Return to Foxton Locks

Another day of typical test match weather where rain interrupts play. The weather could be best described as changeable, with showers and sunny intervals in the morning and grey cloud for a good part of the afternoon. 

Emily returned from her sleep over with a full tummy after what she described as a lovely fried breakfast and Catherine got up shortly after she arrived home. Catherine had missed her overnight, but she is going to have to get use to it because it is likely to happen more often when Emily starts at her new school and makes new friends. 

The girls spent the morning watching television and playing on the computers together. There really wasn't much else to do between the showers. The funniest thing that happened in the morning, as long as your not Catherine, was George who decided to go upstairs and help himself to Catherine chocolate, will they ever learn that dogs are scavengers.

In the afternoon we headed out to shops in Market Harborough and Foxton Locks.  Emily and Catherine had never been to Foxton Locks and Emily in particular was fascinated with how the narrow boats were raised and lowered down the hill side. She even managed to help out by opening and closing the lock gates for one of the boats that was ascending the hill. It is a lovely place even though today it was a bit cold and windy. Emily and Catherine both want to go back when the weather is nicer and have a picnic at the side of the locks. 

After we finished at Foxton Locks we headed back to get some fish and chips from St Mary's Fish Bar in Market Harborough. They were so hot we drove back to enjoy the locks to eat them before returning back Langham. 

It's another day that has gone by without us getting to the Northamptonshire country parks but all the same we did go somewhere interesting. We will get there one day it is just a matter of time.

Foxton Locks

With no children and a little petrol you there are loads of lovely places to visit that aren't to far from home. One of these is Foxton Locks in South Leicestershire. 

Foxton's famous staircase lock flight was built in 1810 and raised boats a massive 75ft up the hill from Market Harborough and linked the north and south of England by Grand Union Canal.

It is really an amazing sight and a fit tribute to the engineers of the time and the industrial revolution that help fund and make us one of the richest nations in the world at the time. The Picture below really doesn't do justice to the scale of the effort required to build the locks and the water works that make it all work even today. Only by seeing can you truly appreciate it. 

At the bottom of the locks for the those with a taste for a pint there is a nice pup where you can put up you feet have something to eat while enjoying the country air.

Even in the early evening when the locks are closed there is still lots to see. Although you can't see the boats going up and down the locks you can see many of them mored on the side of the canal waiting for the locks to open in the morning like the one below that was mored for the night.

It is a lovely place to visit, if you are in the area, and with the parking at £1.50 a day it is a great place to have a picnic and enjoy watching the boats going up and down the locks.