Atherstone's Infamous "Yards".

Tuesday 28th and Wednesday 29th May at Atherstone and Springhaven Marina.
Today, we spent the day moored up in Atherstone, an historic market town built on the Roman road of Watling Street and famous for mining and its felt hatting industry that exported hats around the world.

In the 18th century, Atherstone’s prosperity increased due mainly to the hatting industry and so the population also increased.  More housing was needed to accommodate the people coming in to work at the hat factories.  At the time, Atherstone was bound by common land and so the only land available on which to build new houses was the gardens or ”back yards” behind the buildings fronting on to Long Street. The yards were mostly named after their owners, shops, businesses or factories.  About a quarter were known by the name of the pub at the entrance. In around 1910, a series of photographs were taken of the yards in an effort to support the need to demolish them, something that wasn't completed until the 1960s.

The yards were narrow and overcrowded and usually had only one toilet for over 100 residents.
While all the yards have gone, many of their narrow entrances still exist, like this one, which led to the yard behind the Druids Arms Pub.

The yards, with their squalour and terrible living conditions, have gone but so have the jobs and the industry, as illustrated by this derelict hat factory alongside the canal.

We walked in to the town for a "few bits" and immediately the heavens opened, so R was obliged to take shelter in a familiar place to dry out while M went to the Co-op!

 

Our lovely C&RT volunteers yesterday had told M of the best bakery in the town, run by an Indian family whose homemade samosas were just the best. We found it and M purchased some samosas (which proved to be very spicy, but good) and a lamb and mint Cornish pasty (delicious).

We returned to MM for a quiet afternoon of alternating rain showers and sunshine, with R washing the side of MM between the showers.
On Wednesday morning, we started off at 8:00am for the short trip down to Springwood Haven Marina, it was a lovely morning.
We have seen this boat before, but this is definitely one for Matt...

The stretch of canal between Atherstone and Nuneaton is very attractive and has dozens of lovely places to moor, several of which we have used in the past.

 After a short cruise, we arrived at Springwood Haven Marina where we had arranged to leave MM while we go home for a few days. So far, we have spent more time at home than on MM but, like last year, we decided to take a much more relaxed approach and to take one day at a time.

Springwood Haven is a small marina but very attractive and the people are welcoming and friendly.

R had to swing MM around and back her into the narrow gap between two other boats. Luckily, there was virtually no wind, so MM slipped into the gap without any problem (note from M: largely due to R's excellent skippering skills!) .

And so it was a taxi, three trains and a bus home. We plan to be back on Sunday, so watch this space.
Today: 3 miles, 0 locks and 3.5 hours (including power).
Trip: 45 miles, 21 locks and 22.3 hours.