North again: Day 5

It was beautifully sunny first thing, and we set off just after 8 — at which point it almost immediately clouded over for a couple of hours.

I walked ahead to set the first lock.  The house there is having major work done.  We were now back to wide locks.

One of the few things we remembered along this stretch was Bridge House Barn, with all its tipis.  I suspect they had an event last night, as there were quite a few cars in the field.

We were having to set every lock as we went down, and the gates have a habit of swinging open on their own.  Only occasionally did this work to our advantage; it was mostly a pain!  I got back on the boat after the first five locks, as it was then a couple of miles to the next one.  There’s some pretty countryside, and this house, which we weren’t entirely sure about.

At Newton Top Lock there was a boat coming up, doing the Leicester Ring from Yardley Gobion.  From then on the locks were full or fullish.

Bottom Half Mile Lock was not only full, its top gates were open, and it was a similar story at the next, the very pretty Turnover Lock.

Only Bumblebee Lock was empty, and it was a real struggle to get the bottom gates to stay shut so I could fill it.  Fortunately some runners had arrived and I got them to re-close one gate for me.  We got to the moorings at Kirby Bridge at around 12, so it had taken four hours.

This afternoon, I shortened the rope on the new side fenders we bought at Crick, and (having got the idea from Robbie Cumming one one of his Canal Boat Diaries this series) got my kitchen blow torch out to melt the ends.  Then one of Adrian’s former BA colleagues, Gina, who lives nearby, came to see us with her dog, Maisy.

Later we walked up to Wigston to pick up a parcel from a convenience store.  We had an ice cream to eat on the way back as it was now very warm.

5 miles, 12 locks. (28 miles, 22 locks)