#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' & 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)

#283 Boat Inn, Birdingbury Wharf, Warwickshire : 1998 to 2020

In these dark days of a winter lockdown it is hard to remain optimistic and upbeat about pubs in the knowledge/expectation that many will not survive into the post apocalyptic pandemic future.

However, I still have a few new pubs left to report on, so I'll start off the new year with the Boat Inn on the Grand Union Canal. It is a pub we'd passed on many occasions until lunchtime on Thursday 25th June 1998.

I have little recollection about the interior except that I vaguely remember it being quite cosy and having part of a narrowboat hull as the bar counter.

Our next stop was almost two years later on the evening of Sunday 28th May 2000.

Although it was only a couple of years, the Bass sign had disappeared, no doubt as part of the exterior redecoration.

Another nine years had gone by before I took this photo of the Boat Inn as we cruised by on the afternoon of Sunday 24th May 2009 on our way to Braunston for our evening stop.

This was post the 2007 Smoking Ban so there were many more tables outside. Also the pub name had reappeared on the signage.

Another couple of years drifted by and we passed the Boat Inn, again, on the afternoon of Sunday 29th May 2011, headed for Napton (having lunched at the Two Boats in Long Itchington!)

Fewer outdoor tables and the pub sign had changed to just The Boat in a style evocative of the Bass sign that was previously there.

Along this stretch of the Grand Union Canal, our preferred stop is at the Two Boats in Long Itchington, leaving both the Blue Lias and Boat Inn as under visited establishments.

Our next cruise by was on the morning of Wednesday 12th June 2019 being too early to stop for lunch having left Wigrams Turn Marina only 90 minutes earlier.

Yet again the main sign has changed, reverting back to the Boat Inn and there are now gazebos above the outdoor seating.

Our final vist was, in fact, an actual stop at the pub at lunchtime on Saturday 22nd August 2020. This time we'd been a little later leaving the marina!

The signage was unaltered and we had a pleasant lunch despite not having booked in advance, they managed to squeeze us in after other customers had finished.

 

As a pub with little natural footfall, it will be interesting to see whether it survives the pandemic.

#281 Blue Lias Inn, Stockton, Warwickshire : 1998 to 2020

The Blue Lias Inn has hardly changed over the years which seems to be fairly standard practice for canalside pubs. It is a pub that we've visited occasionally over the years and it is very dependent upon the timing of our journeys as the Two Boats at Long Itchington (#100) is only five minutes away.

My first ever visit to the Blue Lias was on the evening of Tuesday 17th August 1982, but there is no pictorial record as this was before I started taking a photo of every pub we visited.

For the purposes of this blog, we begin at lunchtime on Thursday 10th September 1998.

I don't remember too much about it apart from the fact that it seemed to have changed little over the years and was still a comfortable, slightly up market country pub that did good food.

Our next visit was at lunchtime on Thursday 6th September 2001 as we journeyed back from a trip to Aylesbury. (We'd stopped at the Two Boats on the way to Aylesbury!)

No real external differences and this time we moored Emma Jane outside the pub - don't really like walking too far!

Less than 12 months later and we were back for another lunchtime stop on Thursday 30th May 2002.
 

Again we moored in the garden and, again, the pub was unchanged from previous visits.

It would be quite a few years before we stopped at the Blue Lias Inn again, this photo is from the afternoon of Sunday 24th May 2009 as we sailed by having had lunch in the Two Boats.

This next image is from the afternoon of Sunday 29th May 2011 as we again passed by following lunch in the Two Boats!

 

To continue the theme, the next photo is from the early afternoon of Saturday 27th September 2014, this time just before we stopped for lunch at the Two Boats!
 

It is the same story for the next image also, this time on the early afternoon of Wednesday 5th June 2019, again just before stopping at the Two Boats!

As you can see, the pub has remained largely unchanged over the 21 years apart from being repainted a few times (I assume!)

 

And so, we come to lunchtime on Friday 17th July 2020; this time we did stop at the Blue Lias for lunch.

The lockdown was over and this was our first pub visit of the trip with all the new social distancing rules! There was a long one-way system in operation and all food was served in polystyrene containers, but it worked very well and we were encouraged that the holiday would pass quite successfully...as it did...see here!

 

So, it only took a worldwide pandemic (and the temporary closure of the Two Boats) to encourage us back into the Blue Lias after just 18 years of passing by!
 

One final note, the standing sign by the canal had finally been changed, albeit very subtly!

More Canal Cruising in a COVID World (Part 1)

 It truly is a remarkable time as we embarked on another canal trip just a month after the previous cruise. This time the pubs felt a bit more relaxed (or maybe I'm getting used to them!) and our major delays were not caused by COVID related issues.

Our first stop was The Boat at Stockton, a pub we hadn't visited for many years.

It was 'fully booked' but they managed to find us a table. This was one of those one of those pubs which takes the COVID-19 threat very seriously and have taken some decisions that might not work in the long run. Nevertheless, we had a pleasant lunch.

