Ashby Canal - part 1

The Ashby Canal  is a rural canal in Leicestershire England. As you can see ...

It was built to serve coal mining and limestone production in the area. Although originally planned to join the Coventry canal with the River Trent, it was never completed in that fashion. Today the Ashby exist as a twenty-two mile canal with no locks but only one connection to the “outside world” at Marston Junction on the Coventry Canal. Although shallow in some areas it is very popular with narrowboaters and great fun with some of the most beautiful stretches of canal.

On the canals you often cross under traffic on a bridge, ...

 ... and from time to time you cross over the traffic.

In this case you can moor near this aqueduct and walk, to the right, to the Battle of Bosworth Heritage Center.

The Battle of Bosworth Field (or Battle of Bosworth) was the last significant battle during the Wars of the Roses, the civil war between the Houses of Lancaster and York that raged across England in the latter half of the 15th century. The battle was won by the Lancastrians. Their leader Henry Tudor by his victory became the first English monarch of the Tudor dynasty. His opponent, Richard III, the last king of the House of York, was killed in the battle. Sorry about that for those of you who live in York County.

Originally the battlefield was thought to be in this area, but recently was confirmed at a site several miles away. I like the catch phrase of the heritage center - "One day two kings."

----------

Market Bosworth is a town along the Ashby, and truly does have a market on Wednesdays. This is one of the historic buildings in the town square.

On the walk into town Charlene enjoy "petting" this tree.

More on the Ashby Canal next post.