Friday 22 November 2014 Whittington

Last night we defiantly got the rain and from about 5 pm it chucked it down. For dinner we had the pies bought at Alrewas. Diana heated them in the oven but on reflection we think the game pie should have  been eaten cold as it was solid meat inside and half a Stake and Ale pie with half a Game pie was a little bit greedy.

We woke this morning to a fine morning and as we only have about 4 miles to go were not in much of a hurry to get away, needles to say when we were ready to set of at 10 30 it started raining again, so we stayed put for a bit.  Just after 1130 am the rain stopped and the sun came out so we set off, the timing worked well because we had just moored by Whittington Bridge and it started raining again. We actually went passed Whittington down as far as Tamhorn Farm Bridge because that is where the winding hole is and came back to Whittington Bridge where we moored for the night at 2 15 pm. This meant our 4 mile journey was actually 6.5 miles, so only a very short day, not enough to fully recharge the batteries, but I expect they will get a good run tomorrow.

We passed a pair of swans taking a brunch on someone’s front lawn, in exchange I am sure they left a bit of fertiliser. Although we have not gone through any junctions we started on the Coventry Canal and we are now on the Birmingham and Fazeley Canal moored about 100 yard from the boundary where they change name. Down at Fazeley Junction the canal becomes the Coventry Canal again all the way to Coventry. The reason the short 5 mile stretch canal is known as the B&F Canal is because the Coventry Canal Co. ran out of cash so the B&F built the missing bit. The Coventry Canal Co. had markers on the offside bank showing the limit of their land ownership and a few still remain, the houses by the canal do not own up to the waters edge as can be seen by this marker against the house owners fence.

There were some glorious reflections with the water like glass as we made our way south. This one at Huddlesford Junction, the home of the Lichfield Cruising Club caught my eye, also approaching Streethay Wharf with all the moored boats.

 

Today’s Journey 6.6 miles with no locks in 2.5 hrs.