Tuesday 2nd July 2019 at Foxton.
Another lovely morning. The sun picked out the old wharf buildings now turned into apartments.
The idea was to move back towards Foxton today and to moor up where we moored the night before last. The canal does a huge three mile loop along the way, and M realised that there was a footpath marked that cut across the loop in just a mile and ended up right where we intended to moor. Before she set off, she photographed the page from Nicholson's guide. The two footpaths are marked with red arrows, the other markings record our two visits to this waterway.
Full of enthusiasm, M jumped off at Bridge 13 and set off with the expectation to be at our rendevous well ahead of MM after a pleasant walk across rural countryside.
M didn't get far! The footpaths, along with anyother rural idyll, had been obliterated in the name of progress and a massive new housing development; what would have been the path was blocked off by a huge fence.
What a sad disappointment for M who had been looking forward to the walk. No option but to retrace her steps and follow after MM on the towpath.
Occasionally, mobile phones have their uses! Hearing of the problem, R and MM waited for M at the next bridge.
Having moored up at the same delightful spot as two days ago, we decided to explore the footpath from this end to see how far we could get.
We walked over the bridge next to our mooring and the footpath clearly stretched off up the hill through a very large field of wheat.
At the top of the hill, the path crossed a minor road. This is where the two marked paths were supposed to meet. Only one continuation footpath was marked, so we followed that. It took us alongside Gartree maximum security prison along a concrete track. We could hear the prisoners playing what we assumed to be football, with much cheering and encouragement.
Gartree is famous for a daring escape by two inmates in 1987. An accomplice hired a helicopter, then hijacked it and forced the pilot to land and pick up the two prisoners from the prison exercise yard. Both were later recaptured.
Then once more the footpath petered out. There was a typical yellow-topped marker post but it was clear from the vegetation that no one had walked this way for a considerable time. So much for the local authority looking after footpaths. R remembered the bureaucratic hoops that his parents had to go through to move a footpath a few feet to one side - yet here are two paths that have just vanished.
Walking back to MM, we were struck by the baked condition of the soil. It just shows how little rain has fallen here recently.
MM was a welcome sight from the bridge as we arrived back at the canal.
Today: 4 miles, 0 locks and 2.2 hours.
Trip: 136 miles, 52 locks and 73.4 hours.
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