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KINGFISHER COTTAGE
Location:
Barrow-upon-Soar is centrally located in a region known as the East Midlands, Barrow lies in the Soar Valley and on the River Soar itself just to the east of the A6, the main route between Leicester and Loughborough, and about 110 miles north of central London. Leicester, the county seat, is 10 miles southward, Loughborough being 4 miles to the north.

KINGFISHER COTTAGE
was built around the turn of the twentieth century, together with five others adjacent, to house workers employed at the mill then in existence just across the nearby hump-backed bridge. The subsequent addition of a wing is evident. Semi-detached, meaning joined to another similar structure, the cottage is roadside, fronting onto the quiet by-way of Mill Lane. Over recent years considerable modification has been undertaken, including the erection of a rear conservatory (sun room) in 1995.
Over the winter of 1999/2000 we carried out extensive re-modelling to provide accommodation for up to four guests in considerable comfort, occasionally six; demolishing a wall to combine living and cooking areas, extending sitting room rearward and providing adjacent full bathroom, leveling floor surfaces and laying laminate throughout downstairs, siting clothes and dishwashing machines together with microwave and toaster-oven under stairs for ease of operation and to maximise kitchen area space, opening up stairwell, extending landing so providing separate entrance with lobby and large closet for master bedroom, creating balcony over sitting room extension with access from master bedroom through double French doors, restructuring second bedroom closet arrangement to allow more room space, modernisation of original bathroom including provision of electric shower, laying new carpeting on stairway and upstairs throughout, installation of gas central heating, and replacement of all windows with bowed PVC framed double glazed leaded panes. Passing through the front door you enter the living room/kitchen, a feature of which is the coal-effect gas fire, seen to the right. This is intended as the main dining area, though as there is a settee and TV it can also be used as an additional sitting room. Turning left in front of the cloak closet at the end of the living area you pass into the sitting room.
The large settee you behold is in fact a sofa/bed designed to sleep two. The new bathroom is immediately to the right as you enter. Air conditioning is a rarely needed luxury in UK homes, but we have installed ceiling fans in both rooms in the event guests are blessed with hot weather. Returning to the kitchen/living room and turning left you see the stairwell, again on your left. Up you go, and on reaching the landing you see on your left the original bathroom, straight ahead the second bedroom, and to your right the entrance lobby and closet area for the master bedroom. Immediately apparent straight ahead of you is a deep window aspecting the balcony which allows plenty of light into the lobby and onto the mirrored closet doors, the bedroom entrance being to left of this window. A welcoming feature of the master bedroom is a small fireplace, with the added attraction, of course, of the French doors and balcony. Sleeping for two is provided by the rather magnificent four-poster bed, and there is ample drawer space in addition to the closet. The second bedroom is only slightly smaller, sleeping two and giving adequate clothes storage. Going back downstairs turn left at the bottom and you're in the conservatory, on the far side of which is the rear entrance door. Double glazed, the conservatory retains heat in winter but is a veritable suntrap just about any time that heavenly body shines. Go through the door into the garden and you find yourself standing on slabs beyond which is the lawn, an area some 50 feet long and 20 feet wide with extended side edges cultivated and feature planted. At the far end of the garden is the Grand Union Canal, the area between lawn and canal bank being slabbed and gravelled. Walk down the garden to the canal edge and you will see this is a mooring. Turning attention to the right of the cottage, the arbour you see leads to an open area sufficient to park one medium sized car, and probably two small ones. Access from Mill Lane is gated, and full slabbing continued from cottage rear.

Thinks to do in the village:
BARROW-UPON SOAR you will find to be a friendly village. Medium sized it has numerous amenities: supermarket, post office, baker shop, butcher, news agent, hairdresser, medical centre, dentist, and pharm
Navigation Inn as seen from Towpath
acy, just to mention some that are less than ten minutes walk from the cottage. The fish and chip shop, several take-aways, and an excellent Indian restaurant are also within easy walking distance. For more robust refreshment, Barrow is well blessed with pubs - there are six and one hotel. The closest, the Navigation Inn, is just 29½ seconds walk away, and, as the name implies, canal-side. With one possible exception, all are an easy
Nearby Canal Lock
walk. Most provide lunchtime fare, some serving evening meals. One in particular, the Hammer and Pincers, does sumptuous Sunday lunches at very reasonable cost. It takes five minutes to walk to the railway station, where trains can be taken for local destinations. For more extensive travel, a train change has to be made at Leicester or Loughborough.

HOW TO GET HERE
By car, assuming renting at airport of entry, driving times being estimations allowing for average traffic and weather conditions:
from London Gatwick 2h 45m;
from London Heathrow 2h;
from Manchester 2h;
from Birmingham 50m;
from East Midlands 25m;
(There are scheduled services between East Midlands and other airports in the British Isles and Europe, also charter flights to most popular holiday destinations.)

By train from London Gatwick changing at either Luton or Bedford and Leicester. In 2006, however, it should be possible to make the change at London St Pancras, the main station for Leicester.
From London Heathrow, take either Underground to St Pancras, or Heathrow Express - 15 minutes every 15 minutes - to Paddington Station. If using Heathrow Express take the Underground onward to St Pancras (12 minutes), or, if much luggage, then taxi is necessary. Leicester can be reached in just over an hour from St Pancras, where change to a local train will bring you to Barrow.
From Manchester, change is necessary at Birmingham, and possibly Leicester.
From Birmingham, change may be necessary at Leicester.
Click on www.railtrack.co.uk for comprehensive UK rail travel information.

By bus from London Gatwick and London Heathrow service numbers 230 or 240, operated by Flightlink, to Leicester St Margaret's Bus Station and East Midlands Airport respectively. Departures approximately every 2 hours each service, travel times - from Gatwick South Terminal 4h 5m/4h 15m and from Heathrow Central
2h 45m/2h 50m to Leicester and East Midlands respectively. Local buses run from Leicester to Barrow direct, but from East Midlands a change is required in Loughborough.
From Manchester, a change is required in Birmingham to reach Leicester, or Nottingham to reach Loughborough.
From Birmingham, Airbus to city centre (Digbeth Bus Station) then bus to Leicester.
Click on www.gobycoach.com for comprehensive UK bus travel information.

Pickup can be arranged from Leicester, Loughborough, or East Midlands.