The Coventry Canal

Thursday 26 June

We were soon back at the beginning of the Ashby canal where C&RT were dredging the junction so we turned right and re-joined the Coventry canal. We passed through Nuneaton where, many years ago, we took our last boat, an early Roger Fuller's trad to a canalside carnival. There was a festival of boats on the programme at which we won 1st prize and was presented with a lovely framed print of the wrought iron bridge at Hawkesbury junction by the Nuneaton Carnival Queen. (Have to admit though, we were the only boat to enter!). Anyway, there has been a lot of canalside building since then and was sad to see a playing field that now sports three storey flats.
We sopped off for lunch in the Anchor at Hartshill before passing the old BW Yard that contains a 19th-C carpenters workshop and blacksmiths' forge.

 



We descended nine locks in the Atherston flight before mooring up for the night in a very nice spot; then it rained!

Friday 27 June

It was a damp start to the morning that gave Keith a chance to squeegee one side of the boat to get rid of the dust that had accumulated over the last two weeks. It wasn't long before it began to rain again though and it continued for six hours. Oh well, erect umbrella and plough on, at least there were no more locks until we reached the Glascote, the home of Hudson Boats. Every time we pass through these locks, we have to que and today was no exception. One consolation though was that we met fellow BCF members Hazel and Alan Dilmot on their narrowboat Dilly-Dally coming up the locks.
We arre approaching an old stomping ground now as we moored for six years with our last boat at Fazely Mill Marina at the junction of the Coventry and the Birmingham and Fazely canals.

To reward ourselves for putting up with the inclement conditions today, we booked a table in the Plough at Huddlesford. We found a tight mooring that FOTV just slotted into but since we last came this way the main West Coast railway line has been updated, and an additional bridge across the canal constructed with the resultant increase in through trains. I am sure tonight's beer will take care of the noise though!