Steampacket Inn, Knottingly

A lovely stretch of canal carved out of the valley, lined with mature trees and sporadic swathes of cut grass with picnic tables.

We're on the lookout for diesel and had cruised slowly by a boatyard on the way here. Alas there was no sign of it, or of anyone to ask. Rainboat has a 220 litre tank. Travelling doesn't use a lot and we haven't had much need for heating in these scorching summer temperatures, but filling up is one of those jobs that we'd rather get under our belts.

A little further on we found ourselves admiring Freda's Garden; a strip of towpath overflowing with colourful flowers. Freda herself didn't have a garden and so began planting cuttings and any gifts she received on the towpath. Freda has sinced died, but her memory and canalside garden is kept alive by a group of locals who realise what an asset it is and volunteer to tend it.

We pulled in on the opposite bank a few minutes after Freda's, beside a sign for the Steampacket Inn. Apart from a Sunday carvery they don't do food, but were more than happy for us to buy a takeaway from one of the 7 nearby outlets and bring it back to to eat with a drink. We met Sue and Dave who are continuously cruising on their widebeam with their dog Amber. An hour or so was spent chatting away over chips and a pint. The staff were super friendly towards Leo and Lilly, who soon cottoned on where the treats came from!

Lidl, Morrison's and high street shops were only 10-15minutes walk away so we made a couple of trips to stock up on vegan chocolate and other essentials 😉 Will had resorted to using a 25 year old pair of glasses since he lost two pairs falling into the canal, so it was a real bonus to be able to use the two opticians, one to get an eye test and prescription and the other to make up the glasses for the following morning.

We returned to the Steampacket Inn on the final evening with a fish and chips takeaway, played the wooden board games from the bar and let the staff once again fuss and treat the dogs. They were particularly taken with Leo, who was on his best behaviour for them and even posed for photos!Read more