Droitwich Wednesday 21 August 2019

Day : Wednesday
Date : 21 August 2019
Start : 1040 hrs
Finish : 1330 Netherwich Basin, Droitwich Canal

I have uploaded our proposed route to CanalPlanAC if anyone wants to see where we are likely to be. It gets updated with actual position each night.

Woke to a fine morning and were not in too much of a hurry to get away as our overnight destination was quite close. We stopped briefly at Hanbury Junction while Diana and George visited the farm to get some free range eggs then it was a very hard left into the Droitwich Canal. There were two Volockies on the three locks so each lock was ready for us when we arrived. We didn't hurry through the locks taking the time to explain to George how side ponds work and also the weirs filling the side ponds when the canal is high. I don't think the hand rail of a safety Ladder is the best place to put an information notice.

We waited at the staircase Locks for a boat to come up before we descended, another first for George, then one more lock before the M5 culvert. Luckily the river is running low again now so loads of head room, last week it was closed due to high river Salworpe levels. As we approached the culvert I caught sight of a head lamp and heard a horn pip, so we waited for a boat to exit.

Coming into Droitwich the Barge Lock was on the level, but we still had to stop to swing the bridge that crosses the chamber. In town was a family of swans, one of them has bad Angel Wing and another looked like a mild case. There are 5 swing bridges in Droitwich but one is left permanently open, the others are all secured with a BWB padlock and are swung manually.

We dropped into the second pontoon in Netherwich basin so we can fill with water from our mooring which is handy. We had just had lunch when a hire boat came in backwards beside us, he threw his stern rope to a boater on the water point, but it dropped short into the water before he reversed over it and the engine stalled. After he was moored up I heard him call for a bread knife so I intervened and did my good deed for the day removing the mooring line all in tacked in about 10 minutes. The water was warm and clean, but not clear enough to see what I was doing.

Tonight we give George back to his mum, then we are on our own again, the first time this trip.

Today's Journey

2¾ Miles 8 Locks in 2¾ hours

Hanbury Tuesday 20 August 2019

Day : Tuesday
Date : 20 August 2019
Start : 1000
Finish : 1430 Hanbury

I have uploaded our proposed route to CanalPlanAC if anyone wants to see where we are likely to be. It gets updated with actual position each night.

More rain last night, but not until after we had finished the BBQ, one boat came by before we set off this morning and within a few hundred yards we officially said goodbye to the City of Worcester.

The first lock we came to was against us but we could see a boat heading our way at the second. We locked up but still the boat at the next lock had not started to descend so I boated up while Diana and George walked. When we got to lock 12 we found the boat against the top gate and a single handed lady onboard who had twisted her ankle badly and was in a lot of pain. We worked her down through the lock and then Diana and George accompanied her to the bottom lock to work her through that one as well. A Volockie we saw yesterday came up the flight on his bike, so I told him about her and he was going to check on her on the way down.

At lock 15 I saw something I have not seen in a long time, a crome hanging on the outside wall beside the lock.

We stopped for ice creams from the small shop opposite the Brookline hire base which now is debunked, but there are still a fleet of hire boats there all displaying trade plates. After lunch and ice creams we pushed on through Dunhampstead Tunnel, this is a wide brick lined tunnel and about every 15 feet there is an arch in the brickwork, I do wonder if this tunnel was a cut and fill job building 15 feet at a time. We had planned to more near Hanbury junction but spotted a nice piece of piling just after bridge 32 so pulled in there for the night.

Today's Journey

6 Miles 6 Locks in 3¼ hours

Warndon Monday 19 August 2019

Day : Monday
Date : 19 August 2019
Start : 1200
Finish : 1550

I have uploaded our proposed route to CanalPlanAC if anyone wants to see where we are likely to be. It gets updated with actual position each night.

The moorings were full last night with no "Git gaps" everyone sharing a mooring bollard and no silly spaces.

This morning we spent a couple of hours going round the Worcester Pottery Museum, well worth a visit, kids under 16 go in free and oldies like us was £6-10 with gift aid so the Government gives them a bit more.

