Some lovely scenery. You travel the long winding Leicester summit to Foxton, down this famous flight of locks where the old inclined plane can still be seen. They used a steam engine to winch the narrowboats up the hill in tanks of water.

The old town of Market Harborough makes a pleasant detour; then on through Leicester and down the River Soar. Do not be surprised to see steam trains crossing Bridge 38: this is the Great Central Steam Railway. Turn sharp left at Trent Junction along the river to Shardlow then via the Trent & Mersey and Coventry Canals and the lock-free Ashby Canal to Snarestone and back then on south, skirting round Rugby and so through the 2048 yard long Braunston Tunnel to Weedon.

219 miles - 115 locks - 1 swing bridge - 5 tunnels; 7 1/4 hours navigating (an easy two weeks).

Places of interest for this route

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