Thursday 16th July; Watermead Country Park to Barrow Deep lock
We were later than usual setting off once Dave had done some checking in the engine hole. There still seems to be no oil leak, so the reason for our recent trouble remains a mystery. The weather became extremely hot again very quickly. As we passed the Hope and Anchor pub the trip boat was making ready to leave – a widebeam, so they couldn’t share with us - and by the time we were in Junction lock the crew had arrived and helped work us through.
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| We were half way down the lock before the trip boat arrived |
The cheerful crew had walked down and insisted I got back on the boat as they would deal with the bottom gates.
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| The crew worked while some of the passengers looked on. |
At Cossington lock they told us they were taking a disabled group and their carers to Mountsorrel for a lunch outing, and then while we were stopped for a pump-out below Sileby Mill lock they passed us.
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| After the trip boat left the lock, another going up took their place |
The Sileby Mill boatyard has their fuel and pump-out machine on a boat moored almost on the river, as the weir makes getting closer to the office area and the wharf rather difficult even in low flow conditions. The fuel was a reasonable price, though later we learned that the fuel boat moored further back, which I had not even noticed, was cheaper.
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| Sileby Mill weir |
The dreaded floating pennywort was present by now, and we passed some large mats further back upstream, but it wasn't too bad here. So far we haven’t had any trouble with weed round the propeller, putting the boat into neutral usually gets rid of it and a blast of reverse works if it doesn’t. We had hoped to make a lunch stop at Mountsorrel, but the moorings were full – of course the trip boat was already there. We had lunch on the move, enjoying the lovely scenery and with a light breeze the sun didn't feel too scorching. We knew when we were approaching Barrow-on-Soar because the pedalos started appearing – brightly coloured cars and swans.
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| The closer we got, the more crowded the water became |
There was space to moor just before the hire place, but we didn’t think much of it last time we were here, so we passed very slowly and carefully allowing the pedalos to take evading action. We moored above Barrow Deep lock in some badly needed shade. Later, we celebrated our wedding anniversary with a meal in the garden of The Moorings, the pub by the river. Just ordinary pub food but we enjoyed it very much and the beer was good - Doom Bar I seem to remember. We first drank that when we were camping in Padworth, long before Rick Stein arrived so it was relatively quiet and peaceful! In spite of the pub being called The Moorings, you can’t moor here, nor do anything else water-based for that matter.
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| I wonder what ‘strict action’ they would take? What if you only stepped in and didn’t jump? |
Apart from an occasional plane from the East Midlands airport it was a good quiet mooring.
6¼ miles, 4 locks
