The Shackerstone Festival Plan

Monday 1st September was a cool grey day. Definitely the start of Autumn! We took a walk back down the canal to Snarestone, admiring the canal views on the way.

We soon came to the tunnel – but couldnt see through it from the towpath.

After walking over the top, we tried again at the other end, and could hear something coming through – you can just see through the tunnel from this angle!

We wandered around the village, and took refreshment in the Globe Inn.

On Tuesday the sun was shining again – summer had come back!

We did another self pump out – just a few tubs to keep the loo tank empty (the elsan here is not connected to mains sewers so CRT say no self pump out machines, a few tubs is no different to a few cassettes!)

Just for Tim on NB Tosca who left a comment on a previous blog, a picture of our self pump out complete with plastic tub painted red just for these occasions!

After turning at the winding hole, we reversed on to the water point to fill our tank – our furthest point up the Ashby Canal!

Our cunning plan for the Shackerstone Festival weekend was to return to Shenton by Friday, so that on Saturday we could take the Battlefield Line Steam Train back up to Shackerstone to see the boats at the rally.

So we headed back down, through the tunnel again.

As we approached Shackerstone again, the moorings above were full and boats breasted up!

And through the bridge more historic boats had arrived.

And past the aquaduct and round the bend there were more!

Then there were even more boats on the reserved moorings!

We moored up at Market Bosworth again and treated ourselves to a chinese take-away.

Wednesday it was time for a hair cut for me, as this is the longest time we have stayed away from “home” and my friend who cuts my hair. The ladies in the “Hair Gallery” in the Market Place did a good job for me too!

On Wednesdays in September the Battlefield Line runs a railcar service.

On the way back to the boat fuel boat Victoria passed, on its way to Shackerstone.

On Thursday as we left our mooring I spied Rudolph in his new home!

We stopped on the water point as usual, and the first of several more historic boats passed!

Just before Shenton Aquaduct we had to hover mid channel as another laden working boat had got stuck on the bottom! Gary managed to get us close enough to the towpath for us to get off so I could hold Muleless and he could help the stricken boat! Photo taken after he was freed!

Just a bit further on we found these cute chaps – they look like Mules to me!

Just by the battlefield site we passed this CRT workboat fully loaded with “dredgings” and then at Sutton Cheney Wharf a dredger working!

We moored up on the Stoke Golding moorings by the Ashby Canal Centre Marina, and then during the evening had a procession of historic boats!

Later in the evening (about 10 pm) we heard the sound of yet another working boat and NB Ling went past – wouldnt want to meet him in the dark!

The next morning more work boats went past!

We couldnt remember what the turning point was like by bridge 22, and since we wanted to pop into the Farm Shop again at bridge 23 we walked down to check it out – being passed by yet more working boats on the way – including another towing pair!

The winding hole had been freshly dredged – result!

We called into the Farm Shop and topped up with lots of goodies – the pork and caramelised onion pie had been really good, so this time we tried lots of other stuff – a chicken and ham pie, beef joint and strawberry and apple pie among them! Geoff, we didnt have room for any sausages – so we will get some next time we pass!

Back to the boat and pull pins, heading towards the winding hole – and past yet another fully laden fuel boat!

We turned round with no problems and headed back the way we had come. As we approached the Ashby Hire Boat base we had to wait for a private boat to untie and pull away.

We followed him along and as we passed a few moored boats and boats coming towards us he pulled ahead a little – until as we headed down the straight (armco lined) bit just before Sutton Cheney Wharf we discovered his boat stationary in the middle of the canal with the engine running but no sign of the steerer!

A lady walking a dog on the towpath told us he had just popped in to make a cup of tea! We hooted our horn – several times – and I went to the front of the boat to be able to speak to the steerer when he appeared. We didnt believe he was making tea – but he was!

He eventually came out, mug in hand, and looked startled to see us there right behind him – and then said he thought it would be ok to make his tea as no-one was coming – even though he knew we were only just behind him – well! Why didnt he stop and tie up to the armco?

