The day dawned dry so we decided to push on a bit. After Sarah's marathon with the 11 locks yesterday she was feeling a bit sore in the rib area so we had a very leisurely breakfast and started off about 10.30 and sailed up to Polesworth where we stopped to try to find a butcher - the only one we could find in Atherstone yesterday was closed - This we did and had a short wander around this pleasant town. Not really attractive but a good atmosphere. Its amazing when you look around at the countryside which is green and pleasant to think that this was still a mining area up to the 80's.
We decided not to go much further today so just moved on a mile or so and moored up next to the Pooley Field Nature reserve an area which has been reclaimed from the mining era and is now full of a huge variety of flora and fauna with wet woodlands and ponds attracting many species. Sarah decided the locks of yesterday were catching up with her so put her feet up whilst I took the dogs for a walk. Within the nature reserve is a slag heap and the visitor information said that there were good views from the top so I decided to see if that were true and, yes, I think I can say that it was. There's an example below and if you look carefully you can see 2 church spires in one of them which are the churches at Stoke Golding and Market Bosworth, where we were some 5 or 6 days ago! I'm not sure what the monument on the top of the heap is made of but its meant to represent leaves. It was quite a climb but well worth it, not Mount Everest perhaps, but quite a climb for someone from East Anglia! Apparently, I now find out that there is a spiral route to the top but I did it the hard way, up the north face you might say, as in the picture below.
Tomorrow should see us through Tamworth and Fazeley Junction and we plan to moor at Hopwas where there just happens to be a pub!
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| View from the top of the slag heap with Stoke Golding and Market Bosworth church spires in the distance |
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| The golden tower of leaves unveiled 2011 |
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| View from the bottom of the slag heap showing my route to the top |
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| Hoddy moored at the Pooley Field Nature Reserve |
There are in fact 2 pubs at Hopwas.....one on either side of the canal, so take your pick. If and when you get as far as Huddlesford, try The Plough - it has just re-opened and is dog friendly with some good looking food.
ReplyDeletewe went to the Tamed Otter for a drink and it looks as though it would be good for food too but have moved on - see next blog!
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