The End of the Line (or The Canal)!

Monday 30th September, 2013 
We passed the day very agreeably cruising up to the canal's current limit of navigation at Snarestone. Given the positive progress made by the restoration group, it may be that the next time we pass this way, we might be able to go a bit further! The original end of the canal is some eight miles ahead. The last mile and a half is already in water and navigable - it's just that there is a six mile gap in the middle!

At the terminus we turned, took on water and had lunch, after which we walked up to the very end of the canal and found a large hole, which will one day be more canal. The old canal was mostly in-filled with mining slag.

Next to the terminus is an old pumping station that used to supply water to local towns but is now residential housing. It was a lovely old building and it looked like some of the machinery was still inside the main pump-house; we could certainly make out the curve of a big wheel through the window on the right.

Outside, next to the office at the terminus, were two massive steel beams from an old beam engine, together with the four bearings on which the beams would be mounted - all beautifully restored.

One wonders if there are plans to renovate the pumping station? Unfortunately there was no-one around to ask.
Just south of the terminus is Snarestone Tunnel, about 250 yards long and with a distinct kink in the middle!

When we started back down the canal, M decided to walk the short distance to the tunnel and then to walk what should also have been the short distance over the top but the path was circuitous and not clearly signed. At one point it went through someone's back garden and under their washing line! So she played safe and took the alternative route through the pub car park!

R moored MM up just outside the tunnel mouth and we both walked into the village, which was timelessly undeveloped. It had no shop, just an old fashioned Primary School and a scattering of lovely houses - some quite grand.
The countryside around here is very agricultural with large fields of corn and maize. This old tree stood rather defiantly alone in the evening sun, surrounded by maize as far as the eye could see.

Our overnight mooring was a few miles further south  close to the hamlet of Congerstone. A very quiet spot, but then isn't everywhere on the Ashby? A little to the east is a village that rejoices in the name of Barton-in-the-Beans! What sort of beans, one wonders? The mind boggles....
Today: 13 miles,0 locks and 6.1 hurs.
Trip: 460 miles, 327 locks and 386.4 hours.