Polesworth to the End of the Ashby Canal - 11 locks, 33 miles

Had a great night out Friday with the girls, food was lovely as was the company.

I was very good, didn't drink too much as I knew I had to drive early Saturday morning, which given we had Presseco with the meal was not an easy task!

Saturday I got back to the boat for 8:00 and we set off to try and get through the 11 locks that make up the Atherstone flight before the predicted rain arrived.

We did ok, although the second lock took about 25 mins to fill as only one of the slackers was working.  We didn't however beat the rain, we had 4 locks to go when it started, initially it wasn't too heavy but by the third from last lock it was getting worse, so George was unceremoniously dumped on the boat, whilst I continued with the locks. Luckily because it was a Saturday there were 2 volunteers manning the last two locks so our progress was pretty quick.

We then found a beautiful spot to moor just outside Atherstone and the sun decided to reappear a little   later.

The next morning we set off nice and early it was a glorious morning. I think my body clock is getting ready for going back to work, as we keep waking about 6:30 (it's the only bit of me that is ready!!).

We were making pretty good progress but then we got stuck behind a hire boat, they were going so slow that even on tick over Rod had to keep putting the boat in reverse!  We only had another 1.5 miles to the turning for the Ashby but at this pace it was going to take 3 hours (that is no exaggeration), as we went passed a wishing well at the end of some ones garden, there was only one thing we were wishing for, thankfully we came to a straight stretch and they pulled over to let us past.  

Now I am not one for devine intervention and all that stuff, but we had just got passed them and suddenly there was this banging noise, something was wrapped round the prop, Mr B was determined he wasn't stopping until the Ashby as he wasn't getting stuck behind the hire boat again, so we just had to live wth the tapping noise and hope it wasn't doing any damage.

We turned onto the Ashby and very soon left behind the urbanisation that had been pretty constant on the Coventry, the Ashby is very rural, but it is also home to some pesky Horseflies, and despite our best efforts we have both been bitten!!!!

We found a nice spot to moor and managed to get into Nuneaton to do some food shopping before they closed a 4:00.

When we got back Rod checked the prop to discover it was a bag strap wrapped round the prop making the banging noise and no damage was done.

Monday we were aiming for the end of the Ashby, again the morning started beautifully.  We travelled passed the Bosworth Battle site, unfortunately there was not much too see from the canal, but it did make me look it up on Google - what did we do before Google! - so I do now know this was the last battle of the War of the Roses, won by the Lancastrians, resulting in the start of the Tudor dynasty on the English throne.

There are no locks on the Ashby and as you can see George is finding it all very hard work!

This is the look of concentration when steering!!

The moorings at the end of the canal were very pleasant and a welcome site as we had just been through a thunder storm.  The rest of the afternoon was beautiful, and we were able to get the deck chairs out and sit in the sun.

They are continuing to restore the Ashby, the stretch we were sitting on was completed at a cost of £750k and they are now working on the next small stretch, slow and costly work.

( M 751.5, L 611 )