Sandiacre to Burton on Trent

Friday 4 April 2008
Sandiacre to Burton on Trent Day 15
Erewash Canal, River Trent and Trent and Mersey

Miles 24
Locks 11
Hours 10

We woke when the shunting engines in Toton Sidings really got into their stride and the percussion of colliding wagons could not only be heard but also felt through the water. We were on the go by 9.00am, passing through Long Eaton with care.

There was loads of rubbish and several ominous bangs from the base plate, but fortunately nothing serious round the prop. We couldn’t resist swerving close to the Sea Scouts premises to activate their automated warning signal and receive a stern warning to “vacate the area”. It must be a real pain to live near but it gave us a good chuckle.


We planned to stop and fill up with water at Trent Lock, not having seen a tap for 3 days. However, a big Dutch Barge was filling some exceptionally large tanks so we pressed on. We tried the tap opposite Sawley Marina but this had ridiculously low pressure and after 45 mins and a half full tank we gave up again. The marina diesel pump mad no pressure problems and pushed 120 litres into our tank in no time at all. At this point we realised that the two day push up the flooded Trent had consumed the equivalent of a whole weeks worth of Diesel. No wonder the Cromwell Lock Keeper commented on the quantity of diesel we must have used! We also availed them of their £10 DIY pump out service, which was also becoming a pressing need.

Finally, we started to encounter other boats in volume, with the usual hoards of Canal time craft coming and going from their Shardlow base. It was good to be back in the main canal system and we pressed on up the Trent and Mersey and through Stenson Lock behind a very old and smoky working boat. Bagman and little S were picked up at Willington before mooring at bridge 33 in Burton on Trent, just beyond Shobnall Fields.