The repair to lock 41 was not going to be started for some weeks so the C&RT issued a notice that you could book passage on Tuesdays or Thursdays when the C&RT would have a team on site to assist passage. We had intended to book passage for Tuesday 22nd but after chatting with a chap who had been “assisted” through the lock, we decided not to bother. It seems that the problem was with the lock cill meaning that the lock could not drain properly, on the days the C&RT were operating the lock they drained as far as they could, then a team of burly lock keepers would force the lock gate open – utter madness! How long before the balance beam broke if it was abused in this way, C&RT also came to realise this as, after just one Tuesday and one Thursday the service was withdrawn and the lock fully closed “until further notice”.
We want to get to the Calcutt Locks Grand Union canal to meet up with the guy responsible for us being on a NB Fantasma, Paul Smith, and the most direct route is through Leicester shown on Map 1. The distance is 63 miles with 58 locks, ten of them are the Foxton Lock flight which comprise 2 sets of five staircase locks that are attended by voluntary lock-keepers so passage is generally quick and painless and soon after the Foxton Flight comes the Watford Lock flight which comprises seven locks, four of which form a staircase. The Watford flight is also attended by voluntary lock-keepers when open and again is generally quick and easy to transit. We estimated journey time to be around ten days.
Map 2 shows the way we are forced to go in order to get around the lock stoppage in Leicester. It is via the Coventry Canal and is 103 miles and 47 locks and the estimated journey time is around 14 days.
Oh well! We had a last dinner with Mark and on the morning of 21st August set off back on the River Soar towards the non-tidal River Trent.
We had met a narrow boater at Wincham on the Trent and Mersey Canal way back at the early part¡ of April whose daughter was in the process of taking over as licensee of the Rose and Crown pub in Zouchand was apparently planning to make it “the go to” place to eat.
We had eaten there a year or two before and found the food was already pretty good so as we passed we pulled on to one of the pubs two moorings and went looking for a menu. Before we even got into the pub we were told by a family sitting in the garden that the kitchen was closed and that was a not, they said, an uncommon occurrence. We moved from the pub mooring to one closer to Zouch Lock and after a pleasant evening and peaceful night set off set off bright and early to walk tothe Zouch Lock and set it in our favour.
We had a very pleasant day until we reached Sawley Locks, or as we know them “Sue’s Nemesis Locks”.
When we last transacted Sawley Locks we saw no lock landings and were required to hang on to chains rung along a high wall until our turn to transit the lock which was operated by CRT (Canal and River Trust) volunteers so Sue didn’t have to climb the scary vertical ladder to the lock-side, just wait for us to be called into the lock and the volunteers operated the lock. When we arrived this time the first thing we noted was there were no volunteers on duty but there were no other boats anywhere below the locks which enabled us to see a very small area where a boat could come alongside and a crew member get off without climbing the scary vertical ladders. Once on shore the lock was now not scary at all in fact it was the opposite as it was electrically operated – easy peasy.
After the Sawley locks are moorings, hundreds of them, most are paid for moorings, there are some visitor moorings but this is a very popular spot . . . . Much to our surprise there was one vacant
When we went to bed on 22nd August the weather forecast for the next day was for lots of rain so we idecided to stay put for a day or so to let the bad weather through but after lots of rain overnight the forecast the next morning was now predicted a dry day with light winds so we push on and got off the River Trent and back on the muddy ditch that is the Trent and Mersey Canal – Hurrrrrrrrrrrrahhhh!!!
We celebrated our return to canals by stopping at the Ragley Boat Stop, as this was the only place to moor on a very long stretch of canal with absolutely no mooring opportunities other than the Ragley Boat Stop restaurant and pub so we were very surprised to find the moorings empty bar one other boat.
Our dinner was pretty good, although the steak served with my MIGHTY MAN MIXED GRILL – Minimum 32oz (908g) uncooked, 6oz (170g) steak, gammon, lamb chop, pork chop, liver, egg sausages, beer battered onion rings & mushrooms was so tough and chewy it was quite frankly inedible. I mentioned that when paying the bill, the young lady immediately checked the meat I complained of agreed it was not good and removed the cost of my main course from the bill. Excellent customer service that other restaurants should copy.
Over the last few days of August the weather although dry was quite windy so we spent most of what was left of August on the Branston Water Park Visitor Moorings, as well as wandering around the excellent water park I managed to wash and polish the entire port side of the boat, I now have to wait until we are moored on the starboard side so I can wash and polish that.
The last day of August turned out to be (very) expensive, we were moored in Alrewas behind a roving trader selling hand made fenders of all descriptions. I bought four 4 foot long narrowboat wrap around fenders to protect the bow and stern sides of the boat and on a walk into town passed another roving trader and bought three (yes you read right – three) beautiful hand-turned driftwood items one is a fruit bowl, one a candle holder and the other – well just a nice piece, with, perhaps, no particular function..
