Marston Junction to Polesworth

Marston Junction

Cast of just before 10 am. Saw a small fox under bridge 18b. It was very tame and watched us for a while. Tried to take a photo but only got a shot as it headed off up the bank.

We then went past Judkin's quarry, and what is locally referred to as Mount Judd.

There is a pretty BWB wharf at Hartshill.

Stopped for petrol and to buy a new pair of deck shoes at Atherstone. Bought a card for Daisy.

Descending the Atherstine 11 lock flight took 3 hrs 25 mins, which is an hour longer than last time. It was very busy and we had to wait at virtually all the locks. Lock 2 also was leaking badly and took ages to fill.

Stopped just after 7 p.m. at Polesworth, where we had had a birthdy meal for Kevin back in 2000. In the log it said we had eaten at Foster's Yard, but it wasn't the same pub. It has been turned into a balti house and their were groups of foul mouthed people drinking outside. We eventually found the pub where we had had the meal - the Red Lion. Seemed to have the same clientele and it no longer did food. So we went to the Bulls Head, which though it had several signs saying it did food - didn't! Finally the Royal Oak stopped serving snacks at 6.30.

So we went to Spar. Polesworth on a hot evening seemed to be filled with youths in old cars, playing loud music, squealing their tyres and revving up at junctions. As we walked back to the canal, a cabriolet passed us by at speed. Next we heard the unmistakeable cruch of metal on metal as it collided with another older car at the main junction. Despite having a puncture the older car drove off at speed.

We decided to leave the centre of the town for somewhere less frenzied, and moored outside by Pooley Hall house, where we spent a qiuet night on the back of the boat, watching the stars come out, and planes coming into land at Birmingham.

Snarestone to Marston Junction

An Ashby Canal milestone. Unfortunately the last 9 miles of the canal are for the most part unrestored.

We had left Sappho asleep in the long, dry grass next to the boat when we turned in for the night. At 2.45 am Joan awoke to the unmistakeable sound of heavy rain beginning to fall, so she got up and let Sappho on board.

It rained heavily then for an hour or so. The chairs which had been left out the night before were full of water and needed turning over.

We decided not to go through the tunnel at Snarestone after consulting a couple who told us the canal had not been extended since we last visited in 2000. The tunnel was the site of an altercation that year as we had a mid tunnel argument with a man who entered the other end of the tunnel after us, but then expected us to back up. We didn’t as it is much more difficult in our type of craft.

Caught up with the log on the lappy as the broadband signal has been very weak for the last few days.

Kevin took two photos of the tunnel’s portal from the same spot with his new digital camera.

Cast of at 10.15 am. Windier and threatening more rain. We moored at Market Bosworth for lunch, and managed to get a meal at Ye Olde Red Lion Inn. There were a couple of heavy downpours whilst we were there.

As we headed back to the boat, there was a man in the water trying to fix a hire craft.

Ran out of petrol whilst cruising past Hinckley. Will need to buy some more tomorrow.

At 8.15 pm we moored at Marston Junction in the same place as we were marooned in 2006 (Leicester Ring trip) when the steering cable broke, and we had to wait two days for a replacement, having also ran out of water.

Daddlington to Snarestone

Market Bosworth

Monday 28th July

It rained a little overnight. We were woken by cars pipping their horns as they passed over Bridge 30. A few hire craft went by as we took breakfast.

At 12.20 we arrived at Bosworth Wharf. Walked up the hill into town, staying in the shade of the trees to keep cool. Had a drink at a pub, and were surrounded by small children who asked us questions about our brown Dalmatian. They were on a summer activities scheme and were off to do swimming and water pistoling in the afternoon. Despite a sign saying the pub did food until 2 pm, the landlord said they weren’t serving anymore.

There was a chip shop next door with a rather original name. See photo.

There were other places to eat, but we decided on eating on board. Made a risotto with our own broad beans and onions and sat out on the bank to eat it. It was 29 degrees celcuis in the galley.

5.15 pm we set off again towards the terminus. A wind arose and it blew us into the the arch of Bridge 49. Bent the frame and cracked the perspex of the side window panel - not for the first time. We will need to mend it when we get home.

At 7.15 we moored in a quiet spot just after Pare’s Bridge, where a railway used to cross. Wide towpath. We walked down to the Globe to eat but they didn’t do food on Mondays! Third time in two days that we have been foiled in our plan to eat out!

Got out chairs and table and had a BBQ again. Very tranquil evening.

Brinklow to Daddlington

A graveyard for old boats

Another one of those alluring bridges to the former line of the canal


Sunday 27th July

Cast off at 8.45 am. As is often the case with these trips, we start overlaying in bed till later and later in the morning.

Reached lock at Sutton Stop where the Oxford Canal meets the Coventry. We had to wait for a couple of boats to come through, but the drop in the locks is barely half a metre.



Stopped and used facilities. Made it up to Marston’s Junction where the Ashby Canal starts. Moored close to Bridge 2 and had a BBQ on a scorchingly hot day. Quite a few craft passed by.

Set off again at 3.30 pm. Soon the canal opened up into the fields and slight hill to starboard that we remembered from the last time that we came.

At 7pm we stopped by Bridge 30. Walked to the Dog and Hedgehog at Daddlington, but they only had mushroom stroganoff for veggies on a Sunday evening and hadn’t enough rice for two portions. We decided to finish our drinks and head back to the boat where we had a meal of tomato and marscapone sauce with pasta and garlic bread. Clear night sat on the back of the boat.

