Gallows Hill

Today's Canal : Market Harborough Arm

With uncertainty over a mobile signal for Christine's Zoom meeting after lunch and with a fair reception at our overnight mooring, we opted to stay at the bottom of Foxton Locks for the moment.

We opted to explore the visitor site around the locks - something we have not fully done before. We walked across the swing bridge (to utilise the food waste bin in the lower car park to the left of the brick bridge in the background.

The walk starts with crossing the road bridge - just an access for vehicles delivering to the pubs and cafes by the locks. 

Alongside the footpath are a couple of old ice breaker boats that were invaluable in the winter to reduce the  amount of time lost when the canal froze over.

From the top of the bridge there is a good view of the lower basin for the one time inclined plane. At the turn of the 20C the canal company tried a new technique for speeding up the transit times through the locks. With everything going in favour, the best time for the 10 locks would be around 45 minutes but, as with us yesterday, the inability to pass by boats in the opposite direction other than in the middle crossing pound, meant that at times it takes a lot longer.

The answer was to construct what is usually called an incline plane. The idea was to have two caissons full of water with gates at one end to allow boats to move directly into the 'box' which would then be lowered on rails whilst a similar one was raised, each acting as a counterbalance to the other. This significantly reduced the amount of energy needed to transfer boats around the lock flight.

The lower basin is just at the bottom of this incline.

Boats entered at the top from a short arm that connects with the original canal a short distance above the top lock.

Although counterbalanced it was still necessary to provide some energy input to overcome the friction forces in the track mechanism, and an differences in the loads in the  boats. This came from a large steam engine in a brick building that now houses a small canal museum. Alas it was only today that we discovered it is only open at the bank holidays in May - the current notice and web site say nothing about other months!

Although in theory the idea behind inclined planes should have been a good one, and in others places they were made to work - such as on the Bude Canal in North Cornwall - the ambitions at Foxton just simply outstripped the technology of the day and it was both unreliable and inefficient. After just ten years it was abandoned and the locks rebuilt once again.

We continued on the visitor trail, coming across several amusing features offering resting spots along the way.

After we made our way to the top of the flight, Christine opted to return the way she had come in order to prepare for her meeting, leaving Mike to take more photos of the locks. The volunteers on today had a different plan from those yesterday - as a result we did a lot better! The was just one boat in the whole flight - the crew member (far right in the photo) said that, like us, they had no wait at the top but were not expecting to pass any boats in the middle.

The two boats on the right hand towpath were held waiting until the flight was clear of all descending boats even though at the time the one coming down was still in the upper staircase.

We returned to the boat for lunch and after a worrying hiccup we found a place for a phone where it could pick up sufficient signal to support the Zoom call - but only just in time! The meeting ran very efficiently and all decisions were made speedily and ended after about 80 minutes. Our plan this morning had been to stay put for the night as Christine's meeting can sometimes last much longer. So now we returned to an earlier plan in which we cruised for about an hour, half way into Market Harborough.

The first challenge was Foxton Swing Bridge - a manually operated bridge that carries local traffic from one part of the village to another. It has a sometimes troubled past but today behaved itself. The  main issues had been with an interlocking mechanism that protects the traffic and ensures that the barriers are [properly in place before allowing the bridge deck to be unlocked. From then on it is down to manual labour! It took Mike all his available energy to get the bridge to move although after that whilst still heavy it swung steadily. Only one car was held up whilst Christine  brought the boat through, A similar effort was then required to return bridge deck and barriers to their normal positions!

Long stretches of this arm have a much reduced navigable width with rampant reeds blocking the way. At some points the boat was several metres away from the actual bank! As this is technically a canal built for wide beam boats, it would be interesting to see two attempt to pass each other,

The bridge at Gallows Hill carries a B road from the A6 (now a bypass to Market Harborough) into the centre of town. We wondered what this narrow section had once been - noting visible now. looking at old maps revealed that at one stage the road over the bridge was improved and involved building a new crossing. The narrows is the location of the earlier bridge 0 the newer one is in the background of the photo.

Just beyond the canal bridge is am industrial plant. It appears that this is now owned by a company called J G Pears. Founded by a farmer in Penistone, it operates from several sites, processing animal and food waste (both from farmers and supermarkets) in an environmentally acceptable manner. Their web site indicates that one of their main products is now biodiesel.

We found the mooring location shown on our maps and, as it looked a very pleasant place to stop, we went no further towards the town. However, we have booked a slot in the basin for tomorrow night. Although we had a good internet signal when we stopped, a little later it all but melted away and so we shall have to wait and see when we will have an opportunity to upload this blog.

As you can now see, the signal eventually returned very effectively!

LATE EXTRA!!

Nearly dinner time, Christine took this photo of the blossom all around our mooring spot.

She also noticed this newly shorn sheep, looking a little chilly!

