The Leicester Canal Section - Husbands Bosworth Tunnel to Kibworth in England.
Following The Leicester Canal Section from the Eastern Portal of Husbands Bosworth Tunnel on up to Foxton then Saddington Tunnel to Kibworth.
The towpath from just after Bridge 45 up to Husbands Bosworth Tunnel's West Portal was marked as closed when we last walked there due to collapse - and there was a 4 foot high metal barrier on the sluice shown below but no barrier at the tunnel end. No sign of any diversion for walkers and cyclists. In fact the collapse is about 4 feet long and easily traversable though care would be needed in wet conditions. There was no sign of any work being done on the marked collapsed area at the time althought it may have been repaired by now - and anyway there are one or two other parts of the towpath which are just as "collapsed" but open for use - also we have seen far worse on the Oxford Canal around Braunston where the towpath remained open.
Welford Junction -
Bridge 42
Bridge 43
Bridge 43
Site of Missing
Bridge 44?
North Kilworth Wharf
Ugly Bridge 45
Bridge 45
Syphon near to UGLY Bridge 45
Canal sluice by Bridge 45
Mini sluice
Husbands Bosworth Tunnel is quite straight
Husbands Bosworth
Tunnel Western end
West exit of Husbands Bosworth Tunnel
Site of dismantled railwayline
Nicely Bricked and arched railway bridge.
About Husbands Bosworth Tunnel.
The area around the 1071 metre long Husbands Bosworth Tunnel - which was opened in 1813 - is really nice with it's lovely trees and foliage. There is no towpath through the tunnel Husbands Bosworth Tunnel which is quite straight so you can see the light at the far end. Walkers and cyclists have to climb up and over the top - the path is in very condition and goes pretty well straight - crossing just one road on the way. Husbands Bosworth Tunnel will accommodate boats with a maximum beam of 2.13 metres and the tunnel has a maximum headroom of 2.06 metres - generally allowing two way narrow boat traffic. For walkers and cyclists after passing over the road on the towpath from the Eastern Portal you are then soon accompanied by a dis-used railway line for a while - (it's easy to imagine a steam engine once pounding along the line through this lovely woodland) - and eventually cross it's nicely arched railway bridge.
Husbands Bosworth
Tunnel Towpath
View from the portal Husbands Bosworth Tunnel
E. Portal - Husbands Bosworth Tunnel
Husbands Bosworth
Tunnel - east end
The Leicester Canal is beautiful in the Spring
Bridge No:46
Honey Pot Farm Bridge
Leicester Section Pipebridge
Leicester Section - Pipe Bridge
Leicester Section
- Bridge No:-47
There are no canal locks so far on this part of the Leicester Canal Section but this is more than made up for once you reach Foxton and it's excellent series of lock flights. Generally the towpath is in reasonable condition for walkers and cyclists but there are some poor bits to be aware of where the path has all but disappeared - these would be particularly awkward to go along if the weather was wet. The Leicester Canal is beautiful to wander along all the way however, especially in the Spring with all the trees just bringing out their diferent shades of green and also in the Autumn when the trees produce really colourful displays of their leaves.
Bridge 47
Leicester Section - Freemans Bridge
Freemans Bridge 48
Theddingworth Lodge Bridge
Theddingworth Lodge Bridge No49
Bridge No:-50
Bridge No:-50
Leicester Canal Bridge 51
Bridge No:-51
Bridge No 52
Leicester Section
- Bridge No:-52
Bridge No:-53
Bridge No:-53
Bridge 54
Bridge No:54 on the Leicester Section
Bridge 55 - Leicester Section
Bridge No:-55
Bridge 56
Morton Bridge
Morton Bridge 56
Bridge No:-57
Bridge No 57 Leicester Section
Lubenham Lodge
Bridge 58
Lubenham Lodge Bridge
Bridge 59
Bridge No:- 59 The Leicester Section
From the towpath at Gumley Road Bridge if you cross the bridge using it's footbridge then only a few 100 metres along there is a quite large car park available where there also picnic tables etc - also public toilets located are there and usually an ice-cream van. From Gumley Road Bridge going towards Foxton's Toplock there is a choice of towpath - cross over to wander along one side of the canal soon passing a stoplock which controlled the water to the original inclined plane - if you go this way there is a path and bridge which will take you back to just below Foxton Top Lock. If however from Gumley road bridge 60 you just go ahead on the towpath you soon reach Foxton Toplock - where there is also a cafe available.
