Editing Grand Union Canal (section)

== The Leicester line ==
{{Main|Grand Union Canal (old)}}
[[File:GUC Leicester Line & Soar Navigation map.png|thumb|upright 0.6|Geographic map of the Leicester Line and the River Soar Navigation (zoom in to see detail)]]

{{Grand Union Canal - Leicester Line|collapse=yes}}
Formed by amalgamations of once-independent canals, the 'Leicester Line' of the Grand Union Canal runs north from Norton Junction for about {{convert|35|mi|km}} until it reaches [[Leicester]], where it joins the [[River Soar]] to provide a link to the [[River Trent]] and to the [[Trent and Mersey Canal]]. It includes tunnels south of [[Crick, Northamptonshire|Crick]] {{convert|1528|yd|m|abbr=on}} and north of [[Husbands Bosworth]] {{convert|1166|yd|m|abbr=on}} The village of Crick is home to a popular annual [[Crick Boat Show|boat show]].

The stretch of the canal that passes through the centre of Leicester is known as the 'Mile Straight' and is home to [[Leicester Rowing Club]], a [[sport rowing|rowing]] and [[sculling]] club. The club hosts [[regattas]] on a stretch co-running with the [[River Soar|Soar]], typically held in mid-April by over 100 crews over a {{convert|770|yd|m|adj=on}} course.

Also on this section are the [[Foxton Locks]] and [[Watford Locks]], both [[staircase locks]]. Beside Foxton locks is the site of a long-abandoned [[canal inclined plane|inclined plane]] [[boat lift]]. This was constructed as part of a project to create a wide-beam canal route to connect the northern and southern parts of the canal system, something which does not exist to this day. Funding to deal with the narrow locks at Watford was not forthcoming and the scheme was aborted. The canal north of Foxton Junction is wide-beam to Leicester and onwards. It was originally intended to build a canal at this width all the way to the [[River Nene]] at Northampton. However, that canal never went further than the basin at [[Market Harborough]].
[[File:Grand Union Canal - Saddington Tunnel - geograph.org.uk - 2300236.jpg|thumb|left|[[Saddington]] Tunnel on the Leicester Line.]]

The Leicester Line continues along the [[River Soar]] Navigation, and reaches the [[River Trent]] at Soar Mouth, north of [[Ratcliffe-on-Soar]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Canalcuttings.com article on GUC |url=http://www.canalcuttings.co.uk/the-leicester-line-guc-grand-union-canal-leicester-branch-navigable-river-soar.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111020125303/http://www.canalcuttings.co.uk/the-leicester-line-guc-grand-union-canal-leicester-branch-navigable-river-soar.html |archive-date=20 October 2011 |access-date=24 April 2012}}</ref> It is possible to continue to the [[Trent and Mersey Canal]], [[Coventry Canal]] and North [[Oxford Canal]], to complete a circuit known as the Leicester Ring.<ref>[http://www.canaljunction.com/canal/grand_union.htm The Grand Union Canal, Regents Canal, River Lee and River Stort] ''canaljunction.com''  Accessed 23 April 2012</ref>