Castle Croft Bridge to Nearly Greenforge Lock

The first of the years speeding hire boats passed us this morning as we were finishing breakfast, we realised that they had slowed down to pass us when they moved their throttle into turbo after they’d passed us! We pushed off at a far more leisurely pace just before 11am, all wrapped up as the wind was quite bitter. This however soon dropped and the temperature started to rise throughout the day.

We made our way down Dimmingsdale, Ebstree and Awbridge Locks. It’s eight years since we came through here, the only things I remembered about the stretch were the lock bridges. Some are brick built small arched bridges, you can stand on them to open and close the bottom gates. Others are narrow metal with a handrail on one side, not my favourite. Then the one I really hated eight years ago (I think I did my best to walk all the way round the lock to avoid having to cross it too many times) at Awbridge Lock. This is a narrow metal bridge which originally had no handrail, just the road bridge next to it. For sometime (by the looks of it) there has been a scaffolding handrail attached. You certainly can’t be of chunky stature to get round it, but it did give me some sense of security crossing over it.

All along this stretch someone has been busy adding faces to any post or tree stump that they could find. Eyes and funny noses loom out from the undergrowth and watch you as you work your way through locks. I wonder how many there are?

Arriving at the top of Bratch Locks at 12.45 we decided to work our way down then stop for lunch below and make use of the off side mooring to empty our yellow water tank. Bratch Locks are three separate locks with what seems to be incredibly short pounds in between them. These pounds are deceptive as they go off to the side, a little similar to the side ponds at Watford and Foxton. The top one is visible, but the lower one is out of sight from the locks, through a culvert under the road. I was just checking on how to work the locks when a Lockie appeared from the little brick booth popping on his life jacket. Marvellous some help.

The lockie walked down and set the lower locks for us whilst we filled the top chamber. At Watford and Foxton you have red and white paddles, ‘Red before white and you’ll be alright’. Here you have red and blue, no rhyme was offered (we did try to make one up). Here you open the blue paddles first, these are at the top of the next lock and fill it from the pound in between. Then you open the red paddles which empty the top lock into the pound. Once levels are equalised you open the top gates of the lock below before the bottom of the one above, then move your boat through. The Lockie had already lifted both sets of blue paddles so there was no toing and froing up and down the locks. Emptying the second lock has to be done slowly due to the smallish culvert into the pound. So one paddle is opened and the other left for a while so as not to overwhelm below with water.

Some of the gates don’t want to stay shut so there are hooks and a rope to stop them from swinging open just as you reach the other end of the lock. Quarter of an hour after starting we were at the bottom and I was clambering through the wall to get back to Oleanna.

Once we’d refuelled ourselves and dealt with the wee tank we were off again soon to arrive at Bumble Hole Lock.

Another pootle and we were at Botterham staircase locks. Here we set the two chambers (top full, bottom empty) and worked our way down. The top chamber is deeper than the bottom, so there is an overflow to the side to accommodate the extra water.

Passing a boat in between the locks in Swindon we carried on to above Greenforge lock and aimed to pull in past the caravan park. A line of permanent moorings was ahead of us so we held back and tried to pull in, but the bottom was far to close to the top. It took quite a lot of pushing and engine to get us shifted off the bottom, but Mick succeeded in the end and we managed to find our full depth of water a short distance further on.

Here there are trees that are sideways, not sideways trees, but ones that have started going up but then went sideways before they reached all the way to up. These were quite good fun to climb and coming down was much easier than normal.

Brian on NB Harnser has a good update on how things are progressing with the Middlewich Branch breach. It looks like the boats in the empty pound will be re-floated by the end of the weekend.

12 locks (1 staircase of 2), 6.25 miles, 2 side pounds, 1st Lockie of the year, 1st speeding hire boat, 1 empty wee tank, 1 chilly but warmed up day, 2010 polling station, 3 trees sideways, 1 Diago, 1 Jager!