It was mid day before we pushed off and of course it started to rain, by now there were only two of us left on the mooring. The first to locks were with us, but the rest against us. We met a Volockie at Gregory's who set the lock ready and between his litter picking gave us a hand up the next 4 locks. I think these mile posts are new since we were last this way as I don't recall seeing them. A short lunch break between Bilford Top Lock and Blackpool Lock and then off again to moor for the night in quite a noisy spot just before the A449.

Today's Journey

6 Miles 10 Locks in 2½ hours

Worcester Sunday 18 August 2019

Day : Sunday
Date : 18 August 2019
Start : 1000
Finish : 1600 Diglis Basin

I have uploaded our proposed route to CanalPlanAC at if anyone wants to see where we are likely to be. It gets updated with actual position each night.

Lovely peaceful mooring last night in the weir stream below Tewkesbury lock. I did notice as the evening went on the flow increased quite a bit but not where we were tucked in.

This morning we were off in bright sunshine at about 10 am. a slow reverse to the wider part by the lock landing then let the flow take the bows round, I bet I looked good. Down to the Severn on tick over at 4 MPH and then turned into the flow on the Severn and opened up to normal cruising revs. Or speed over the ground as between 3¾ MPH and 2 MPH the slowest bit under the A4440 road bridge near Worcester and it was bit of a slog from here to the lock. When we arrived the electronic notice board indicated amber rising which was not surprising, I thought it may be when I saw a gate from a garden to the waters edge with water over a foot up it and submerged fishing platforms. The level boards below and above Diglis lock both indicated orange.

On our way up we passed several tree trunks and branches making their way down stream which we managed to avoid.

The mooring pontoons at Upton were almost empty when we passed, they are never like that if I want to stop there. There were 4 gravel barges tied up at their base, I take it its a Monday to Friday job, less than an hour upstream even at the slow speed we were travelling we passed what I guess is their loading point, so they don't actually move it very far.

Somewhere near the M50 motorway bridge Diana spotted this bow of an old working boat just sticking out of the bank, can't say I have ever noticed it before.

We locked in at Worcester and topped up with water at the water point before carrying on through the bridge to stop on the 2 day visitor moorings overnight.

Today's Journey

17 Miles 3 Locks in 6 hours

Tewkesbury Saturday 17 August 2019

Day : Saturday
Date : 17 August 2019
Start : 1000
Finish : 1430 Tewkesbury

I have uploaded our proposed route to CanalPlanAC  If anyone wants to see where we are likely to be. It gets updated with actual position each night.

It turned out the mooring I chose last night was not as good as I hoped for, yes we had a full length pontoon but we also had music until 1 am this morning right beside us. I will not make that mistake again.

This morning I rang the lock keeper to ask about levels, he said it was fine and if we were in the basin he was just locking a Narrowboat out. as we weren't he suggested we wait until 1030 ish. as the Edward Elgar was coming down the river and we wouldn't really want to meet that in the partings, so at 1000hrs we made our way into the basin and tied to the wall and waited for the lock, we were joined by a wide beamed boat and I suggested he went ahead of us as I was sure he would be faster. It wasn't long before The Edward Elgar was coming into the lock, they have to raise the road bridge for her to come in but she is short enough to sit between the top gates and the bridge while the lock fills.

As soon as she was clear the wide beam entered the lock and we followed. The lock keeper told us that the tide would top the weir at about 1130am. so watch out for debris in the river.

We locked out at a steady 3 MPH and maintained that speed most of the way up the partings against the flow, the wide beam was soon out of sight. About a quarter of a mile before the end of the partings our speed dropped to less than 2 MPH and it felt like we were standing still in the flow, we pushed on and at the end of the partings our speed increased to 4½ MPH all without me changing the engine speed and we carried on between 4 and 4½ MPH all the way to The Red Lion at Wainlode Hill where the river flow started to pick up again. We were going to stop at Haw bridge but with a couple of cruisers there already there was no room for us, so we carried on eating lunch on the move. The Avon river use to discharge into the Severn down by the rowing club at Lower Lode as can be seen on this map from Waterway Routes.

