Category Archives: Bridges

Flippers. 30th September

Clarence Mill to Bancroft Bridge 8

Damp and windy and cold. Padded waterproof trousers are back in fashion on NB Oleanna. The stove is lit and has been kept in over night for the last couple of days. If we didn’t have places to be we wouldn’t have moved today. Well that isn’t strictly true as we were moored under trees and with big winds that’s not such a good idea.

Skew curves

We pootled along under Sugar Lane Bridge that is a very skew. I checked that the Christmas tree near by hadn’t already got it’s Christmas hat on and I’m glad to report it hasn’t yet.

There she is

Along the straight from Bridge 24 to 21 I kept an eye out for the view of White Nancy, high above Bollington. Today she was hard to photograph as she melded into the grey white cloud. A local focal point and place of celebration for Bollington which on a clear day has fantastic views to the west, and to the east.

Whistling power

With the wind came the humming and whistling of power lines above. The fox gloves that last year filled wooded areas with purple of course are nowhere to be seen.

Slowly through the bridge hole

The occasional moving boat battled against the wind, at least we had it behind us for much of the morning. Speed helps you to keep on course in the wind, which was slightly alarming as we came through Bridge 20 where we could only manage to crawl due to depth as a zooming boat headed for us round a bend. They of course had to slow right down, we couldn’t get out of the way with any speed as we had none.

Caught them up

By Lyme View Marina the shiny side of NB Blanche glinted at us moored just off the end of the visitor moorings. NB Pukeko, a Narrowcraft boat sat on it’s moorings as did the boat at the end of the line with it’s 746 Ivory telephone.

On a little ledge near their bow an array of pots all surrounded with muscle shells. Are there muscles around here and if so, what creature likes to eat them?

At the aqueduct following Bridge 17 there was a long line of C&RT work boats. Today we’d seen patches of towpath reinforced with sandbags, but here there was far more than a patch. The whole bend is having sandbag reinforcing added.

Flippin heck!

At Higher Poynton we pulled in at the water point. A pair of flippers left alongside it, how random! The thought that someone had even considered snorkelling in the canal was mind boggling. We filled our tank, disposed of rubbish and looked over the bridge at the new Braidbar Boats all in grey awaiting fitout.

Mick gave Oleanna’s cabin side a hose down, our mooring last night had been a gritty one and with bouncing rain we’d got a good spattering from the towpath. Then we were on our way again.

Hello! One day we’ll get to meet your crew

A wave to NB Cleddau and NB Bethany May whom we’ve been leapfrogging for the last few days. I wonder what proportion of moored boats at Poynton were made by Braidbar?

Past The Cage at Lyme Park, the tractors and great collection of all sorts of things at Bridge 13. The chap here said ‘people just keep giving me stuff!’

Quick blast of reverse every now and again to clear your prop

Onwards though our first real leaf porridge of autumn.

Stockport down there

We decided to stop before Marple, views through the hedge over towards Stockport and armco to tie to. No big trees to blow onto us and here would be a better place for Tilly. The morning was meant to have been a wet one, but the rain had held off until we were moored up, just in time for Tilly to enjoy!

A bridge from earlier in the day

This afternoon as well as getting more accurate prices for black flooring for #unit21 I also baked a rather chocolatey pudding for tomorrow. I’d not had a 9 inch round cake tin with a solid base, so reduced the quantities by a third and used a bread tin instead. I suspect the amount of chocolate, sugar, butter and eggs that went into it guarantee it to be very rich. So there should be enough for 5.

0 locks, 6.21 miles,1 gritty boat, 0 foxgloves, 1 white nancy, 0 hats, 2 flippers, 1 full water tank, 0 rubbish, 1 cleddau, 3 tractors, 52 horse shoes, 1 wizard, 4 chums, 16 or 18m? 1 very wet afternoon, 1 baked mass of chocolate.

https://goo.gl/maps/qGL19CvmLmQRfTft5

Recipe

Several people have asked me for the recipe for Apple Crumble Flapjack. We find it’s much easier to eat with a fork, but maybe that’s because I add quite a lot of apple. Enjoy!

Maybe I should add a page to the blog with recipes?!

She Swallowed A…. 29th September

Gurnett Aqueduct to Clarence Mill

I’m growing concerned for my safety.

The other day She was complaining that a fly had flown at speed into her mouth. Then a day or two later as She drank her cup of tea she suddenly spat it out, a large spider was lurking in the depths of her mug! So far I’ve not noticed any birds being consumed, but they may have chicken tonight. I’m keeping my distance, just in case.

If you don’t hear from me again I’ll have been sent in to sort things out!

A curvy accommodation bridge

Slow progress at times along the summit pound today. The levels have been down up here, but this morning it only looked to be an inch lower than the overflow at the aqueduct. At one point we were passing another boat to find both of us were sat on the bottom!

We pootled our way through Macclesfield, familiar local boats from our winter up here five years ago. Bridge 43 is another roving bridge with a high wall concealing an accommodation bridge nestled up alongside it.

The off side vegetation was getting a strim as we crossed above the houses. Then we hunkered down under the big wall that holds the top part of Macclesfield away from the canal.

The site where a culvert had problems a few months ago is only obvious now by the new mortar in amongst the stones of the canal bank, a new top to the dry stone wall and a large pile of aggregate hiding behind. The canal was closed for sometime earlier this year.

At least it hasn’t taken as long as the wall by Black Road Bridge. This used to hold someone’s garden up off the towpath and has gradually disintegrated through the years. At least this towpath closure is sturdier than the one in Wolverhampton that people just ignored.

Passed the Hovis Mill the 1 day moorings were just about full, we’ve very rarely seen boats moored here as it’s been hard to pull in and you are requested not to run your engine. The pontoon moorings were full, the end boat being NB Rosie out for a cruise from Teapot Hall.

Hills

As we pootled along we discussed a topic that people often ask. Which is your favourite canal? Well our favourite mooring is above Bank Newton Locks, the curley wurlys on the Leeds Liverpool. But is our favourite canal the Macc? A lovely flight of locks, little industry, great hills and views, a reliable coal boat to look after you, the beautiful bridges. It might just be our favourite.

Clark Lane Bridge

A strange noise could be heard as we reached the far side of Macclesfield. Raaaag aaaandd Boooooonnne! As we moved round the tone of the call changed, Rag and Bone through a loud hailer was echoing around the streets.

A little porch

Then Clark Lane Bridge curls the towpath back to the otherside, at Kerridge someone has built themselves a little porch.

Adelphi Mill, Bollington

Then as it started to rain a little bit more heavily we came round under Greens Bridge to the sight of the Adelphi Mill. Today lots of room on the visitor moorings, but we were after pulling in at Bollington Wharf, their service mooring empty.

A Bollington Day Boat

A chap was having a couple of containers filled with red diesel and chatted to Ann Marie. Then it was our turn to fill up Oleanna’s tank, the price higher than we’d paid at Hawne Basin a few weeks ago, but that’s hardly surprising. This morning Bollington Wharf had had a delivery, the price per litre having risen by 8p. Last Saturday they’d had a bit of a rush on with four boats queued up for a top up. Brian arrived and sorted out five bags of coal for us, positioning them on our roof mats as low as he could get them. If you are ever on the Macc this is where to come for a top up of diesel or bits of work that need doing. Last year they mended a gas locker hinge for us whilst we waited. There is also NB Alton that does a fortnightly run along the summit pound, so they will come to you. They certainly looked after us the winter we were here.

