Narrowboat Tacet

Silent Movement - Our gap year travelling the inland waterways



Monday 18 April 2011

All Steamed Up

We left Leicester around lunchtime on Friday and worked down through the 9 locks to Mountsorrel.
A lovely village with lots of interesting buildings, 4 churches, and a new library building.
At the top of Castle Hill stands this war memorial. There are no castle ruins but large stones show a building once was there. It was a very steep climb, well, the way we approached it. We found an easier way down. The view was impressive.
Looking down on the village.

Looking towards Quorn, I think.
The Butter Market which is in the centre of the High Street.
After exploring the village on Saturday morning we moved off to make our way into Loughborough. Only 1 lock to work, Barrow Deep Lock.
Then Sunday, we had timetables to follow and places to be, so watches on, back to the real world. 1st the Palm Sunday service at Loughborough Baptist Church, then back to the boat for quick sandwich and get Jumble, and walk to the Grand Central Station for the steam train to Leicester. 
Once we arrived in Leicester it was another walk, partly along the river to Abbey Park Pumping Station which was having a Steam and Food Festival.
One of the 4 pumping engines was in steam.
The engines were used for pumping sewage.
The pump house itself was beautiful with such detail and ornamentation for something so industrial and workaday.
Outside in the grounds were other various bits of machinery, this is a steam shovel,
and a coal fired fish and chip van.
Then back to Loughborough, a different locomotive this time. Sorry no technical details, just a photos!
We were just back in time to return Jumble to the boat and then back the the Baptist Church for a performance of parts of the Messiah. Phew what a busy day.





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