The river by now was flowing at its full rate and we were back down to 3½ MPH. As we approached the lock there was very little drop over the weir so not much of a rise in the lock.

The flow seemed much less as we made our way to the cut leading to Tewkesbury and then just passed the lock to moor for the night, this cost us £5 from the Avon River Trust.

Today's Journey

14 Miles 2 Locks in 4¼ hours

Gloucester Friday 16 August 2019

Day : Friday
Date : 16 August 2019
Start : 1015
Finish : 1400hrs Gloucester

I have uploaded our proposed route to CanalPlanAC at https://canalplan.eu/journey/12083_8OnD9OH41v if anyone wants to see where we are likely to be. It gets updated with actual position each night.

Well we woke to the rain again, we set off down to Saul Junction to do a pump out, but when we arrived found it "out of order" so carried on down to the one in Gloucester, I must say it worked well. Once finished we winded, not easy with the way the buildings funnel the wind and headed back a short way to Sainsbury's, its quite good as they have 4 hr moorings right at the back of the shop, just a pity there is no checkout this side. After the pumpout I had my eye on a nice mooring just outside the Brew House, I dislike those short pontoons in the basin, especially if its a bit windy, anyway our luck was in and it was still vacant once the shopping was complete so that is where we are.

Today's Journey

9 Miles 0 Locks in 2¾ hours

Fretherne Bridge Thursday 15 August 2019

Day : Thursday
Date : 15 August 2019
Start : 1030hrs.
Finish : 1600 hrs Fretherne Bridge

I have uploaded our proposed route to CanalPlanAC at https://canalplan.eu/journey/12166_45HNL5akO9 if anyone wants to see where we are likely to be. It gets updated with actual position each night.

Well last nights crew change went well, we now have George the younger Grandson and have given back Brian and his dog Spot.

This morning we woke to sunshine and set off back to Sharpness. On the way we passed another group of Stand up Paddle boarders (SUP) and the instructors had their dogs with them, he didn't look that impressed, unlike the one we saw later.

At Sharpness we winded and returned to the old Railway swing bridge where we stopped to show George and explain the disastrous loss of the two oil tankers in the fog.

After lunch we carried on to Purton to look at the hulks again, we did this yesterday with Brian in the rain, they look much better in the sunshine.

The is now two memorial stone to the crews who lost their lives in the bridge disaster, one of them is at Purton.

We also took the opportunity to fill with water at the water point there. We then made our way to Fretherne Bridge for the night. On the way we not only passed another group of SUP's again the instructors still had their dogs onboard, but the black one looked much happier.

We also passed a boat with an outside clay oven, he had it fired up when we passed the other day.

We were hoping to moor close to the bridge, but one side in no mooring for 400 yards and the other side is a long stretch of long term moorings before you come to the visitor moorings where there was room for just 2 boats.

Today's Journey

11¼ Miles o Locks in 4 hours

Patch Bridge Wednesday 14 August 2019

Day : Wednesday
Date : 14 August 2019
Start : 1000
Finish : 1700 Patch Bridge

I have uploaded our proposed route to CanalPlanAC at https://canalplan.eu/journey/12166_Mx96lQ3HsO if anyone wants to see where we are likely to be. It gets updated with actual position each night.

It rained hard overnight and was miserable most of the day with very heavy drizzle. We did hang around but just after 10 we decided to push off. I do like the old lock houses down here with their Roman columns each side of the front doors.

We passed the old Castle cafe that is now looking very poorly and unused.

A little further on I was able to get this shot of a Kingfisher hopping around on a boat before it departed into the trees.

After a stop for lunch we carried on to Purton. The swans in this area seem quite aggressive to each other at the moment

The reason we came was for a walk round the hulks, this was our planned stopping place for the night and to crew change the grandsons, but there were no convenient moorings, so we traced out steps to Patch Bridge. I rang the bridge keeper on the way to tell him what we were doing so that he didn't go to the trouble of opening the bridge as he saw us coming.