Park Bridge to Castle Croft Bridge 55, Staffordshire and Worcester Canal

One last jaunt for Tilly in the field this morning after the farmer had been round on his tractor. She almost made it to the wood today, but luckily stopped short to return to the boat, fairly sure if she had discovered the delights there in we would have been staying for another night!

Mid morning Mick gave Finesse a call, we already knew that they wouldn’t be heading out to us this week. He managed to get hold of Chris and had quite a long chat. Hopefully if handovers of new boats go ahead as planned this week we will get to see them before Easter. This meant that we could get moving and plan to be somewhere suitable to meet them on our way to Stourport. We’ve only been on the southern end of the Staff and Worcester once before, so google maps will be our friend. If anyone can think of a mooring close to a layby or car park near to Stourport please let us know, local knowledge is always handy for such things.

So just before midday we pushed off and opened up Nicholsons Guide 2. We’ve been on Guide 4 for what seems like a life time, Guide 2 will do us until mid July.

We pulled in to top up the water tank at Autherely. It was particularly smelly there today. Alongside the canal is a sewage works, an Archimedes screw was working away behind the hedge moving water upwards in the processing plant. All the hire boats were in just leaving enough space to squeeze through to get to the stop lock. Boats were moored on the lock landing being cleaned, serviced and having new curtains hung all ready for the hire season to start at Easter. It was a good job I’d walked from the water point as there was nowhere free to be dropped off at the lock. The lock was set against us, which isn’t a big deal as it must only be a couple of inches. As Oleanna rose we dealt with our rubbish before turning right at the junction and pulling in immediately for some lunch. We were finally off the Shroppie where we’ve been, on one branch or another, since November.

Skirting round Wolverhampton the canal has an urban quality to it for a while. The high up arched bridges come thick and fast, a graffiti artist having done some decorating on one side. At Aldersley Junction we kept going straight on, no Wolverhampton 21 for us this time, our route will bypass Birmingham.

Last time we did this stretch was when we’d had to abort a trip to Droitwich, we’d just found out how much Lillian’s pooh tank held! On a very wet morning we winded and headed to the nearest pumpout at Oxley Marine where we could uncross our legs. Today we don’t have to worry about such things with our composting toilet.

Compton Lock started our descent down to the River Severn. This is the first canal lock James Brindley built and it’s a pretty one. With their Lollipop lock beams and delicate paddle gear (which are a bit stiff!) and narrow brick bridges right next to the bottom gates they really are pretty locks. Oh mustn’t forget about the bywashes with their up turned baskets looking like lobster pots that collect any rubbish.

Two boats came past us as we made our way along the next pound to Wightwick Mill Lock. As much as Wightwick Manor is possibly our favourite National Trust property we didn’t stop there, we want to reach another one that we’ve not managed to visit yet (it’s not always open). So we wound our way a bit further along the canal, where the roads have moved away and there was a field for Tilly to explore before the end of the day. Jotting down our position from the trip computer we at last have moved from grid reference prefix SJ to SO. We’ve been in SJ for months, it stretches form Manchester almost down to Birmingham, we bobbed out of the area when we went to Rugely and on the Caldon

4 locks, 6.97 miles, 1 full water tank, 1 big stink, 1 right, 1 straight on, 1 small gap to squeeze through, 2 chilly hands, 1 rendezvous in the making, 1 disappointing outside!

Wheaton Aston

A couple of inches of snow joined us to the towpath this morning. There was nowhere near as much as we had in December up on the Llangollen. Mick went out to clear the solar panel and check on the fat balls in the hedge.

Tilly became very brave and ventured ashore. There had to be some friends in need of assistance below the white stuff. She didn’t find any and the wind put her off being out for any length of time, so instead she spent much of the day crouched down by the windows keeping an eye on the fat balls and those that came to feed from them.

