L2L Day 25 Rugby to Bedworth - 14 miles

With the rain after a long walk yesterday, I hadn't felt like doing a sketch so had an early start this morning and before breakfast in the sunshine, went to see Rugby school and the Webb-Ellis sculpture.

After breakfast and still in the sunshine, the centre of Rugby seemed a much more cheery place than it did yesterday evening.



When plotting my route through the town, particularly the outskirts, I seem to have picked up the least picturesque.....




The route under the West Coast mainline just north of Rugby station was a particular low point! 



I'm glad my boots are waterproof.

Safely on my way and soon back in the countryside, I watched these ladies enjoying their breakfast at the Diner!!!


The building materials have changed again. Today it's brick everywhere and  'washing line windows' 


.....tight to the eaves, two storey but probably not much headroom upstairs.


It was good to be out in the countryside again. I saw a very colourful bird with a striking tweet - BirdNet said it was a Yellowhammer.

At Brinklow I climbed up to see the remains of the motte of the Motte and Bailey castle.


I stopped at The Raven for a cheese roll and a half of 'Landlord'

Across the road as I rejoined the route I was tickled by this sign on 'Mermaid Cottage'


Our forefathers put so much love and skill into these beautiful little bridges over streams....


.....using lots of 'special shaped bricks and coping stones.

Walking along the towpath I got into thinking....there seems to be a thin line between the romance of living 'off-grid' contrasting with the 'survivalist' tone of some canal dwellers with rusting metal and England flags. 



A newish boat can be bought for 150K, there are lots of others that seem barely afloat! 

The Grand Union Canal here travels parallel to the West Coast Mainline railway before passing under the M6.



A pastoral scene just north of Ansty with the fields showing signs of medieval strip farming.


Then a mile away from the accommodation, a broken bridge 



with 'helpful' advice suggesting I find an alternative route. No way!!!

Safely across, I climbed up towards Bulkington and  watched a buzzard being mobbed by a crow.


I know how it feels when you have tired feet.


No sketches today - I didn't see anything I felt stopping for!!!

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