3.1 Miles - 0 Locks 

Foxton

Today's Canal : Grand Union Leicester Branch

Although still quite chilly, most of today was bright and sunny. As soon as we set off we passed through Welford Junction for the third time on this trip. At this stage grey clouds dominated over the sunshine.

However, by the time we passed the entrance to North Kilworth Marina, blue skies were much in evuidence.

Between the marina and the wharf we passed this very short boat. It seems top be cultivating a garden around its waterline on a long fender!

We had thought about stopping North Kilworth Wharf to fill up our fuel tank as it advertises diesel. Whilst it has a pump it has a new new sign No Diesel. Perhaps they only have sufficient for their small hire fleet as the sign does look new and temporary. Just as well we were not in urgent need!

The canalside vegetation gradually crowded in as we approach Husbands Bosworth Tunnel.

We were followed into the tunnel by another boat with perhaps the brightest bow light we have ever encountered. It would be rather unpleasant if steering an oncoming boat. As it was, just the briefest glances backwards left Mike dazzled for some time. Fortunately the tunnel is wide and straight.

The tunnels around here seem now to be giving much more realistic transit times and again we emerged right on schedule.

Christine is very insistent that we show just how abundant the white May blossom is at the moment - so a double dose!

Someone had kindly provided a herb box on the towpath - there was no indication of who the benefactor was.

This house on a slight hill top was visible for some distance. We took a photo hoping that it might turn out to be somewhere with a history but we later discovered that it is quite modern!

This pair of swans looks as if they are preparing to be a family very soon. How many cygnets will they have and how many will survive until next spring?

We had made better progress this morning than expected and so decided that we would attempt to descend the famous Foxton Locks today, so long as there was no lengthy queue. On the final run in to the lock landing we passed this bronze statue of Dolly a symbol of the  once ubiquitous means of haling goods along the canal. As was the practice in the times, young boys were expected to work from an early age, frequently as the lead for the boat horse.

When we reached the top lock there was not a single boat waiting! When Christine went to book in with the lock keepers she was told that we could go in immediately but would have to wait at the middle passing pound for a group of three that had just set off from the bottom. (Another boat that arrived whilst we were in the top lock was not so lucky as there is only room for one boat in the passing pound and they would have to wait for the upcoming boats to clear the top section) Alongside the top lock is another bronze statue of former canal life.

There was a good crew on - three for each half staircase. As we had the top half to ourselves we had plenty of help and came down very quickly. 

One of the volunteers pulled us firmly to the bank in the central pound so that the up boats could pass across without stopping. Here came the first and the other two followed in quick succession.

Overall we had just under half an hour to wait before we recommenced our descent.

From the top of this section there is an excellent view down to the bottom level - helped by the bright sunshine! We left the bottom lock just over an hour and a half from arriving at the top.

At the junction below the flight we turned sharp right towards Market Harborough. Before going any further we pulled in to avail ourselves of the elsan disposal facility. When we set off again Christine opted to do the swing bridge (so long as Mike attended to unlocking it!) leaving him to tackle the awkward manoeuvre to pass through the bridge hole.

In the event there were three willing volunteers taking photos of themselves on the bridge who happily opened and closed the bridge for us.

Our plans for the next few days are based on the need to have a good internet signal as Christine has a Zoom meeting just after lunch tomorrow. We were concerned to ensure we moored in the right place after having had two stops with almost no signal at all. We also have scheduled a Saturday supermarket shop in Market Harborough and possibly church in town on Sunday. The outcome of our deliberations is that we moored for lunch at the first available visitor mooring after the swing bridge. Having found that at least one phone network offered an adequate signal (at least today!) we stayed here for the rest of the day. We will possibly take a look at the Canal Museum alongside the locks and stay at least until after the Zoom has completed. We may then move closer to the town and proceed as planned thereafter. In any event, our tentative trip plan has the flexibility of a few spare days when we do not have to move at all. Any canal trip over four weeks rarely keeps entirely to plan although we have not fared too badly for the first week.

8.1 Miles - 10 Locks

Welford Junction

Today's Canals : Grand Union Leicester Branch, Welford Arm

We started the day slowly (despite waking just before 7!) and first walked up to the village shop a short distance away. 

The route took us first through the small Welford Pocket Park. We first discovered this some years ago and it is especially pleasing to see that it is still well maintained by a band of volunteers, meeting every first Sunday in the spring and summer months. Too often such projects are well funded to create them but little thought is given to the long term maintenance.

Several features are aimed at encouraging small wildlife - a couple of small ponds are just the place for some! 

There is a Beetle Retreatle also meant to be a hotel for bees, moths and butterflies.

"I'm a dead hedge" is a refuge for small mammals, tiny birds and many insects.

Just after leaving the park we came across Postman pat again - we last reported on him in 2015 as well as in 2010. He has had an even more recent face life and a change of colour for his uniform and a splendid base on which to stand! But he does seem to have taken on a much less rugged appearance . . .

