Hillmorton

It was 1°C when we left home and we caught up with the gritting machine on the A11 by which time it was 3°C, the best we saw on the dashboard display was 5°C. Towards the end of our journey we were seeing snow still on roofs and fields. The traffic was surprisingly light, next to nothing on the A11 but it picked up a bit on the A14.
We unloaded the car, got to stove alight and had a bit of lunch before setting off at at 1430. Leaving the marina we turned right in bright sunshine, we found it nice but boats coming the other way were not so impressed looking into the sunshine. A rather interesting old car parked on the Barby Moorings. Maybe the sun will be at a better angle on our return. 

There use to be quite a large bungalow by bridge 76 that was for sale a couple of years back, it has now morphed into quite a large house.

We only met one boat peering into the sun as we made our way to Hillmorton Locks, we hoped this would mean the locks were with us, but no, the top lock both were about half full and the middle one half and one empty. Then at the bottom lock a boat was just locking out of the near side lock and of course the offside one was empty, but the sun was still shining even if it was getting rather close to the horizon. We passed a few of the moored boats below the lock before spotting a piece of straight unoccupied piling, just the right size for up.

Today’s Journey

2¾ miles with 3 lock in 1½ hours

New Home Mooring

Away just after ten from what was probably the quietest mooring all trip, no cars, no motorbike, no trains, no early morning joggers, I can’t say I even noticed an owl.
Passing the private plot moorings just past Brinklow marina I noticed on has a hot tub out front.

Armada have their hire boats in, this must be the most unusual hire boat available.

Then it was time for another tunnel, this is the 7th this trip, we have done the rest of them twice.

   I wonder if this boater has the real answer to CRT’s continual reduction of waste faculties. I can remember my dad doing the same when I was a kid. Tins and every thing went in, what was left went into the bin. 

We stopped for a bit of lunch just below Hillmorton Locks before going up the flight. There were 2 Volockies on duty which helped as my back is playing up, but they only do the bottom lock. The middle one was with us and as we locked up someone came down the top so we could both leave gates open. Just as we were about to exit the top another boat arrived so no need to close that gate. Then on past the new houses and down Barby Straight passed all the moored boats to our new mooring for the next 12 months.
Once tucked in it was onto the CRT site to register the new mooring, what a palaver. They start by asking  which canal, which mooring. Then evidence of the 12 month mooring contract then contact details for the mooring and which mooring it is. so they get that information 3 times.

Today’s Journey

9¾miles with 3 locks in 4 hours

This trip we have done 160 miles and 95 locks.
This map shows all the trips we have done this year.

All Oaks Wood

A dull start to the day with light drizzle, first job a traditional English breakfast from Playwrights, they open at 8-30 and we were the first customers of the day as we wanted to get away in good time. With the still air and mirror water there was a chance for a few reflections like this one representing Coventry’s weaving history .

And the the lights under the bridge, I think they must have been revamped since our last visit as all were working.

A rather sad sight just beyond Hawkesbury Junction on the Coventry, we had to go up as far as Bedworth Hill Bridge to drop Diana off so she could pick the car up.

Back to Hawkesbury and through the lock the lock moorings are receiving some attention.

The towpath contractors are probably carrying out the final cut of the year, one chap on the mower, two with strimmer's and one with a hedge clipper.

Rother are also repairing the towpath nearer the offside long term moorings at Colehurst Farm, unfortunately their boat with the digger in it had gone walkabouts, being alone with no where to moor and a rather poorly back there was nothing I could do, but a boater moored further down was going to look.

I passed through the area of the recent land slip, the canal is fully open but the towpath remains closed, even if people are working their way around the barriers at each end. There had been three slipsin total from what I could see, the large one with a smaller one opposite and then another on the same site as ahistorical slip where gabions were installed to support it.

Once clear of the cutting was Diana and our mooring for the night.

Today’s Journey1 lock, 15½ miles in 6 hours

Coventry Basin

A very dull day today as we set off along the Coventry Canal. I don’t know who attached the clock to the telegraph post but its not telling the truth.

Charity Dock doesn't disappoint with its display of interesting and colourful artefacts.

As we worked our way down between the moored boat at Hawkesbury Junction we met a Rothen Push Tug with a flat, he kindly held back at the water point and once we had passed we pulled in for water, the share boat following the tug wasn’t impressed as he wanted water as well, but I pointed out to him there were two taps and room for two boats. We didn’t stay long at the water point as the flow before the other boat started filling was pathetic. We carried on past the junction and tried the next tap, no valve handle so out with the pliers. The flow was probably slower than the other one, so again we carried on towards Coventry. I have taken

this shot before but with the dull sky the birds and fish show up a bit better.
On the fence in front of the housing development are these notices from when it was a large industrial site, I wonder if the storm drains are still there ?

A quick glance into the old hire boat basin as we passed by, it looks quite a nice mooring, alsospotted one of the local residents on the towpath.

I am not sure if they are reducing this tree as there are several ropes up it but it certainly stands out.

Down to the basin, we stopped just before bridge No.1 to fill with water, a much better pressure

before heading into the basin to moor for the night beside the swing bridge . Will I get a cooked breakfast in the morning?

 

Today’s Journey

8½ miles with no locks in 4 hours

Marston Junction.

