intrepid pony: The River Soar

the weir where the Trent meets the Soar

We cruised to the junction of the two rivers and filled with water. Then we turned past the giant weir onto the River Soar. The sun came out and it turned out to be a winding rural river with fields filled with cows. Lottie barked at two calves that were up to their chests in water, determined to return them to the bank where they belonged. She succeeded. At the first lock we caught up with a local couple on their way home and shared the next 3 locks with them.

peaceful moorings

Filled in lock with gates still in place

One lock was so deep it provided slide poles for the ropes, and another had the ruins of a second filled in lock alongside the first. At the deep lock a boater heading towards us told us he was getting off the river quick as big thunder storms had been predicted and the Soar is notorious for shooting up into un-navigable strong currents when it rains. Paul decided we might head straight back after lunch to avoid being caught. By the time we moved off the sun was beating down, but the sultry weather and rapidly dropping thermometer suggested a storm was overdue. Cowardly or wise we turned back for the safety of the Trent and Mersey canal. On the way we passed herons fishing, but one took a dislike to our boat and flew off, looking rather like a pterodactyl in the air. At the deep and slow to fill lock we had a long delay as boats passed. Those coming up were speeding to their home moorings and two were leaving the Soar to cruise before they were trapped.

flying heron

I worked the locks using an umbrella as a sunshade as the heat was intense but the cruise back was pleasant as I had a breeze and shade under the umbrella. We moored after six in Shardlow beyond the flood gates. A couple of hours later it poured with rain. The people on the next boat charged back to it screaming as the rain pounded down, then couldn’t find their boat keys. The thunder banged directly overhead and sheet lightening lit the sky up. Lottie was terrified and curled up in the bathroom, a place she has never bothered visiting before.