On to the Coventry Canal

Another lovely morning as we set off from last nights mooring, the M6 motorway is the first bridge we navigate under noticing how tranquil and peaceful the canal is as to the hustle and bustle of the motorway.

We leave the  noisy drone of the motorway as we travel towards the village of Ansty a tiny village that grew up alongside the canal, with its church of St James and Ansty hall which dates back to 1678.

Then it's on to Hawkesbury junction a busy junction with its stop lock, a lock where the water only drops a few inches but still needs to be operated and its sharp bend onto the Coventry canal, which seems to always cause problems to experts and novices alike.

Upwards towards Nuneaton with loads of allotments on the canal side where gardeners are working on them to produce fruits, vegetables and flowers.

We reach Nuneaton where pretty gardens flowing to the the water, and parkland reach the edge of the canal. 

Famous people from this area include 

The Novelist George Elliot,

• John Barber, inventor of the gas turbine in 1791
• John Birch, Motor cycle manufacturer and designer and constructor of the New Zealandmade Marlborough car
• Geoffrey de Havilland, aviation pioneer (educated at King Edward VI School)

• Paul Bradley, actor (born in Nuneaton)
• Ben Daniels, actor (born in Nuneaton)
• Gareth Edwards, film director, Monsters, Godzilla and the upcoming Star Wars stand alone film entitled 'Rogue one'
• Larry Grayson, comedian, entertainer and television presenter
• Ken Loach, film and television director
• Mary Whitehouse, TV campaigner (born in Nuneaton)

• Dean Richards, former England Rugby Union player and Rugby Union Coach (born inNun Eaton 

• Cecil Leonard Knox, soldier, recipient of the Victoria Cross (born in Nuneaton)

We leave the town behind and we are back in open countryside again before we moor up for the night outside of  a canal side pub by bridge 29 where we partake in a few shandies in the afternoon sun before back to the boat for the night see you tomorrow.

Today's ghost stories 

Highwayman  Location: Nuneaton - A5 between town and Hinckley (Watling Street) Type: Haunting Manifestation Date / Time: 1926 (wearing jacket), February 1927 (riding horseback), 1979 (shimmering shape) Further Comments: One version of this tale says that, wearing a jacket with sleeves of bright crimson, a phantom highwayman lurks along the roadside with a tricorn hat hiding the face. Another version names him as Dick Turpin and when last seen, he was riding his horse across common land. It may have been the same entity seen in 1979, reduced to a shimmering shape which swirled like water. The witness to this event had an accident close to the spot later in the day.

Accident  Location: Nuneaton - Railway line and bridge near the Bomb Hills Type: Haunting Manifestation Date / Time: Circa October 1986 Further Comments: Two people walking home spotted steam coming from under a bridge. Looking down from the bridge they could see a stationary steam locomotive and dozens of people laying across the tracks - the scene was semi-transparent. The witnesses ran off to find someone, and returned several minutes later, by which time the scene had gone.

Mrs Stubbs  Location: Nuneaton - Stubbs Pool, Camp Hill Type: Haunting Manifestation Date / Time: 1970s? Further Comments: Mrs Stubbs is said to have be caught up in weeds and drowned while swimming in this pool (alternatively, according to other stories, she had her face bitten off by a horse). She now haunts the area.