Thursday night's mooring |
After Freeman's Lock, the canal joins the River Soar, and we continued into the city of Leicester on the river, wide and deep. It was because of the River Soar being in flood that we failed to complete last year's approach to Leicester. No rain this year, thankfully, but blue skies and a warm breeze.
The weir where the canal and river join |
Looking down river from Freeman's Lock |
Through the lock, and looking back up the river |
The entry to Leicester is very impressive, with old and new architecture side by side, and some Victorian, iron bridges spanning the water. There was, unfortunately, no space for us at the secure mooring below the beautiful Castle Park, so we tied up opposite in a clean and tidy basin which put me in mind of Banbury, though much bigger.
We moored next to a small Burger Boat. One of the women who own it, and run what sounds like a very good business from it, asked me for help. They had to get the craft across the river to the space on the secure mooring which had been too small for us. Their problem was, however, that their engine didn't work, and they had to punt it across! One of their crew was not with them, and they asked if I could help.
I'd never punted before. I stood on the tiny foredeck with a ten foot bargepole in my hands, and - punted! With one of the women punting at the stern, and the other waiting to catch ropes when we got to the other side of the river. We made it without incident. Hey, I can punt!
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