The bright colours of the diesel pump and day boats cheered up a thoroughly wet day. Nice to have a catch up too.

Clarence Mill

We pushed off and now hoped for a space on the embankment by the aqueduct. This was chocka block, not even a nudge around would have made enough space for us. But luckily round the bend in the shadow of Clarence Mill the newish bollards were empty. We pulled up and claimed them.

Handy bollards

Whilst finishing battening down the hatches for the day, an alarm sounded. Not the sound of Mick pressing the button to stop the engine, it was a different pitch. ‘That’s not meant to happen is it?’ ‘No’ The engine was over heating, just as well Mick was about to turn it off. This first happened on the Thames a couple of years ago, a loose pipe connecting the calorifier to the engine. It had come loose again , therefore there wasn’t enough water in the cooling system.

Everyone round here loves White Nancy

We managed a shopping trip down to the Co-op to stock up on chocolate between showers and then just left Tilly to explore the wet outside for the remainder of the afternoon. She did her best to get really quite soggy. I revisited the budget for #unit21, still need an updated price on a couple of things. News came through from Chippy that sight lines had been checked with a mock up of a tower made from cardboard and that my paint order had been placed. So at least I’ll have lots of lovely colours to play with.

Could this be our nosy neighbour from this evening?

Later in the afternoon Mick lifted the engine boards and sure enough the pipe was loose again. He checks this and tightens it on every service. The next service is due in 40 hours. So maybe an in between services check is required.

It turns out that there is at least one train driver who keeps a note of passing boaters in Stoke. Thank you Michael for your email. We’ll keep a beady eye open for you when we’re next on your patch and wave until you see us. Michael’s boat was one of those stuck in Goole this year, hope the move up the Ouse wasn’t too wet and windy for you today.

0 locks, 4.58 miles, 88 litres, 0 panic buying, 1 feline visitor twice, 2nd time being very nosy, 100kg coal, 530grams dark chocolate, 500grams granulated sugar, 1 rag and bone, 1 alarm, 1 loose pipe, 1 wet day.

https://goo.gl/maps/FSxo8jMVoL7MvKnU8

The C Word. 27th September

Hall Green Lock to Bosley Bottom Lock 12

No rush this morning, mainly because it was raining! We laid in bed with our Saturday newspaper as the temperature outside dropped, it was cold. Other boaters were out and about. We heard the click click click of the lock paddle gear being wound a few times. On one occasion this was soon followed by shouting, the sound of an engine that got closer far too quickly to be passing moored boats and the approach to a lock! We peeked out of the window to see a boat very close to us. Then the name came past as the chap at the helm carried on shouting to the boat that was leaving the lock to leave the gates open. It was the ramming boat from the Staffs and Worcester the other day. Inside Oleanna we both used the same expletive.

We pulled back and filled the water tank as the rain eased off and eventually the sun came out. Hooray! We have a schedule to keep to and need to do around 4 hours a day, come rain or shine, so it was better that it was shining.

Autumn

Today we pootled onwards, the long pound all nine miles of it heading towards Bosley Locks. Currently there are time restrictions on the locks to help conserve water on the summit pound so we’d not be able to pass up the locks today. Our aim however was to moor on the River Dane Aqueduct so as to be ready for the flight in the morning.

Moo!

With a zoom meeting arranged with the Production Manager of panto we needed to keep going and not stop for lunch, which suited Tilly better.

Curvy

Soon we were going under the first of the lovely bridges. Oh those curves!

Mow Cop, one day we’ll go up there

A first glimpse of Mow Cop, maybe next time we’ll actually walk up there if we can find enough puff.

Curves

Bridge 87 not only has the lovely curves, it also is built on a skew and for some reason the stonework seems to be more eroded than on other bridges. Maybe the stone came from a softer layer.

Ramsdell Hall and Tilly’s railings. We’d thought of carrying on to moor here yesterday, but chances were that it would have been full when we got here. Of course today it was far too early to stop at such a nice mooring.

Framed curves

The curvy bridges come thick and fast, all lined up, framing the view up the canal and themselves.

Maybe Billy was a tight rope walker

Billy Tights Bridge still makes us wonder how it got it’s name. He sounds like he should have been part of Mr Kites performing troop on Sergeant Peppers Lonely Heart Club Band. PS this used to be a swing bridge.

Lamberts Lane Bridge 77 is the first snake/roving bridge. Not quite as pleasing as those in Macclesfield and Marple but a good preview of what’s to come. The great white wall of Congleton then shows it’s face opposite the visitor moorings.

Today a large bough of tree lay across the towpath and into the canal. Last nights wind must have brought this down. Already parts of it had been sawn up and stowed on the bows of surrounding boats. Thankfully it doesn’t look like anyone had been moored beneath it.

Over the aqueduct to bridge 76 another snake bridge, followed by a busy stretch of moorings below the pub. Bridges after bridges follow, criss crossing road and rail high above us.

A long straight stretches out in front. In the distance we could see a boat heading away from us, then one coming towards. The water point had a couple of work boats tied at the end, a large pile of dark aggregate looked like it was going to be loaded for towpath works.

I waved, but no Ben Tom

We passed a boat with a snoozing cat in the cratch, could that have been Betty or Olga? Shame not to have seen Ben to say hello.

Blanche back on her mooring

At Crossley Hall Farm, where the painted cow used to sit, I was glad to see NB Blanche on it’s mooring. Boatwif’s blog of a few days ago had suggested the boat no longer moored there, but they must have been out and about. A great shame the cow has gone though.

Moo cows

Coming towards us had been several boats over the last hour or so and we half expected there to be a few moored below the Bosley Flight. One boat faced away from the locks at the end of the moorings, the rest was empty. Just where to pull up? I suggested we should sit at the end nearest the locks, claiming pole position for the morning. The views still pretty good.

A while after we arrived the hire boat we’d followed through the tunnel yesterday arrived, shouting to make themselves heard over their engine. They were getting ready to climb the flight. Mick popped out to give them the bad news that the locks were closed. ‘WHAT!’ was the reply. He then mentioned it was to do with saving water and the lady calmed down a touch. They’d been wanting to reach Macclesfield before winding to return to Stone, if they waited till the morning for the locks they wouldn’t have enough time to get back to base. After a while they ascended the first lock winded and headed back towards Congleton a pint at the pub to console themselves.

Pole position

Time to get ready for my zoom meeting, which got postponed by an hour. Mick made himself scarce as had Tilly so that there were no distractions. Finally I had a meeting that could/should have happened at least a month ago. Details of the set finally being discussed. Currently there is nowhere for me to do a weeks painting booked. One possible in a village nearer Banbury than Chipping Norton, ideal if the boat was on the South Oxford this year, but not so good when she’ll be much much further north.

Tilly and The Cloud

If anyone knows of a dry, reasonably warm space with lights and water near Chipping Norton that I could use for a weeks painting from the 18th October, please shout out. I’m clean and tidy and would make you some sausage rolls as a thank you!

PS The C word today was Curve

We’ve got Owain back!

