Monday 7th January 2019
We left Harvey on the boat and walked the 1½ miles into Hinckley. It is
much quicker without him. We could have caught a bus but both felt like the
walk.
We called into a locksmith’s shop we had seen to have the back door
yale lock reversed and buy a hasp and concealed padlock. We have never been
fully comfortable with the security arrangements on the back door and were
determined to improve on it.
We called into the post office to pick up mail, including Christmas
cards, and the chemist. Also bought a couple of plastic storage containers for
the back end. I was getting fed up of bits cluttering the place which made it
awkward to access the storage lockers.
After walking back to the boat we had soup and sandwiches and then
made ready to move. We had been in Hinckley for five nights.
We called into the marina for water and to empty the loo. They charged
us £2 for each. The water was down to less than ¼ tank and the loo almost full. We
could possibly have made Hawkesbury junction where there is a sanitary station
but did not want to risk it.
And
so we left Hinckley behind and soon passed from Leicestershire into
Warwickshire. We are going to miss Leicestershire, we had never been here
before and had found it a lovely county full of friendly people. Leaving
Hinckley, there is a huge DPD International distribution centre that has 40
loading bays on one side of the building and is as wide as it is long. Tried to
photograph it but couldn’t get a decent angle.
Beyond
Hinckley and in to countryside again. The bridges on the Ashby are all built of
stone blocks and are quite attractive. At bridge 12 there is a Medieval village
site that we wanted to visit but we couldn’t get moored up.
Stone
Built Bridges on the Ashby Canal
Bridge 6 and
the worn and damaged stonework
We
duly came to the village of Marston Jabbett, the last village on the Ashby
Canal, and moored up. Possibly tomorrow, or when the forecast bad weather
passes, we will move off the Ashby. We already feel, coming towards the end of
it, as though an adventure has ended.
The
hasp and concealed padlock was fitted and we feel the boat is now much more
secure. The reversed yale lock was also refitted but the latch plate has to be
repositioned. The chiselling on the sliding hatch for this will also have to be
tidied up, it was left a right mess from the build and looks as though it was
done by a schoolchild in his first woodwork lesson.
Weather: a pleasant day, turned cold and windy later.
Day Total: 0 locks; 5 miles; 0 Tunnels; 0 Swing Bridges; 0 Boat Lift;
engine running hours 3.7
(including
running of engine for hot water etc)
Overall Total: 323 locks; 659 miles; 30 tunnels; 5 Swing Bridges; 2
Boat Lifts; engine running hours 411.9
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