Market Bosworth to Congerstone - Ashby Canal

We are chugging on today, Pat & Patrick are staying another day so we went and said bye to them and we will see them again in the next day or so and then we set off. It was another sunny hot day.

Guess what we are only going a couple of miles, just for a change!

Coming to another bridge

We met one or two boats coming the other way and went under a few bridges.  In some parts, there were reeds and flowers both sides, more like a ditch than a canal but very pretty.

Reeds Each Side of Canal

We got to Bridge 47 and there were some moorings before the bridge.  I got off and went under the bridge to see if there were any moorings that side.  There was two boats moored there and a space in between them which I thought we would fit in. A chap on one of the boats said he would be moving in the next half hour or so.  I went and told Kev and he brought the boat under the bridge to the moorings, but when we tried to get into the space we were out by a fender.  The chap on the other boat then came out and said he would be moving shortly as well but he would move down which was kind of him but he didn't need to as the chap on the other boat moved down even though he was going shortly so we could fit in.

After about half an hour, the boat behind us chugged off and shortly after that the chap in front went as well so we moved down to the first space which was on a nice straight bit and we were there all on our own, see that’s how to clear the moorings!

Gibbet \Post Info Board

We had lunch then went for a walk up the road to the small village of Congerstone. We walked on down the road to Bilstone and turned left which said the road was closed to cars and pedestrians but we carried on anyway and hope the roads works were further than where we wanted to go.

Gibbet Post

We carried on a bit further and then came to what we were looking for, the infamous Giblet, sorry Gibbet post, erected in 1801, upon which was hung the body of John Massey, local hedger and ditcher, after his conviction and hanging for the murder of his second wife and ten year old stepdaughter.  He got into a violent row with his wife and battered her then tried to drown them both in the mill pond.  His wife died from her injuries but his stepdaughter survived and testified against him and so he was convicted, hanged and then taken to the Gibbet post, wrapped in chains and hung from the post to rot.

His skeleton hung there for 20 years as a warning to others. For many years, charabancs brought visitors from Hinckley and Nuneaton to view the spectacle.  In 1979, a visitor reported seeing a sad looking young girl and a woman with an expression of grim satisfaction gazing at the post.  Although it was a fine Autumn afternoon, both were dripping wet!!

Fire Place in the Church

The Howe Family Pew Box

We then walked back to Congerstone and went to visit the church, St. Mary the Virgin.  The church is listed grade II.  It is believed that a church has been on the site since 1179; the first mention recorded by Nichols is in the 1220 Matriculus from which it notes the instigation was by Hugh as Bishop of Lincoln.

Chimney on the Church

In the 1830s the church had all box pews; now only those along the north wall and in the southeast corner of the chancel remain – elsewhere The Howe’s family pew is in the northeast corner of the large chancel area and is served by its own fireplace. There is a chimney on the roof of the church.  The Howe’s family were wealthy landowners.

Stained Glass Window

The church was open so we went in to have a look. We found the box pew with the fireplace but it is now used as a store cupboard.

Congerstone Church

There is a lovely stained glass window which was installed in 2014 to commemorate the work of George Frederic Handel and his links to nearby Gopsall Park.  Gopsall Hall was rebuilt in 1750 for Charles Jennens. Handel was a friend of Jennens and a frequent visitor to Gopsall and it is generally believed that Handel composed at least some of the Messiah whilst staying at Gopsall in 1741, although this would have been prior to the construction of the 1750 house. 

The Horse & Jockey

We then went outside to see if we could see the chimney on the roof and you could, just. 

We walked back down the road and stopped off at the Horse and Jockey pub for refreshments and what a nice pub and very friendly.

We walked back up the road and back to the boat. It started raining as we got back and eased off but then started again, its very refreshing after all the heat.

We are staying here a couple of days and tomorrow we are off on the bus to Measham so looking forward to that and let's hope the sun is shining again.

Moored at Congerstone