Foxton Locks (Leicester Arm) to Market Harborough (Market Harborough Arm - Grand Union Canal)

We are going down the Foxton locks today so wanted to get down early before all the tourists arrive and also the rain that is forecast, so we got up at 7am!!! and moved up to the lock moorings at 7.45am, not sure what is happening to us, this is unheard of, but rest assured we won’t be making a habit of it!!

Entering the top of Foxton locks

Kev topped up boat with water and I went to book in with the lock keeper.  There was one boat starting to come up the locks, so the lock keeper said we could start coming down the first staircase, then we can pass the boat coming up in the middle.  He filled the top lock for us and Kev went in and we worked down through the flight.  There was a lot of water on the locks and it was cascading over some of the locks.

Lovely view from top of locks

Inside the locks

Halfway down the flight

Foxton is famous for its staircase locks and they consist of 10 narrow gauge locks, which are set as 2 staircases of 5.  Built between 1810 and 1814 they raise/lower the canal 75 feet and are the largest such flight of staircase locks on the English canal system. There is a passing pond set between the 2 staircases and side ponds to help maintain the water supply.  It takes around 45 minutes to pass through the locks, but in the summer months it can take considerably longer.  The water in the locks is controlled by paddles which a previous lock keeper painted Red and White to help explain how things worked.  Red fills the locks and White empties, get this wrong and flooding can occur!! 

There are a couple of saying to remember the order, the first is “Red before White and you’ll be alright, White before red and you will wish you were dead” and the other one is “Red before White and you’ll be alright, White before Red and you’ll feel the Lock Keepers windlass around your head”, so I made sure to remember the order as I didn’t want to feel the wrath of the Lock keeper!!

Eventually we were down and out the bottom of the locks and turned right onto the Market Harborough Arm.  

Turning onto the Market Harborough Arm

This arm was originally the last 5 miles or so of the Leicestershire and Northamptonshire Union canal which had reached Market Harborough from Leicester by 1809 and is a good example of a meandering canal without any locks.  It had been intended to continue the canal to Northampton but this section was never built and in 1810 it was linked to the Old Grand Union Canal at Foxton giving access south to Oxford and London.  The main trade on the Arm was in coal but animal bones were also carried to the glue factory near Gallow Hill Bridge and the barrels of resultant glue taken away down the canal.  The first IWA National Festival and Rally of boats was held here in 1950 and it was attended by over 100 boats.

There are two swing bridges on this arm the first one you open with a BW key and then just push it open, it was quite heavy and I couldn’t get it going first, then I realised I was pushing it the wrong way!!  On through there to the next swing bridge where there was a boat called Chutney.  I went over the bridge to see if I could help as he seemed to be having trouble opening it.  He had put his key in the unit and put the barriers down, but the bridge didn’t seem to open, we both thought it was electric, then we saw a sign which said lift the red lever and push the bridge, so he went back to bring his boat through and I opened the bridge, a chap who lived in a house the other side of the bridge helped me.  Chutney went through followed by Kev then we shut the bridge and went on our way.  This arm is quite winky wonky and very weedy with reeds both sides of the canal and before we knew it we were at the end of the arm and going into Union Wharf basin.  We turned around there and moored up just outside the basin.

Market Square

Market Harborough Town Centre

We chilled out for a bit then we walked up into the town.  It’s a nice town with a good variety of shops.  We walked up to the Aldi, Lidl and Waitrose which were the far end of the town and then walked a bit further to find the train station which as usual we went the long way there and the short way back!  It is not very far from the supermarkets.

Union Wharf Basin

We did some shopping then headed back to the boat and got back before the rain came.  We didn’t get that much really, just heavy showers off and on all afternoon and evening.

We are staying here now for a couple of days tomorrow we are off on the train to Melton Mowbray so really looking forward to that.

Moored at Market Harborough