Welford (Welford Arm) to Welford Junction (Leicester Arm - Grand Union Canal)

Having a break on our walk

Welford Reservoir

Great Crested Grebe

Yesterday we stayed put and had a leisurely start, then went out for a walk.  We walked up to the marina and then to the lock.   We watched a boat come through then walked over the lock and took the footpath through the fields which took us to Welford Village. We walked back down the road and then turned off right and walked up that road to the car park at Welford Reservoir.  We followed the path around the reservoir and came to the concrete causeway that spilts this reservoir with Sulby reservoir.  There was a few geese and ducks on the water and a heron and also a Great Crested Grebe.  We followed the path over the causeway and back around the other side of the reservoir which took us back to the car park.  It was a really nice walk.

Causeway between the two reservoirs

Sunset at Welford

We went back down the road and decided to have lunch in The Wharf pub.  It was really good food and very generous portions, would thoroughly recommend eating there.

Going back through Welford Lock

We are moving on today, so pulled the boat back to the water point and filled up and got rid of rubbish etc., then chugged off back up the arm to the lock.  It was empty and the gates were open so had to set the lock first, then Kev brought the boat in and I emptied the lock.  Kev came out of the lock and came into the side to pick me up. There was a lady walking on the towpath and she said to Kev it will be your turn to do the next lock and Kev said yes wish I could but she won’t drive the boat to which she replied well it looks as if you can’t either!!  Not sure what she was referring to and it went down like a lead balloon!!  I laughed though!

Back at Welford Junction

On we went and soon we were at the top of the arm.  We turned left on the main canal and moored just along there.  We traveled just under two miles today, so it was time for a stop!!

We went for a walk in the afternoon, along the canal to Bridge 40 and then there is a bridle path which we followed and it takes you through a golf course, luckily we didn’t get hit by any flying balls and then up a lane to a road.  We walked along there and was soon in the village of South Kilworth.  There is just a few houses here, a church, a pub and a butchers shop.

Bridleway to South Kilworth

Pathway through the golf course

The butcher is called Joseph Morris and it is all locally sourced meat and even has its own abattoir.  It is only open 7am to 1pm on a Saturday and as it was after that we knew it wouldn’t be open but wanted to have a look and would come back on Tuesday if it looked good.  We walked up by the shop and had a peep in and was just leaving when a man who obviously worked there came out of one of the buildings and we asked him if he would be open on Bank Holiday Monday, he said no and we said ok we will come back on Tuesday.  He asked us what we wanted and we said sausages, bacon, ham, etc., and he said do you want to take it now, we said we didn’t want to put him out but he said its no bother and took us in the back of the shop and served us with sausages which had been made this morning, home cured bacon, pork chops, home cured ham, home-made pork pie and a few other things and it was all very reasonably priced and looked great, can’t wait to try it all.

What a really nice man, couldn’t believe he offered to serve us when they had been closed a couple of hours, but we were glad he did as now we can try their products and if really nice as I think they will be, we can go back up again on Tuesday.

We walked back to the canal and just chilled out for the rest of the day.  We are staying here a couple of days now as don’t want to be travelling this weekend it being bank holiday and will be busy no doubt.

Foxton (Leicester Arm) to Welford (Welford Arm) - Grand Union Canal

We set off this morning by 9.30am as we wanted to get to Welford today before the rain that was forecast comes.  We have 8 miles, 1 tunnel and 1 lock to do today.

In Husbands Bosworth Tunnel

And out we go

The canal was very quiet and we only saw a couple of boats.  We wound our way along the canal and after a few miles we were approaching Husbands Bosworth Tunnel.  This tunnel is 1166 yds long.

We only passed one boat in the tunnel today and soon we were chugging out the other side and along the canal and turned off down the Welford Arm.

Down the Welford Arm we go

The Welford Arm runs for about 1¾ miles from its junction with the Grand Union Canal to the village of Welford.  Originally built as a navigable feeder to link the Welford and Sudbury reservoirs to the main line at Welford Junction, it also was used to transport lime which was burnt in kilns at Welford Wharf.  As this industry declined, the carriage of coal became the main trade until this also dwindled and the canal became disused in the late 1930s.  Restoration was carried out in the 1960s and the Arm was fully opened in 1969.  There is one lock on the Welford Arm and it raises the canal to the highest point on the whole of the Grand Union Canal.