We pulled in to the Wharf to top up with water and empty rubbish, so we didnt see him again!

When we moved on, just ahead was that loaded CRT boat – adrift at one end!

Luckily there was just room for boats to pass.

and we took our turn too and squeezed past!

We moored up again just past the Shenton Aquaduct, ready for our Shackerstone Festival Plan to be put into action on Saturday!

Right to the top of the Ashby Canal!

Friday 29 August saw us pulling off from our mooring just as the strimmer and lawn mower arrived!

It was only 2 miles to our destination of Market Bosworth, where we stopped to fill up with water as usual. There is the brand new Bosworth Marina here, but it is not quite open yet, the sign says opening autumn 2014.

But there are a few boats in it already!

After we had moored up and had lunch, we went to explore Market Bosworth.

We crossed the railway line by the station, but there were no trains running.

We walked up the hill, and passed a very well presented fire station

and a lovely cottage with all sorts of interesting things in its garden!

Right next door was an old garage fuel pump!

We also found the old village water pump.

After checking what shops were about, it started to rain a bit, so we decided it was time for a drink and popped into the Dixie Arms.

On the way back to the boat we passed The Batter of Bosworth and treated ourselves to fish and chips for tea!

On Saturday morning we were hearing the whistle of the steam train, so it was time to go and see it run!

We arrived on the platform just before the train, so had time for Gary to indulge in some railway nostalgia first! These are: a Dogfish for distributing ballast onto the track, a guards brake van, a set of “wet beds” (technical relaying term!) and a bogie bolster for carrying rails!

Then the train arrived – backwards!

It left again a few minutes later, blowing its whistle and pulling away with masses of black smoke!

As I wanted to see the train arrive the right way round, we bought teas on the platform, had a further look round and waited for the train again! (The station sign, the old waiting room complete with original benches, and a wooden sided bass wagon!)

This time it arrived properly!

As it prepared to leave, I tried to get a shot with lots of steam – tricky!

At this point my camera battery had given up, so no pictures from our walk around the Bosworth Water Trust lake!

Before we returned to the boat we walked up the canal, over bridge 43 and up onto another bridge over the railway – in time to see the train make its last run of the day (backwards again) and I managed to get the camera to work for one more shot! – the driver saw us on the bridge and blew the train whistle for us!!!!

Sunday morning, just as we were about to reverse back to the water point we spotted a rare sight – a fully laden working boat towing a laden butty on its way to the Shackerstone Festival!

As soon as he had passed we moved back (past the marina entrance) onto the water point and tied up quickly as we saw yet another working boat approaching!

We had seen quite a few “normal” boats turn round and head back down the Ashby whilst we were moored here – probably due to the CRT notice about no moorings further on!!!

We had decided to go right to the top of the Ashby – even if we had to come back to Market Bosworth to moor up again! So off we went!

After about a mile we started passing these signs

and just past Congerstone we saw the first festival goers moored including one with the inspiration for Muleless’s colour scheme!

And then as we passed through Shackerstone itself, we saw where the working boats had got to!

And we passed the temporary “fencing” to protect the canal plants that English Nature are so worried about!

Not being “allowed” to stop, we carried on, and 3 miles further up came across the Snarestone Tunnel.

There was a long stretch of armco and ring moorings on the approach, and there were boats moored there. The Globe Inn is just on the right – above the tunnel.

I took a photo in the tunnel and for a change it worked quite well!

Snarestone is only a short tunnel – 250 yds – but it has a kink in it to make it interesting – and its only one-way traffic! Good job you can see all the way through when you get close to it!

Out the other side of the tunnel it is only about half a mile to the current terminus and we pulled in to a nice spot. Unfortunately the sun had just gone behind the bushes!

As it was such a lovely evening we decided to have a walk to the end of the canal.

The current “end”.

The next stretch.

And this is the new “end” and how deep a canal should be!

Further on we could see the line of the canal, and the machines ready to do more work, and all the earth that had been moved already making the new banks further on.

Exciting stuff!