Monday - Day 21

In Romajech, after a disappointing breakfast at Foxton Top Lock Tea Room (avoid this and use Bridge 61 at bottom locks instead), we explored the Foxton Inclined Plane and the Museum, which were fascinating. Worth wandering about and seeing.

Onwards through the meandering countryside and canal. Through the Saddington tunnel, which is filled with a variety of bats apparently but we didn't see any. Through five locks and found mooring next to railway for the night before tackling the next seven locks... Not far from Leicester now (about 11 miles).

First problem after second lock as we developed strange clanging and banging noises (Keith Moon drumming on the bottom of Romajech) - we made it through the flight of four and stopped to investigate. Found a totally entangled black nylon rope and fender wrapped round the prop. Spent happy half hour disentangling it. Such fun! Now have a free fender... Must have saved all of £4.

Looking for water tomorrow.

On Blue Adeline, an early start with bacon sandwiches at dawn (well, 9am) on the towpath in the sunshine before setting off.  The canal seems rather monotonous at first but develops an almost hypnotic quality, with many handsome bridges and lush vegetation.  As we pulled up into a reed bed to let a boat come through, one man said "If the foliage was cut back, it would be easy to pass".  Well, it's true… but the overgrowth adds to the sense of timelessness.  

Husbands Bosworth was Denis's first time helming in a tunnel, which strangely, he enjoyed.

Between bridges 46 and 48 a kingfisher flew ahead of us for several hundred yards, flitting from tree to tree and at one point diving into the water in front of the boat.  A truly magical moment.

At bridge 56, we moored and went up onto the bridge to admire the view east, showing how high the canal summit is compared to surrounding countryside.  

Arriving at Turnover Bridge before Foxton Locks we moored up for the night to recce the locks.  The name is not, as you might think, a comment on an early boating mishap but the point where the children  in charge of the barge-horses would lead their charges over the bridge to change sides for the towpath.  

At Foxton, great efforts have been made to inform and educate about this marvel of engineering which enables boats to drop 75' in two staircases of 5 locks each.  There used to be an inclined plane too, now disused.  Jan has been on an operational one in Saint-Louis-Arzviller - an amazing experience where boats and occupants are transported in what feels like a huge bathtub.