0 locks, 8.78 miles, 44 bridges, 1 wet start, 1 dry day, 1 full water tank, 220 curves, 3.5 hours! 2 pounds low, 5 sets of gates closed, 4m or 4.15m? 4 or 5 D rings? 1 problematic sight line, 1st in line for the morning, 1st top bought, 0 other boats.

https://goo.gl/maps/nhhizBxX962sT8Py6

Geeses Goosing. 24th September

Swivel Bridge 108 to Stone Bottom Lock winding hole, Trent and Mersey

Great Haywood Junction ahead

I left Mick to push off by himself this morning as I walked up to the junction of the Staffordshire and Worcester with the Trent and Mersey Canal. Just round the bend was a little green boat, bunting up, signs out, Kay was setting up to trade over the weekend.

Kay on NB Pea Green has had a busy summer teaming up with another boat from Napton, NB Corridor, and has cruised from Welford on the Leicester Section, up to the Shropie and then has carried on up to Ellesmere Port on her own, doing pop up shops at weekends. I met Kay via Instagram a few years back, today was the second time we’d met face to face, but there was still plenty to talk about.

Kay paints and sells canal ware and other things with traditional roses and castles. Being a painter I can appreciate the skill and technique that goes into her work, a Bucky Can can take ten days to paint. But Kay also has two Master Degrees in History, her love of the past sings out in her Instagram posts and blogs during the winter.

Kay on Pea Green

We had a great catch up as she set up her shop for the days trading. When someone came to talk Buckby Cans I slid away leaving her to it, by which time Mick had turned left at the junction and managed to slot straight onto the water point as another boat pulled away.

Which way?

Mick headed to the Elsan with the yellow water as the other water tank filled. I disposed of the rubbish in the bins. Last time I’d been around the bins I’d just returned from Stafford Hospital with a boot and crutches for my broken ankle, the Margees helped out that day by moving Lillian to and from the services and then demonstrating their skills on crutches. Today the aroma from the pump out machine was still toe curling!

Northward bound

Boats came past, came out from the junction, some wanting water others a mooring, plenty of space in front of Kay. We pushed off again leaving the water point queue to sort itself out behind us.

Hello Percy

As we passed Great Haywood Marina we spied NB Percy who’s here for a short stint for blacking and a survey. Soon we reached Hoo Mill Lock. One boat was waiting to go up another to come down, I helped them both then it was our turn. Some serious pruning has been going on around the lock.

On the Ingestre Visitor Moorings there was a boat with crochet stars around its bow doors and filled with woolly sunflowers. Maybe this is where the hearts on lock beams come from, fresh ones at the locks today.

Someone has created several tree houses further up which look in better nick than the showman’s caravan.

Joining the queue

We joined the back of a queue at Weston Lock and I went up to help. With no boats waiting above we left a ten second gap for one to appear around the bend before closing the top gate to drop the lock ready for the next boat. By the time it was our turn another boat was waiting behind us. The Four Counties Ring seems to be more popular in the anti clockwise direction at the moment.

Buzzy buzz buzz

Bees were being busy both in the hedgerows and at their hives. Ivy flowers seem to be very popular with them at the moment, all the hedges are are buzzing!

Dramatic colours

Dark clouds, green fields and sunshine make for dramatic views at this time of year, we were quite glad that no rain followed.

Salt Bridge and a check on Dante as we passed on our way to Sandon Lock. At the lock a green fence now sits on top of the little wall by the bottom gates, this was cordoned off for ages but now looks neat and tidy.

Gaggling gaggles

Being back on the Trent and Mersey Canal means Canadian Geese, they always seem to swarm round this canal. Fields were full of them bickering, we suggested that maybe they should just ‘Go home and stop stealing our geese’s goosing!’

Approaching Aston Marina, soon to be the new home of NB Winding Down, the bow of another Carefree Shareboat came out from the exit. They disturbed a gaggle of geese as they turned towards Stone and the entrance to the marina. They must have been to fill with diesel and have a pump out and were now returning to their mooring, Aston Marina is one way with the services in the middle.

Aston Lock with the half way mile marker between Preston Brook and Shardlow. The little hut just over the wall is still one of my favourite things on the T&M. I’d quite like to live in there with the fire going.

My Little hut

Approaching Stone I hopped off to walk ahead to spy for moorings. Nothing available on the first stretch, I called back to Mick suggesting pulling in at the end of the moored boats whilst I walked on towards Star Lock in case. Nothing was free up that end so we’d be the end boat for the night. Tilly was quite happy about this as there was a good selection of trees. She was a bit miffed at only being allowed an hour and a half though!

4 locks, 9.62 miles, 1 left, 1 long chat, 1 Monty inside, 1 full water tank, 1 empty wee tank, 1 stinking service point, 1 constant queue, 1 duck with 4 legs, 2 many geese, 1 Dante, 1 cow, 0 spaces.

https://goo.gl/maps/kPfv5gqPrcTg1SUi9

Just Like A Car Park. 23rd September

Roseford Bridge 94 to Swivel Bridge 108

Not a bad mooring

We had to wait to pull out this morning, boats coming in both directions, there had already been about eight boats go past heading northwards, most now familiar as we keep leapfrogging them. Eventually we pushed off and arrived behind NB First Dawn a BCBM share boat at Deptmore Lock. We helped lock them down then bring another up before it was our turn.

Hi Dawn

The morning was lovely, sun with a touch of cloud, the boat ahead had similar ideas to us, if there was space at Tixall Wide we’d stop for the day, if not we’d continue to the Trent and Mersey.

Passing Stafford Boat Club, NB Festina Lente was moored online, we’ve never met them but said hello as we passed, nobody heard us. Then the odd pram cover on NB Malakarti came into view, this was one of the last Steve Hudson boats to be built and the original owners discovered that their Huskies got seasick, so it was sold on fairly quickly. It is one of the boats that we got to see a lot of during Lockdown 1 as it was moored on Nantwich Aqueduct all the time.

Once past Radford Bridge I was onto slightly unfamiliar water. Our first cruise along here on NB Winding Down I’d had to jump ship for a day to head to Hull Truck for a read through, leaving Mick and his sister Kath to carry on to Stone. Another occasion I’d just broken my ankle, so was confined to quarters with Tilly, Mick single handing above. This is also a stretch where I seem to get busy below as it’s a good break between locks. On one occasion Mick remembers wafts of stew coming from below at 9:30am as I popped things in a slow cooker. Another time he thinks I was doing some work below. So maybe today is the first time I’ve actually been up top.

The sign to RCR was familiar but not the Stafford Riverway Link, the lock down to it currently being worked on.

Train

I’d never seen the homemade train by NB Abba.

Milford Bridge is a roving bridge, with almost full curving lines, but still not as pretty as the Macc bridges. Across the River Sow Aqueduct I did a Gyles (Gyles Brandreth on Great Canal Journeys), ducking my head to avoid the view.

I suppose

Soon we arrived at Tixall Lock, the cream paint of the lock cottage glowing in the sunshine. We helped NB First Dawn down, as the weather was so nice they had decided to carry on to the T&M, we’d also leap frogged several other boats that had passed us this morning, maybe there might be space for us at Tixall Wide?!

Tixall Lock

Our approach to the wide summed up what the stretch of popular moorings would be like. Some boats moored nose to tail, others having gaps both in front and behind. On such a popular mooring if we pulled into a big gap we’d certainly have pulled up to the next boat and not plonked ourselves in the middle. We’d also nudge up if we found ourselves left with git gaps after other boats had moved on.

