Canal Cuttings

The wonderful spring weather meant a big increase in visitors and boats at the locks. The Easter holiday was exceptional. The floating market that included 15 trading boats beyond the top bridge, selling everything from sweets, giftware, craft items, soaps, fenders etc, to coffee, beer and cheese, had a footfall of over 8,000 people over the four days. May Bank Holiday was also dry and warm, so generally a very good start to the season. The downside is that the continued lack of rainfall may mean water shortages later. At present the reservoirs which feed this section are well up. In other parts of the country however, there are already restrictions and closures. There have also been some infrastructure failures, which mean that several of the northern waterways are inaccessible, so more boats are likely to head our way.

The footbridge alongside the road at the top of the locks has a new non-slip rubber surface on it. This bridge was installed in 1975, when the old airfield hospital site was made into a car park by the County Council, to accommodate the increasing numbers of visitors to the locks. Previously, cars had parked all along the narrow road, and on the triangle by the Gumley turn. Folks had to cross the road bridge, which is quite dangerous. The car park is now owned by the Canal & River Trust.

Vagabond

Foxton Boats are regretfully no longer running trip boat ‘Vagabond.’ There has been a passenger trip boat at the locks since the 1950s. ‘Linda’ was run by John and Ann Crossley and operated from Foxton. Some of the older villagers remember going on her for school trips.

In 1969, Foxton Boat Services acquired the ‘Vagabond’ from Harborough Marine. She was a wooden ‘ex-harbour’ launch, already of some age, and was in almost constant use through the season, running public trips and booked parties. There could be as many as four school trips in a day in fact, and lots of evening groups, often with food.

Gradually things changed; schools were restricted in what they could do, and the evening trade was spasmodic. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency, which controls all passenger boats in the UK, brought in tighter regulations. Being a venerable craft, ‘Vagabond’ needed constant maintenance. She was eventually retired gracefully to return to her origins in the trees and the earth.

Vagabond II’ which replaced her, was a steel boat without the original’s graceful lines. It served the purpose well for several years. The Covid pandemic altered peoples’ habits irrevocably. With a run of bad summers since, plus the escalating costs of maintenance, the operation ceases to be financially viable.

Mary Matts