Ashby Canal

We spent today gently cruising up the Ashby, we had thought about visiting the Battle of Bosworth site but just as we got near it started raining so we cancelled that plan. We may visit on the way back, that is one advantage of canals that don't go anywhere, you have to turn round and come back so anything you miss going one way you can catch on the way back.

The Ashby is a pretty canal, almost river-like, it was built meandering along the 300ft contour of the hills, this avoids needing locks, aqueducts and tunnels(except one short one) but does mean that it takes a rather twisty route. The scenery is still a little bleak as many of the trees are still bare after the winter but the fields are green with this years crops, unfortunately for me in places they are yellow with oilseed rape in flower which won't do my hayfever any good.

We had some quite heavy rain late this afternoon and this evening which can only be good but I don't suppose it will make much impact on water levels in the reservoirs, we need weeks of rain for that.

Today's journey 14 miles

So far this year we have travelled 126.8 miles, 106 locks, 4 swing bridges and 3 tunnels

In 2011 we travelled 461.4 miles, 444 locks, 3 swing bridges, 34 lift bridges and 15 tunnels

During 2010 we travelled 740.3 miles, 642 locks, 53 swing bridges, 4 lift bridges and 25 tunnels


Since Ray retired we have travelled 1328.5 miles, 1192 locks, 60 swing bridges, 38 lift bridges and 43 tunnels