Snarestone

Today's Canal : Ashby

The day was generally grey and occasionally wet. Never very heavy rain but it was not especially pleasant around lunch time. On only one occasion did we see even the hint of blue sky!

As the Ashby Canal is level and rural it is not only pleasant but rather laid back for cruising. Not a lot happens! Sometimes there is an open outlook but elsewhere it is tree-lined on both sides. Mooring places are quite frequent but otherwise it can be difficult to get close to the bank.

At Stoke Golding we called to fill up with diesel - the price was not too high. Most of the hire boats seemed to be out, unlike several hire bases we have seen recently.

At Market Bosworth we saw a site being excavated. Was it yet another large housing estate? or might it be a marina - it had that sort of look about it although nothing obvious was in place. It was not easy to see and we failed to take a photo - it was only later when by coincidence the subject came up on Canal World Forums with a confirmation that work has just started on the construction of yet another marina. Let's hope that it will lead to a reduction in the number of in-line moorings as there were several long stretches where we had to pass slowly.

Sutton Wharf is now a pub and seemed quite busy, especially for a cold weekday in mid September. It is also the only service stop along the canal, other than at the far end. So we called to do the usual disposals but, as we filled with water yesterday, we did not bother with that.

A former railway line passed over the canal - it follows much the same route for some distance and the section just north from here now operates as the Battlefield Line with steam hauled trains most weekends. The line was originally built to fill in part of the rapidly expanding network (a map on their website http://www.battlefield-line-railway.co.uk shows an amazing set of branch lines) However, it eventually closed in 1970 along with so many others, although passenger services ceased in 1931. Shackerstone is the northern end of the preserved line and was once a junction. Less of the eastern branch is now in evidence.

On its way down

Fast behind

Moored for the night

 After lunch we met a CaRT boat and pusher tug on its way to deliver materials to a repair site. It must move a some speed as a little later it came up behind us and we let it pass. After that we saw it again when its crew were closing up for the day.

Shackerstone Aqueduct

Shackerstone Aqueduct, close to the railway station, looks very substantial even though there is little room underneath for the water flow. The adjoining bridge looks as if it belongs to the railway age by its style but later investigation showed that it was the access road to the station.

Shackerstone Castle was a medieval earthwork motte and bailey fortress and in the Second World War an air raid shelter was built on the top.

Snarestone Tunnel is just over 200 metres long, is wide, dry and has reasonable headroom. However, it does have a slight kink which is a little more obvious from the start than when actually passing through!

Just north of the tunnel is an ornate boat mooring and landing (we missed a photo of the former but will try on the way back!)

Snarestone Terminus

A couple of bridges later and we were at the present terminus for the canal. When we were last here in 2010, work was in progress to restore a short section as the first part of a long-term project to re-connect to Measham and then to the detached portion to Moira. As can be seen, this part is only about 100 metres in length.

However, there are good 40 hour moorings and, as we had not seen too many suitable places in the last part of the canal we opted to stay here for the night.

Alongside the canal is a building, now converted to a large private residence, that was once a pumping station, built in 1890's and worked originally by steam. Although the engine has been dismantled, some of the parts have been incorporated into the building and some are outside by the canal, presumably awaiting a good idea about what to do with them!

The canal from here is still clearly visible there is obviously a lot of work to re-open it, not least because of the subsidence that let to the closure in the first place. (Interestingly, the restoration of the detached portion was funded by the relics of the coal mines who had restoration liabilities)

15.5 miles - 0 locks