Congerstone

Since our last post we have spent most of the time playing around on one of our favourite canals, the Ashby. After departing from friends at Polesworth on Monday 30/7. we set off towards the Atherstone flight of locks. Stopping for water at the service point, several boats passed by going the other way. This was good news as the locks should have been in our favour. So it was for the first five of the flight, however at the point the volunteers were operating everything came to an abrupt halt, and we joined the queue of about five. What the hold up was we never found out, but it added an hour or so to our ascent. Once at the top we pondered stopping for lunch, but we needed a pump out and wanted to make sure we reached Springwood Haven Marina in plenty of time. Pushing on we passed our intended mooring spot near bridge 28, and winded in the entrance of the marina. Following the pump out which is done for you by the staff at this marina, we headed back to our intended spot, a couple of hundred yards away. Now facing the wrong way, it was not a problem as there is a winding hole very close to this spot. The next morning, we winded and headed off towards Marston Junction and the Ashby Canal. Turning left, we soon arrived at Marston Jabbett where we stopped for the day. After securing the boat, we headed off to the nearby pub for lunch. Part of a well known chain of pubs, it was adequate but nothing special.

 

Moored at Marston Jabbett

 

 

Wednesday 1/8. we set off for Stoke Golding about 8 Miles away. We soon passed the spot of our collision with a hire boat earlier in the year, this time without incident. Approaching bridge 23 we decided to stop for lunch. It was also close to the farm shop we like to support, so the crew went shopping, not for very much it turned out as the stocks were low. After lunch we had about one more mile to go to our aimed for spot, just beyond the marina entrance at Stoke Golding. Later in the evening, we wandered up into the village for our appointment at the Mango Tree indian restaurant. Thankfully the walk back is all down hill. Thursday 2/8. We cruised to a new mooring spot for us, about a mile beyond Market Bosworth Marina close to bridge 46. Friday 3/8. We headed for the end of the canal at Snarestone. After passing through the crooked tunnel, we took a mooring on the 48 hour section and secured the boat. Unfortunately this area does not afford much shade, an important requirement for four legs with his furry coat. Walking up to the wharf to see if there was anywhere more shady, we spoke with Michael who looks after the area for the Ashby Canal Association. He pointed us towards a spot on the wharf beneath a large tree, and this was to be our spot for the next few days.

 

 

Snarestone Wharf mooring

 

Michael the warden operates a pair of working boats, Draco and Success. Success is an original horse drawn butty, and was built in 1893. It is the boat which is moored directly behind us on the wharf. The other boat in the picture is a Hudson like ours called Diligent Too. After securing the boat in our new spot, we wandered off to the village to reacquaint ourselves with the Globe P.H. for lunch. We also booked in for a Sunday roast. Later back at the wharf we got the comfy chairs out and relaxed in the dappled shade watching the world go by. Whilst here we met the owners of Diligent Too, who were undertaking some voluntary work on the wharf. The work being done was repainting some large beams, which had originally been located in the nearby pump house. Sunday 5/8. we went to the Globe for lunch and the roast was excellent. Back at the wharf, the owner of Diligent Too informed us he was leaving the next day, and that the beam painting would be unfinished. I offered to finish it off. Monday 6/8. I donned a pair of overalls, and began a day of scraping and painting. Unfortunately for me, the beams were not afforded any shade from the nearby tree. After about six hours of work, the paint finally ran out which my excuse for stopping for the day.

Hard at work

After a long day of work in the heat of the sun, it was only right to cool down, with a tub of ice cream purchased from the wharf. Quite what four legs had done to deserve his I don't know, but he got one anyway, and after scoffing his down, he preceded with an attempt to scrounge some of mine. He was out of luck.

 

 

Ice Cream for Four Legs

 

 

Tuesday 7/8. We manoeuvred from the wharf onto the water point, to refill the tank, then after saying our goodbyes, set off for Shackerstone. Wednesday 8/8. We took four legs for a walk, and then took lunch at the Shackestone Railway Station tea rooms. After lunch, we purchased some cake to takeaway for later. Thursday 9/8. We had a run down to Market Bosworth Marina, for diesel and a pump out. The crew nipped up the hill into town for some supplies, then we set off on a return journey as far as Congerstone. On route we spotted a hare playing in the fields.

 

Hare playing in the field

 

Friday 10/8. We walked into Shackerstone to post some letters. Saturday 11/8. We cruised the boat up to the winding hole in Shackerstone, and then return back to Congerstone, to the same spot we had departed forty minutes earlier.

