Foxton

 Today's Canal - Leicester Section

Today started much as yesterday - although we did manage to get away 15 minutes earlier! It was straight into the first lock, Top Half Mile. Already there was a boat coming down having set off even earlier than we did.

The direction of the canal relative to the early sun made it great for pictures from above the lock but almost impossible from below. Equally, for much of the day it was the right orientation for bridges and other features, taken from the stern just after passing them.

Some of the locks on the Leicester Section have been renamed - the new blue signs (not on today's section) also show signs of oral transmission, with the consequent errors. Bumblebee Lock has now become Bumble Bee! The second lock used to be known to us as Newton Middle Lock but is now Spinney Lock. However, even our oldest OS map gives the adjoining narrow strip of woodland as Lockhouse Spinney. To a database expert it shows why it is important to have a more durable index for every object that then treats 'name' as a mutable property. Lock and Bridge numbers change far less frequently (but occasionally do) .

Just after leaving Newton Harcourt and passing under Bridge 79 (High Bridge but it is not especially high) we could see across a couple of fields this unusually looking building. Only later did we discover that this is possible Wistow Hall although the photos on its web site look very different. In any event, the Hall which has a long history, has now been converted inti a number of apartments.

A few locks later we arrived at Taylor's Turnover Lock - where the towpath changes sides. The farm alongside has a number of tipi-like structures. People were busy - it looked as if they were preparing for a post-Covid re-opening very soon. We could not see that any of the spaces were used as accommodation but all laid out for entertaining. From Google we later learned that it was principally a wedding venue but during lockdown they have converted to a 'pop up pub' when not being used for weddings.

Eventually we arrived at Kibworth Top Lock, the end of the long, long climb up from the River Trent, but especially from Leicester. There is an unusually large lock cottage, built in 1923 but replacing an earlier one. Alongside is a what might perhaps have been a stable block - or just a workshop for urgent repairs to the locks - without keeping them open in the days of canal commercial transport, many businesses would grind to a halt.

We were now on the summit pound for the original canal and, as is often the case, the engineers kpoted for a tunnel rather than yet more locks. One of the main reasons would have been the problem of getting sufficient water for that final climb. Here, the tunnel is called Saddington (from the name of the nearby village) and is just over 800m in length. It is very straight so that it is possible to see clearly all the way through. We had it all to ourselves so not need to demonstrate our in-tunnel passing expertise!

Shortly after leaving the tunnel we passed the feeder from Saddington Reservoir, built in 1793 - 1797. A newspaper report  from a few weeks ago noted that several hundred young people gathered there in hit weather to cool off in the water, Unfortunately, the authorities became concerned as the design of the edge of the reservoir does not make it suitable of safe for this use!

We took a long lunch break during which it was extremely hot and quickly sapped what energy we had left! By four o'clock, or thereabouts, we were ready to try and continue a little further - at that stage we were heading for Market Harborough (why? Just because it is there). It was still very hot but the forecast was that by late afternoon we should expect thunderstorms. Indeed, appropriate clouds were already gathering.

This section is an SSSI and reeds are allowed to grow seemingly unchecked. At times there is not much more than the width of a narrowboat and dredging is but a distant memory. Ax a result, progress was slow and we were lucky not to meet oncoming traffic at the wrong place - a widebeam would at times have been a real problem. Only a plastic cruiser tearing along at high speed around a blind bend and a narrowboat whose dog needed a trip ashore so the crew thought that stopping in a bridge hole with limited visibility was just the place.

Shortly before Debdale Marina the SSSDI came to an end and although there are still plenty of weeds we made considerably better progress. When the canal was being constructed the company ran out of money several times, the most serous being when they had reached Debdale - starting from Leicester. Until more money could be raised this was for some time the end of the line. They were originally aiming for Northampton but a new budget saw them adopt a less ambitious target of Market Harborough. As a result the canal was never quite as successful as it might have been and it  was sometime later that the link to the main network at Long Buckby was built.

Debdale is noted for its engineering capability - they certainly have one of the largest boat cranes we have seen.

Eventually we reached Foxton Junction - the staircase ahead was now closed for the day so we turned left and went some way towards Market Harborough. The first crossing is a small swing bridge.

After another swing bridge, carrying traffic this time, we thought more about our plans and gave up on the idea of going into Market Harborough. Instead we went as far as the next winding hole, tuned and came back to Bridge 6.

As we came through the junction we started top hear rumbles and before long the rain arrived. For a short whole it was very heavy rain - at times  really startling as we had bright - and hot - sunshine at the same time as very large droplet thunderstorm rain. Photographing rain is always difficult but perhaps this will give some impression of how heavy it was.

10.7 Miles - 8 Locks