#291 The Navigation, Kilby Bridge, Leicestershire : 1986 to 2021

 Our first ever visit to The Navigation Inn was on the evening of Wednesday 23rd July 1986.

This was our summer vacation and my first time along the Leicester Section of the Grand Union Canal. I remember little about the pub then apart from the fact that it was a pleasant, traditional canalside boozer (the photo is taken from the bridge over the canal).

We didn't return for many years and, when we did, it was a disappointment on the evening of Wednesday 27th August 1998!

The disappointment wasn't that it had become an Ansell's pub; no, it was that it was closed! We'd travelled for 5¼ hours in an afternoon from Foxton only to find that the landlord had, seemingly, done a 'runner'!

Peering through the windows was like looking into the Mary Celeste - there were still empty glasses and crisp packets littering the tables, but no sign of life.

We managed to slake our thirst and assuage our hunger in the not so nearby town/village of Wigston. According to the locals it's just "5 minutes" away...but that was obviously in a fast car as it was a good 20 minute walk (not what you really want after a 5¼ hour afternoon boating session through a dozen wide, heavy locks)!

It was another five years before we were back in Kilby Bridge for a lunchtime stop on Wednesday 20th August 2003.

This time it was open as just The Navigation and a free house as well. I have no recollection that particular visit, but over the years the pub has changed very little. (This time it took us just under 5 hours from Foxton!)

 

Boating trips that take us to Kilby Bridge inevitably entail a visit to Leicester (and often Nottingham) which are places that are only accessible (for us) on two week holidays. Thus, there is usually a significant gap between visits.

 

It was another six years before we returned, this time on the evening of Monday 7th September 2009 having had a lunchtime session in Leicester whilst waiting for our third crew member to join us for the rest of the trip.

There appeared to have been little change to the exterior of the pub (apart from a 'token' shelter over the external seating).

 

It would seem that our routine has changed from a visit every five years to six - we were back again at lunchtime on Friday 28th August 2015.
 

Again, no discernible change.

 

Another six years on and we made our most recent visit at lunchtime on Tuesday 10th August 2021.

The exterior is again largely unchanged (ignoring the fading of signs that have been there for at least 18 years!) but the doors and windows have been painted grey and the hanging sign has been replaced.

 

We sat in the front bar which is a proper old school canal pub bar and had a very pleasant lunchtime pub experience as I reported here.
 

The Navigation is a little gem of a pub and do I hope that we will be visiting it in the years to come (at 5 - 6 year intervals!)

#289 Foxton Locks Inn, Foxton, Leicestershire : 1986 to 2021

 I know, it's been a while since I last posted, but I'm back now with a few more new pubs from my archives!

This time I'll start with a pub that didn't exist! Back in 1986, we descended Foxton Locks (a genuinely thrilling experience...then, as now!), but this was the scene that greeted us at the bottom on the afternoon of Wednesday 23rd July 1986.

From this viewpoint; to the right is the set of ten locks that make up the Foxton Flight; to the left is the 1½ miles of the Market Harborough Branch and behind is the rest of the Leicester Section of the Grand Union Canal leading to Leicester and the Soar Navigation beyond that.

Back in 1986, the building directly ahead was Foxton Boat Services which was a chandlery and boat repairs in the main.

The next time we visited, in 1997, it was still the same set up and I didn't take a photo. However, it was a memorable and potentially disastrous visit at lunchtime on Wednesday 27th August 1997.

This was the day that I nearly blew up our boat Emma Jane! We'd descended the locks without problem and gone for lunch at one of the nearby pubs. After lunch, we needed to buy a new Calor Gas cylinder as the previous one had run out. 

I connected the gas and William paid for the cylinder in the shop. It was my turn to steer for the afternoon, but we were in no rush. So, before starting the engine I stepped back onto the boat where I got a very, very strong smell of gas...one burner of the gas cooker was still open and the whole cabin was filled with gas!! I quickly closed the valve, opened the windows and got off the boat (and warned William not to light his cigarette!!)

Fortunately, there was no spark and, after a few nervous minutes, the gas dispersed safely...but it could have been a very serious event!

