7th May. Day 5. Leicester Ring. Newton Harcourt to Gee's Lock

Rachel's first lock helming.

Cute Waterways Board Boat

Friendly helpful Waterways Board Guy

Ervin's Lock. The city begins...

with runners...

and graffiti.

Moored for night below Gee's Lock.

Walked to the medieval packhorse bridge

5 minutes walk later on Lutterworth Road.

Fridge working (ie new batteries fixed the problem) and only needed to put a little water in engine coolant tank. Its all good!

Set off from near Newton Harcourt at 8.40 . The first 3 locks (23-25) were all set in our direction. Lock 26 and 27 were not only set in our direction but the gates had blown open. It seemed like an ideal oppurtunity for Rachel to helm her first locks- which she did without any problem. 

We moored at Kilby Bridge to fill up with water and have a coffee at 10.45. Since reading that a "handcuff key" was required around Leicester in our Nicholson's guide (copyright 2003) and several more recent blogs said either "yes you do need one" or "no you don't" we were anxious! In discussion  with a boater on the opposite bank (of the "yes you did" school of thought) it transpired that the T shaped thingy on the boat was the key we needed! Great. We set off again at 11.25.

I'd read all about the fear associated with Leicester and I wasn't wearing my glasses. Were those 3 youths setting about vandalising Kilby Lock? No they seemed too purposeful, all had matching blue tops on and the real giveaway - a cute blue waterways board tug. They were all very friendly BWB guys sorting some bank out. As far as they were aware it was only a BWB key that you needed at some of the ground paddles and that was all. 

My photos give examples of my thesis. The closer you get to a city centre on a canal the more grafitti and runners you see. The first significant graffitti was on  Knight Bridge (90). Not to be confused with Knightsbridge where I guess grafitti is rapidly removed unless its by a bankable artist. 

By Ervin's lock one side of the canal became urban. It started very suburban with views into back gardens- from the beautifully tended (including a substantial chicken house in one), to the neglected, to the untouched- a few had what I guess were 1950's railings at the bottom of the gardens. 

We moored for lunch having come down Bush Lock (33) at 13.15. After lunch 2 Canals and River Trust volunteer lock keepers came up to me asking what our plans were. They were Pete and John  (if I thought they were helpful- which they were). Pete gave me a useful map of Leicester he had produced with recommended restaurants and the position of a places of use on it. I said our plan was to moor just after King's lock. They said there was good mooring between it and Packhorse Bridge (we later checked on foot - there is). Or we could moor between Gee's Lock (36) and Blue Bank Lock (37). We set off again at 14.15.

In fact having missed a good mooring yesterday by waiting for something better we moored immediately after Gee's Lock at 16.00. Its very rural feeling at this point and with a little background traffic noise and of course rather more runners than usual.

We actually walked up to King's Lock then over Packhorse bridge (turn left to see the original 15th century packhorse bridge) and into some shops. Wine and garlic bread needed.

8 miles and 15 locks = 23 lock miles in 5 hours 40 mins cruising time.