In Welford Lock

We chugged on down the arm and soon came to the Welford lock, it was set for us and is only a shallow lock, so we were soon through there and on down the canal to the end of the Arm.  We turned around here and moored up in the visitor moorings.

We had a walk up to the village in the afternoon.  There isn’t much there, a few houses and a church and a well stocked village shop.

The Wharf Inn

There is a pub called The Wharf in the canal basin, so we stopped in there for a drink, it looks a nice tidy pub.  We may have lunch there tomorrow as they do a lunch deal in the week.

We are going to stay here for a couple of days now.  There are a couple of reservoirs which are now nature reserves so we are going to have a walk around there tomorrow.

Moored at Welford

From Bottom of Foxton Locks to the Top

Wednesday 26^th August

Coming into Foxton Bottom Lock

It was rather overcast and threatening rain this morning, so we decided to stay put and let it blow over and then go up the locks in the afternoon.  It brightened up around lunchtime, so I walked up the locks to find the lock keeper and he said we could come up the first staircase of five locks and then wait in the middle as there were 2 or three coming down.  We weren’t in a rush and at least we would have started the flight, so Kev went back to get the boat and I set the first lock.

As he was turning into the lock, there was another boat who had turned up and the chap shouted to Kev that the lock was his, but Kev said no we have booked with the lock keeper and he has told us to go up, he mumbled something but moved out of the way.  I think they did arrive around the same time as us, but were messing about getting into the side so I had gone and booked by the time they had done that so missed out.  I don’t think he was too pleased as they had to wait at the bottom while we went up and then the three came down, oh dear never mind!!

Five done, five to go!

We went smoothly up the first five locks with a few kiddies helping with the gates.  We moored up in the middle and waited for the three boats to come down.  They took quite a while but we didn’t mind as it was sunny and there was a bench just there so we sat there people watching and chatting to the lock keepers.

Waiting in the middle of the flights

At the top with our helpers

Eventually it was our turn and we worked our way up the last five locks.  We had two smaller boys on one gate and an older boy on the other gate, so it was easy for me as I just did the paddles.  They came all the way to the top with us so we rewarded them with a chocolate bar each for helping.

We chugged out of the last lock and moored in the visitor moorings at the top of the locks.  We chilled out for a bit then went for a walk down the locks.

Jazz Band at the pub

We decided to go and have some food in the Foxton Locks Inn which is right by the canal at the bottom of the locks.  We had a really nice meal, it was very good quality and generous portions. While we were eating, these old men came into the conservatory where we were sat and started setting up mics and instruments.  They were a jazz band, I think the youngest was over 70 and the singer was in his 80’s, but they were really good.

 It was almost dark by then, so we wandered back up the locks to the boat.  It’s a really good pub and we had a really nice evening.

Smeeton Aqueduct to Foxton (Leicester Arm - Grand Union Canal)

It was a bit chilly but dry this morning as we set off. We are only going a couple of miles to the bottom of Foxton locks.  We are going to moor at the bottom and go up the locks tomorrow as the forecast is not that good today and we don’t want to risk getting wet!!

This bit of canal is quite winky wonky and narrow in places and was quite tricky on the way up, but seemed okay on the way back, its funny when you sometimes do something for the first time, it can seem tricky or difficult but when you do it again, you wonder what all the fuss was about and this was one of those times.  The canal was very quiet again today, not many boats moving about.

Passing Debdale Marina

On past Debdale Marina we chugged and before we knew it we were at the bottom of Foxton locks and mooring up.

We chilled out for a bit then went for a walk up the locks.  They were very quiet with boats and people, mind you it was very overcast and quite chilly so no wonder there weren’t many tourists around.  We were stood on the bridge watching a boat come down and a van stopped and the chap in it started pointing at us and saying to another couple on the bridge was the coal okay, we then realised he was talking to us.  It was the old chap who lived in the cottage at the top of the locks we did yesterday and bought the coal from.  We apologised for not having recognised him and said we hadn’t tried the coal yet as it’s not cold enough, but we are sure it will be fine.  We asked him what he was doing here and he said he owns the pub at the bottom of the locks, well we didn’t expect him to say that.

We wandered to the top of the locks and then back down and back to the boat.  We also went to find the rubbish bins as we had a bag full and by the bins we also found an elsan point which we didn’t know was there, so handy to know that.

We are staying here tonight then going up the locks sometime tomorrow.

Moored at Foxton