The next time we were there was on the evening of Tuesday 8th September 2009 and the scene was very different!

A completely different vista to previously and a new pub had been established. This picture was taken before we entered the lock flight and moored above the locks for the evening. The Foxton Locks Inn had become a popular tourist destination and we only had a pint before moving on to one of the other Foxton pubs.

I have no idea when it became a pub, but it certainly has become a popular place. Our next encounter was on the morning of Saturday 29th August 2015, although we were only passing by on the way to Market Harborough for lunch.

In the intervening years the exterior had been repainted and the restaurant had got a more permanent, flat roof.

Our most recent encounter was at lunchtime on Monday 9th August 2021.

Little seemed to have changed in the six years since we were last passing by, but it is certainly a popular spot during the boating season! It was still operating a table service system, but as it is more of a restaurant than proper pub, that wasn't a problem.

This final image is from the same bridge as the first picture back in 1986 to give the perspective of 35 years of change! (And it is nice, for a change, to be able to report on a pub that has been created rather than reporting on one that's been lost!)

Boozin' and Cruisin' through the East Midlands (Part 2)

 Day 3 - Monday

Usually, at the start of the week, it can be difficult to find pubs that are open, never mind serving food, at lunchtimes. Today was not one of those days!

We were travelling along the summit level of the Leicester Section of the Grand Union Canal which meant that we had to negotiate Foxton Locks. Ten locks arranged in to two staircases of five locks each; a magnificent setting and a magnet for gongoozlers of all ages! There was a bit of a wait at the top and we were the fourth boat in the queue - it could have been much worse! This is the view from the first lock of the second five.

With help from the volunteer lockkeepers we were soon down at the bottom where we turned left (heading for Leicester) and moored up for lunch in the imaginatively named Foxton Locks Inn.

For a Monday it was pleasantly busy, but table service was the order of the day. The food was good as was the beer and so we returned to Peggy Ellen for the next stage of our journey.

At the bottom of Foxton, you can turn left towards Leicester (leading to the River Soar) or right towards the terminus at Market Harborough. Most boats took the latter option whilst we headed towards Leicester.

As it was early August and the canal had been very busy up to this point, we were hopeful that we'd have plenty of company to share the many wide locks en route to Leicester. Sadly, this was not the case and we saw only a handful of boats all the way to Leicester.

Our first stop along this route was at Fleckney which isn't exactly a canalside village!

This was the walk into the village, which boasts two pubs...neither of which was serving food on a Monday night! (and the chippy was closed!)

We've visited the Old Crown in the past and it is a perfectly decent local village pub. Ordinarily, it would have been a one pint and we're moving on pub...except...although they weren't doing food themselves, parked out front was a pizza van making freshly made pizzas that could be consumed in the pub. What a result! They have different vans/trucks on different nights...a fantastic idea!

We still decided to move on for a couple in the more upmarket Golden Shield; Fleckney's other pub.

Last time we'd been to Fleckney, this is where we'd eaten, but the restaurant wasn't open on a Monday. It seemed to be little changed from the time the late Alan Winfield visited it ten years earlier and reviewed it on Pubs Galore.

Day 4 - Tuesday

From Fleckney it is a long journey to Leicester through 20+ wide locks (with no one to share the joy work!) and the next pub was a long way away ay Kilby Bridge. We moored up at about 2pm!

The Navigation is a lovely old, proper canalside pub and we were happy to see that it was open. Unfortunately, they weren't doing food and when I asked about cobs/rolls I was given a quite brusque, "No, we don't do them they only get left uneaten!" Oh well, a lunch of crisps, nuts and scratchings wasn't the end of the world!

Then, about 15 minutes later, the other barman (possibly landlord) appeared with large trays of freshly made sandwiches, mini scotch eggs and sausage rolls which were offered to us and the other half dozen people in the pub...for free! Fantastic customer service!

So, after a great lunchtime session, we set off again for Leicester. Still very little traffic and some quite shallow sections, but we made it to Leicester without too much hassle.

