Saturday 18th July 2020
Today we left Kilby Bridge and continued along The Leicester Ring. This area is still in lockdown but we needed to get away for the sake of our mental health. So many people were using the grassy area right next to our boats to have picnics etc and we just couldn’t sit out or have any privacy . We cruised 5 miles and did 12 locks on this dull but warm day through beautiful countryside and moored up just past Ross Bridge where it was lovely and quiet.
We had a walk to the pub with Bob and Rosemary and sat in the garden for 3 lovely pints. This was very exciting for us as it was the first time back in a pub since lockdown! It is usually only me, Paul and Lady Rosemary on the beer but today the Captain joined in too – 3 pints of cider!!!!! I think he must have been happy to be back at the pub too!
Chan and Winnie came to visit on Monday and we had a lovely 5 mile walk around the woods, followed by a couple of beers with Bob and Rosemary.
Tuesday 21st July 2020
Chan and Winston went home today after we had breakfast at The Toast House in Fleckney, which was really good.
We then set off on our cruise to Foxton. We travelled 4 miles through beautiful quiet countryside and the weather was glorious. Tilly decided to jump off the boat at one bridge so we had to do a quick reverse to retrieve her!
We moored up at Foxton at just after 1pm and had a beer (or 3) at Bridge 61. Unfortunately this pub was still closed but you were allowed to order your beer at the shop and sit in the beer garden.
Wednesday 22nd July 2020
Our mooring at Foxton is, understandably, a very busy one and we have had a couple of walks up and down the lock flight and looked at the old inclined plane that used to take the boats up and down.
This was built in 1900 but was not a commercial success and only remained in full-time operation for 10 years. It was dismantled in 1926.
To escape the hustle and bustle before ascending the Foxton flight of locks, we decided to cruise along the Market Harborough canal arm. This was a lovely lock-free 4 mile cruise through beautiful countryside, ending at the basin at Market Harborough. The basin is beautiful, but it costs £12.50 a night to moor there, so we turned round and moored on the 48 hour moorings just before the basin. Market Harborough is a lovely market town and well worth having a wander around.
Friday 24th July 2020
We left Market Harborough today and travelled back to Foxton to ascend the Foxton flight of locks. There are 10 locks in this flight consisting of two staircases, each of 5 locks. This flight of locks is pretty amazing and well worth a trip out to see them and do some gongoozling!
On the Saturday John and Sam came to see us and very kindly gave me a lift back to Derby, as tomorrow Chantelle and I are off to Malta for one week. Paul cruised on with Bob and Rosemary to Welford and stayed there while I was away. Malta was amazing, its such a beautiful place and I would go back in a heartbeat but I will do a separate blog about that.
Monday 3rd August 2020
We left Welford at 10am and arrived at Crick about 3.30pm. It was a sunny, if a little chilly, cruise through more beautiful countryside with lots of boats on the move. We treated ourselves to lunch at a lovely pub called The Wheatsheaf when we arrived, and were also treated to a lovely meal there the next day as well, by the Captain and the Lady.
The food was so good and it was lovely to also meet Bob’s sister and her husband. It was a lovely evening, finished off by a glass of port on the towpath together.
We will leave Crick tomorrow, although is lovely here and we had a lovely walk up Crack’s Hill and round Millennium and Jubilee Woods.
To be continued in Part 3.
You can read about our first part of our journey along The Leicester Ring here