Wednesday – time to move on. Take on water at Sutton Cheney – had to double up as Muppets insist on mooring at water points! Time for a shower too, as, unusually, these are excellent facilities. Probably more to do with the pricey cafe next door. The canal is a bit shallow around here so we chugged slowly on, past Ambion Wood and the battlefield centre, past Shenton – the start of the heritage steam railway line (Shenton-Bosworth-Shackerstone) and on to Market Bosworth.
Quite idyllic, rural and peaceful this section. Also in need of tree tidying. We saw water voles last time we were here with John & Christine but, alas none to view today.
More flora – this time purple loosestrife.
Another bridge 42 (for Lucia!) and the entrance to the Market Bosworth marina.
Our spot. Not a lot of room here but adequate for the town. Met a nice single-handed lady(Linda and her dog, Mollie) on Kanbedone II.
There’s a slightly longer but much prettier walk into the main town about a mile away, over bridge 43 and over the railway bridge. Then across a rather odd site – an unused golf course plus a runway! Meanwhile, here’s yet more flora – woody nightshade or bittersweet. Toxic but not as deadly as the er, deadly sortand the stems were once used in medicine.
The weird golf course – went bust apparently, and now bought buy the guy in that distant cottage, who also has an aircraft hanger and his own runways.
About half an hour bimble into town. Not a great deal to offer – no post office but a post box and telephone, cash point (HSBC), a few mediocre pubs, excellent butchers, gift shops and a co-op.
The excellent butcher!
And an example of the smashing flower planting around the town – this one advertising the local chippy “The Batter of Bosworth”, geddit??
Below is a pic of the newish marina.
The canal from bridge 43 – our route tomorrow.
Oh, I did go up and look for trains but only saw a pathetic little, two carriage diesel effort! Barely visible here. And they charge £12 for an adult ticket, £2 for the dog. So that would be £26 for a 2 x 20 minute return then? I think we’ll wait until we get to Shackerstone and visit the twee Victorian cafe on the platform.
