, 13, is a turnover bridge as the towpath swaps sides. However they have prevented its proper use as a house has been built, or purloined the land, where the access to the deck of the bridge was on the port side, through the bridge. It is now just a normal bridge! Good job there are no boat horse trips from the Union Basin. The name Union Basin comes from the original name of the canal, The Leicestershire and Northamptonshire Union Canal Co. Once the River Soar Navigation was developed to Leicester local businessmen thought it would be a good idea to connect them with the Grand Union at Northampton. The Act was passed in 1797 and was for a tunnel at Foxton and then passing through Market Harborough and onward to Northampton. By 1797 they had difficulties with Saddington tunnel and the money ran out. The canal was terminated at Debdale and this became a busy spot. In 1805 they rethought the plan after various advice and obtained a new Act of Parliament to continue through to MK as a contour canal. It was completed in 1809.

Great Bowden Hall was originally built as the Britannia Inn  built to serve the navvies etc when the canal was being pushed through to Market Harborough, so between 1805 and 1809. By 1857 the inn had been developed into Great Bowden Hall. These buildings may well have been part of the stables of the original inn . The new Hall is in side a quad behind them. Beyond the bridge was a farm and those buildings have recently being converted to residential. There was a boathouse on the map beyond the bridge but I could see no evidence of it today.

I got off and did the first bridge as it was so stiff on the way up. Approaching the locks we saw this chap, who looked a bit fed up and resigned to his lot in life.

As I came through the swing footbridge I could see a boat leaving the mooring outside the Bridge 61 pub and heading up the locks. Another was also heading up and so I had high hopes that we would be able to follow them. Helen confirmed this after checking in and we started the climb.

As we started the sun came out periodically. There had been slight rain on the way today, but I only had to have my coat on for a short period. Here we are at the halfway stop.

At the top and ready for another ice cream. I had Black cherry flavour this time. We stopped for a top up of water which was just long enough for Helen to purchase the ice creams and then to eat them.

This pen is still waiting for her happy event as I couldn't see any signs of hatching. Dad to be was paddling up and down, waiting. I didn't see a cigar in his top pocket though.

There was a field of still young lambs. Many seem to have been a fair time ago, but these weren't very old.

There were a few pheasants looking as though they were out in their Sunday best. I imagine a fob watch and chain in a waistcoat pocket.

Helen and I both commented on the way up that there are relatively few mallards, coats and moorhens on this stretch. I have seen no Canada geese but there are a few pink footed geese around, with goslings. As it is not very populated on this part of the canal you would have thought that the ducks etc would prosper. I wonder why not?

There are very few signs left over from the British Waterways days, but here is one, and in yards too. I wonder why the port and starb'd was never adopted on the canals as they are linked with rivers and docks? We met one boat in the tunnel and we didn't come out unscathed!! For some reason he was stopped and as we passed he gave a burst on his thruster that pushed me into the wall at the stern. The angle of the tunnel wall was such that my cabin side rubbed on it. I was going to patch it up once we stopped but I think I will wait until we have finished the tunnels for this trip now.

We passed the Welford Junction and there were only a couple of boats moored.

The River Avon that flows under the aqueduct at the moorings is the boundary of Leicestershire and Northamptonhsire. We didn't go on too much longer, mooring where we had a view for the panels and for us a cross fields.

 

Architectural Tour of Harborough.

 It trained from about 23:00 last night but only once through the dark hours heavily enough to wake us up. We were staying put in Market Harborough today so we were in no rush to get up. Even so we left the boat not long after our 'normal' time and headed down to town. We went down the back way to cut off the corner and as it is down terraced street sit is a little nicer than down the main road too.

The High Street has many nice buildings and the first we saw today was this galleried building. It is now just one of the many buildings in this area of the town that have been taken over by the Brook House College.

This building is the Manor House and takes its name from the when the steward of the Manor came to live here in 1772. It was later the premises of Richards and Son who were bespoke tailors for suits and clothes primarily for equestrian sports.

I love a 'ghost sign' but this one is still on the 'right' premises.

As can be seen the front of the building is pretty special too.

This property has a special mention as at Catherwood House was the pharmacist William Bragg in 1876. His nephew and son William Henry and William Laurence were jointly awarded the Nobel prize in 1915 for work on X-Ray crystallography.

Hands up who remembers Freeman Hardy and Willis.

We then spent more than an hour at the Symington Building Museum. There was a large display of the very important Hallaton Hoard. It has an unprecedented collection of Anglo Saxon coins and Roman Treasurers. It was some sort of a ritual site as there were many pig bones and trinket burials and and extremely rare Roman helmet as well as two guard dogs buried to protect the entrance. The Symington Factory was to make corsets and was where the liberty bodice for children was invented and produced. Other family members had a grocer's shop in the town and went to invent and produce Symington's soup powders and 'table cream'. They also perfected the method of making pea flour and won large contracts with the Army and made a fortune. My Mum always preferred Symington's soup powders to any other. The rest of the museum was a bit jumbled with everything on display with no real them, but lots of in formation.

This is the Harborough Theatre but it was originally the bike sheds for the Symington factory opposite!

This was the Symington factory club room. Just next door was a plaque where Thomas Cook lived in the 1830's. The pioneer of the Travel Agent.

We had a spot of lunch and then called into St. Dionysius Church. He was converted to Christianity in the 1st Century AD and was the first Bishop of Athens. It was originally not the parish church but just a church for pilgrims and so does not, and never has had, a graveyard. This Royal Coat of arms in the church is specially important as The Battle of Naseby was fought close by and this led to the downfall of King Charles I who had spent the night before in the town. 1660 was the arms for Charles II.