Looking back

There were two possible gaps we might have squeezed into, but it all felt like a giant car park for boats, did we really want to squeeze in, we know that the view is lovely, but! It didn’t take us long to decide to continue onwards leaving the masses.

There was space just after Swivel Bridge so we pulled in mooring at the end of a piece of armco leaving space between us and the bridge. Tilly was given 4.5 hours shore leave. We think she liked it as she didn’t return for two hours, then missed dingding time!

Time to be home Tilly!

The whirligig was put to good use with two loads of washing drying and I sat down to get my head around what paint I needed to order for panto. Quite a long list and one I need to try to prune a touch before emailing it onwards. One thing that I discovered is that you can at last get Bio Glitter from a well known theatrical chandlers. I’ve avoided using glitter as it is so bad for the environment, but this year I’ll be adding a little bit of sparkle to the walk down set.

2 locks, 6.15 miles, 1 train, 1 Gyles, 1 car park, 7 git gaps, 2 tight squeezes, 1 mooring on our own, until late afternoon, 2 loads washing, 4.5 hours which turned into 6! 1 grounded Tilly, 2 many colours, ÂŁ8.83 glitter, 5 chums, 1 Mrs Tilly stamp of approval, 1 failed rugby tackle.

https://goo.gl/maps/bQQGSuUCbDp8gVv16

Staring Down The Barrel Of A Gun. 19th September

Dudley Port Basin to Wolverhampton Tunnel

Last nights mooring

It was just starting to stop raining when the Sainsburys van arrived, the young chap brought our order over to the boat where it was loaded in through the side hatch. Once everything was stowed we finished off breakfast then made ready to push off, timing it perfectly with the sun coming out.

Hello!

We’d just turned to face the entrance when a new shiny red Bickerstaff boat cruised past, there were waves all round. No-one was coming so we were straight out of the basin and heading north west.

With the sun out and the water being so clear the bottom of the canal looked like the back drop for a Disney film, all aqua blue lily pads waving at us from the depths. Just how long would it stay like this for? We’ve been hearing of masses of weed towards Wolverhampton and boats having to stop every hundred yards to clear their prop, but for now we enjoyed being able to see the bottom.

Soon to be a new bridge

Coneygree Rail Bridge has been removed, it looks like the Wednesbury to Brierley Hill extension of the Metro will be using the crossing with a purpose built structure.

On the off side a duck sits on top of a cannon defending it’s landing and swing seat. Tipton Junction and we turned right, not able to see how many boats were nestled by the Black Country Museum. No boats at John The Locks Moorings, maybe we’d already seen the only boat we’d see today.

Nobody coming up Factory Locks, another route up from the Birmingham level. There’s a large area of building rubble on the off side. Was this here early last year? Or is it new? We couldn’t remember.

Coseley Tunnel next, not long at 329m, a towpath on each side, three cyclists to our starboard and a waterfall to our port side. Straight on at Deepfields Junction, the Bradley Arm still to be ticked off the BCN list.

Don’t stray from path

Now we started to meet the weed, a distinct channel has been cut through by boats, stick to it and you may be okay, venture off it and you’ll be down the weedhatch guaranteed!

Beep beep! Anyone home?

Round a few more bends, another boat come into view. Straight away we knew who it was and what they were likely to be doing. Mike and Christine on NB Alchemy have been enjoying the Curley Wurley over the last few days, we’d not been sure where our paths would cross, but now we knew. We bipped our horn. No sign of movement. Another two bipps, still nothing. The front door was open, gang plank deployed, hopefully they’d not been kidnapped!

Hopefully our paths will cross again next year, somewhere, sometime

Then Mike’s head appeared from the stern, he’d of course been down the weedhatch, not only weed but a long length of plastic had wrapped itself around the drive shaft. We loitered to have a chat. No wind blowing us off course today and no passing boats so we managed quite a lengthy conversation, which was disturbed by a hire boat coming round the bend. We moved over to let the boat come past meaning we ended up towards the off side, Mick indicated which side to pass us on and hand signals came back.

As they passed us one chap asked when they’d get back out into the open, we think he meant the countryside, Mick said well you’re headed for Birmingham. The chap seemed to be puzzled by that, just about any countryside from here would be a days cruise away, we wondered if they had a map?

Conspiracy graffiti

We waved goodbye to Mike and Christine, then discovered we’d got stuck in the shallow off side. Boat pole was retrieved from the roof and Mick tried to push Oleanna off, but the silt below was so deep the pole just kept going into it. A bit of rocking, reversing and eventually we managed to get moving again, only to be stopped by something around our propeller just around the bend. Where we drifted to seemed to be a popular place to dump thick weed from propellers.

I love this structure

Back on the move we soon arrived at Horsely Fields Junction, here we turned right onto the Wyrley and Essington Canal and into the narrow channel with buddleia and other bushes growing across it. Up ahead two chaps came into view staring straight towards us. They were nestled amongst cars piled high in a scrap yard. One chap sat on the wall, in front of him a white plastic container, resting on this was a rifle!

Who’d have guessed there’d be a rifle pointing at us

Hang on! Hang on!! That rifle was pointing towards us! I was stood at the bow so would be first in the line of fire! I smiled and said hello, keeping calm. As we got closer the chaps kept staring, thankfully past me and just to the right of Mick. Phew! ‘What have you got in your sights?’ I asked. ‘Rats!’

As it says Urban Moorings

Just past the gunmen is Urban Moorings. We pulled up alongside the first moored boat. Early last year we had a night here on their visitor mooring, currently occupied, and had a full guided tour of the moorings. Lots has changed since then, there are more wooden buildings and more planned, lots and lots of plants growing everywhere. As last year we had a very warm welcome.

Fred in with the flowers

A few days ago we’d called ahead to see if we could off load the solids from our separating toilet, adding them to their now established compost bins. They can accommodate those who pass by, but not every boater in the West Midlands turning up in cars! They now have four bins built out of railway sleepers which seem to have enough insulation that the contents are always warm, therefore the composting process is speeded up somewhat. The first bin from a year ago is being used in flower beds, the compost is so rich that they are having to mix it with top soil, their flower beds look very happy on it.

Michaelmas Daisies

We left them with a cash donation towards their future plans and twelve babies from our wild strawberry plants that I’d just pruned from the second trough this morning. With permission and guidance we were allowed to wind at the end of the island. This isn’t marked as a winding hole as the end of the island used to be pointed, jutting out quite a way, it now hides below the surface for the unsuspecting. Directions were to turn as if we were heading down past the boats in the arm and not to drift towards the submerged point. Mick took his time, churning up black from the depths and slowly got us round. Thank you ladies, maybe see you next year.

There’s a pointy bit lurking beneath the water

Back to the junction we turned right towards Wolverhampton. Here the towpath has been closed for the last week due to an unstable wall. Well I say closed, but you’d never know it was, cyclists and walkers quite happily getting past the fencing at both ends. The fence nearer Wolverhampton sticks out across the cut and looked really quite unstable.

Right please

We pulled in on the offside mooring, not needing to go anywhere tonight here would be fine for us. The ivy clad wall did however mean that Tilly would spend the next few hours complaining at not being allowed shore leave. We ignored her, preferring her complaints to worrying as she climbed up towards the ring road!

That looks safe!

Tonight we enjoyed a leg of lamb with all the accompaniments. We’ll still be enjoying it for a few more days as there is plenty left.

