28th June 2026 - Ride to Foxton Locks - Ian Cain

After the extreme heat of the previous few days, it was refreshingly pleasant when three of us met for a ride to Foxton Locks near Market Harborough in Leicestershire. Maybe the hot weather had put people off, but I was surprised that only three of us turned out.

Foxton Locks is a listed site and home to the longest staircase flight of locks in Britain and is well known to canal enthusiasts but also a busy tourist attraction. More importantly for us, there are a number of places to eat and drink on the site, so it’s perfect as a destination for a ride.

We rode along the boring Fen roads to Bourne via Spalding. Once out of Bourne, we climbed up onto really interesting and well-kept roads through to Corby Glen. On the way, we passed Grimsthorpe Castle, who were holding some sort of sports car event. They seem to hold quite a few motoring-related events at the castle; it certainly made the roads busy as we passed. Beyond Corby Glen, we headed to Colsterworth and crossed the A1 before heading towards Oakham via Wymondham, which has a windmill, which is another popular destination for us.

Towards Oakham, most of the villages are made of local stone, which makes them look very posh, and beyond Oakham, we skirted Rutland Water to Uppingham with its large fee-paying school. Then down a B road towards Market Harborough. Another lovely road with an almost Alpine descent with hairpins at the start.

At Market Harborough, it was a quick spell on the bypass (the A6) before our final run to the locks. We sat outside the Foxton Locks Inn for cake/sausage sandwich and coffee before setting off for home. One of our group was going to Wellingborough to visit friends, so two of us set off back via Rockingham, Uppingham, and the A47. A boring ride once past Peterborough but quick and easy. According to my phone app, we covered 165 miles at an average speed of 37 mph. Not as quick as you might think.

No photographer with us this time, and we forgot to take pictures. Sorry.

Ian