We had no internet, phone or TV signal in Welford, the first time this has happened since Martin installed the wi-fi, apparently nowhere in Welford Basin gets a signal. So here are a few days diary entries.

Thursday 11th October 2018



I took the dog for a walk and came across an old Grand Junction Canal marker half covered with growth. There was also a very detailed sculpture of a canal lad walking a boat horse. It was a lovely sculpture but was positioned the wrong way around I thought, you struggled to see the boy.










We reversed about 100 yards to the water point and took on water. We meant to take water yesterday but the water points all had boats moored on them awaiting the locks, and we wanted to have our breakfast with Phil and Michelle and before seeing them off.

We then set off through gorgeous countryside, but very isolated, no villages adjoin the canal and few roads. We met seven moving boats today. Up until arriving at Foxton we hadn’t seen this many since leaving Trent Lock on 24th September.

The only things of note were Husbands Bosworth Tunnel, 1166 yards long, finding a fender laying on a bridge wall, saved us £7, and the new marina being built at North Kilworth. This marina is enormous.

A disused railway line came alongside the canal at the tunnel. It always amuses me whenever we see a disused railway. The railways were responsible for the demise of the working canals, leading to many being closed or abandoned. And yet the canals have outlasted many and are, on most waterways, as busy as ever they were in the days of working boats.







                                                         Husbands Bosworth Tunnel





At Welford Junction we left the main line and headed up the 1½ mile arm to the terminus in Welford. This arm only remained open due to the two reservoirs that feed down the arm to the summit level between Foxton and Watford Locks.



     


Signposts at Welford Junction







                                                                                         Welford Lock





The arm is very narrow, especially at the end where there are two marinas. We moored up about 1pm. I washed and polished the port side and Brenda continued painting the porthole bungs. We went to the Wharf Inn but they now only hold irregular Folk and Jazz music nights. We had a nice dinner there anyway, tasty but expensive. It is Aaron’s birthday today. He is on night duty but we raised a glass to him anyway.







Weather: sunny but cold and breezy.



Day Total: 1 locks; 8 miles; 1 Tunnels; 0 Swing Bridge; 0 Boat Lift; engine running hours 3.2

Overall Total: 266 locks; 449 miles; 17 tunnels; 2 Swing Bridge; 2 Boat Lifts; engine running hours 277.5




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