 

 

Mooring at Congerstone

 

Today, Sunday 12/8. The weather today is a bit wet so four legs only got a short walk. Then it was off to the Horse and Jockey P.H. for Sunday lunch. Tomorrow we begin our journey off the Ashby Canal.

• Totals Monday 30/7.    6 Miles 11 Locks
•         Tuesday 31/7.    5 Miles
•         Wednesday 1/8. 8 Miles
•         Thursday 2/8.    7 Miles
•         Friday 3/8.         5 Miles 1 Tunnel
•         Tuesday 7/8.       3 Miles 1 Tunnel
•         Thursday 9/8.     6 Miles   
•         Saturday 11/8.    2 Miles
• Running totals 418 Miles 186 Locks 11 Tunnels

 

 

Shackerstone

Knowing fine weather was forecast for the next week or so, and it being a Bank Holiday Weekend, we expected it to get busy on the canal. With this in mind, we decided we wanted to be settled in our chosen spot well before the chaos ensued. We were also approaching the end of our 48 hour limit at Snarestone, although, we could have taken a mooring just beyond the small footbridge for a further seven days, being members of the Ashby Canal Association. So, on Thursday 3/5. we slipped our lines at about 9 am, and moved up to the water point. We had a nearly empty tank, so even with a fast filling tap, it would still take forty minutes or so to fill up. We said our goodbyes to the staff at the Wharf and winded, just as the first of two boats arrived. Back through the crooked tunnel, and then on towards Shackerstone, about three miles away. The sun was up and there was a gentle breeze so it felt warm even by mid morning. Not wanting to end our cruise too soon, we chugged along just above tickover, taking nearly two hours to cover the three miles. We passed beyond our usual spot, this time opting to moor opposite the festival field. This side of Shackerstone is much quieter with foot traffic on the towpath, it seems. On Friday 4/5. we walked four legs to Congerstone, to visit the Horse and Jockey PH for lunch. Today, Saturday 5/5. the glorious weather arrived. On waking there was not a cloud in the sky, and it has remained that way virtually all day. After our morning walk, we wandered up to the railway station to see the steam train which is running this weekend, and also to take lunch in the station tearoom.

  

Mooring at Shackerstone

This afternoon it was time to tackle some of the more onerous tasks, polishing the mushroom vents. The portholes have already been done, but the mushrooms hadn't been touched since last summer, and to say they were heavily tarnished would be an understatement. In circumstances like this, Google is your friend. I googled tarnished brass and got a multitude of results. One however caught my eye, as it had pictures to support its descriptions. To cut along story short, the web page had conducted many tests on tarnished brass, with various substances. The overall winner for ease of application, and the lack of elbow grease required, was tomato ketchup. I half imagined an individual somewhere in the world, laughing his head off, at the prospect of dozens of people smearing their brass with ketchup. Anyway, hating the task enough to try anything, here is the result of a small test area.

Patch test

I was amazed, a small dollop, left for ten minutes then wiped off. It really was that easy. Next was to tackle a whole mushroom.

Before tomato ketchup

After ketchup applied

  As can be seen above, a mere ten minutes of ketchup with no rubbing required, most of the tarnish has been removed and it is now ready for finishing with Brasso. Credit to https://www.littlehouseonthecorner.com/ultimate-guide-how-to-clean-brass/

The finished result

It was in fact so easy, that the whole process from the initial application of the ketchup, to the final buffing of the last of five vents, took no more than half an hour, including the ten minutes of doing nothing, with very little exertion. What is even better is, it does not have to be premium Heinz tomato ketchup either, this was done with Tesco own brand. One member of the crew thought even this amount of work unnecessary, and found himself a nice shady spot in the grass to watch the proceedings.

Oscar being lazy

Now all that is left to polish is the Houdini hatch and the fairleads. Just one final benefit of this glorious weather is the amount of power we now generate from our solar panel. Today we achieved 100 amp hours for the first time this year, which is approximately two thirds of our daily consumption, and its free.