The Globe was our first port of call and, whist it is a great old pub, it was disappointing to see it so empty! Unfortunately, we only had the one pint before we set off in search of food. We found a lovely curry at a place called Tandem and then went for more beer at the High Cross...the local Wetherspoon's...which was considerably busier than The Globe had been (as were many of the other bars in that vicinity)!

And that was it for our night out in Leicester, but in our defence, we didn't moor up until after 8pm and the canal/river is a bit of a walk from the city centre.
 
(To be Continued)

#108 UPDATE The Bell Inn, Husbands Bosworth, Leicestershire : 1986 to 2015

Prior to 2015, we'd only ever stopped at Husbands Bosworth once in all of our canal trips.

This was on the evening of Tuesday 22nd July 1986 on a journey that would take us to Leicester. As I recall, it was a pleasant pub that served food, but back then we probably ate on the boat anyway (Aaah! Those were the days!). In 1986, it was just called The Bell and was an Ind Coope pub. 

On this visit, we popped into both pubs in Husbands Bosworth, but the Cherry Tree is no longer there as recounted in #093 on this blog.

I was passing by towards the end 2012, so I took the opportunity to get a photo of how it looks now.

This picture was taken on Sunday 16th December 2012 and in the intervening 26 years there has been a relatively small amount of change on the outside! It is now called The Bell Inn and they stress the history of it as an 18th Century coaching inn. Having looked at the menu on their website, it looks like they serve proper pub food at a reasonable price.

Last year we were again on the Leicester Section of the Grand Union Canal and, because we'd taken a detour to the previously unexplored Market Harborough, we found ourselves having to moor up near Husbands Bosworth Tunnel for the first time in almost 30 years. It is a bit of a stroll into the village and we were pleased to see that The Bell Inn was still there.

This was on the evening of Saturday 29th August 2015. Outside it has been repainted since my last picture and inside, it was a pleasant pub with good food. Just what we needed after a good day's boating which had included the Foxton Locks. 

#154 The Royal Oak, Crick, Northants : 2003 to 2013

Crick is a village on the Leicester Section of the Grand Union Canal and the first time I passed through was in 1986. We were there again in 1997, but we only visited the Red Lion (#135) and The Wheatsheaf (#123). It wasn't until 2003 that we ventured further into the village and discovered The Royal Oak.

This was on the evening of Monday 18th August 2003 and, as I recall, it was a pleasant village pub.

Our next visit was on the evening of Wednesday 9th September 2009.

The pub was largely unchanged, although the hanging sign had been replaced and the hanging baskets were more verdant.

That was the last time I had a pint in The Royal Oak, but I was in the village for the Crick Boat Show and took this picture in the early afternoon of Monday 27th May 2013.

Again, largely unchanged, but the hanging baskets are no more.

One thing I hadn't noticed until I started this entry and when I looked at the pub's website is the small yellow sports car. Presumably it belongs to the landlord, but it is quite amazing what you don't notice in a picture!

#135 Red Lion, Crick, Northamptonshire : 1986 to 2013

Crick is a small village in Northamptonshire, but in the 'canal' world it is a significant place, being the site of the annual Crick Boat Show. I've reported on the village before in post #126.

The first time I visited the Red Lion was on the evening of Monday 21st July 1986.

This is the most upmarket of the pubs in Crick and, at this time was the only one that did food. The crew on that trip (all pictured here) were Matt, Martin, Andrew and William (plus me taking the photo!). Considering that Emma Jane was only 35ft long I'm always amazed that we managed to accommodate five of us in such a small space (and cook on most days as well!). However, looking at the photo offers some explanation...namely we were all somewhat smaller in those days (well, most of us!).

Next time we visited Crick was a lunchtime stop on Thursday 27th August 1997.

At first glance, it looks exactly the same as eleven years earlier, but in fact all of the signage has been renewed and, most significantly, the Red Lion has acquired a thatched roof! Also, and some may think this is more significant, it was no longer a Mann's pub!

We returned on the evening of Monday 18th August 2003.

In the intervening six years, very little had changed apart from a new sign by the entrance to what probably used to be the stables.

