Cossington

We’d planned an early(ish) start this morning but just as we were about to move onto the lock moorings we were pipped to the post by 2 boats. No problem, we weren’t in a rush. Then just as they’d emptied the lock ready to go in, 2 wide beam charity trip boats arrived and asked if they could go first, saying that they were full of disabled people and needed to be getting a move on. Well you feel obliged to let them through so we did, but it would have been nice if they’d at least helped by closing the gates and starting to empty the lock again after them. We eventually made it up the lock and cruised slowly along the river. The weather has been beautiful again today, warm and sunny and this section of the River Soar was just as  spectacular as we remembered.

At Mount Sorrel lock we met up with the 2 charity boats again. They were double moored on the lock moorings above the lock which meant that no-one could get their boat anywhere near the lock. Strange how all the ‘disabled’ passengers were able-bodied enough to be in the Waterside pub having lunch and knocking back the wine!  I spoke to a lady later in the afternoon and she told me that when the charity boats left Mount Sorrel they'd told her she couldn't come up the lock as they were in a rush and it was quicker to fill an empty lock than one with a boat in it! She’s going to write to the charity and complain about their attitude and the waste of a lock full of water and I don’t blame her.

As we’re going to be in Leicester for the next few days and are expecting visitors, we decided to get the toilet tank  pumped out and pulled onto the floating fuel and waste barge just before Sileby Mill. We enquired about winter moorings but apparently their road gets regularly cut off by flood waters during the winter so it wouldn’t do for us, also it’s a bit isolated without a car.

floating pump-out station

I’d hoped to moor just up the River Wreake which crosses the River Soar just above Cossington Lock. We’ve moored there quite often in the past as the fishing was good and we once saw an otter there too. Unfortunately the mooring has now been turned into a squatters camp, complete with sheds, wind turbines and a huge pile of empty diesel drums.

We carried on and finally moored for the night just below Junction Lock, along with 2 other boats and opposite another butter-cup meadow. Roger did a few bits of painting and then started fishing while I took Charlie for his slow walk before dinner. I came across this beautiful huge patch of wild sweet-peas beside the lock. They look gorgeous, it’s just a shame they don’t smell as good as the cultivated ones.