Hello !
In my previous posts I have given an overview of how we came to end up living on our narrowboat and I will go in to a bit more detail over time but I now wanted to start blogging about our travels.
We have just left the Ashby Canal that we had been on since the 9th August. It is only about 22 miles long and doesn’t have any locks. Parts of it are really pretty, my favourite is the section from Market Bosworth up too it’s current end at Snarestone Wharf.
We’ve also taken this opportunity to have our daughter (Holly) with her husband (Dorian) and our two grand children come and stay on the boat with us. This was the first time we have had any visitors to the boat and we really weren’t sure how it would go with 6 people and two dogs on one boat !
I shouldn’t have worried because we had a great time, the dogs and children really loved being together and it was great to be able to see them all again. The one thing I do miss at the moment is family…. Living on a boat does make you realise what is important to you in life.
Anyway, back to the Ashby Canal. By it’s design (it is saucer shaped) it will always be low on water at the edges but it was particularly low when we travelled up. Apparently the level was down about 6 inches from normal and the CRT guy we chatted two said he had never seen it so low. This did make mooring tricky and there were a lot of places that we couldn’t get close enough to the bank.
We found two lovely farm shops. The first one that you come to is right by Bridge 23 (you can moor right next to it !!) and it sells just about everything you need including chocolate cake The other farm shop is quite close to Snarestone and was just over a half mile walk from Snarestone Wharf where we were moored. This map shows the route we walked back to the boat.
There are some great moorings at Snarestone Wharf and if you join the Ashby Canal Association you can stay for 7 nights free of charge (well worth it !!) The moorings are also right next to a water & elsan points and it is one of the few places on this canal that you can dispose of your rubbish. The only other rubbish point that we found was at Sutton Cheney Wharf.
Sutton Cheney Wharf does have a great café, water point, toilets, elsan point & showers. If you don’t need water you can moor alongside the car park and still easily access everything else. Just be aware this is also a winding hole….. It was turning around here that Dorian managed to “nudge” one of the café tables that was right by the waters edge with our front fender… luckily no drinks were spilt but it did make everyone look up !!
While we’ve been on this canal I have finished shortening the curtains that I’d bought for the boat before we left Crick. With the material I have cut off I’ll be making some porthole bungs for the boat.
