After a couple of weeks away from Caxton it was good to be back on board on Thursday evening. I went to work on Friday morning while Sue walked up to town and caught the bus to Woodlands nursery and did a bit of shopping. When I returned in the afternoon, we pondered over whether to venture out or stay put until Saturday. A heavy rain shower made the decision for us and we settled in for the night.

A clear blue sky greeted us on Saturday morning so we got showered, dressed and had breakfast before setting off just after ten. It was quite breezy when we left but there is so much space at Bosworth Marina that manouvering in and out is no problem. Thank you Helen, we are eternally grateful for the generous design.
We made the short trip down the ashby to Shenton aqueduct where we tied up to the armco on the offside.

Shenton Aqueduct

It was then a case of getting the walking boots on and striding out in the direction of Shenton station. We spent a bit of time in the glass blowing studio there, admiring the work of the resident craftsman before walking up to the battlefield centre at the top of Ambion hill. It was still bright and sunny when we reached the large Sundial memorial next to the huge flags of the houses of plantagenet and tudor.

Sundial

The Crown

Battle flags

We plodded on to the centre itself where we hoped to get a cup of tea. As it turned out, the cafe is licensed so while “goody two shoes” Sue had a pot of decaf tea, I availed myself of a nourishing pint of Stella Artois.
Well refreshed, we continued with our walk, this time skirting Ambion wood and eventually reaching the old track bed of the dismantled railway. We followed the path until we were back at Shenton station and then it was back on the road to the aqueduct and our mooring.

Caxton nestling on its mooring.

Despite the time of year, it was still pleasant enough to sit in the cratch in the afternoon with a lovely view along the tree lined canal, the section that used to be the battlefield mooring before the Stoke Golding discovery was made.

Tree lined Battlefield Moorings

After two weeks driving and spending hours in one office or another, it had been so good to get out and get some fresh air – the perfect tonic!