Monday 20th July; Swarkestone to Branston Water Park
We had a very disturbed night as the dog got us up at 2 and 5 for an urgent visit to the towpath (followed by a tricky pick-up operation in the morning!) Jess, being a dog, is an inveterate scavenger and we are pretty sure she found something unsuitable under the nearest table when she wriggled under the pub fence at Mountsorrel lock. I couldn’t get back to sleep after the second time however hard I tried, so I got up and took Jess back along to Swarkestone to see if I could spot evidence of the old navigation to the Trent – apart from a sharp drop behind the buildings, which may have been the location of the first lock, I could only see a footpath following the likely line into some trees. I forgot my phone, so no picture. When we got back, Dave was up and we were on our way to the last of the broad locks at 7.45.
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| The road runs along the offside at one point. Was this to warn motorists or boaters? |
I hadn’t been looking forward to Stenson lock. It’s 12’4” deep, and being broad as well it looks very forbidding. At least it was empty and ready for us.
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| In the depths |
It took ages. The local boater I met at Swarkestone yesterday had said that on this lock at least, opening the ground paddle on the opposite side to the boat will hold it to the side. It did, but that didn’t mean it was as gentle as the Hatton locks, for example. The water flows were very strong, and it took a very long time for the lock to fill so we could continue our journey. The day grew steadily hotter and the roads and railway began to creep closer as we reached Willington.
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| Willlington cooling towers glimpsed through the trees. I have a feeling we walked right up to them years ago, but it may have been somewhere else. |
We pulled in to make use of the water point and recycling then cracked on, wanting to get at least as far as Burton today. We looked out for the old bridge over the river Dove, where on our last time along here we watched lads jumping off the parapet into the river below.
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| The vegetation has grown up since then, and the lads too |
Busy roads run close to the canal for a seemingly endless stretch till you reach Dallow lock. The racket from the road combined with the energy-sapping heat was exhausting. And there was a queue at the lock. Well, one boat which was about to go in.
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| Dallow lock, 3’6” and narrow. Delightful! |
The murals at the lock under the road bridge, which show scenes from Burton’s past, have a polycarbonate-type cover to protect them.
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| It makes it difficult to get a photo without reflections |
There was plenty of room to moor alongside the park at Shobnall Fields. Though there was no shade on the boat, there were big trees nearby so Jess could have a mooch in the cool and a bit of a play. We had lunch and a think about whether to stay. We didn’t need any shopping and had visited the town before, but anyway it was much too hot to walk that far. Although the road is a couple of hundred yards away across the field the noise seemed a lot worse than 10 years ago, so we gritted our teeth and carried on the couple of hot miles to Branston Water park, with just Branston lock to negotiate. By the time we arrived, the cloud had come across and although it was still very hot we had a stroll in the water park and back along the towpath.
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| Branston Water Park. |
The Bridge Inn not far back along the towpath has as an Italian restaurant and we had an excellent meal with a nice pint to accompany it. We ate in the marquee where Jess lay flat out on the floor in the cool breeze from the opening, at least till the food arrived.
Last week we decided on our destination marina for this trip, and although Springwood Haven on the Coventry had been our first choice they wouldn’t have enough space for us this summer. This morning Great Haywood marina said they would have a mooring, so that is where we will be heading towards the weekend.
12 miles, 3 locks and only one was broad, Dove aqueduct
