Polesworth

Harnser's Travels (nbharnser.blogspot.com

 

As the evening progressed the weather got slightly warmer until about midnight when it dropped to freezing, by this morning we were back up to 5 Deg. and very overcast. Just as we were about to set off at 10Am a single hander boat came by so we expected to follow him all the way down the flight, however he stopped at the water point at the top of the locks. To our surprise there was a Volockie on at the top lock and he had the gate open ready for us, most of the rest were against us. At lock 5 it decided to start to rain, not heavy, just that fine thick misty rain that wets you through without you noticing it. Looking back from just beyond the road bridge at lock 5 is this building, I don’t know what it was but I think its a real shame when painting on buildings get lost . Its just a big a bit of heritage as a building.

When we left lock 7 I could see a hi-vis jacket down at lock 8 moving around, could it be a boat coming up, then I decided it was a boat going down, but boy were they slow, I hopped off at the bridge and walked forward to see what was happening. It turned out to be three Volunteers with a CRT work boat making their way down the flight cleaning the lock walls and gates, they said they would be about 10 minutes before they finished so I waved Diana over to the lock moorings. While we were waiting we could see a boat coming up lock 9. Once the chaps had finished and moved out we helped the other boat to ascend before dropping down our selves, The work boat waited between the locks for us to pass and the chaps were cleaning what they could with a full lock. We even met another boat coming out of lock 10.

We stopped at Grendon Wharf services to top up with water and empty rubbish, while we were there Effingham came through the bridge hole.We continued on to Polesworth to moor for the night meeting several boats on the way including Lord Toulouse again, now wearing a brand new set of fenders which I guess came from Glascote.

Todays Journey 5 miles, 11 locks in 4 hours