Up the cut to Hinckley

Yesterday was a good day to stay put, wet and windy for the most part. But the wind dropped later and the sky started to clear after sunset.

A very nearly full moon peaks from behind the clouds last night

Across from where we’d moored there were two families of moorhens, with very small chicks. The adults paddled across the canal looking hopeful, so we fed them Rice Krispies. They’ve got to be better for them than bread.

The youngsters weren’t old enough to feed themselves…



I like this one best!

One Rice Krispie makes a mouthful when you’re that small…

Today started sunny and bright, but the breeze kept bringing over black clouds, some of which chose to dump on us as they passed. We waited for one to move away before we set off.



The canal when built was 30 miles long from Marston Junction to the terminus at Moira and was opened in 1804. Properly named The Ashby de la Zouch Canal it didn’t actually make it to AdlZ, the final connection being made by tramway. It was built as a broad canal, and was intended to be extended another 5 miles to the north-west, to meet the Trent at Burton Upon Trent. It’s primary source of income was coal from the pits around Ashby, but this was also the cause of it’s demise, with the northern eight miles of the navigation succumbing to subsidence. There is a restoration movement endeavoring to reconnect an isolated 1½ miles at Moira to the remaining section, but progress is slow. The burgeoning railway system is often blamed for the collapse of the canals as a viable transport system, and ironically one section of the proposed new route follows an abandoned railway line…

The canal is mainly rural and very pleasant, in fact the only town it passes through is Hinckley, our destination for today.  
 


We pulled in briefly near Burton Hastings for Meg to have a comfort break, good timing as the heavens opened as soon as she had got back on board. So we waited it out.
Staying dry had it’s downside, though. We were passed by three other boats while we were against the bank.
 

The moorings just above Nutt’s were empty so we pulled on there.

We’re here for tonight, but then we’ll head back out into the country for the weekend.

Locks 0, miles 5