During the week I made contact with the Grantham Canal Society and asked about ordering a couple of their publications. Tony, the member in charge of them, said we could save the postage and he would meet us in Gramtham on Saturday to give us the books. What a fantastic approach.
As it turned out we were going virtually past his house so we arranged to go there instead.
With the transaction duly completed, Tony suggested that as the canal is culverted under the A1, there isn't too much to be seen in Grantham and we should try going to Woolsthorpe Wharf where there are seven locks, three of which have been restored and four which haven't.
The restored locks look great.
This is also where the Grantham Canal Society keep their boats, their working boat is of 1930s vintage with a lovely Lister engine.
I was very intested in the fact that the locks were manufactured by our namesakes. I didn't realise this firm existed.
The unrestored locks show how much work has been done, but how much is still required.
The canal will also require a lot of clearing after the locks.
At some point, presumably when the original gates were removed, the cill was built up to maintain the water level above the lock. I've never seen this before on a disused waterway.
At bridge 61 there is a milepost underneath the bridge.
When we got to Grantham itself, the weather turned somewhat inclement and I was left with little to do but check out local hostelries. No hardship I hear you cry.
As we had walked along part of the Chesapeake and Ohio canal last summer I couldn't resist keeping the canal theme going.
At the remarkable Nobody Inn. In this pub all the doors for the toilets are four feet high and are actually false doors. To access the Gents you need to go through a bookcase and for the Ladies through a mirror. But none of the regulars tell you!
Grantham is also the birthplace of one of the greatest minds ever known ( I don't mean Margaret Hilda Thatcher), so the blog wouldn't be complete without this last picture.
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