Market Bosworth Market

 

This morning we walked up to Market Bosworth. On the way we came across this in a garden.

And this quintessential English cottage.

 

As we neared the town centre we came across the Dixie Grammar School. In the small market square was the Wednesday market. We stopped for a coffee in Café Torte down a little passageway just near the butchers in the market square, we got a pot of coffee for two and had 2 cups each!

Market Bosworth has many unusual but pretty looking buildings including this one.

This is St. Peter’s Church which was open, and very beautiful it was inside too.

Jo bought some vegetables from the market, whilst I bought this pheasant from J. W. Lampard & Son Butchers for £3.50.

That’s Christmas Dinner sorted!

Keith.

Congerstone to Market Bosworth

A very fine drizzle but strong winds did not deter us from moving today. Having moored up on the Market Bosworth 48hr moorings we had lunch and then had a brief visit to the Bosworth Water Trust, which is a short walk from the canal. Unfortunately it is only open at weekends this time of year, and with the strong wind sweeping across the open land and water it was a bit grim. Perhaps we will have to visit during the summer season. Jo was rather surprised at the lack of waterfowl on the water. Tomorrow is market day in the town, and we are looking forward to visiting it.

Keith.

Shackerstone to Congerstone

As we were getting prepared to set off this morning, Jo asked if she could take Hadar out of her mooring to the next one. This is not the first time Jo has left a mooring, but definitely the first time from a shallow mooring, which she managed ok. Having cleared the mooring and passed the moored boats at Shackerstone I went down into the engine ‘ole and left her to it. I surfaced only as we neared the moorings for Congerstone where Jo very ably pulled Hadar into the bank and I stepped off with the centre line, and Jo brought her to a stop, and we tied up. I think Jo is feeling quite chuffed with herself.

After lunch we walked up the road to Congerstone. We were rather intrigued with the pub name on the side of the building, obviously so the drunks can read it whilst in the gutter!

This is the front of the Horse & Jockey, which seems a strange looking building in relation to the rest of the village.

Jo was rather amused with this road sign.

This is the church, which is definitely 2 distinct styles, so has been added onto at some time.

From beside the church there is a footpath to the hamlet of Bilstone which for some reason has been line with these protected trees.

This is the Mill sluice for the original Bilstone Mill. The mill house has been rebuilt in recent years, with no sign of the original mill wheel, which is a shame. However the sluice is still operational if in need of some much needed maintenance.

This is supposed to be the mill pool above the sluice, which is definitely lacking in water. We walked back to Congerstone via the footpath we had arrived by.

Keith.

Santa’s Special Train

Today we walked up to Shackerstone station to see the first of the Santa Special trains they are running for Christmas.

This was the Christmas tree in the station foyer, looking very festive, I bet someone had great fun decorating it.

This was the Victorian Tearoom and the seating outside, again looking very festive. There is a nice collection of teapots behind the counter, but unfortunately the Measham teapots are all replicas.

This was the engine Sir Gomer which was going to be hauling the train.

It was connected to the train, and the firebox was getting a good glow going ready to work.

Then in a large cloud of smoke and steam the train set off, I don’t think there was an empty seat in any of the 6 coaches. Let’s hope they all had a great trip and experience. Jo likes steam engines just as much as I do.

With the train having departed from the station We were able to see the station building on platform 2 which now houses the gift shop.

Once the train had left this type 2 class 25 D5217 (later 25067) was taking on water for the steam heating boiler before shunting coaches through the station, taking good advantage of being able to run round.

Keith.

Help Out Mill

This morning Jo and I walked to Help Out Mill. There is a footpath which starts from the towpath between Turn Bridge and Town Bridge here at Shackerstone.

Before we got to the start of the footpath, Jo took this photo of the mound in the field which is part of Wharf Farm. This mound is apparently part of the motte and bailey of Shackerstone Castle which once stood here.

We followed the way marks until we arrive at Help Out Mill.

The photo below is what may well have been the mill owners rather grand house, built against the mill, which can just be seen to the right.

 

Adjacent to the mill is the Help Out Mill Restaurant, which is built in the old granary.

We returned to Shackerstone via the road which crosses the railway, and then the canal at Town Bridge, but we decided to walk along the railway bed to the station. They have been busy preparing the railway stock ready for the Santa Specials, which start tomorrow.

Keith.

Snarestone Village

After disposing of all the bags of rubbish Jo has collected from the towpath recently, we set off for yet another lengthy and taxing journey, to the moorings just outside the southern portal of Snarestone tunnel. We moored next to Maffi, and had a quick chat before he set off for Coventry for the weekend. The photo above of Hadar entering the south portal of Snarestone Tunnel was taken by Maffi yesterday as we passed through.

After coffee we walked up to have a quick look at the village, and quick it was too, as there isn’t a lot to it. The towpath emerges in the car park of “The Globe Inn”, which is unusual.

It also has a camping and caravan site behind it, and is part of the Camping and Caravanning Club. Although there is not a lot to Snarestone we were rather impressed by some of the very large houses here. Definitely worth a bob or two.

Manor Farmhouse.

Beech House.

This is the unusual looking Snarestone Primary School, of which the main building fronting Main Street is actually 3 cottages which were donated by Mr Thomas Charnells to provide education for the children of the village in 1717.

Keith.

Shackerstone to Snarestone

Porridge for breakfast this morning, then we set off for Snarestone and the canal terminus. Just before Snarestone tunnel we passed Maffi on “Milly M”. We arrived at the terminus, winded and pulled into the service area for water and toilet emptying. We moved down to the 48hr moorings, and as we were mooring up Maffi and Molly came along the towpath and we chatted for a while, saying our farewells as he is heading off to Coventry for the weekend, so we may not see him again for a while.

After lunch we set off to walk along the line of the canal which is to be restored. The new swing bridge was the terminus of the canal when we were last here in 2008.

The restoration has moved on from the original terminus.

Work was in progress with the canal bed being dug out, which had been filled in with coal mine spoil. Because of the work in progress we had to divert onto Quarry Lane.

This is the pump house, for the water company, not sure why it is here, but I think it is now a private house, possibly.

We re-joined the canal course just the other side of the pump house and waterworks house. This was looking back at the work in progress from the other side. A dumper truck was using this route to travel to the dump site further along the route.

This was further along the route again looking back, the ruts created by the dumper truck are getting quite deep!

This is the area where the dumper truck is depositing the spoil, I think this will grow into quite a large heap by the time they have cleared all the spoil in this area.

This is again looking back from further along, with the spoil dump on the right of the picture. Just beyond the way marker is where an aqueduct once stood carrying the canal over Gilwiskaw Brook.

At this point is an area used for tank driving events. It is on the old line of the canal, but before reaching this point the restored canal will be rerouted around here.

This is the road bridge over the Gilwiskaw Brook looking towards where the aqueduct was. To the right of the picture can be seen the waymark seen previously and indicates the height of the canal above that of the road. There is quite a serious embankment here, and will give an amazing view for canal travellers once it is reopened.

From the brook we returned along the road to where it was joined by Quarry Lane. This is Quarry Lane looking towards the present terminus of the canal, with the pump house chimney just in view.

We both look forward to one day travelling along this section of canal when it is restored. Talking to representatives of the Ashby Canal Association at the terminus, they have enough funding for next year to pay for the restoration work to be carried right through to the brook, which is great news.

Keith