The small village shop is well stocked and we were able to find most of the things on our list - mainly a top up as the larders are still well packed! Opposite the shop is this splendid Salford House. As yet we have not been able to track down its origins but it seems now to be a large 8 bedroom Airbnb holiday let.

On the way back to the boat we took a look at the former lime kilns that were one of the important trade users of the canal in its early days. Christine was especially struck by the short history of found on the information boards nearby. See here for some detail.

We then turned the boat around in the winding hole opposite our mooring so that we could fill up from the water point almost at the very end of the arm.

It was well after midday before we finally left Welford for a short 2 mile run back to the junction where we hoped to find a better mobile signal (we should have read our blog from the last time we moored there as the signal was poor then!) At least it was long enough to fully charge our battery.

Welford Marina has two separate sets of moorings, one either side of the canal, The first is are are of pontoons open to the edge of the canal (along with the dry dock in the previous photo)

The second is a much more enclosed area with a narrow exit.

After dropping down the single lock - which was empty as we could see a boat just leaving - we continued to the junction where we reversed several boat lengths to a mooring. The convenient moorings with rings were all but occupied. We were able to tie the bow rope to the end ring but, for the first time in a long while, we had to get out a lump hammer and pin for the other end.

2.0 Miles - 1 Lock

Welford Wharf

Today's Canals : Grand Union Leicester Section

The weather today was slightly better than advertised, with quite a few patches of blue skies and, when it did emerge, the sun was pleasantly warm.

We passed this glamping site - the two lodges looked quite smart but we missed a photo opportunity!

In the past we have noted in our blog that oil seed rape seems to be a popular crop in this area. The fields are often comparatively large as with this one that seems to disappear in the distance.

Underneath the A1e4 road bridge is a substantial recent-looking tag: 808 FUGE. Seems to be quite a prolific graffiti artist in the London area, or it may be a set of such artists. You will understand that this is definitely not our specialist subject!

We noticed that an effort has been made to reconstruct a towpath side hedge that had obviously been neglected and hence overgrown. Much of the growth had become small trees which had to be cut down. The twiggier stuff was partially cut through and laid conventionally but this was not enough to make a stock-proof hedge so spaces had been infilled with cut up lengths of the large branches.

We are often amused, sometimes wryly, with the slogans that folk paint on the sides of their boats- not to mention some of the names! This one definitely amused and we could empathise with the owners.

Yet another yellow field but we were a little surprised by how steep a hill it climbs We wondered how much extra fuel costs are needed when cultivating this crop. We later discovered from the information boards at Welton that this is Downtown Hill where Lord Braye of  Stanford Hall planted a rectangular block of 80m trees forming the date 1883, shown on OS maps at the start of the 20C.

Some time in the past there was an interesting project to install 'living mile stones' along the long pound between Watford and Foxton locks. When we came this way last, about 5 years ago, they were showing signs that nothing had been thought about their long term maintenance. Sadly this deterioration has continued and most we failed to spot. The signs blend into their background and the writing is indistinguishable.

When we arrived at the junction with the short Welford Arm it was early enough to reach the end by lunch time - so long as there is mooring space when we get there. In addition, Christine had identified a place to eat out tonight - the Wharfside Inn.  Normally we would say that we will report on this in tomorrow's blog but as there is no internet available to us on the moorings at the wharf we may just combine it before we are able to upload!

The arm has a single lock, possible designed to protect the water supply from the local reservoirs from changes in  the level of the long summit pound. A single hander had just come down and was moored on the lock landing. He kindly went back to open the gates so that we could cruise straight in. It is not a deep lock so Mike could get onto the lock side from the boat. The lock is not as ergonomically designed as many - there is only one top paddle which is arguably on the 'wrong' side. The only way across the gate is via a large step up onto the top of the balance beam, no foot board to make life easier!

From here it was a short distance to the terminus. After passing the entrance to the small marina we were a little concerned about space: the two in the real end of the original wharf were occupied and several were tied up on the towpath 2 day moorings. It was a relief to find that we could just fit in at almost the last space before we would have had to turn around in the terminal winding hole"!

After lunch, whilst Christine went to check out the pub for tonight Mike had one or two chores to complete (empty elsan and food waste bin). In the process he discovered that one of the spare elsan blue bottles in the bow locker had leaked! It was only at the end of the last trip that we disposed of the previous empty bottle which would have been very handy to decant into.

The Wharf Inn provides good quality pub food - we both opted for braised lamb which was very tasty and thoroughly well cooked. The downside was that the quantity was such that we just could not manage a dessert - shame, as they selection otherwise looked very tempting!

We were not able to post this blog yesterday as there was no mobile signal at Welton Wharf on either of our networks. After mooring at the junction the next day we did manage but it took a while as the signal was still intermittent.

8.8 Miles - 1 Lock