A Few Days at Hawkesbury Junction including Visit to Coventry

Tuesday 14^th August

We are staying put today and it was another warm dry day so we went out for a walk along the canal to get some blackberries which we saw on our walk yesterday.  There were plenty and we filled up three containers.  There was an apple tree on the canal but unfortunately most of the apples had fallen on the ground and weren't any good.  There were a few at the top of the tree but although we shook the tree, they wouldn't fall.

My Lunch

We walked back to the junction and Kev took the blackberries back to the boat.  We then walked over the footbridge by the old engine house and just up the road there was a newsagents/convenience shop so we went there to get a few supplies. 

Kev's Lunch

We then walked back to the junction and decided to have some lunch at The Greyhound, the pub by the canal as it's always busy so we thought it must be good and it was, Kev had a really good ploughman’s and I had King Prawns in a garlic and chilli sauce and chips to share.  We sat outside by the canal and watched the boats going in and out of the junction and the lock.  We then walked back to the boat.  Later in the afternoon we walked the other way along the canal to do a few caches and we found them all except one so that was good.

Tomorrow, we are off on the bus to Coventry so looking forward to that.

Wednesday 15^th August

We are off to Coventry today so we got up and set off to the bus stop, about a 10 minute walk from where we are moored.  As we got to the bus stop, the bus came along, so we hopped on and after about a 20 minute ride, we were in Coventry.

Holy Trinity Church

We decided to go into the Holy Trinity Church first, we were a bit nervous as we entered and checked the opening and closing times as last time we visited this church, we got locked in, we got out okay as we found someone in the back of the church to let us out, but didn't fancy that happening again, but we were okay today!

Cathedral Ruins

Lady Godiva

There was a service going on, so we quietly wandered around.  The original church was built by the Benedictine monks and their tenants.  The oldest part is the 13^th century North Porch, although a church stood here as early as 1113 and was destroyed by fire in 1257.

Unusual Cross

Lovely Windows

We had a good wander around then walked to the Cathedral ruins.  Unfortunately they weren't open today, but we peered through the railings.  We then went into the new Cathedral as last time we were here, their was something on and we couldn't go in.

Huge Tapestry

Our Pizzas

We went inside and had a good wander around, it is very modern but has some lovely stained glass windows and sculptures and a lovely tapestry.  There was also a Chapel of Unity.

We then went to find the indoor market, passing the statue of Lady Godiva who was wearing tassels, don't think she had them the last time we were here!  The market was very good and we got some fruit and vegetables from one of the stalls.  We had a wander around and then it was time for lunch.

My Dessert

Hobby Horse - First Ever Bicycle

We headed off to find Bella Italia to have our lunch, a birthday present from my lovely niece Catherine, hubby Angus and my great nephew Freddie, so thanks very much to them.  We had a lovely lunch, the food was really good, we haven't been to a Bella Italia before, but we would definitely go again.

1904 Humber Olympia Forecar

Lovely OldBus

Changing Transport During the War

Supersonic Car made of K'NEX

Suitably full, we then walked to the Motor Museum, we visited here last time, but it is such a good museum, we wanted to go again.  It tells the story of the motor trade in Coventry, cars, motor bikes and bicycles and also what happened during the wars and also the land speed records with a few of the cars on show.  It's a fascinating place and well worth a visit.  We then had a coffee in the cafe before we walked back to the shops and did a bit more shopping before we got the bus back.

Tom Tit Safety Cycle

We walked back to the boat and just chilled out.  We had a lovely day in Coventry and a delicious lunch.

We are staying here tonight and probably tomorrow as well as the forecast is for rain and we do not as a rule travel in the rain, so if its raining in the morning we will be staying put and moving on Friday and if they are wrong and the sun is shining, we will move on tomorrow, so let’s see what tomorrow brings!

  

Thursday 16^th August

My Bramble Jelly

We decided to stay put again today as it had been raining and although it had stopped when we got up, but it was overcast.  We will move on tomorrow.

Longford Canal Junction

We picked some blackberries a couple of days ago so this morning I am going to make some Bramble Jelly.  While I did this, Kev went out for a walk.  The Bramble Jelly making went okay, although it didn't really set the first time so I had to reboil it, but if has set now, not a hard set but then blackberries don't have much pectin in them so I didn't expect a hard set.

Where the Two Canals Used to Run

In the afternoon, we went for a walk along the canal for a couple of miles past the Longford Engine pub to the Ricoh Stadium and a retail park.

Ricoh Statium

The stretch of canal by the Longford Engine pub is wider than the rest of the canal.  This wider section of the canal marks the former junction of the Coventry and Oxford canals.  From here the two canals ran alongside each other to Hawkesbury junction.  The unusual arrangement came about because the companies could not agree on tolls for this stretch and so built the two canals side by side.  There was a shallow lock here because the Oxford canal was 6 inches higher.

We had a look around the shops, went for a coffee then headed back along the towpath back to the boat.

We are staying here again tonight then chugging on tomorrow.