Again last night we had rain, we also had very few TV channels and no Three mobile signal, that is why the blog went out today.
The clock on the wall may have changed but the ones in side us are still a bit out so we were away at 9-30 this morning to a rather overcast day with a few spots of rain, but it soon improves and feeling quite spring like. This is a photo you wont see very often as I was on the towpath with Diana steering.

They had just finished lifting boats in and out at Boot Wharf as we passed with the freshly blacked ones back in the cut and the crane all packed away, if we had been half an hour earlier there may have been something to photograph. Since we  were last this way the new housing estate has creped over to meet the towpath.

These are opposite the large logistics centre on the off side. The office block that goes with it is mainly glass but we have never spotted anyone in there when we have passed.

By now it was quite overcast and we decided to moor a short way before Marston Junction. Selecting reverse to stop I picked up a right blade full. it was mainly roots and twigs with a bit of rag and plastic all wound up in fishing line. Once I had it clear the fishing line just kept coming and coming. Feeling round the stern with the boathook I pulled up a broken fishing rod with almost a full real of line.

Today’s Journey

8 miles with no locks in 3 hours

Atherstone top lock

Well another wet night but fine this morning although we did have some fine drizzle and strong breeze as we travelled to the locks, but thankfully the flight was dry. The changing of the clocks is not going too well, the clocks read the right time but my stomach doesn't agree. The water level on the Coventry below Atherstone locks was well up.

At Grendon dock there is now quite a garden in the old butty including trees in the cabin.

One of the boats near by was getting well into Halloween with decorations and items on the front deck.

A boat was just leaving the services heading for the locks as we arrived so we dumped our rubbish and dawdled up to the lock by which time they were about to leave lock 11 so we followed them up, we didn’t meet any boats coming down until lock 4 and 3, one in each . On one of the lock gates, I think it was number 9 I spotted this small brass plaque. With the mention of husband/ father, plus the dog Rose I wonder if both of them lost their lives together.

There were two volunteers  down near the bottom end of the flight litter picking and they had never noticed the brass plaque so were unable to through any light on it.
There was a lady Volockie on 4, she had just helped the two Canal Time boats down and she assisted us to the top enabling me to set ahead. For some reason I couldn’t fathom the Volockies sit at the top with one top paddle raised, so although two boats had come down, the top lock was against us.

Today’s Journey

11 locks, 4½ miles in 3½ hours.

Polesworth

We of course we ate in the Dog and Doublet last night with the oriental menu from Peter’s Wok Kitchen. During the early evening this raft arrived and was moored outside the pub, it was still there when we left this morning.

A hire boat came up the flight before we left so locks 9 and 10 were with us, unfortunately the bottom lock was against us.he lock cottage now has a converted horse box in their garden selling coffee and snacks, The gates were closed when we came up so I guess its only open weekend.

Something I have never noticed before is the Ordinance Survey Bench Mark on the top of the lock stone work. Its the first I have seen on a horizontal surface, all the rest have been on vertical ones.

So far we had not met any boats and we didn’t meet any until we got to Grendon although we did see one go past at Fazeley Junction. On our way out we passed a CRT work boat moored at Minworth who were cutting offside vegetation, today it was half way between Curdworth Bottom and Fazeley Junction.

When we arrived at Glascote the top gate of the bottom lock was open and a boat was going up it the top lock, what I couldn't see was a boat waiting to come down and turned the lock. I apologised most profusely to the boater coming down. Once up the locks we started meeting boats. 
Our original plan for today was to stop at Alvecote but as the weather was so nice we carried on to Polesworth.

Todays Journey 9¾ miles with 5 locks in 4½ hours

Dog and Doublet

After the heavy rain yesterday evening it turned into a clear sky with bright stars and aircraft flying over, Birmingham is quite a busy airport.
This morning it started a little misty but it was soon a clear still day, with not a ripple on the water.

This poor old electricity pole is suffering from a bit of tooth ache, its quite surprising how far out of true they can go and still carry on doing what they were designed to do.

We picked up a few free riders as we went through Curdworth tunnel, I find it annoying when they land on my cap and then abseil of the peak in front of my face. Yes spiders.

In the field on the off side just by Baylis Bridge there are lots of shallow trenches, these are normally the sign of a large development about to take place.

Curdworth Top Lock had a short stoppage this week while CRT inserted some new boards in the top gate to close up lots of leaks, the top 6” of the gate was full of holes.

I am not sure what is happening at Fox’s Bridge with all the white weather proof covering, the bridge doesn’t look used unless there is a gas main cross the lock on the side of the bridge.

And then down at Curdworth lock 2. A nice shot of it from just before Willday’s Farm Bridge. I wonder if the nearby farm was owned by a Mr. William Day.

By the lock on the offside the field was full of detectorists, it must have been a club event with all their motors parked down near the CRT building by lock 4. They were so spread out over the field I could only get 4 in a shot, but there was well over a dozen of them and it’s not just a male pastime.

We carried on down the flight with all but two locks against us to moor outside the Dog and Doublet for the night. Since we have been moored up, the sun has come out, two boats have come up the flight and one down. They are the first boats we have seen moving since 10 am yesterday morning when the three of us left Star City at the same time.

Today’s Journey

 

3 miles with 8 locks in 2½ hours.