Up early again to tackle the rest of the Atherstone flight. The first lock of the day proved tiresome as the bottom gates leaked so badly that it took an age to fill but, by then, another boat was coming down through the lock above so the rest of the flight was set for me. Easy going! I reached Atherstone Top Lock over an hour before I expected and soon reached Hartshill Maintenance Yard where it began to rain, so much for yesterday's glorious weather!

There were lots of boats moored around here and workmen resurfacing the towpath so I pulled over to put on the wet weather gear. It only took a minute or so as I had made sure that everything I might need was handy with the jacket hanging just inside the back door, I has discovered the previous day that a quick dash inside the boat would often result in a near collision with the bank so I learned to get everything I might need for the day ready before I set off.

Nearing Nuneaton the pleasantness of the canal changed into what I had originally expected from my preconceived ideas of the Coventry Canal. Loads of rubbish in the canal preceded the first of the housing estates and this became a stretch to get through as quickly as possible. I won't dwell on Nuneaton for it was not a place to remember and it was some time past the outskirts on the other side that the canal was once again clear of garbage. Now I was coming up to the junction with the Ashby Canal and my first big challenge of the day!

I had turned into the Ashby from the other direction on a hire boat and it had become a nightmare as another boat appeared coming through the stop lock and bridge but this time I was confident that I could turn straight in. Wrong! The entrance beneath the bridge is only the width of a lock and timing has to be perfect and I didn't quite make it, hitting the wall. Not hard, but a dent to my pride. It wasn't difficult to get the boat lined up once I had come to a stop and soon I was on my way up the Ashby.

We had hired a boat the previous year from The Ashby Boat Company at Stoke Golding so I knew this stretch and passed familiar sights before mooring up for lunch alongside the new marina at Hinckley. A few provisions from the shop set me up for lunch on board and a pleasant hour's rest before taking the helm again and pressing on.

Others have described the Ashby as field, bridge, field, bridge ... bridge, field and I have to say that they are pretty much spot on, at least for this first part. Maybe it was that I had already been up and down this stretch but I really couldn't get fired up about the Ashby and I was glad to reach Stoke Golding where, beyond bridge 25, it would at least all be new. It wasn't much different however, although Sutton Cheney Wharf was a pleasant distraction, and I journeyed on towards my intended night stop at Congerstone. The day had so far been overcast and drizzly but around 5pm the sun appeared and heralded a glorious evening. Suddenly the scenery changed and with the evening sun, the Ashby came alive.

I moored just through bridge 47 at a delightful spot with mooring rings and took a few photos in the evening sun before taking a walk into Congerstone to eat at the Horse and Jockey. The mooring seemed miles from anywhere and this impression was enhanced by me being the only patron in the dining area of the pub, but it was a pleasant meal and, after a couple of pints, the boat looked idyllic at its mooring by the bridge.

Maybe the Ashby isn't so bad after all!