An incognito hire boat came past, all it’s crew wrapped up the best they could against the elements. The engine was slowed, they were going to wind. The winding hole has a boat moored along one side of it and we are on the last rings on the towpath side, so swinging the stern of a boat round with the wind we had today needed to be timed well and done with some umph to get the stern round far enough for the wind to help rather than hinder. Try as they did the wind just held them along side the moored boat. The chap at the helm wasn’t giving the throttle enough to get them off. Poles came out and a lot of pushing was going on, crew jumped off the front with poles too, still no luck. In the end after much discussion between themselves, and watching on our part, they reversed back and then swung the bow towards the towpath, at last giving the engine some umph they turned the boat sufficiently to get the bow to turn with the aid of the wind. Congratulations all round, especially as they hadn’t crashed into anyone, just a bit of gentle nudging of the boat in the winding hole.

After sorting out a supermarket delivery, we settled down to watch some telly and after watching about a colossal hotel in Singapore with a swimming pool on the 54th floor roof (you’d never get me in there!) we then watched a classic Black and White movie. Sunday afternoon flicks all cosy and warm. In homage to my Hitchcock season quiz last year, when I spent all day everyday sat on the sofa with my broken ankle, I took a couple of photos. Can you name the film? We’d never seen it before but it is a classic and very funny.

Across the way on the side of the chicken shed is a banner advertising Momtaj Spice, the village’s Indian Restaurant. The offer on the banner was for a meal for £9.95 Sunday and Thursday. I had a look on their facebook page and there was another offer for 50% off food when you dine in. We decided to give them a go and risked the crunchy pavements to walk to the other end of the village.

Positioned above a pub you walk in through what feels like the back door and up a chilly staircase. A warm welcome greeted us and we were shown to a large table which they moved to nearer a radiator for us to warm up and melt. There was only one other couple seated , so not the busiest of nights for them. The huge menu took some reading, especially the dishes we’d not heard of before. We chose a Lamb Rogan Josh, Mushroom Bahji and a Chicken Palak. Everything was very nice especially the Palak which we’d not come across before. Some Indian chilled medication finished off our meal and with the 50% off it was well worth the very chilly walk there and back. Highly recommended, especially if you check their facebook page for any offers.

0 locks, 0 miles, 2 inches, 4 paws, 1 tail still attached, 3 moving boats, 7 attempts to wind, 3 fat balls, £250 a night to £3500 for a suite, 1 classic, 3 famous faces, 2 false starts, 1 scalping, 1 puddle, 2 cobras, 2 poppadums, 1 pickle tray, 2 curries, 1 side, 2 rice, 1 kulfi, 1 cheese cake! 50% off very nice.

Wheaton Aston

The wind gradually grew last night and did it’s best to keep us awake, but we managed to get some shut eye. We woke to snow in the air, followed by sunshine, followed by snow, by sun etc. for much of the day. The snow melted almost as soon as it hit the ground, well until the sun went down when the world started to gradually whiten around us.

Mick popped to the OneStop shop for our Saturday paper and some bacon whilst Tilly tried to brave the gusts of wind. She didn’t venture far and came home frequently to warm up and have a snooze.

The days two main tasks other than staying warm were baking and photograph hunting.

I

’ve been wanting to try out a gluten free Hot Cross Bun recipe for a couple of years, but they involved so much rising time that it had put me off, also last year I didn’t want to stand in the galley with my broken ankle for long. So today was the day. The recipe was for ten buns, so I halved it so that we’d not get bored of them after all there was a chance that they wouldn’t be tasty. I still don’t trust gluten free recipes to come out risen and with flavour other than that of potato.

There tends to be little or no kneading required, which is just as well as the dough tends to be far far stickier than conventional bread dough. The recipe suggested mixing the dry and wet ingredients together with a folk and then a light knead to remove any streaks with your hand. I kept on going with the folk instead, I’ve been covered in gluten free gloop too many times now, it takes a lot of time to remove it! Sitting on the bread rising shelf for an hour it doubled, fruit (apple and cranberry, no flies or slugs in my buns!) and spices mixed in and left to rise again for another hour. Next came the tricksy bit splitting it into five and rolling into bun shapes. With some added flour and a spatula I actually managed to not cover the whole work surface with dough and could still make out each digit on my hands, for once they hadn’t become a doughy webbed mass. The tray I chose to bake them on was small enough to sit on the rising shelf, where they were left for another hour to prove.