These are the gates to the Memorial Park that was opened in 1954 to remember the dead of WWII. You can see the names of those who were killed on the pillars. The gates themselves were salvaged from Gopsall Hall that was demolished in 1951. There were some nice stalls in the indoor market, but only a few food stalls. We bought a meat pie!

In the foreground is the Old Grammar School that was built in 1614 by local boy made good after heading to London to make his fortune. Robert Smyth paid for the building to educate 12 local christian boys. Below was the butter market. In the background is the roof tower of the Symington corset factory.

After lunch the rain had largely faded away, but there was only very sporadic sun, so this sundial on St. Dionysuis' was very accurate!

This building was built in the early 1800's and has been a solicitors office since the 1930's. I love the front bays as they look like crowns. Not sure who the people are but they look somewhat out of place.

This is the old Town Hall built in 1788.

At the top of the High Street is the Congregational Church that looks very classy with its classic columns and was built in 1844.

We did a bit of shopping and then waited until the Beershop opened at 5 before heading for refreshments. They have 16 beers and ciders on tap. There was one that I liked the look of until I saw it was 12% proof and £15 a pint. I did without a taste of that one. We then went to Pizza Express for our tea before walking back to the boat having completed around 61/2 miles around the town

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Floating Down Foxton and Holed up in Harborough.

Once again a lovely quiet night and up, at the normal time, doing normal preparations before leaving at the normal time

Very quickly we were at Welford Junction and headed left, port, to Foxton.

I do hope this tree stays rooted until we are passed and heading back to Crick. It looks like it would cause a fair bit of a delay once it came down as the off side won't be too easy to get to.

We haven't been so many tunnels in a trip for ages. Husbands Bosworth was dry, save a couple of drips, and once again, like Crick Tunnel we were 'Billy No Mates'. The tunnel marks the boundary between the Avon to the south and the Soar to the north. It was opened in 1813 so the dates above the north portal above must be the dates of major restorations.

There were spots on the canal that looked at first as if they were iced over, but obviously it wasn't, it was just the amount of blossom from the May/Hawthorn in the water.

At the Laughton Hills these cattle were all facing the same way. I believe that sheep do this, on a hill, too. The reason is, experts say, is that they all stick together to reduce the threat from predators. They also say that facing the same way reduces face to face conflict between the herd members. It seems to me more logical to every member of the herd to look outwards and they would then see oncoming threats. I will monitor this as we go along, if I remember?

There were a couple of boats waiting at the top of Foxton Locks, but we were able to tag on to the water point and by the time Helen had goner and checked us in and bought us an ice cream we were heading down the 10 locks in two pairs of 5 staircase locks.

Helen, still eating her ice cream, was  getting reacquainted with the 'red before white' rhyme as these locks have side pounds that save half a lock full of water each time.

The locks were replaced with an inclined plane that opened in 1900. They were never really economic as the railways had captured much of the trade that would have used them. They were closed at night so upsetting the fly boats schedule and making them use the old locks anyway. The last use of the inclined plane was in 1910.

It is interesting to see that the upper staircase of five locks all have a stamped brick with the date of 1909, a year before the plane closed, meaning they were getting ready for the closure well before. I do love a date stamped brick.

Looking up after the first staircase  you can clearly see the fall of the ridge. The locks take you down 75 ft, but it seems more.

The bottom staircase all have a stone insert of 1930 indicating when they were refurbished.

we got to the bottom in around an hour and turned right down the Harborough Arm. Helen managed the manual bridge by the pub, but was stymied by the one by the village. It is manual with a key operation to open the gates etc. She couldn't get it moving. I jumped off to help her get it started but by the time I got back to the boat to drive through it had stopped. I thought there was just enough space for me to get through. But a white van with burly scaffolders pulled up, with no shirts on, and came to Helen's assistance, and we were through. At Gallows Hill Bridge is the rendering works that appears to be closed now. It was started by a Market Harborough tallow chandler to render carcasses to make manure and tallow.  They went bust in 1872 and Symington's a grocer from Market Harborough bought them. You may remember Symington's soup powders etc. They had the business until 1909 when Charles Massey bought them to compliment several other plants they owned. In 1920 it became part of a seven company business called British Glues and Chemicals. By 2003 it belonged to J. G. Pears and when we came passed it was till working and stank! That is the reason it is in the middle of nowhere. There was a fire in 2010, but I'm not sure if or when it closed.

The flag iris is coming out. It is nice to see as they flowers don't seem to last that long.

We went up to the basin and there were no mooring on the 'official' place so we winded and headed back out. We found a bank mooring a little way out of town, with more sun. Annoyingly a little late two boats headed outwards. Mind you I think our spot is nicer anyway. The towpath has been upgraded so it isn't a bad spot at all. And by cutting the through the houses I think it may be actually quicker to walk into town too.

On Abbey Street is the nOld district Council fire station built in 1903, with additions in 1912 and 1920. A really lovely building and saved so well, despite it being a Chinese restaurant now.

On the other side of Abbey Street is the Market Harborough Ambulance Station. I love the tile work and the design is called Queen Anne Revival. It was erected in 1924. I heard recently that it was only in 1974 that the ambulance service came under the control of central government!

We walked into town and had a couple of pints at the Beerhouse micro pub. They do plenty of cider too. I liked the look of a tiramisu stout but looked and saw the is was 12.5% and cost £15 a pint. I set my sights a little lower, but may go back and have a 1/3rd pint tomorrow. We then went for our tea on the way back at the Sugar Loaf, a Weatherspoon's on the main road. It hit the spot just right.