We left Hawkesbury Junction under blue skies but with an autumnal feel to the air. First I called to Sue for a jumper, then my fleece, hat and finally I exchanged my shorts for jeans, it wasn't this cool at 2am! We are still flying the Manx flag so other captain's who are still in their vest's don't know I am really a 'southern softie'.
As we start our journey up the Coventry canal we pass through Bedworth but we don't see much of it's urban sprawl, as close to the canal there is pleasant park land with walkers, some with dogs, enjoying the early sun, as well as playing fields and a huge school to port.
As we continue towards Nuneaton we come across Marston Junction where the Ashby Canal joins, we decide to take the very tight turn and explore the Ashby. This is the best thing about our unplanned journey we can afford to take time out on our passage to explore tangents at a whim. We are rewarded with a peaceful, rural landscape mainly made up of arable farmland. The canal has a natural unkempt feel to it and we have to navigate pass great clumps of foliage that have broken away from the bank side. I chat to a contented looking fellow on his moored boat as we pass on tickover and he tells me the canal is shallow in places and the farm shop at bridge 25 is a good visit. You can manage limited conversation's as you pass other boats. We carry on just nudging a family of moorhens of there floating reed island, on regardless, past mobile homes along the starboard side, some are spectacular in the depth of gardening, patio decking and a few even have conservatories attached. Through more open countryside and past the unseen medieval village of Stretton Baskerville, I start peeling off the layers to cool down. We pass under Limekiln Bridge and spot a good mooring, as we moor we notice we are directly opposite a pub named after the bridge perhaps or the other way round. As I tie the front rope someone who resembles Charlie Drake pops out of his cratch to greet us. "That pub's not noisey is it?" I say. "It's got good ale" says he. Enough said.
Charlie Drake naturally funny man. (Video)
The stonework on the Ashby Bridges are very attractive.
Our canal guide book calls this a boat yard I call it a scrap yard
Bullrush
Pylons striding into the distance.
Lime Kilns Inn (Link)
This afternoon we had a walk along the tow path to Trinity Marina and on te way home we picked blackberries to put into a blackberry & apple crumble in the ships galley.
Just under 10oz here, enough for the two of us, we have to leave the rest for our feathered friends.
We will see what delights the Lime Kiln Inn has later.
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