We are moored near B59 on a contour overlooking a patchwork of green and yellow fields stretching across in the direction of Market Harborough. It is beautiful quiet spot with hardly anyone walking the towpath hereabouts, with horses and rabbits grazing in the fields below. Last evening the squirrels entertained us with their acrobatics gathering young shoots from the ends of the branches to munch on. This morning was frosty and the sun was up early warming the frost into a thin mist rising up eerily from the canal.
Straight after breakfast we walked down to Foxton Locks. I was fascinated by the little horse drawn tipper wagons displayed outside the museum. They were used in the construction of the Inclined Plane Boat Lift from 1898-1900. This was a counter-balanced lift where boats were contained in two large tanks (or caissons) running on tracks up the hillside. They were hauled by a thick steel cable powered by a 25 horsepower steam engine. As one ascended the other descended and the boats were contained during transit by guillotine gates which held the water in. Needless to say it was not a great success and closed in 1911.
We sat outside Bridge 61 Pub/Cafe and enjoyed a coffee in the hot sunshine. I wandered around the little shop which is packed with all kinds of gifts, food and useful boaty things. This picture was taken from the little bridge spanning the bottom lock. Note the lovely domed enclosure that houses the cast iron mooring bollard.There aren’t many interesting little details like this being installed along the canals these days. We returned to the boat and sat outside for the afternoon with our friends chatting.
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