It’s rubbish this! LET ME OUT!!!!

0 locks, 6.9 miles, 3 lefts, 2 rights, 1 straight on, 1 wind, 1 tunnel, 1 blogging boat, 1 clogged prop, 6ft of silt, 2 buckets, 4 hot bins, 107 babies, 12 given to a good home, 0.5 leg of lamb, 1 off side mooring, 1 mardy cat.

https://goo.gl/maps/rGUUVc4jPgPukAAh6

The Right Left. 17th September

Sheepcote Street Bridge to Coombeswood Canal Trust, Dudley No 2

Goodbye BUMingham

An early start, well almost, slightly delayed by an incident whilst moving a bucket off our roof. All I can say is that the contents were a lot easier to clear up than those from any other type of boat toilet and as it was a secondary bucket there was no smell whatsoever.

Cloaked in cloud

Time to say goodbye to Birmingham, the tops of the buildings hiding in the morning cloud. We decided to make a slight detour on our way out of the city. Mick had once taken Lillian around the Soho Loop whilst I had been out show shopping so it was only right for Oleanna to follow the old line around the loop.

Soho Loop

The first stretch was as urban as I’d imagined, a building sight on the island and a graffiti wall alongside the towpath. Then things started to green up a touch. Then the tone of Oleanna’s engine changed. Mick tried a blast of reverse, but no this wasn’t going to get rid of what ever we’d just caught on the prop. Oleanna drifted towards the towpath, but then bumped into something under the water a couple of times, then she found herself listing on what ever it was. No chance of getting into the side now. Engine off and the propmate was put to work clearing black sacking.

We continued round missing going up to Hockley Port, after all we’d made an early start for a reason, that little jaunt can wait for another time to fill with water. As we approached Winson Green Junction a chap with white head phones walked over the bridge closely followed by an excited ginger and white cat. Dad’s home!!!! We turned back onto the Main Line and continued to head North West.

Hello Ghost! this years tag

Junctions old and not so old went past. The older ones left over from 1827 when Thomas Telford straightened out the Old Main Line reducing travel times. Lots of the loops were left to service existing factories and wharfs, others over time have been blocked off and built over.

Over flowing from above

At Smethwick Junction you can head up three locks to stay on the Old Main Line at the Wolverhampton Level or continue along the New Main Line the two canals sitting quite close together before the Old Line crosses over the New under the M5 and wanders off south westerly. Today the level on the Old Main Line must have been good, we don’t remember water cascading down what must be an overspill.

Now the canal stretches out straight ahead, Gauging stations (speed bumps) slowing passage down splitting the canal in two. Long reaching bridges span across the water and towpath. In the cuttings high up bridges tower above, one of them being platforms for Smethwick Station.

The water on board would now be hot so I left Mick to cruise the straight line and headed below for a shower. He was left with instructions to find the right left, not the left right. Navigation around the BCN can be so confusing!

A Blackberry jungle up above

I was back up top in time to make sure he made the correct turn at Dudley Port Junction down towards Netherton Tunnel. Long straddling tendrils hung over the opening of the north portal, bet there are some good blackberries above!

Despite Netherton Tunnel being 2776m long you can easily see right through. Today we could just make out the shape of a boat ahead of us, the first moving boat we’d seen. It took us half an hour to reach day light at the other end. Our second moving boat came into view now, just making the turn left at Windmill End, the way we were going.

A boat!

The Dudley No 2 can be shallow in parts, some bridge holes awkward as your boat becomes unresponsive to the tiller. We followed NB Jasper at a reasonable distance, were they heading this way for the same reason as us? Or do they moor down here?

Toll Man Was Ere

Luke Perry’s informative sculptures keep you amused, my favourites are the Toll Man spraying his mark on his dilapidated office and keep your eyes open for coots about the place on walls and in bridge holes.

Two boats!

When we reached Gosty Hill Tunnel the boat we’d followed through Netherton were mooring up alongside the busy road and the boat that was directly in front of us was now gradually making progress through the tight fitting tunnel. We pulled up still in day light our bow just about inside the portal and waited. Not being able to see the stern of the boat in front we wanted to give them plenty of space, so we waited a good five minutes to make sure they were well on their way.

Waiting

Gosty Hill Tunnel starts off reasonably high, but then there is a big step down in the roof. This is why we’d taken the bucket off the roof and the top off the chimney, however there was still plenty of inches above the grabrails and horns.

Time to duck

Out on the far side we pulled up just before the Coombeswood Canal Trust permanent moorings for some lunch. This would hopefully give the boat ahead time to fill with diesel or get back on their mooring. However NB Mr Bojangles came past, soon followed by another boat. Only one boat came back past us, so all we could assume was that the others were returning to their moorings.

A tight turn that many have missed

We pootled up and turned through the tight bridge, a couple of moored boats sticking out across our path, but Mick expertly got past them. NB Mr Bojangles was on the diesel point but we were invited to pull alongside. They were making full use of the facilities before returning back to their mooring in the morning. They lent us heir hose so we could fill with water and the diesel was easy, but emptying our yellow water would be a touch problematic breasted up.

The very helpful lady from the basin suggested we could pull up on a vacant mooring just outside the basin to pump into our container and then use the elsan. Then as Mick paid for the diesel she asked if we’d like to stay the night on the mooring too.

To encourage boaters to use the canal down to Hawne Basin the trust not only has the cheapest diesel on the network (currently 65p a litre) but if they have space available you can moor there for free for a week, any longer then it’s ÂŁ4 a night.

What’s down here?

We pulled back out of the basin and pulled as far in onto the available mooring as we could, the lady coming to help us. A very friendly reception and somewhere suitable to let Tilly out.

What’s under here?

Rules were read then the front door was left open for her to come and go. She went this way then that, then checked over the bridge. This outside is SO much better than the last two! Can we keep this one?

Just going over there

0 locks, 12.17 miles, 6 straights, 2 lefts, 3 rights, 2 tunnels, 8 mysterons, 3 moving boats, 6 herons, 118 litres, 1 full water tank, 1 empty wee tank, 1 free mooring, 3 hours, 1 Mrs Tilly stamp of approval.

https://goo.gl/maps/WKiL67Lt1SSEcqbH7

‘I Thought I Was Going To Drown!’ 13th September

Damson Parkway Bridge 78A to Cast Iron Roving Bridge, Birmingham

Now yesterday I said we’d be starting our ascent into Birmingham this morning, well before we could start the climb there was a matter of cruising almost 6.5 miles before we actually dropped down 12.92 m, then we could start our ascent.

Birdies

An alarm was set and there were no cuppas in bed this morning, tea was had with breakfast. Surprisingly a boat came past a little before 8am, but it was a C&RT tug parting the water as it went, hopefully it wouldn’t be going as far as Camp Hill Locks.

Back in 2015 this route out of Birmingham seemed to take forever, we’d come down and up the locks and then cruised for what felt like an absolute age before we reached Catherine De Barnes all the time wondering if there’d be any space for us. Heading the other way still took time but today there was plenty to look at as C&RT work boats numbered many.

Diddy paddle power

On a floating pontoon sat a generator and attached to it were some little paddle motors. We thought that maybe these could be used where the depth is very shallow on the off side, they almost looked like they were a new section for Mouse Trap. A tug was moving more of these along to a new site.

Dredging was happening at two sites, well one chap was engrossed with his phone, another had a tug with it that had to be moved out of the way to let us pass. All very busy.