Further along the Grand Union it was good to see that the Two Boats in Long Itchington was now open and seemingly doing well with plenty of people sitting outside in the late summer sunshine.

Our ultimate destination for the evening was Leamington Spa, also somewhere we hadn't visited for a few years. Leamington has never been a particularly happy hunting ground for pubs...and little has changed. We managed to squeeze into The Old Library, which has gone under different names in the past and I remember it as the Jug & Jester from last time.

This is a large, rambling pub that operates a table service only policy, but they didn't really have enough staff on to cope with the demand. After eating at the Leamington branch of Piccolino's (very good Italian) we ended up in The Pig & Fiddle, a proper back-street boozer!

Social distancing here was easy as we were the only people in the pub! Apparently, they'd been busy (too busy?) earlier with a young crowd and when we arrived the staff were busy pulling down blinds to make it look closed so the hordes didn't return and they could get back home on time!

Next day our cruising got back onto schedule with another lunchtime visit to Hatton Arms (excellent and slightly more relaxed than a month earlier!) and finished off with an evening in the Navigation Inn at Lapworth (also as excellent as ever).

So, we were back on schedule, which lasted for about an hour and then this happened at the lock above us on the Lapworth flight.

Yes, those two boats are tightly wedged with no movement possible backwards or forwards, up or down! From my original vantage point (50 - 60 yards away) it was obvious that both boats should back up and start again. The woman, climbing off her boat, said, "Weve tried that!"...so that was me all out of ideas! Two minutes later an officious, 'know-it-all' type appeared from one of the locks above and made the same suggestion, but he wasn't happy till thay'd actually tried it. Result? No change! (Where do these people come from? You always find at least one in any such crisis situation...and they're almost always useless!)

I retired back to our boat in the expectation that only a crane could resolve the situation...and that would take at least 24 hours! However, someone with experience of similar situations appeared and with the judicious use of a stiff metal pole he managed to lever the two boats apart! I didn't see it, but we were moving again after only an hour's delay!

Now the lock flight was full of boats, so for the next few locks we had to pass the boats coming down and not end up in a similar state. The key is for both boats to keep moving, one goes left, the other right and a delicate pirouette is performed resulting in both boats entering their respective locks gracefully and easily. After passing the big boat that had been stuck, the next one was 'Mr Know-it-all'...only he didn't! (He exited his lock slowly and just as I was about to move into the space he was leaving he put it in reverse! As I'd already moved to the left and wasn't in his way I could compensate, but it took a bit of persuasion to get him moving in the right direction!) 

We successfully negotiated the rest of the locks, but it meant that we didn't get as far as the Blue Bell Cider House, but ended up at the Wharf Tavern in Hockley Heath for the first time in a few years!

We'd phoned ahead for a booking and fortunately it wasn't too busy for a Monday lunchtime with the Eat Out to Help Out being in full swing by then. Here they had the right balance between observing the COVID requirements and running a pub.

As we were an hour behind schedule it was a long afternoon session to get us to Alvechurch for the evening. Luckily the weather was good so it should have been a pleasant afternoon...and it was...until we were pelted with stones from the canalside as we approached Bridge 6. This resulted in a broken window and our steerer, Andrew, narrowly escaping being hit! It is many years since this has happened to us in Birmingham and it was usually on the Grand Union Canal, never the Stratford. Fortunately the window was double glazed and only the outer pane was smashed.

We soldiered on and on the way we passed Calypso at it's home mooring...this being the boat that stole the lock from us on our last holiday!

We made it to Alvechurch just as the light was failing and also got to the Red Lion (a Vintage Inn) in time for food.

All in all, an eventful day, but we reached our destination safely (just!) and lived to fight another day. 

Stay tuned for more adventures on board the narrowboat Peggy Ellen on the Midlands Waterways!

#278 Great Western, Warwick : 1998 to 2020 (RIP)

 For all pub fans, I'm afraid that this is a sad tale, reflective of the general malaise affecting English pubs over the past few years.

We begin our tale with something of a disaster - it was August Bank Holiday weekend and Emma Jane broke down just after the Cape of Good Hope locks. For our first (and I think only) time we had to get a tow...as far as Kate Boats. Unfortunately it was a Sunday and they were closed!

So, what else could we do? It was time to take a stroll into Warwick and investigate the town. The first pub we went into was the Great Western, just by Warwick Station.

This was at lunchtime on Sunday 30th August 1998, although we didn't eat there. As I recall it was a fairly standard pub with a bar and a lounge. After a pint we moved on to investigate the town. Fortunately, Warwick had plenty of pubs to keep us entertained both for the lunch and evening sessions!

As it was Bank Holiday Monday, Kate boats were able to pump out our bilges and fill us up with diesel, but there was no engineer available to fix our engine. Luckily, we hadn't exhausted the supply of pubs for another two drinking sessions. We did pop back into the Great Western on the evening of Monday 31st August 1998 for another pint.

 

Our next visit to Warwick was on the evening of Saturday 27th May 2000 and we popped in to the Great Western for a quick pint before moving on to the rest of Warwick.

