The Leicester Line

 

This time last year we did a similar route along this stretch, the Leicester Line of the Grand Union Canal, when it was much busier. We were the only boat going up Watford Locks, whereas last year we were in a huge queue. 

We moored close to Watford Gap services on the M1 and strolled there for our tea one evening. It’s nice to watch the traffic going so very fast.

This time we ventured down the Welford Arm, a narrow almost ditch like stretch, which is a feeder from the reservoir to the mainline's long summit pound. Welford is the highest part on the GU. We moored on the visitor moorings before the basin. We had the BEST ploughman’s lunch we can ever remember at The Wharf Inn, before heading back down the arm to moor on the main line.

This part of Leicestershire is so very pretty, rolling countryside and very few villages, so stocking up with provisions is essential.

Several times we’ve been kept company by kingfishers, who seem to travel a long way with us.

 

The birds in the area seem very hungry and I’ve needed to keep the bird feeder well stocked. We had a nuthatch visit for a whole weekend, it didn’t actually live up to his name & just ate from the seed feeder!! Plus, along with the usual regular assortment of tits we had a green finch too.

 

  

We spent a couple of days on the Foxton visitor mooring, where our friends Maggie & Dick visited. Although we descended Foxton Locks mid week, there were still lots of gongoozlers and helpers to push the lock gates open. There’s an amazing view from the top of the locks. One evening we stood on the viewing platform overlooking the disused incline-plane watching the rabbits, bats as the sunset and then listening to the selection of owl calls.

We moored right outside the modern Foxton Locks Inn, on a 24 hour mooring, where the beer was £1 dearer than at the nice little locals pub, Bridge 61, on the other side of the canal. Easy to guess where we spent the evening and it looked so pretty at night.

 

A few photos of me at Brauston Marina, sitting spinnning with my drop spindle, outside their laundry waiting for the bedding to wash & dry.