Our next visit was on the evening of Wednesday 9th September 2009.

The signage had completely changed, but everything else remained the same. This visit was somewhat of a disaster and I vowed never to visit again unless the management changed. I reviewed my experience on Qype which you can see here. That review details my complaint and represents one of the worst examples of customer service that I've ever experienced!

I still haven't returned as a customer, but as I was in Crick for the Boat Show I took this picture on Monday 27th May 2013.

It would appear that there have been no changes in the four years since my last visit and judging from the reviews on Yelp (was Qype when I submitted mine) it would appear that management hasn't changed and they still offer a 'wonderful' brand of customer service - review here from four months AFTER this photo was taken! Looks like I won't be returning anytime soon!

#126 The Wheatsheaf, Crick, Northants : 1986 to 2013

Crick is a village in the Northamptonshire countryside and sits on the Grand Union Canal Leicester Section. It is home to the annual Crick Boat Show. There are three pubs in the village which we've visited on numerous occasions.

The first time I went to Crick was on the evening of Monday 21st July 1986 on a canal trip that would take us to Leicester and Nottingham.

I don't recall too much about it, but I think that The Wheatsheaf was a fairly standard village local with a Bar and Lounge. I do seem to remember that many of the pubs in that region seemed to be Mann's pubs.

It was quite a few years before we returned to Crick and this is how The Wheatsheaf looked.

This was a repeat of the previous journey and the photo was taken at lunchtime on Tuesday 26th August 1997. Quite a change in the intervening 11 years, although the hanging sign appears to be the same. Also, the light fittings are in the same place, but different in design.

We were back again a few years later on a similar itinerary (except that we didn't go to Nottingham this time) and we spent the evening in Crick.

This was on Monday 18th August 2003 and the six year gap had resulted in some more changes. New signage, new windows (I think!) and a replacement satellite dish. Also, no more car parking at the front.

Our next visit was another six years later, again on a similar journey, except this time the route had been reversed. We'd already been to Nottingham and Leicester and were on our way back to our moorings at Lapworth.

This was on the evening of Wednesday 9th September 2009 and again there were noticeable changes to the exterior of The Wheatsheaf. A new sign and yet another satellite dish!

Earlier this year I visited the Crick Boat Show for the first time and took the opportunity to pop into the village to get some updated photos of the pubs.

This was on Monday 27th May 2013. I think that the narrowboat mock-up is only there during the boat show. Other than that, there were some minor external changes...and the satellite dish has gone!

I haven't commented on the interior because, quite frankly, I don't recall what it was like. However, judging by the website, it looks as though The Wheatsheaf has gone a bit more upmarket.

#123 White Lion, North Kilworth, Leicestershire : 1997 to 2012

North Kilworth is a village on the Leicester Section of the Grand Union Canal. It's not a place we've visited often and the details of our previous itineraries can be found here; #102 - The Swan.

This was on the evening of Tuesday 26th August 1997. In those days this was a fairly bog standard village pub and a perfectly acceptable place to spend an evening...and we did!

It was another six years before we stopped at North Kilworth again, this time a lunchtime visit.

 This was on Tuesday 19th August 2003 and what a change. The outside had been given a much needed redecoration with completely new signage. This was during the phase when Marston's were upgrading their estate of pubs and so inside it had also been renewed. (Notice, also, the original four wires have been replaced by just one!)

We haven't been back to the village since 2003, but last year I was passing through so I took the opportunity to take a photo to see how the White Lion has changed in another nine years.

This was on Sunday 16th December 2012. On the face of it there haven't been any obvious changes, but on closer inspection there are some subtle alterations. The hanging sign has changed and the bus stop has disappeared. Also, the paint on the outside of the left hand building (not sure if it is now part of the pub!) is peeling in a similar way to the 1997 picture!

Subsequent research shows that the White Lion had been closed and not long reopened as a wet led pub...but I think that it now has a Chinese restaurant (inc. takeaway) associated with it. It is always good to see a pub that is surviving through difficult times...let's hope it can continue to exist.