There was very little in the way of changes to the pub, still a pleasant stop off for a pint of lager before exploring Warwick.

It was a few more years before we stepped back into the Great Western even though we'd stopped at Warwick in the intervening years.

This was on the evening of Thursday 30th May 2007 and the pub had been redecorated externally and somewhat refurbished internally. Although some work had been done, the pub did exude a feeling of gradual decline and decay.

Unbeknown to us, this was the last time we set foot in the Great Western. We visited Warwick several more times, but always walked on by and then, on the evening of Wednesday 5th June 2019, this is the scene that presented itself to us.

There had been a fire and it didn't look good for the Great Western. Subsequent research has revealed that the pub closed in 2015 and the fire was in 2017. Interestingly, the pub had obviously been redecorated and refurbished between 2007 and closure in 2015 with the right hand side door having been turned into a window.

Our most recent visit to Warwick was on the evening of Friday 17th July 2020 and this was the new scene.

Further research has shown that there have been several resubmissions for Planning Permission, but it would seem that the final phase of redevelopment has begun and by this time next year all trace of the Great Western will have been erased. A sad end to what was a quite distinctive building!

 

Also featured on the Closed Pubs website administered by Pub Curmudgeon. 

Canal Cruising in a COVID World (Part 1)

Recently we undertook our first canal pub crawl cruise in the 'new normal', post pandemic era.

The good news is that we never failed to get a drink in the 20 or so pubs we visited, but planning in advance was required especially for weekend stops!

What was also remarkable was that every pub followed the guidelines differently - some very strict...and some quite relaxed (in a couple, apart from the signs and the hand sanitiser, it was almost back to normal - people standing at the bar, shaking hands and hugging also!)

We started at The Blue Lias on the Grand Union Canal at Stockton (our regular haunt, the Two Boats, not opening until 4th August!)

Here there was no need to book, but a long one-way system was in operation and food (from a limited menu) was served in polystyrene takeaway trays. We were the only people who sat inside. The lager was cold and the food was just what we wanted!

Next stop was Warwick for the evening where both The Railway and The Roebuck were both accommodating with no need to queue. Normal service in the Railway and table service in the Roebuck. In between, we managed to get a very good Italian meal from our go-to restaurant in Warwick, Piccolino's!

Next day was a Saturday (with predicted good weather) so I'd prebooked The Hatton Arms for lunch as it is the only pub nearby after the slog of Hatton Locks!

This is a large gastro pub with a large outside area to exploit as well as the pub terraces which are now covered and protected from the elements by perspex screens. There was only one way into (and out of) the pub, via the front entrance.

We were a bit early, but our table was available so we sat down and enjoyed a pleasant couple of hours of, essentially, restaurant service. All very efficient as they had plenty of staff on.

For the evening we made our first return for a few years to The Navigation at Lapworth, which I'd pre-booked.

Again, there was a one way system in place and the number of tables in the bar reduced, but again, most people were outside.Bar service for drinks and table service for food, so not too different from normal.

Next day and Sunday lunch was pre-booked at the Fleur-de-Lys in Lowsonford, just a short trip down the Stratford Canal.

Again, strict enforcement of the guidelines was in operation requiring an extra long walk for pedestrians to get into the pub from the car park entrance! They were running a limited menu and drinks range, but the lager was cold so we were happy!

In the evening we got as far as Wilmcote, normally a two-pub village. Unfortunately, the Mason's Arms was closed and up for sale. This was not really a surprise as we'd been expecting it for at least 10 years. As for the Mary Arden Hotel, we weren't sure if it was open and, with it being a Sunday evening, whether we were too late for food. So, it was taxi time and a short trip into Stratford-upon-Avon for the evening.

Our first choice, The Garrick, was closed so we headed straight for the Wetherspoons. This was the first time that we'd had to queue up outside a pub, but we were soon inside The Golden Bee after taking care of the administrative chores.

After all the hype, we didn't have to order via the app and it was all fairly normal, going up to the bar to order food and drinks. After eating and a couple of pints we decided to go for a bit of a wander and have another pint in a different pub.

What a mistake!

We left at about 9:45pm and got to the White Swan/Dirty Duck just before 10pm to be told that they were closing. We knew that Encore was open till 10:30pm so headed there. At just after 10pm we were turned away because there wasn't room...there was! The Red Lion had closed at 10pm, so we headed back to Wetherspoons as they closed at 11pm...but...unbeknownst to us...they don't allow anyone in after 10pm. So we were turned away!

The moral of the story? Don't leave a pub close to closing time in the current climate expecting to get a last drink elsewhere, because you probably won't get it!

The thing that really got to me though was the smugness with which we were turned away (not the Red Lion) which will make me very reluctant to step through their doors once/if this crisis is over! Two early 60's blokes looking for a last drink wasn't going to cause anyone any heartache and yet they turned us away with repressed glee without any form of apology (or even apologetic tone!). Still...lesson learned!

Until next time!