Although there were a few bright spells, the day was mainly overcast but at least the rain kept away.
There was some uncertainty about where we would aim for today - it all hinges on sorting out Mike's train trip home tomorrow. (He has meetings for the first four days of the week) We had done some further research last night but by the time we came to make the booking the lower price tickets for the train from Loughborough just after 9am had all been sold so, to get the same bargain, we had to opt for 10:53. alas this will mean that he arrives, as it will be a Sunday, after the last bus to Wadebridge has gone.
We left in good time - just ahead of our overnight mooring were Sawley Locks. At least the mechanised lock was in operation and a couple of volunteer lockies were in attendance to work us through. Already the huge Ratcliffe power state loomed into view and continued to accompany us for some distance up the Soar.
Back then onto the River Trent itself for the short distance doen to Trent Lock where four navigations meet: the Erewash canal, Cranfleet Cut (into Nottingham), The River Soar (where we were headed) as well as the River Trent, the way we had come. The river itself continues downstream over a weir and rejoins the navigation below Nottingham. (By the time we reached the second sign, the Erewash had just turned off)
Some of the hazards to navigation today were the various rowing crews out, not always keeping a wary eye for powered craft!
Many of the boats at the moorings just onto the River Soar are much larger craft, clearly close to the upper limit of their navigable waters.
As we arrived at the first operational lock (we had already come through an open flood lock) we had a clear view of the power station, now beginning to recede as we travelled southwards.
We were a little surprised to find that the gates at both ends of Kegworth Flood Lock were shut - the notice indicates that this is done routinely during October to March although in March 2011 they were open and we powered straight through. Today the level difference was just a few inches.
We saw at least four sets of rowers on the stretch above Kegworth - the woman in the orange t-short was giving the three men a really hard time - we encountered them several times as they went up and down.
Just below Zouch lock must be the smallest bridge we have seen to warrant having its own number!
Not quite as grand as some of the houses on the banks of the Thames, but there are some splendid ones along this stretch below Loughborough.
Opposite Normanton church is an interesting wooden sculpture - but why here?
Bishop Meadow Lock, once very familiar to us when, in the late 60's we moored our first, very small, boat for just under three years when we lived at Loughborough in an apartment overlooking Market Street. (We later saw that it now appears to be an office) The lock cottage at the time was lived in by Jack Monk, one of the last of the people who grew up on the cut.
The banks below the are now rather different from then as extensive improvements were made between here and the Trent to deal with flooding better. It was interesting to realise that the now buried lock at Kegworth was one which we navigated through, now replaced by a new lock on a slightly different alignment.
It was then a straight run to Loughborough Basin where we found space on one of the finger pontoons (By dusk all of the four mooring spaces were occupied) Lunch followed and, just for once eaten sitting down rather than in turn 'on the go' we subsided into inactivity. It was rather later that planned that we set off to do some shopping. Of course we had to begin by exploring the extensive market in the town centre which meant that by the time we had done that and been to a supermarket it was five o'clock! Definitely a good place to stay the night even though large buildings stood in the way of a tv signal!
Mike walked down to the railway station to collect his tickets for tomorrow. By the time he returned to the boat the others had voted for take-away fish or chicken and chips - which Andrew later went to collect!
As he did so, another boat arrived in the dark, looking for a place to moor. Fortunately one boat had left quite late! The layout of the pontoons is rather wasteful of space - there is insufficient space in one gap to fit two boats, but the next space is far too wide!
10.6 mile - 7 locks
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