Napton to Brinklow

Hot dog

Woke early but had a leisurely breakfats and did blog.

We called in at Wigram's Turn Marina to book moorings from September. We shall move the boat from Sawley on the bank holiday week. Seems very quiet and remote there but offers up lots of different routes including the River Nene and down to Oxford and the Thames.

Braunstone Turn

Lots of craft on the water as it is another hot and beautiful day.

Only locks were the Wilmorton Flight, which are singles. A couple were helping at the locks to raise money for the local air ambulance.

At Rugby, we moored at Tesco to buy petrol and provisions. Ate a late lunch, almost tea, there and set off again at 5.50. A boat that was coming too quickly passed us, swerved to miss another craft in the opposite direction, and hit the boat next to us very heavily. Luckily it was a metal boat. If it had been us we would have been sunk.

The sun was in the eyes so we moored early near the Brinklow 24 hr moorings. Did the Guardian quick crossword, and then decided to walk to the village. Had a couple of drinks at the Bulls Head, before heading back to the boat in the fading light. The towpath was pretty poor so we diverted on to the road until the last minute.

Had cheese on toast for dinner, as we watched the police helicopter fly above us with its searchlight. The air was soft as summer nights should be. Bed just before midnight.

Warwick to Napton junction

A hot, humid day. We walked in to Warwick to Sainsburys for provisions. Had a leisurely breakfast at the picnic area and bought some new plaques for the Hatton Flight and Saltisford Arm.

We continued down the Cape Locks and then cruised for a short while on the contour, crossing two aqueducts, near Leamington.

We then started the climb up to Napton, which was not as arduous as Hatton Lock as initially there were gaps for recovery between the locks.

At the staircase, a boat coming down filled the lock which was set for us, and then told us to cheer up!

We decided to press on up the 10 lock Stockton Flight, which was not too bad as other boats were coming down. Took 1hr 45 m to do.

Finally up the Napton Flight (3) and turned south on to the Oxford Canal where we moored for the night near Napton Bridge Inn.

Ate on the boat. Forgot to take any pictures.

Knowle to Warwick

An eventful and arduous day!

Woke up early and headed towards the Knowle flight (7.25 am). Stared to cook breakfast which we thought we would eat before we went down the flight.

On the top lock, saw a sign which said BW would be closing the lock from 7am until 11 am to test some new aluminium water stopers before the winter. As no BW staff were there yet we decided to proceed down the locks before they turned up. Breakfast put on hold.


It took an hour to get down the flight. At the bottom we realised the battery was no longer taking a charge so we no electrics, which means no water! Therefore we rang the boat yyard at the top of the lock to see if they had any leisure batteries, which luckily they did. Also luckily, two years ago we bought a trolley to help out with petrol purchases etc. This came in useful as batteries are illogically heavy.

On the way up the locks, Sappho mistook some green algae for grass and fell in a side pound.

Fitted battery and was away! Moored at Kingswood Junction for facilities and to buy some bread. Quiet place with some Tudor style houses.

Went through shrewly Tunnel that leaked badly - like going through a car wash.

2.10 am. Started down the Hatton Flight - 21 double locks! Waited after firstlock for narrow boat to catch up with us and share the load ("At Last"). Over four gruelling hours ahead, with a stop for petrol half way down. Finally at 6.20 we reached Hatton Bottom lock.


Turned into the Saltisford Arm where we squeezed in between two boats and lit the BBQ. Absolutely shattered!!

Curdsworth to Knowle

We cast off early (6.45 am), and headed down the Minsworth flight. Found it hard to leave the bottom lock as a big propoane bottle, jameed in between the boat and the lock gate. After a bit of jiggling we pulled it out.

The junction which is beneath spaghetti junction

Turned into the Birmingham and Warwick Junction canal about 9 am. Quiet stretch of locks, with factories and warehouses backing on to the cut. All a bit run down. No other boats about.

Turning in to the Camp Hill flight

Ascended the Camp Hill flight and used the facilities block at the top. Warm, cloudy day.

An old arm now blocked off

The Archies arm - now a watersports centre

Had a luch of gnocchi and tomato sauce washed down with a bottle of sparkling Shiraz on the Solihull cut. Very quiet.



Moored at Catherine de Barnes for provisions, before mooring for the night by bridge 72 just above the Knowle flight.

Fradley to Curdsworth

Set off later than yesterday as we used the facilities at Fradley. A duck and her three ducklings joined us for breakfast.

Stopped at Bridge 89 to get petrol om the A38.

Went passed Streethay Wharf.

Next we passed the entrance to the yet unrestored Lichfield Canal and its boathouse.

At 1.30 pm we turned on to the Birmingham and Fazeley and began the Warwickshire Ring proper.

At Drayton Manor there is an very elaborate footbridge complete with turrets.

Followed a boat up to the beginning of the 11 lock Curdsworth flight. He stopped off at the Dog and Doublet pub after lock 3, so after that all the locks were set for us.

We recall coming down this flight on a cold Easter week in 2002, in sub zero temperatures, and doing 35 locks from Birmingham's Gas Street basin in one day, in the wind. The Dog and Doublet was very welcome then!

Easy progrees up the locks.

After that we passed through the 52 metre Curdswoth tunnel and moored up in a leafy cutting for the night at 5.15 pm. An early finish but we want to get through Brum early before the crazies come out tomorrow.