Two bridges becoming one

Soon we started to see red gates and panels on the bridges, these are so that the fire brigade can drop their hoses into the canal should they need to. At Bridge 82 there are actually two Bridge 82s. Once they have crossed the canal they join together. One the far side of the bridge someone has painted Kingfishers and Herons.

I’d just been remarking about graffiti artists and what a shame it was that they didn’t start off with their masterpieces and had to practice their tag so many times. Back in February 2019 we got to see the evolution of Ghost from scrawled tag to multicoloured art work around the northern parts of the BCN, then there was one of his, an intermediate tag quite close to Top Cat.

Tyseley Waste Bridge 88A

Passing through Tyseley all you can see is the large incineration plant and the bridge that leads to it. Once the area was known for it’s tube works which attracted numerous bicycle and motorcycle manufacturers. I used to have a Dawes Bicycle which was made here.

Camp Hill Service block

Up ahead modern tall buildings appeared as we passed old factories and warehouses, all showing blocked up windows and archways from decades of change and decline. Then our first lock came into view, the top of the Camp Hill flight. Alongside the top lock is a service block with all facilities, we pulled in to top up on water, empty the yellow water, dispose of rubbish and give Tilly’s pooh box a refresh as she’s likely to be using it more than she has been recently.

Camp Hill Lock 1

With a handcuff key in my back pocket and windlasses at the ready we could start on the locks. The top lock was empty which meant unless top gates leaked most of the flight would be empty too. I lifted a paddle and then walked down to lift a paddle at the next lock so that it could be filling as we made our way down. We soon got into our stride, me setting the next lock ahead as Mick lifted a paddle on the lock with Oleanna. I then walked back to open and close gates. Most locks had handrails on the bottom gates enabling me to kick them open, then Mick helped to close the offside gate with a pole, saving a lot of walking round.

No escape from scrawl

Walking ahead at Lock 3 there is a big pool as the canal curves round under road bridges. There was the bow of a boat ahead, was it moving or just moored up? It was moving, an Aqua Hire boat, so I walked back to set Mick free the next three locks now in our favour.

Big chunks of steel sit alongside gates on these locks and boast their age, still going since 1891.

Around Lock 6 is surrounded by graffiti. Some good, some not so. Having time to read some of it I realised a lot was in memory of Jason. Was Jason a graffiti writer or a local lad who died at the locks?

Straight on

Straight on for us at Bordesley Junction.

Looking back, to the left still uncharted water to us

The canal to our right, the continuation of the Grand Union Canal, is still one to tick off the list on the BCN. We cruised on to Digbeth Junction now on the GU Digbeth Branch.

By Warwick Bar there is building work ongoing. Most of the area is listed, so buildings are being refurbished for new uses. Residential and food outlets will dominate, the area being transformed due to the proximity of HS2. Through the bar itself with double gates at each end, then a right at Digbeth Junction leaving the Typoo Basin behind us and now on the Birmingham and Fazeley Digbeth Branch.

All of a sudden we were greeted with floating rubbish, earlier in the morning we’d seen a lady litter picking whilst feeding the ducks, it looks like the entrance to Curzon Street Tunnel could do with several like minded people.

HS2 works going on behind
Old and new infront

Building work surrounds you as you come out of the other side of the tunnel. Six years ago it was Birmingham City University buildings going up, now added into the mix is HS2 which will cross the canal over the bottom lock of the Ashted Flight.

Mid flight

The locks were all full, so now we started with our uphill routine, the locks however were mostly close enough together for me to come back and close the top gate instead of Mick stopping to close it. The bottom gates are now also single gates, so no kicking to open them or walking round required, just a little bit more umph!

Between Locks 1 and 2 there is a tunnel, a renowned tunnel! Six years ago Lillian lost a nav light here having come down the lock and being a touch too close to the offside, it really was a horrible grating crunching noise. Today I wished Mick luck and left him to close up at Lock 2 as I walked through the tunnel to lock 1 to empty it and then sit and wait.

Waiting

Below Mick had a passing thought, maybe he should drop the level of the pound a bit to increase the air draught in the tunnel. The top of the chimney was removed and a bucket of toilet solids was moved into the well deck, just in case! The tunnel light went on along with the nav lights, from the far end I could at last see Oleanna making slow progress through the tunnel.

Mind the bump

The handrail along the towpath is beefy wood and mentally pushes you towards the offside wall. But today Mick blocked that out. I could hear the bowthruster nudging the bow away from the wall, from my position it almost looked as if Oleanna was crabbing her way through the tunnel, there isn’t enough width for this to have happened. Slowly they made progress a bulge in the wall very obvious to me towards the northern end. Out came Oleanna’s bow, both nav lights still in tact, hooray!

A scuff or two

Up she rose in the lock, Mick giving the pram cover a checking over. Had the tunnel struck again and damaged the fabric? As Oleanna came up to the top the damage could be seen more clearly. The fabric had a few scuffs from the tunnel wall/roof, but more to the point was a scratch along the grab rail. Then we noticed another and another, some of them right down to bare steel! Mick should have listened to that little voice in his head and dropped the level of the pound. Ashted Tunnel had struck again!

Bu**er!

A pause for lunch on the bollards just through the next bridge was finished with a slice of chocolate banana loaf to help us up the last flight of the day, Farmers Bridge.

At Ashton Junction we turned left onto the Birmingham and Fazeley Canal, a right would have us descending locks again heading towards Spaghetti Junction. Left however meant thirteen locks and arriving into the heart of the canal system of Birmingham at Cambrian Wharf and Old Turn Junction.

Farmers Bridge Bottom lock

The bottom two locks are slightly set apart from the others, so I wouldn’t be returning to close gates behind Oleanna. Just after I’d lifted the paddles on Lock 12 we could see a volunteer walking towards us, he’d come to tell us to leave the gates open as a boat was heading down. We swapped with them in the next pound and the volunteer continued on downhill.

Beam on the off side

Lock 11 has it’s bottom gate beam on the off side and as I stood there waiting for Mick to bring Oleanna into the lock a man walked up, climbed over a low wall on the off side and then walked down the steps below the lock. It was fairly obvious that he was looking for somewhere a touch out of view, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a rizla packet. I closed the gate to the lock and was about to walk up to the top paddles to fill it when the chap came back up the steps.

Bywash at Lock 11

‘Are you going to fill down there?’ he said in a slightly alarmed voice pointing to the pound below the lock. ‘No just where my boat is’. I could see the relief on his face ‘I thought I was going to drown!’ He returned down the steps now knowing he’d stay dry to smoke his spliff in peace.

Now we were in the thick of the flight and the locks ahead empty or just about. So it was easy to start filling a lock and walk up to open the gate on the one above, then return to close the gate behind Mick. The volunteer walked back up the flight, not stopping to help us directly, but instead he opened up the locks ahead of us as he climbed back up the hill, a great help. Thank you.

Gate open and waiting

We were on a roll now up the flight, each lock waiting for us.

The locks under buildings are quite atmospheric, modern architecture meeting old transport. The lock under a bridge even more so. Above here masses of scaffolding engulfs the buildings, cladding work going on. Extra supports over the canal have had to be fixed to pillars on the existing building to hold the scaffolding up. In a weeks time the towpath down the flight will be shut for even more scaffolding to be erected.

