Today's Canals : Coventry, Oxford
Cool and cloudy for most of the day. The weather does seem to be stuck in a rut at the moment. Just after we set off we passed Ruby's Yard, a Community Interest project set up by a group of local led and inspired by a nearby resident Ruby Chambers. The site has had a chequered history - for a long time it was thought to be common land, usable by local residents. Somehow it became formally under the ownership British Waterways who left it without purpose for some time. Then, in 2001, they leased it out for use as a boatyard and a small slipway constructed. This use was bitterly fought by the residents. The boatyard collapsed as a business before too long and the site again became derelict.
Ruby Chambers lived on the road leading to the boatyard and was heavily involved in community affairs in Atherstone. In 2010 she was elected as town mayor. In 2004 she started to negotiate with BWB who eventually sold the site to her to prevent further commercial uses - it was claimed that heavy lorries did damage to the residents' road.
Ruby died in 2012 and left the boatyard to her daughter. She established a Community Interest Company along with other local people with the aim of creating a recreational space especially for local and young people. They have gradually the facilities - this marquee space seems to be one of the latest additions. (see here for more information)
Near Mancetter there is a small Alpaca farm that we have noticed many times in the past. Earlier in the year we could not see any of the animals so wondered what had happened to them. Today, as we approached, still no alpacas in the enclosures where we had previously seen them. Then, as we passed further along, there was a large herd of them! The family also do joinery work for canal boats (see)
Tuttle Hill offside leisure moorings is a long stretch but with almost no users. A lonely boat remains there but with no registration number of licence displayed it is perhaps abandoned. The site is clearly regularly mowed and the description makes it clear that the mooring is pretty basic and not easy to access. The site is said to have No Moorings available so perhaps is perhaps being considered for closure.
From mid afternoon we started to see some sunshine but it was sometimes a bit elusive, so you will just have to take one of the few photos with blue sky!
After the tank was full we came around the sharp bend into the junction and to Sutton Stop Lock. We moored immediately beyond this despite it not being the best of moorings - pins even in a popular spot. We really did not want to have to look further as the top end of the Oxford is notorious for a lack of good mooring opportunities. At some stage the towpath bank was strengthened with sloping slabs of stone which prevent boats from coming near to the edge but to rub all night on the hard surface.
There was up until last year a boat moored at the very end of those moorings but I see that has gone now. Makes you wonder why CRT are not letting the moorings while spending money on maintaining them. I have never seen any sign of life at the boat in the middle, but they mow round its patch
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