#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!)

#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.