At lock 6 we were greeted with the bottom gate shut. Maybe the volunteer didn’t want to set too far ahead of us. But as I emptied it the reason became clear quite quickly, the top gates leaked a lot, so in the time we’d take to get there the pound above would have emptied itself. The lock above was also full for a similar reason.

A touch of a leak

Then I spied a downhill boat coming out of lock 2. We could now leave gates open for them, we rose up lock 4 and waited for them. Plenty of crew on hand to work NB Kew down the flight, but it being a full length boat time was taken to position her in the lock, the tiller pulled right across and tied in position the arm removed so as not to snag on the lock walls. We wondered how far they would get before dark and which way they were heading.

Up the last of todays locks, we’d reached Birmingham, now we had to find a space. Back in February 2020 this had not really been a problem, but today spaces were few. One space in the corner of Cambrian Wharf, it can be shallow in that corner and awkward to get into.

Top of Farmers Bridge Locks

Oozells Street Loop was chocka. There was one space left towards Sheepcote Bridge, but would it be big enough for us.

One space left

We pulled in, a chap from NB Chyandour came out to take our centre rope. We touched both at the bow and stern, slightly overlapping to be truthful, but neither of our neighbours minded.

Oh Blimey! BUMingham again! At least the small sideways trees have a touch more cover to them this time!

BUMingham bricks!

Time to dig out the sand paper and primer, get something on the grab rails before the rain brings with it rust and makes the job a bigger one. I chipped off loose paint, sanded back the gouges and applied a coat of primer. I’d intended repainting the grabrails this year, but time is now running out both weather wise and before panto starts. So a patch up will have to suffice for this winter. Hopefully in the next few days there won’t be constant rain so I can get undercoat and top coat on it too.

Tweaked in

25 Locks, 9.73 miles, 1 straight, 1 right, 2 lefts, 2 tunnels, 12.92m down, 35.9m up, 4 paddle boats, 2 dredgers, 2 tugs, 1 full water tank, 1 empty wee tank, 1 clean pooh box, 3 boats met, 2 slices cake, 1 volunteer, 1 weed smoking survivor, 6 inches too long, 1 cosy mooring, 1 disappointed cat.

https://goo.gl/maps/SShBALoBLemZ2d7X9

The Pie Diet Advantage. 11th September

Black Boy Bridge 69 to Kixley Lane Bridge 72

You’d know Sandra was coming

Topics of conversation this morning on the Geraghty zoom, breakfast parties, the B&B at Wigrams Turn and living with someone who isn’t there. We have a sound engineer in the family who is currently busy at the New York Open working for Eurosport.

We decided to nudge on uphill a bit today. At bridge 70 we passed the Kings Arms a slightly more expensive pub for food than that of The Black Boy. Here bridge 70 has been half painted cream. With the effort to reach the centre line I’m surprised they didn’t finish the job.

Knowle Locks just coming into view

After about a mile we could see Knowle Locks rising up the hill ahead of us. We’ve been down them before once but never gone up and it would be a first time for Oleanna on the flight.

At the bottom looking up

The locks are positioned so that if there is any wind anywhere in the UK it will also be here, ready to push your boat off course. Jackie from NB Mad Hatter had suggested the other day that it was safer to open both gates making it safer to move from lock to lock. The walk round the wide pounds between locks makes it just that bit far to walk back and forth to open and close gates or set ahead if there are only two of you, so I was relieved to see blue t-shirts about the flight.

Back against the side

Two volunteers walked up to the bottom lock, one lady left to wind a paddle, the other walked uphill. I opened the bottom gate, Mick entered and sat by the off side wall. The lady was about to lift the opposite paddle. Mick suggested it would be better to lift the same side paddle, to which she replied ‘Oh you only need to do one paddle on these’. Did she know that Knowle Locks are counter intuitive? Or did she not know that opening the paddle on the same side as your boat normally makes for a smoother passage up a lock? It was the latter! I managed to open my paddle quicker bringing Oleanna back to the side she’d started off at.

The next lock was being set for us and a gate opened ready for Mick to transit across the pound. After closing the gate I walked up to the top paddles for the lock and started to wind the same side paddle. It was a little bit stiff, but no more than any at Hatton or Stockton. The volunteer asked if I wanted him to do it, well, thank you, but no thank you. I love doing locks, especially if they are a bit of a challenge at times, with it being Oleanna’s first time through Knowle I wanted to work the locks even more and would have felt deprived if the volunteers had just taken over. He understood and left me to it, having a chat instead.

Waiting for the lock to empty

Above the lady waited and waited before emptying the third lock. In fact she waited for the lock gate to be open on our lock. I walked round the wide pound and could see she was really struggling with the paddle. I offered to wind the paddle, my long reach windlass and diet giving me more of a pie advantage to lift the stiff paddle. It rose, the lock emptied and the volunteers moved on up to the next in the flight.

Big wide pound

I opened the bottom gate then very quickly realised that the wind was now a factor and rushed round to the other side to open the other gate as Oleanna was being blown right across and might even miss the entrance to the lock all together. We managed to rectify the situation.

A touch of blue in the sky

Fourth lock and both gates were waiting open for us, phew! The number of volunteers on the flight was at least six and we were only their third boat of the day. Another volunteer headed to the top lock and started to empty it as Mick crossed the pound between the third and fourth locks. Water started to pour over the by washes, so much for saving water!

Nearly in BUMingham!

At the top lock we now had three volunteers, two at the bottom gates and one at a top paddle. Mick pointed in my direction requesting that the same side paddle be wound first, the chap on the other side stopped and waited before Mick gave him a nod when the lock was about half full, Oleanna sat comfortably to one side of the lock and rose.

More volunteers than boats today

By the top lock was a blue gazebo, the Knowle Society had joined with C&RT to have a stand at the locks today as it is the first day of Heritage Open Days. This runs for ten days each year in September. It’s well worth checking the website for possible places to visit. Three years ago we visited numerous places in Leamington Spa and Warwick that you don’t normally get chance to see and the year before in Preston we got to walk round the Egyptian balcony in the Harris Museum.

Todays mooring

We pootled on a short distance to near Kixley Lane Bridge, this would do us for the day. Once Tilly had had her initial explore and we’d had lunch we walked into Knowle for a touch of shopping.

Not quite Lillian coloured

The first building you come across is a very jolly house. Yellow walls, red front door, green window frames and the garage door is bright blue around the corner. It could nearly be a house painted by @lucyknit, but then again it’s a little bit tame for her.

A village cricket match was on going, the nearest thing Mick would be getting to test cricket this weekend! We called in at Tescos for a few things and then found our way to Knowle Parish Church. Here today you could climb the tower (part of Heritage Open Days), but only until 3pm and it was 3pm. We had a look around inside.

Knowle Parish Church

The original church was consecrated 1403 and was saved during the reformation by the villagers pleading that crossing the River Blyth to reach the church in Hampton was often impossible due to flooding. Through the centuries extensions were built, an organ loft, south aisle and the tower increased in height.

Inside

The first bells (three) were hung in 1687, these were recast for Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubliee and by 1931 the church had eight bells.

In the soldiers chapel there is a fine stained glass window but the walls caught my eye more. Here stencilled artwork covers the walls in an almost William Morris style. Stained glass windows from various eras cast coloured light throughout the building. My favourite by Heaton, Butler and Bayne, a Pre Raphaelite window depicting George and the Dragon.