• Totals Thursday 3/5. 3 Miles 1 Tunnel 
• Running total 82 Miles 19 Locks 5 Tunnels 

Congerstone

Having spent a couple of days at Hawkesbury Junction, we capped it off on Sunday 22/4. with a roast dinner at the Greyhound PH. The following day, Monday 23/4. we set off for the Ashby Canal. We manoeuvred the boat from the mooring and through the stop lock, then turned right onto the Coventry Canal. Stopping to refill the water tank took about 40 minutes, then we continued heading north towards Nuneaton. After a couple of miles, we reached Marston Junction and turned right onto the Ashby Canal. We soon relaxed into gentle cruising mode as we passed through rural tranquility. This was soon to be brought to an abrupt halt with a big bump. As we passed under bridge 4 we saw a hire boat approaching a sharp bend at speed. Not wanting to encounter this boat on the bend we slowed to a stop, holding a position just off the centre line towards the offside of the canal. As the hire boat rounded the bend, the steerer over steered the boat due to the speed, and we were now confronted with an impending ramming. I was able to put our boat into a hard reverse, which managed to take some of the sting from the impact. To make matters worse, despite having just rammed us under full power, the steerer of the hire boat made no attempt to slow down, but continued on bumping along the side of our boat. To describe the next 30 seconds of our encounter, would require an 18 certificate to be applied to this post, so I will leave it at that, but needless to say, we were not happy, mainly by his attitude, rather than the initial contact. We found our usual spot at Burton Hastings vacant, and secured the boat. We would stay here on Tuesday also due to inclement weather. Wednesday 25/4. After breakfast we set off for Stoke Golding, a little over six miles away. We passed through Hinckley, paying attention to Trinity Marina as we did so. We are booked in here for a couple of days next month so we can attend a family event. The remainder of our cruise was uneventful, and we arrived at Stoke Golding about two hours after we had set off. After securing the boat, the crew wandered off back towards bridge 23, where there is small farm shop for fresh meat and vegetables. They also do a nice line in pies. In the evening, we strolled up into the village to the Mango Tree Indian Restaurant for our evening meal. Fortunately after eating too much, the walk back to the boat is downhill all the way. Thursday 26/4. We departed Stoke Golding aiming initially for Market Bosworth. We needed the services at the Marina, and our arrival would around lunchtime. The Marina has a nice little cafe which would be perfect. You can imagine our disappointment when we found it closed, due to suffering a fire in January. 

Approaching Market Bosworth

The wind had been quite blustery all morning, but as we turned into the Marina it picked up even more, and I am sure we encountered small waves once through the narrow entrance. Once on the service pontoon, we emptied the waste tank and filled with water, then unable to use the cafe we set off again, heading for Congerstone. This final half of the Ashby Canal is the most picturesque, and the bit we enjoy the most. We found a spot just prior to bridge 50. It is a quiet rural spot, midway between the Horse and Jockey PH in Congerstone, and the Rising Sun PH in Shackerstone, so perfectly positioned. We planned to stay put for a few days, due to some heavy rain being forecast, and also to sample the roast dinner in the Rising Sun PH on Sunday. Today, Monday 30/4. We took the furry crew for a long walk, to make up for the short excursions he has had to put up with, over the last couple of days. This evening, the skies have cleared and the sun is making an appearance, so hopefully tomorrow will be a pleasant day for our trip to Snarestone, the terminus of the canal.

   

Congerstone, bridge 50

  

• Totals Monday 23/4.      5 Miles 1 Lock
• Totals Wednesday 25/4. 6 Miles
• Totals Thursday 26/4.    8 Miles
• Running total                75 Miles 19 Locks 3 Tunnels 

 

Shackerstone

Thursday 24/8, as planned we departed Snarestone. We have enjoyed our stay at the top of the Ashby Canal, and during our time there, we met several of the members of the Ashby Canal Association. The aim of the association is to maintain, and ultimately complete the link, between the current terminus of the canal at Snarestone, and its historic terminus at Moira. The first step to this restoration is to reach the town of Measham, just under three miles away. It is hoped that with fundraising efforts by the association, and some money from lottery funds, this first step could be achieved in three to five years. So, having enjoyed several weeks on this canal, we have decided to become members of the association and support the restoration efforts. Whilst filling the tank with water we had breakfast, then forty minutes later set off for the crooked tunnel. An hour later we arrived at Shackerstone, and were amazed to find that the spot we had vacated a few days earlier was empty. We slipped into our spot, and after securing the boat made our way to the pub for refreshments. On Friday we walked along the canal to the next village, Congerstone. The canal towpath was by now starting to fill with trading boats, in advance of the Shackerstone festival next weekend. In Congerstone we did our bit supporting local business, by having lunch at the Horse and Jockey P.H. The food was very good and the pub is dog friendly. The weather over the past few days has been very warm and sunny, and unusually for a bank holiday weekend is going to remain good. Today it was back to the Rising Sun P.H for a Sunday roast, which we can thoroughly recommend. Tomorrow we plan to head off for Market Bosworth or beyond.

• Totals 3 Miles 1 Tunnel 
• Running total 153 Miles 41 Locks 7 Tunnels