Boozin' & Cruisin' through the East Midlands (Part 1)

 It's been a while since my last post and a few weeks since we returned from our most recent canal trip, which compared to recent years, was relatively uneventful!

Day 1 - Saturday

We left Wigrams Turn Marina at Napton just before noon and arrived at our designated lunch stop, The Boathouse at Braunston in plenty of time.

It's a pub we've visited many times in the past and it is still a solid Marstons pub that majors on food. It delivered again!

The canal had been very busy on the trip to Braunston and we were unsure how long it would take us to negotiate the six locks that lead to the tunnel - especially as there is a hire base nearby!

We struck very lucky, two boats exited the bottom lock just as we were approaching and only one of the hire boats was ready to depart, so they shared the lock with us. There was little drama in ascending the lock flight and I even had time to take a photo of the Admiral Nelson which stands by the third lock up.

Sadly, there was no time for a pint, but in the past we've managed to squeeze in a swift half (or more) whilst queueing for this lock. So, it was onward and upwards through the rest of the locks and a busy Braunston Tunnel to our evening destination of the New Inn at Long Buckby.

It is a pub I've reported on before and, whilst it is a lovely pub it has been seriously let down by it's management in the past - #192 - again it didn't disappoint on that front. It was 6:45pm, the pub was virtually deserted and yet, they were fully booked for food! After a brief discussion, we called a cab and went into Daventry...for the first time in many years!

The taxi driver dropped us off in the town centre and we went into the first pub we found.

The Plume of Feathers was a lively proper town centre boozer that did have cask ale available. However, we were getting a bit peckish by now so strolled along the High Street until we found our saviour!

Where else is there to eat on a Saturday night in small town England apart from the local 'Spoons! The Saracen's Head was also quite busy and they were still operating table service for food.

After our sumptuous repast, we popped across the road to a pub that I did remember from a previous excursion to Daventry.

Last time we were here, the Dun Cow was a fairly standard boozer; a far cry from the modern day, upmarket gin palace that it has become! All too soon it was time to call the taxi firm again and return to the canal.

 

Day 2 - Sunday

 

Sundays are rapidly becoming the most difficult days on the canal for finding food and drink at civilised times!

 

Our first obstacle was Watford Locks which have restricted opening times and there was a queue. Fortunately, there was a full complement of volunteer lock keepers so the whole process flowed smoothly and efficiently. However, it still meant that we were quite late arriving at Crick, not getting to the pub until 1:45pm.

Fortunately, The Wheatsheaf was still serving food and a very pleasant Sunday roast it was too.

 

At this stage we knew that there would be no food available at our evening stop in North Kilworth so we acquired supplies from the village Co-op over the road from the pub.

 

It is quite a stroll to the pub in North Kilworth from the canal, but after our Chicken Carbonara we were ready for a few pints to wash away the taste it down and the pub website said that they were open until 11pm.

We arrived at the White Lion just after 8pm only to find that they were closing! They did serve us a pint each and after chatting to the bar staff we understood what had happened. Apparently, the gaffer had been making a really good go of it and the pub was doing very well. But the pandemic came along which knocked the stuffing out of him and he'd lost interest! (A not uncommon tale I suspect!) Hence the 'To Let' sign outside!

 After another pint and a vain attempt to get a taxi to anywhere nearby for less than £25, we bought some wine and beer to take out and shuffled back to the boat for a quiet night in!

 

After promising you that this trip was relatively uneventful, it was quite a 'difficult' first couple of evenings...it does get better!

 

(To Be Continued)

#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. 

#102 The Swan, North Kilworth, Leicestershire : 1997 to 2012 (RIP)

The first time we stopped at North Kilworth was in the summer of 1997 on a trip that took us to Leicester and Nottingham.

This photo was taken on the evening of Tuesday 26th August 1997 and, to be honest, I don't remember too much about The Swan. I DO remember that we got a 'lock-in' at one of the pubs in the village while we played skittles in the bar.

North Kilworth is on the Leicester Section of the Grand Union Canal and so we don't often pass through there, but we were back again six years later.

This was a lunchtime stop on Tuesday 19th August 2003. The exterior had been repainted and all of the signs replaced. Inside? I still can't remember exactly what it was like!!

My latest pictures were taken as I drove over to Foxton Locks to observe the refurbishment of the lock flight. I took the opportunity to take pictures of a few of the pubs we'd visited in the past. This is what I found: -

That's right...it's closed and now a rather attractive house. These photos were taken on Sunday 16th December 2012.