My Mum used to make Hot Cross Buns with marzipan crosses on the top, which I adopted along with adding a small blob in the centre a few years ago. Today I left out the blob in the centre knowing that the added taste wouldn’t be worth the added stickyness and swearing. Tilly was helping watch so they naturally became Hot Paw Buns and her efforts came out far better than expected, the paw prints stayed put. Once baked and a sugar glaze added they were left to slightly cool before we sampled them. Verdict very good. They have the slight dryness that gluten free flour tends to give things, but the addition of buckwheat flour means that they don’t taste as potatoey as they would otherwise. Next time I just need to remember to cover them with foil for the last five minutes so the paws/crosses don’t get burnt.

During the three hours waiting for the buns to rise we hunted through digital photos on our computers and facebook. There is to be a celebration of the life of Mick Hughes at the National Theatre on what would have been his 80th birthday. We won’t be able to attend, but wanted to add to the photographic presentation of his life if we could. Having our old kitchen computer on board meant that we had quite a lot of photos to go through. I managed to find a few show photos that he’d been Lighting Designer on and one or two from social occasions. He always used to make the effort, despite living on the south coast he joined us in Scarborough for weddings and birthdays.

If anyone wants details for either the celebration at the National or wants to add their own photos let me know and I’ll pass on the link.

This also meant that we came across photos from way back, including one of me holding onto the centre line of NB Winding Down on our first trip out on her. This was taken at The Queueing Lock in September 2009, more commonly known as Minshull Lock on the Middlewich Branch. I suspect the queues there won’t be as big this summer. There are even rumours that C&RT might close the locks on the branch to help manage the water whilst works are on going at the breach site. Hope they let all those in the marinas out who are wanting to head off on their summer cruises. Today a fish rescue was mounted in the almost empty pound, getting on for 10,000 fish were caught and released into the Trent and Mersey canal.

0 locks, 0 miles, 17 snow flurries, 1 newspaper, –1C outside, 1 warm cosy boat, 2 chilly for cat bums! 4 hot paw buns, 1 hot cross bun, 5 photos, 10,000 fish, 4lb eel, 3 hours of photographic memories.

Norbury Junction to Wheaton Aston Winding Hole

We woke this morning to pictures all over facebook of a breach that had occurred on the Middlewich Branch overnight. If you are a boater you are more than likely to have already heard about this, but other readers won’t have. I’ve taken the photos from various sources on facebook so it’s hard to know who to credit.

“A short section of embankment containing the Shropshire Union Canal, Middlewich Branch, has collapsed overnight, causing water to drain from the canal into the river below. Our emergency engineers were on site all night dealing with the breach, and the canal is currently drained between Stanthorne Lock and Wardle Lock, on the south side of Middlewich town centre, a distance of just over three quarters of a mile. The towpath has also been closed along this stretch. Between 15 and 20 boats are within the drained section and we’ll be contacting all the owners today with offers of assistance.
Engineers are on site now trying to understand the cause of the breach and will be making an initial assessment regarding how to progress repairs, likely timescales and costs.” C&RT information from facebook.

The pictures of the breach kept on appearing during the day from various angles, up high from a drone, below the aqueduct where it had happened, from the towpath (brave people to stand there). One boat was very close to the incident and the chap on board was helped onto dry land by the police in the middle of the night. We know of one Carefree Cruising boat that is in the pound. The chap on board got up to make a cuppa and wondered why the boat was listing, looked out the window to see no water. Luckily no one was hurt.

The Middlewich Branch connects the Trent and Mersey Canal to the Shropshire Union Canal and forms part of a popular cruising ring called the Four Counties Ring. At the moment the Cheshire Ring, another popular cruise is closed due to a lock on the Marple Flight being rebuilt, this is currently due to reopen at the beginning of May . These closures mean that many boaters will have to rethink their summer cruises. Hire companies in the area may well loose custom.

