Kilby Bridge

13th August 2019 – Kilby bridge, last stop before Leicester

There are 12 locks like this before we get to Kilby Bridge moorings

After Fleckney we hit locks! We’ve not really had any since Foxston but these ones are more in batches with gaps between. They are double locks and not the fastest so will add quite a bit of time to our journey. When we got back to the boat after doing some shopping someone had moored in behind us (as I was so considerate in how I moored my boat) and we got chatting. It turns out we’d both been going to the same places at around the same time. Anyway, we got on really well and agreed that we’d sail up into Leicester together as it really helps with the locks. Steve and Caroline both have a similar outlook to boating and are living aboard like us and so can be somewhat flexible about when to move and where to go. Oh, and Steve is a real ale man – so naturally a top bloke!

  • Steve and I had the hard work or holding the boat steady in the locks.
  • Odd looking tents!
  • Wendy doing the simple task of closing the lock door
  • Tired and Thirsty…no idea why! You just try moving a throttle!
  • This part of the Grand Union is absolutely lovely.
  • And sheep too
  • …and GG’s
  • and plenty of locks!
  • Really good mooring at Kilby Bridge

After 12 locks we made it to Kilby. We moored a bit short and Caroline walken in to see if there were spaces and we were in luck! We poped into the Navigation pub just over the bridge and met this chap in the fireplace. Apparently made by a chap who was a regular at the pub. The more you look the more you see on this sculpture. But, most importantly of all they had Speckled Hen on draft! That absolutely made my day – brilliant. And the Landlord was absolutely obsessed with serving great beer and boy did it show! An absolutely brilliant pub and awesome beer – what could be better!

So tomorrow we enter Leicester!