Leicester Ring holiday September 2013 Done

[borris]

Hi Every one

Thanks to Mr and Mrs Trackman for the welcome and the books we have finished the Ring and are back in Australia

The following is what we did and the issues we had doing the Leicester ring

Day 1 Pilling Lock to Zouch Lock 5 mile with instruction and a shop visit for supplies and delay as Derwent Lock gate had been nocked off the pins so stopped for 2 hours but found Damsons and black berries, we had a great first day and night on the Canal boat if a little wet

Day 2 Zouch Lock to Willington 20miles again wet but fun day eating Damsons and Black berries

Day 3 Fradley Junction 13 miles great pub for dinner and very wet day

Day 4 Atherstone 20 miles a fine day but -2 deg

Day 5 All Oaks Wood 18 mile engine trouble fuel alge 3 hour stop at Rugby wet day

Day 6 Hillmorton bridge 69 7 mile very wet day 7 layer of clothes still cold and wet

Day7 Braunston Bridge 89 7 mile wet and cold nice town

Day 8 Crick 10 mile

[borris]

Day 9 Foxten Locks 18 Mile Bridge 61 what a pub good beer and food still wet and very cold

Day 10 Foxten Lock 11 mile out to Market Harborough very much worth the visit for lunch and return to Foxten for dinner at Bridge 61 dry day

Day 11 Kilby Bridge 11 mile good fish and chips moble van only on Wednesdays

Day 12 Leicester city 8 mile Bad locks very dirty council should be ashamed of this water way and the locks 4 people to open one gate dry

Day 13 Barrow-Upon-Soar 12 miles nice fish and chips

Day 14 Pillings lock 1 mile

To all that said you could not do the Leicester Ring in 14 days you are wrong we meet people doing it in 7 days and we to could have done it in a lot less time but we slowed down to the end so we could talk to more people at the locks and at the towns along the way, the lack of visitor moorings around Leicester and up the soar was not good as we wanted to stop at Mount sorrel but could not as well as many other areas but no moorings

It was fantastic to do and enjoyed my time in the midlands on this most wounderfull canals what an peace of history and an asset to the Brits get out and enjoy it

Borris

Brisbane Australia

[Mrs Trackman]

Well done to you and thanks for your update. We were wondering how you got on. Shame the weather wasn't better for you but good you made the most of it anyway. I think you have seen far more of the real England by doing your trip than if you had gone to the usual tourist hot spots. As you found, the hedgerows are full of fruit this year

Your comments about Leicester are, sadly, ones we hear so often. We are currently in Birmingham which embraces it's canals but Leicester does rather turn its back on them. Someone on the forum has tried to interest Leicester in making more of them.but not had a lot of response I fear.

[Billw]

Just stayed in Leicester and to be fair I found the canal to be surprisingly clean, the residents very friendly and Castle Gardens fine, but there are far too few moorings and the locks for miles around are in very poor condition.

[Midnight Rider]

Just stayed in Leicester and to be fair I found the canal to be surprisingly clean, the residents very friendly and Castle Gardens fine, but there are far too few moorings and the locks for miles around are in very poor condition.

Must have changed a bit then. Every time that I've been through, the north of Leicester up to the Space Centre has been like a rubbish filled cesspit.

[Billw]

Must have changed a bit then. Every time that I've been through, the north of Leicester up to the Space Centre has been like a rubbish filled cesspit.

That's what I expected, but it was remarkably clean.

[AliG]

That's what I expected, but it was remarkably clean.

It was full of rubbish when we came through on 10th September, I walked between a couple of locks, but the towpath was full of cans, rubbish and dog muck I soon got back on board! The lock and weir by the Space Centre looked like Glastonbury the day after everyone has gone home and before the clear up! We did see a littler picker, perhaps they have had a massive push to get rid of it.

[single again]

In my eyes the best bit of going through Leicester on the rivers and the canal is when heading out at either end, I went out that way August Bank Hol weekend for a week, and not only did i think the water`s was disgusting strewn with rubbish the towpaths littered too but i pushed to not to stop in or around Leicester as both myself on my boat and my friend on his boat felt intimidated by the people around the canals rivers and the locks.

[jacko264]

In my eyes the best bit of going through Leicester on the rivers and the canal is when heading out at either end, I went out that way August Bank Hol weekend for a week, and not only did i think the water`s was disgusting strewn with rubbish the towpaths littered too but i pushed to not to stop in or around Leicester as both myself on my boat and my friend on his boat felt intimidated by the people around the canals rivers and the locks.

Sorry to drag a oldish post up we are doing the Leicester ring this year and just wondered if it had improved at all ?

The above posts puts you off a bit is it only going though Leicester that is a bit rough ?

Thanks

Graham

[Midnight Rider]

Don't let the posts (including mine) put you off. It's just the short section between the Space Centre & the river section in the middle of Leicester that is a disgrace.

 

The Leicester line is really well worth doing.

[Scarletgirl]

Hi all. We're doing the Leicester Ring this year as well - 1st 2 weeks in June. Is it best to push through Leicester itself? We were hoping to stop & have a wander round the town but having 2nd thoughts now!

[Bullfrog]

Moorings at Castle Gardens are fine and secure - not many of them though.

 

On our only visit, there was exactly 42'6" of space left on the end of the pontoon, which is exactly the length of our boat - whew

 

We had an excellent visit and really enjoyed Leicester.

 

David

[Suzie_q]

I believe there has been quite a clean up around the space centre, and some work on some locks.

But I would agree with a lot of the earlier posts, last July the area around the space centre was a tip.

 

However as others have said the trip is worth the effort.

[jacko264]

Hi all. We're doing the Leicester Ring this year as well - 1st 2 weeks in June. Is it best to push through Leicester itself? We were hoping to stop & have a wander round the town but having 2nd thoughts now!

 

Scarletgirl

Will you please post on here how your trip / holidays went after you have done it .

As you have read we are doing the same trip around the Leicester ring this year and would like to now what it is like and what to visit / and what pubs to go too

Thanks

ps have a good and safe trip

Graham

[Scarletgirl]

Thanks for the replies. Not long to wait now before the start of the holiday. Graham - Will definitely report back after our trip, When are you going?

 

Rhian

[Suzie_q]

Can't see if its already been mentioned but take the time to do the Market Harbourgh arm. It's well worth it and the main shops are just down the hill from the basin.

[jacko264]

Thanks for the replies. Not long to wait now before the start of the holiday. Graham - Will definitely report back after our trip, When are you going?

 

Rhian

Hi Scarletgirl

we are doing the ring in July

I hope you have a great holiday and don't forget to let us know how it went

Graham