There are rumours that C&RT plan to put in means for single file traffic so that the navigation can reopen for the summer, closing over winter for a more permanent repair. These rumours are suggesting it will reopen in 3 weeks! Just sorting out an engineering solution, then getting it to site will take a lot longer surely.

Fortunately for us we were well away from the area. We may have to look for a new Bonfire Night mooring for this year though. Where we have been the last two years is in the pound above the now drained one. We could get to the mooring overlooking the flashes, but the reverse to the nearest winding hole would be over a mile and through four bridges. Anyhow we haven’t planned on where we’ll be come November yet.

Once we’d put down our phones and turned off the computer we started to continue on our way. Today was meant to be wet, but we only had the odd small shower. The sky had enough blue for a table cloth as we pootled along the remainder of the pound to Wheaton Aston. Through Gnosall and Cowley Tunnel (all of 81 yards) where it’s not worth going into tunnel mode. A tree had fallen at the entrance and a group of high vis clad chaps were waiting to put a floating pontoon into the cut to gain access to it, but there was enough room to get round so it didn’t bother us.

Along more embankments and through  cuttings where the tree canopy created a guard of honour for us to pass through. Many flowers were out, daffodils, crocus and primroses brightening up the banks, hope they survive the weekend. Day boats came towards us, managing to regain control and stop zigzagging to keep a straight course as we crossed bows.

On reaching Wheaton Aston we pulled over onto the mooring by Turners Garage. Here they sell Red Diesel for farm use and to boats. The original owner when he first took over the garage supplied his friends and then he opened it up for other boaters. Here the diesel is some of the cheapest on the network and we’d be foolish to pass by without filling up. If it had been in the summer we’d most probably not have filled up a couple of weeks ago as the price was 62.9p compared to 76p on NB Halsall.

I walked over the bridge to see what moorings were available, there were two so we pulled through the bridge and positioned ourselves furthest away from the road bridge as we could. With the forecast being for strong winds and temperatures around freezing with snow, we shall stay put for the weekend. We have a service block in front of us, shops in the village and plenty of coal to keep us warm.

0 locks, 1 in view though, 7.48 miles, 1 short tunnel, 71.55 litres, 1 gas bottle still gasping it’s last flames, 1 very funny tree, 2nd towpath with vans!  2 useful shops, 1 gardeners crack, 1 paper on order for tomorrow, 1 very big hole in Cheshire, 20 dry bottoms.

One side of Norbury Junction to the other side of Norbury Junction

With one empty bottle of gas and another soon to finish we decided to get a new one today from the Wharf here, hoping to replace the second one from NB Halsall when next they pass. The forecast for the day was for showers so we hoped we’d not get too wet. After breakfast we got on with a few chores, mostly to do with our toilet. Then as the rain seemed to have stopped we decided to pull through the bridge and head for the diesel point for a bottle of LPG. A couple of boats had passed us this morning and one of them had beaten us to the wharf.

We pulled in in front of the Junction Pub, tied Oleanna up with her centre line and started to wait. Across the way they were having the works, pump out, diesel, and a bottle of gas, so we patiently waited. The boat runs helmsman courses, the couple on the course had been sent off for a coffee to the cafe whilst the boat was being filled and emptied. We waited. One job after another was done and when all was in hand the tutor disappeared into the chandlers to pay. We waited. The couple returned and stood around. We and they waited. She went off to use the facilities. We waited. She came back. We waited. They took photos of each other. We waited. She went into the shop to buy something. We waited, both of us stood looking across, but obviously invisible. At least it wasn’t raining!

At last the tutor came out from the chandlers with a shiny new windlass and a pot of stern gland greaser. Hooray! He put the lid back on the gas locker, chatted to the couple. We waited, still invisible. He then disappeared down below. We waited. Just what was he doing down there? We waited and waited and waited, then gave up. Over an hour had passed, so we decided to give them some space, we didn’t want to hassle them! So with loud comments from Mick (in a Geraghty manner) such as ‘We’ll go to Wheaton Aston for diesel then!’, which fell on deaf ears, we moved on to the water point.

