We we were dead lucky with the weather yesterday not getting wet, from the TV reports other places in the midlands got around 40mm of rain, We did get heavy rain overnight and this morning the canal was a few inches higher, this was grass not water when we moored up last night.
The weather was much different from yesterday, bright and clear with a slight chill in the wind. We were away at 10 and soon passing Alvechurch Marina where a boat was just being lifted from the water, probably for a survey as it had a for sale notice in the window.
The held the operation while we passed and then continued once we were on our way, it was a very slow lift.
Ahead of us lay Shortwood tunnel, this is another fully bricked two way tunnel but today we didn’t meet anyone.
There was a serious land slip at the south portal of this tunnel earlier this year and the bank is now supported but ton bags of ballast.
A short way after this we passed the old Anglo Welsh yard, they closed it earlier this year and apart from a moored boat and a van, it stands empty.
Only a few hundred yards passed this and you come to Tardebigge Tunnel, this one is brick for about half its length and then the rest is cut from paw rock. We couldn’t go much further as its not far to the top of the Tardebigge flight of lock and once you set off down the flight there is no where to turn for 34 locks and then we would have to come back up again. The wharf here by the winding hole where we turned, is one of the few places for segregate recycling waste. Last time we were this way, this old full length Narrowboat hull was a floating patio outside the canal side property. Now its a sunk patio and the property has just been sold.
I spent quite a bit of time photographing bushes where a few seconds earlier there had been a Kingfisher sitting, this was the only one where I timed it correctly.
Looking across the fields we could see this stand of conifers, interestingly they were neatly trimmed for almost half their height and then left wild.
We were of course by now retracing our step and heading north again. On the offside on the edge of someone’s garden I spotted this canal company sign that would have marked the companies boundary, so half the edge wall is on the canal companies land.
If you know what the letters stand for please lit me know, it looks like SND & C & B NC.
The Floating Pennywort is getting quite a hold in places and of course when bits get broken off they float away and start another colony.
In the distance we could see HMP Hewell its some complex and houses over 1000 male inmates.
Coming back past Alvechurch Marina the boat being lifted was high and dry sitting on blocks, it has rather a strange stern IMO. It also looked quite shallow draft.
One of the house owners would rather people didn’t moor opposite the gate they have out onto the towpath, I wonder if they pay CRT for access, even so I don’t see how a boat on the water could make it difficult for them. The other notice they had I couldn’t read but it concerns a dog I think.
Ollie Owl and its even dog friendly, but I am surprised the navigation light have survived.
Today’s Journey
11 miles, no locks in 4 hours
1 comment:
Ollie Owl's sister boat, Arthur Owl (should that be brother?) is being converted to electric over the winter. Cafwyn Cruises are based at Droitwich Spa marina. They are quite up-market - boutique, they call themselves, and only 2 boats - but fully booked all summer and into next year too, unlike many operators!
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