Whilton to Shackerstone

Whilton to Welton Wharf

It was up the Buckby flight again, we were lucky as a few days later it was closed as there was a problem with lock 12, again. We did the first two locks on our own and then waited for another boat to join us up the remaining 5. We carried straight on at Norton Junction and moored up just before Braunston Tunnel in the rain.

3 miles and 7 locks

Welton Wharf to Braunston

A short trip through Braunston Tunnel and then down the Brauston Locks, no one to share with on these but not as bad going down on your own, there were plenty coming up so we thought they would be a few spaces to moor up in Brauston, as it was we took the only one available, but there were plenty of comings and goings throughout the rest of the day, it is literally being in the right place at the right time to get a mooring here.

Entering Braunston Tunnel

And leaving it

That's the locks done

3 miles and 5 locks

Brauston to Hillmorton

We stopped at the top of Hillmorton Locks for a couple of days getting on with a couple of boat maintenance jobs, James was working on the back deck and me the front.

6.5 miles and 0 locks

Hillmorton to Rugby

Down the three Hillmorton locks and at last back to narrow locks, so much easier. These ones are paired and a few were coming up so we didn't have to wait long, we continued on to a very busy Brownsover, to do a Tesco shop and pick up a delivery James had arranged to Rugby Post Office, both successful so the next day we were on our way again.

3 miles and 3 locks

Rugby to Hawkesbury Junction

It started off a cold damp day and then after Newbold Tunnel the rain came Dudley seemed to enjoy sheltering with me under my umbrella, he doesn't like going in on his own even if it is pouring. We continued on through Brinklow and stopped at Ansty by this time it was raining heavily and we were getting cold and wet, we had some lunch and dried out then the weather turned so off we went again stopping at a very quiet Hawkesbury Junction, on the Oxford Canal side of the Sutton Stop Lock. We popped into the Greyhound pub and Bank Holiday Monday, well it would have been rude not too and were even lucky there and got the window seat, it soon got busy later in the afternoon though.

12.5 miles and 0 locks

Hawkesbury Junction to Near Nuneaton

Back through the stop lock and then right turn at the junction, which as usual James managed perfectly, onto the Coventry Canal we stopped off just before Gypsy Lane Bridge as we needed to get up to the retail park and Axminster Tools and Screwfix to pick up some more paint as they had an offer on the Red Oxide.

3.5 miles and 1 lock

Nuneaton to Limekilns

We continued up to the winding hole and then it was about turn back to Marston Junction where we turned left down the Ashby Canal, we haven't been down this way since 2012. We carried on stopping just before Limekilns Bridge 15.

7 miles and 0 locks

Limekilns to Sutton Wharf

We were really lucky the mooring on the wharf was free, Mark on Callisto arrived shortly after as he had arranged a delivery for the next day, once he had received that we got a few bags of coal as it seems the weather is turning colder.

6 miles and 0 locks

Sutton Wharf to Market Bosworth

The moorings here were fairly quiet a bit of a difference to when we last passed through, we couldn't get moored then, maybe it's the new marina that has recently opened in Market Bosworth.

3.5 miles and 0 locks

Market Bosworth to Shackerstone

Neither of us could really remember the moorings here, we were booked in for the festival so had a reserved spot, we ended up moored between bridges 49 and 50 so a great spot for festival field. 

2.5 miles and 0 locks

TOTAL 489.5 miles and 413 locks