5 locks, 1.56 miles only, 7 vlockies, 1 paddle, 0 pies, 0 life jacket, 2 gates, 139 for 8, 3pm, 1 Saturday newspaper, 1 sound engineer in NY, 2031 leaves finished, 1557 to go.

https://goo.gl/maps/UQwCsqzexpdW2gV47

Twenty Two Turns. 9th September

Wedgenock Park Bridge 50 to Rowington Hill Bridge 62

A couple of boats came past as we had breakfast, heading towards Hatton. We didn’t rush, on days like today what would be would be. The locks could all be set against us, we may have a partnering boat or not, the forecast thunderstorms may drench us or not. One thing in our favour though was that the temperature had dropped.

Not going that way this time

As we were rolling up the covers (remembering that shade brings bird pooh!) a boat came up the lock behind, as it came past, Mick and the chap at the helm had a quick chat. If nobody was waiting below the first lock they would wait for us, we wouldn’t be long.

Just peeking out from behind the gate

NB Mad Hatter sat in the bottom lock waiting for us, a C&RT work boat having come through a little while earlier. Could this mean that at least some locks would be in our favour? We’d see.

Going up

Richard and Jackie moor at Kate Hire Boats and were just setting off for a three week cruise. Their mooring is close to home, but to go anywhere they either have to do Hatton (21 locks) or Stockton (23 locks), we were with an experienced crew.

Up the first lock we started to sort out what to do and what not to do, a rhythm would soon be set after a few locks. Jackie and I lifted the top paddles, then she walked on up to the next lock to get it set and open, I stayed behind to open a gate whilst one of the chaps dropped the other paddle as the other brought their boat out, then I’d close up and walk on to the next lock, where Jackie and I swapped sides meaning I’d walk up to the next lock, a bit of leap frogging.

The first five or so locks are set at a bit of a distance to each other, as I walked to the third lock I could see someone in blue, a volunteer. He looked in my direction then turned and wound a paddle up to fill the lock. What would be would be. ‘Good Morning’, I said, he turned, ‘Ah you’ve got a windlass!’

Lock above just starting to empty

There was no boat to be seen, a zoom in on the camera and I just spotted one boat coming down with another volunteer. I was asked to leave both top gates open when we left the next few locks as a pair were heading down a couple of locks behind. Off he went to carry on setting the locks a little bit too far ahead!

The boats waiting below

Jackie and I locked the single hander down and we were then on our way again. Following instructions we left both gates open, but where were the boats? All of us were a little bit nervous at leaving so many gates wide open, some of the locks tend to drain themselves so if left too long pounds could be drained. The volunteers would soon be heading back up so hopefully if there was a problem they’d close up and sort things.

Ugly Bridge with its flying beasty

Under Ugly Bridge I wondered why it had the name as it’s built pretty much like the others on the flight?

Lock 29

Then at last the down hill pair came into view. Their emptying lock had already more than half filled the lock below, water flowing over the top gates, so I assisted with the filling and lifted a paddle. A chap came down and asked if we were heading up or down, ‘Up’. He looked at me as if I was stupid. ‘Well why are you filling it?’ ‘Because it was more in your favour than ours’. ‘Ah!’ came his reply.

Breasted up

Their boats were breasted up, meaning both gates needed to be opened so nobody was going ahead to set the next lock ready, so it must have speeded up their descent having the next four locks sat waiting for them.

On upwards we continued. Someone once said that twenty two turns on these paddle gears is all you need to do. They only tend to turn one or two more times, but by then you are not adding anything to the flow of water, so you may as well save your arms from the extra work.

Another swapping of locks

Spied up ahead was another volunteer coming downhill with a cruiser, so we could leave gates again.

Jackie at Middle Lock Bridge

Past Middle Lock Bridge comes the thick of the flight, half way up. Jackie and Richard swapped over and we soon had the assistance from two volunteers who were heading back towards base for their lunch, all giving us an extra boost uphill.

Heading into the thick of the flight

Now with four of us working the locks both gates could be opened and closed, the next lock being made ready. I teamed up with Richard one of the volunteers and had quite a chat as we walked from lock to lock. He volunteers two days a week on the flight, but that will soon change as he’ll be moving to Leamington Spa.

Looking ahead

During the Commonwealth Games next year bowling will be held in Leamington Spa and C&RT have been given some money to champion the waterways. He’d walked the three miles yesterday and thought there was only one stretch that was not so good, by the scrap yard. C&RT are hoping to be able to gain Green Flag status for the stretch. Richard was very enthusiastic and if he couldn’t be on a boat then just being by the canal was almost as good. He was also a very handy addition to our locking team.

The view back to Warwick. I think Mick rang the bell at that church 3 years ago

We passed another single boat coming down, followed a few locks later by an Anglo Welsh boat. With only four more locks to go we lost our extra assistance as the volunteers headed off for lunch, at least the end was almost within sight.

The closer we got to the cafe near the top the more gongoozlers we picked up. A gentle breeze that had started was becoming stronger, welcome to those working the locks but not to those moving the boats.

Rope throwing

I had to set a few gongoozler comments straight as Jackie brought Mad Hatter into one of the locks, the wind making it hard to shimmy over to make room for Mick through the one open gate, then a rope got caught round a mushroom, all just one of those things.

Autumn starting to show itself

I got asked how long it had taken to do the flight. I in all honesty had no idea. I gave up wearing a watch seven years ago and hadn’t noted the time as we entered the bottom lock, counting how many locks are left only seems to make the matter in hand harder, so I save such things for the trip computer to do.

So nearly there

The last two locks needed emptying, I think they were the first that hadn’t been in or almost in our favour in the whole flight. Lifting the bottom paddle on the second to last lock I suddenly ran out of fuel. The extra toast this morning had kept me going up the flight, but now my tank was just about empty, the paddle winding slowed. A last bit of umph and we were up the top lock.

At the top

Thank you Jackie and Richard for your company up the flight. Thank you to the volunteers ( apart from the one who turned a lock on us!). Thank you to the thunderstorms that held off, it was only just starting to drizzle as we reached the top few locks. 2 hours 38 minutes, quite a reasonable time. We waved goodbye to NB Mad Hatter who were stopping for water and carried on to find a mooring for the day.

Shrewley Tunnel came as the rain was starting to increase in strength. But staying dry inside the tunnel isn’t possible as there are quite a few pissers from the sides and roof. Maybe with a bit of careful positioning we could have given Oleanna a rinse down to get rid of the dust she’d accumulated over the last few days, but more importantly the bird pooh!

Embankment mooring

There was space on the embankment above Rowington, we pulled in and let Tilly out to explore the thick friendly cover. She was kept busy for quite a while, even the heavier rain didn’t deter her for sometime. But as dingding time came closer she decided she’d had enough and came in to wait for the bell to ring.

Busy now!

This afternoon we’ve been planning where to go next. Timings with lodgers and panto are making things a touch complicated for us this year. But we now have a plan, let’s just hope the canals ahead of us keep open and don’t throw us a curve ball.

21 locks, 5.76 miles, 700.65 miles this year, so far, 22 turns unless distracted, 1 tunnel, 18 year boat owners, 6 passed, 1 turned, 2 full, 2hrs 38 minutes, 1 mooring with a view, 3 bookings, 0 room at the inn, 0 thunderstorms yet!

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