Ten minutes or so later the students were down below and the tutor moved the boat away and headed southwards. Once Oleanna had had a good drink we pushed ourselves over to the wharf, our waiting was over. Except they were all on lunch! This was a far shorter wait and we soon had a bottle of gas. Mick rearranged the gas locker so that the nearly empty bottle would be the easiest to get out next. Now that we were done, the heavens opened up just as we pushed off! We’d considered staying put for an hour to have our own lunch, but thought that would be unfair on anyone wanting to use the services.

Not far on we pulled in with a view from the embankment, let Tilly out to enjoy the rain. Despite the sun coming out we decided to stay put for the day and move on again tomorrow.

Today is the anniversary of Oleanna being craned into the water in Sheffield, getting a wet bottom. She’s had a year of floating, minus a few hours out of the water in a dry dock. So because of this we headed to the Junction Inn for a meal in the evening. On Thursdays they do a special offer of a couple of main courses and a bottle of wine for £25. Sadly we hadn’t spotted this before we ordered a couple of pints. We both had a burger and chips, mine with a gluten free bun, and enjoyed our meal.

0 locks, 0.21 miles, 1 empty pooh bucket, 1 empty wee tank, 2 empty bins, 1 full water tank, 1+ hours waiting, 1+ hour lost on a training course, 1 new gas bottle, 3 hours of embankment frolics, 2 burgers and chips, 2 pints, 2 puddings back at the boat, 1 year of Oleanna floating.

Norbury Junction

A busy morning giving Oleanna a clean and spruce up as we had visitors coming to meet her. Mick hoovered throughout whilst I finished baking a Bakewell Tart and removed as much of Tilly’s fur from curtains and upholstery as possible. The summer duvet was packed away again under the bed, now surplus to requirements. It may have to resurface at the weekend though if ‘The Beast II’ comes our way.

With as much fur and dust removed as possible we both made use of the copious amounts of hot water and gave ourselves a spruce up too. We were ready for them. Just a shame they had had to turn round back towards home!

We first met Alison and Laura a couple of summers ago on the Chesterfield Canal (link to Lillian’s blog). We ended up spending weeks with them and cruising the tidal Trent and Ouse together. Last year we called in to see them at Great Haywood Marina where they had moored for the winter. It had been good to meet them, (link to Lillian’s blog) but ended up with me visiting A&E in Stafford with a broken ankle! Last year they cruised the Kennet and Avon, bought a house in Shropshire, sold NB Large Marge and moved back onto land at the end of the year. Since then they have had a list of things go wrong with their house, the latest being the Rayburn stopping working. Today we’d arranged to meet them for lunch  at The Junction Inn, but they’d had to turn round to let a Rayburn engineer into their house. Still determined to meet Oleanna they turned round again and came to meet us, sadly a bit late for lunch.

It was the first time they’d been on a boat since selling NB Large Marge. I think they were suitably impressed with Oleanna, Alison at one point suggesting a house swap.

Tilly had been kept in so that she could say hello, But they’d come without my tasty friend! No point in staying in if Jaffa wasn’t with them. They had a full guided tour, when the conversation could be steered back to the matter in hand! Plenty to talk about and catch up on. After about three hours we all managed to breath again as we walked them to their car, to make sure that they both left, I think Alison would have tried to stow away if we’d let her.

It was lovely to see them again and hopefully we’ll meet up when we’re further south near Worcester later this year.

We waved them goodbye and carefully made our way back to Oleanna. This visit we’d survived without injury.Just hope their Rayburn was mended when they got home.

0 locks, 0 miles, 1 attempt at a pub lunch, 2 visits from an engineer, 2 pilots, 1 bakewell tart, 0 Jaffa, 1 chuntering cat, 2 Margees, 0 Marge, 2 home owners with a pump out!