Springwood Haven to Atherstone (Coventry Canal)

It was a sunny morning but rather breezy as we set off, we went under Bridge 27 and stopped at Springwood Haven Marina to fill up with diesel and get some gas.  It was a good price for the diesel and gas and the people there were very friendly.  It is a really nice marina, not very big, but has a nice feel to it.

CRT Hartshill Yard

We chugged on along the canal past the CRT Hartshill Yard.  Part of the yard contains a 19^th-C carpenters’ workshop and blacksmiths’ forge.  There is also a splendid clock tower.  The canal then continues towards Mancetter, leaving the quarry belt and moving into open rolling countryside backed by thick woods to the west, it is a really attractive part of this canal.  We chugged on and soon we were at Atherstone and moored up at the visitor moorings after Bridge 40.

We went for a walk into the town to see where the railway station was as we are catching the train to Birmingham tomorrow as there is a floating market there, the station is about a 10 minute walk through the town from the canal.  

Atherstone Main Street

Atherstone Market Place

Atherstone has a nice selection of shops with an Aldi and a big Co-op.  The town dates from medieval times and is largely unspoilt by modern development.  St Mary’s church, which was founded in 1365, stands at the heart of the town in the Market Place surrounded by a range of buildings reflecting 500 years of domestic architecture. They hold markets here regularly and there is one on Saturday, so we will have a wander around that.

Town Stocks

We had a wander around the shops and went for a coffee in one of the independent cafes dotted around the town.  Along the main street is a building called Old Bank House, it was a merchant’s house with a walled garden to the rear in which are sited the town stocks dated 1809.

We did some shopping then walked back to the boat via the first five locks of the Atherstone flight.  We have these locks to look forward to in a few days when we leave here, but they are single locks and not very deep so easy to work and shouldn’t take too long to get through.

We are staying here a couple of days now and off to Birmingham tomorrow to see the floating market, so looking forward to that, hope the sun shines again then!!

Moored at Atherstone

Hawkesbury Junction to Springwood Haven (Coventry Canal)

Boat Yard with two nice dogs!

It was a nice sunny day as we set off from Hawkesbury Junction.  The canal was quite busy today with a steady flow of boats coming towards us and one boat in front of us and one behind, most we have seen for ages!  We chugged on up the canal, past a boat yard where in the garden they have lots and lots of ornaments and rubbish and old boats, it was quite an eyesore, but two nice dogs were stood on a boat.

Going past the Ashby Junction

Soon we were passing the Junction with the Ashby Canal.  It is a lovely canal which we have done before and we intend to do it again on another trip.

Going through Nuneaton

On up the canal and soon we were passing through Nuneaton, it seemed okay and the moorings after Bridge 20 seemed nice.  We hadn’t planned to stop this time, but maybe we will next time we come through here.  At Bridge 21 there is a Jewson and a few shops right near the canal and moorings as well, so handy to know for the future.

This part of the canal is rather winky wonky so we wound our way around out into the countryside and moored up just before Bridge 27 at Springwood Haven.

Springwood Marina

Mount Judd

We had lunch then walked up to the bridge and up the lane to the Springwood Haven Marina.  It is a small marina but really nice.  We had a look around the chandlery which was very well stocked.  Also it is really easy to get diesel there as they have a big open frontage and the diesel was a good price 70p a litre, but if you have 100 litres or more, you get 5% discount, so we will fill when we go past tomorrow.  Also their gas bottles are £24, a few pounds cheaper than most other places so we will get one of them tomorrow as well.  Near where we are moored, there is a large mound which is spoil from the old Judkins Quarry, it is known locally as Mount Judd.

We walked back to the boat and just chilled out.  It went overcast in the afternoon and quite chilly, so we lit the fire and watched the Rugby.

We are staying here tonight then heading to Atherstone tomorrow.

Moored at Springwood Haven

 

Coventry Basin to Hawkesbury Junction (Coventry Canal)

Leaving Coventry Behind Us

Back past Cash's Hundred Houses

The weather isn’t so good today, but it was dry when we went up into the city centre to the market to get some fruit and veg, they do a bowl full for £1, really good value.  We bought some strong cheese and eggs as well, then back to the boat and we chugged off.  We stopped for water at the water point just outside the basin, then on we went back up the canal leaving Coventry behind us.  

Sculpture at Hawkesbury Junction

We have enjoyed our stay in Coventry, it is a really nice city with lots to see, well worth a visit.  Back past Cash’s 100 houses, through the narrow bit and on up the canal.  We passed two boats on the way back up to the junction and we had a couple of small showers, but nothing too much.  After a couple of hours, we were back at Hawkesbury Junction where we filled up with water again as we had done the washing on the way up, so needed to top the tank back up.  As we were getting water, we had a heavy shower of rain, but luckily we were both inside, so didn’t get wet.

Passing the Old Engine House

Passing Hawkesbury Junction

We chugged on past the junction, past the old Engine House and moored up just past there in the visitor moorings.  We had just moored up and there was another heavy shower.  It hasn’t been that warm today, so this afternoon we lit the fire, first one of the season, then guess what, the sun came out!!  Still, it got chilly this evening, but we were nice and toasty.

We are staying here tonight, then heading on tomorrow.

Moored at Hawkesbury Junction

Day out in Coventry

Coventry Market

Medieval Spon Street

We are staying here in Coventry today so had breakfast then set off to the centre.  It was raining, but not too hard and hopefully it will brighten up later.  We walked up into the shops and went to Coventry indoor market.  It is a big market with lots of stalls selling material, hardware, shoes, etc., as well as some fruit and veg stalls and a few butchers, a really good place.  We had a wander around and then had a walk to Medieval Spon Street, an historic street in Coventry.  The street was once part of a route that ran from Gosford, in Oxfordshire, to Birmingham, a route which remained intact until the 1960s.  With the construction of Coventry’s inner ring road, Spon Street was cut in half and the route severed.  Several of the historic buildings in the street were relocated from other parts of Coventry and there is now around two dozen shops, restaurants and public houses, operating either from original or relocated medieval buildings.  It was then time for lunch, so we went to KFC and tasty it was too. 

Coventry Transport Museum

Inside the Museum

After lunch, we went to the Transport Museum.  It tells the story behind the development of road transport from the earliest cycles to the fastest cars on earth and how Coventry became the birthplace of the British cycle and motor industries and the best thing is,  it's free.  It is a really good place to visit and we spent an enjoyable couple of hours looking around.  It is reputedly the largest display of British-made transport in the world, with over 200 cars, 90 motorbikes and 230 cycles on view.  If you ever visit Coventry, it is well worth a visit.

Lady Godiva Statue

We then went to find the statue of Lady Godiva, who in legend rode naked through the streets of Coventry to divert her husband’s anger from the town. 

After all that walking around, it was time to head back to the boat.  Coventry is a lovely city and there is lots to see and we have decided that it gets the prize for having the most shops, there are many of them and a lot of the shopping centres are joined together, so it seems as they go on for ever.  We enjoyed our day though, and would definitely come back again.