Langley Mill is a small town at the current terminus of the Erewash Canal, which, until 2009, was a stretch of canal that we'd never ventured along.
Our original plan had been to go up the Erewash and then go on to Nottingham, but when we arrived at Trent Lock, the Erewash Canal was closed. So, a couple of days later than planned, we arrived at the Great Northern Basin at lunchtime on Friday 4th September 2009.
A pleasant looking pub that, on the day we were there, was being refurbished and there was no food on offer! This meant that we had just the one pint before heading off to sample the delights of Langley Mill.
It was another six years (and another boat) before we ventured back up the Erewash Canal. Again we went to Nottingham first; this time, by design to collect our third crewman. This time, we reached Langley Mill at lunchtime on Tuesday 25th August 2015 and, after a very poor effort turning the new boat Peggy Ellen (by yours truly) we went to the pub! (In my defence, you'd expect the Great Northern Basin to be a large expanse of water with plenty of room to moor and to turn a boat. It isn't! Essentially it is a canal junction where the currently defunct Nottingham and Cromford canals meet the Erewash. Although, as my crewmates pointed out, it was still a piss-poor attempt at turning a narrowboat!)
The pub had undergone a complete exterior makeover in the intervening years, but inside it still felt like a proper pub...and, this time, food was available.
Further research shows that The Great Northern is run by Pub People who operate over 40 pubs in the East Midlands (Bought from Greene King in 2013). It is good to see that companies are still investing in pubs!
Googled the photo of the Great Northern pub and found your article. I was researching my grandmother's cousin who died in WW1. His father came from Langley Mill and his grandparents Robert and Annie Bowes ran this pub in the mid-19th century, when it was called the 'Junction Navigation'. I'm still tracing back and I think it's highly likely that Robert Bowes's mother, Elizabeth, ran the pub in 1840. She would be my great, great, great grandmother! My email is adamroscoe@yahoo.com. Thanks again
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