Route planning: the Ashby Canal beckons

We have a week on Shadow coming up, and I thought I'd better decide where to go. Shadow's base is currently Wigram's Turn Marina, which is conveniently located for many choices of route: the Oxford Canal either north or south; and the Grand Union either north or south. Each of those options has further options branching out, and many of these are within range of a week's there-and-back cruise.

We've just done the GU down to Milton Keynes; and we went to both Market Harborough and Oxford last year. We were last on the North Oxford at the beginning of 2009; and last visited the Ashby in 2005 - so it's back to the Ashby for us this time. The only down side for me is the lack of locks: there will be just four in each direction. Never mind. We're planning to stop off and explore lots of villages en route, including Brinklow with its church with a steeply sloping floor (according to Nicholson).


The only photo I seem to have of the Ashby Canal is this one from 2005 - and there's not much that identifies it as any canal, let alone the Ashby!