Canal sluice near Bridge 59
Canal syphon
by Bridge 59
Bridge 60 - Gumley Roadbridge
Gumley Roadbridge
Short sidearm leading to the inclined plane
Foxton Top Lock 8
Foxton Lock 9
Foxton Lock 10
Foxton Locks
view of the Flight
Footbridge on each of Foxton's Locks
Foxton Lock no:10
Foxton Lock 11
Lock Gates + Footbridge
at Foxton Locks
Foxton Lock - 12
Passing Pound at Foxton Locks
Foxton Lock - 13
Foxton Lock - 14
Foxton Lock - 15
Foxton Lock - 16
Bridge no:61
Foxton Bottom Lock - 17
Bridge 61
Foxton Bottom Lock
Lock Gates
Junction with the Market Harborough Arm
Rainbow Bridge 62
Once through Foxton Locks and the Market Harborough Junction the Leicester canal again enters really beautiful and - at least until it nears the City of Leicester - quite remote countryside. Another feature is that the canal locks starting from Kibworth
Top Lock (Lock 18) are double canal locks - i.e. they able to accommodate two barges at a time.
Canal Turnover Bridges. One of the first features to see on this part of the Leicester Canal Section is Rainbow Bridge 62 which is a turnover bridge. When the canal towpath had to change sides because of for instance embankments or private land ownership these bridges with their gradual inclines allowed the barge horses to easily cross over.
Rainbow Bridge 62
Footbridge 63
Footbridge 63
Pat's Bridge 64
Pat's Bridge 64
Debdale Wharf Bridge 65
Debdale Wharf Bridge
Debdale Wharf
Missing bridge 66
Binley's Bridge 67
Binley's Bridge 67
Leicester Canal Bridge 68
Bridge 68
Gumley Bridge 69
Gumley Bridge 69
Long Hill bridge 70
Long Hill Bridge 70
Bridge 71
Bridge 71
Saddington Feeder Arm
Saddington Tunnel and The Leicester Section.
This slightly crooked Leicester Canal Section tunnel was constructed in 1797 and is 808 metres long and available for two way working for boats of 3.96 metres or less beam and maximum of 2.13 metres high. The tunnel does not have an internal towpath - if walking the Leicester canal's route simply follow the marked route which goes up and over the hillside directly following the tunnel's subterranean route.
Saddington Tunnel
S.E. end
Saddington Tunnel
NW end
Saddington Tunnel
NW Portal
Fleckney Bridge 73
Fleckney Bridge no:73
Ross Bridge 74
Ross Bridge 74
Kibworth Top Lock 18
Kibworth Top Lock 18
Pipe Bridge - Kibworth
Kibworth Second Lock19
Kibworth
Second Lock 19
Taylor's Turnover Lock 20
Taylor's
Turnover Lock 20
Kibworth Bridge 75
Kibworth Bridge - Canal Bridge no:75
Smeeton Aqueduct
Smeeton Aqueduct track
Smeeton Roadbridge 72
Smeeton Roadbridge
Please visit our Market Harborough Canal Arm topic follows the Arm and also has a walk which might be of interest - also we have a topic about Foxton Locks and the Inclined Plane which includes quite a few more photos from around Foxton. There are two more topics about the Leicester Section - one covers the canal's journey from Norton Junction to Welford and the other one follows the canal right through into Leicester City where it joins up with the River Soar several times and then ends where the River Soar takes over navigation at Abbey Park - this can be found on our Grand Union Canal LeicesterSection topic.