Today's Journey

14 Miles 0 Locks in 4¾ hours

G&S Hempsted Bridge Tuesday 13 August 2019

Day : Tuesday
Date : 13 August 2019
Start : 1000 hrs
Finish : 1745 hrs. Gloucester rowing club

I have uploaded our proposed route to CanalPlanAC at https://canalplan.eu/journey/12117_Z8HGnO96Lo if anyone wants to see where we are likely to be. It gets updated with actual position each night.

This morning Diana and Brian took Spot for a walk while I moved down to the water point to top up the tank. The timings were spot on, they arrived back just as I was clearing away the hose and at the same time a cruiser had just left the bottom of Tewkesbury lock so that it could be turned for us. It was a lovely day on the river and we met a few boats coming upstream, the first just before we reached Upper Partings lock, so the lock was in our favour but the gates were shut, it was only minutes before we had a red flashing light, I am making the lock ready, followed by a green light, you may enter the lock. Due to the levels we only dropped about 4 feet and were soon away.
We passed some cows having a refreshing drink in the shallows of the river.

As we approached the Partings this cruiser had just left the narrows coming up and opened it up, when he saw us he throttled back again so very little wash, also his exhaust had cleaned up by then.

As we made our way down the partings, 5 mph on just over tick over I tried to ring Gloucester locks but he was engaged, I tried several times without success so abandoned the phone and picked up the second set of ladders against the wall on the lock approach with my stern line and then called him again, this time successfully. When he drained the lock ready for us the flow of water actually moved us backwards, at the time I would estimate the current to be a little over 3 MPH. As soon as I had a green I went forward staying close to the wall with just enough power to maintain steerage until I was at the mouth of the lock, a quick burst of power and we were in, safe and sound.

Once in Gloucester we moored to one of the pontoons and had a lunch before spending a bit of time in the Gloucester Waterways Museum. When we returned to the boat we decided to move further along the canal for the nigh so have moored just south of Hempsted Swing Bridge. Since we have been here we have seen a group of 13 hot air balloons drifting across the countryside.

The height of the river at Gloucester was 0.86 from the government web site but the site gives no indication of flow, its just for flood purposes.

Today's Journey

15 Miles 3 Locks in 4¼ hours

Tewkesbury Monday 12 August 2019

Day : Monday
Date : 12 August 2019
Start : 1030
Finish : 1400 Tewkesbury

I have uploaded our proposed route to CanalPlanAC at https://canalplan.eu/journey/12117_OA8Kw159HU if anyone wants to see where we are likely to be. It gets updated with actual position each night.

Lovely quiet mooring last night, we didn't hear a sound. This morning was clear and bright but the river had come up overnight and was just in the orange. A hire boat came by at 1030 so we set off behind them with the plan of sharing locks. It wasn't long before we passed some posh moorings, maybe now he is saving up for a bigger boat?

We caught up with the hire boat at Nafford Lock where a boat at some time had come to grief on the weir.

As we arrived the hire boat was just on the lock landing and another boat was about to leave the lock coming up, so I reversed out of the way back upstream a bit. If you don't have a clear run coming out of the lock you can easily get trapped against the buoys across the weir. 2 boats have done it in the past 2 days. Once below the lock the water level was back in the green. This lock has a swing bridge across the chamber that you have to close when you leave, I can think of three like this.

Looking back as we went down the river I could see a tower on the hill top in the distance, I don't know where it is.

I use a navigation program called Waterways Routes, its downloaded onto my Ipad so doesn't need a data connection and tracks exactly where I am by satnav. One of the many useful points is that I can see where the weirs and locks are in relation to me as I approach them.

This is coming into Stensham lock. Below the lock is another swing bridge but this one is a bit larger and has a winch to open and close it, thankfully its left open

A little further down I looked round and this Buzzard was sitting in a willow looking back at me as I went by.

Looking up on the hill side we spotted what looked like yellow flags all over the field, as we got a bit closer we could see it was actually farm workers and from the smell it was probably onions they were harvesting.

We were going to stop at Twinning for lunch but there were already 2 boats on the mooring so we continued the short distance down to Tewkesbury and moored between King John's Bridge and the lock, these moorings are run by the River Avon Trust and cost £3 per night, it was lucky we arrived when we did as they are now full.

Today's Journey

10½ Miles 2 Locks in 3½ hours