River Soar

The first part of today's journey was all of 10 metres - from the bank where we were moored overnight to the diesel boat for the boatyard immediately opposite. They duly opened at 9 o'clock and we filled up the fuel tank. Since they have a full range of services on site - a 'proper' boatyard - we asked if someone could have a look at the leak around the water pump. As luck would have it, Mike's examination of it yesterday seemed to have stopped the leak but nevertheless he took some precautions by adding special sealer to the likely joints. We will have to keep an eye on it!

Whilst we were at it, we also asked for guidance on filling the stern tube greaser and it seems that it was missing a circlip - a slight modification cured that issue. It only affected the filling operation not the normal daily injection. We also replaced a missing nipple on the tiller bearing. They also made a sterling effort to sell us their boat painting services although they have no vacancies until October!

Mid morning we eventually set off and continued down the River Soar, through Mountsorrel and Barrow Deep Locks. Just below Mountsorrel, we saw a bridge of the former Great Central railway which reminded us of a very similar bridge over the River Thames.

A little further and fields on both sides of the river were home to a significant number of shire horses.

Many of the houses that are alongside the river have well manicured gardens - some more individual than others!

Eventually, Loughborough came into view. The IWA leaflet available from various locked boxes along the Leicester section, stated that the short arm at Loughborough was still closed for re-development and advised mooring just before the junction - which we did.

We set off to go shopping and reminisce about the days when we lived here - actually the arm is now open and provides excellent visitor moorings. We found Loughborough much changed - even from four years ago and it took us some time to orientate properly. We did eventually find our flat although access is somewhere else than from Market Street itself.

Sadly, the good market which we enjoyed last time we were here is not until tomorrow and even the greengrocer had disappeared. We had to settle for buying everything from Sainsbury!

Back to the boat and we went down the next lock to the water point just above Bishop Meadow Lock, mooring almost exactly where we used to moor our little boat Fiona back in the last years of the Sixties. Today, a huge chemical research factory has recently been developed close by to the lock. We also were relieved to see a green light and no hint of the floods from four years back.

The morning had been warm and sunny but the afternoon was especially so and the trip down through Normanton to Zouch was very pretty in the sunshine.

 

 

We had intended to be the other side of Trent Lock this evening - perhaps a little ambitious - but with all the other delays this was now unlikely before dark. There are no reported moorings below Zouch although we recalled being able to find mooring, even if that was over forty years ago! However, with age comes discretion and so we opted to call it a day at these last moorings and complete the rest of the river tomorrow,