We let the other boats get away this morning before we left at 10-30am. I started off wearing a fleece but that was soon discarded as the day warmed up. We passed under Witton Chapel Bridge that caries the footpath at quite a gradient across the canal.
A little further on is Falling Sands Lock and the chamber brickwork is getting in quite a bad way.
I took this shot of little and large, Falling Sands Bridge and directly behind it and somewhat taller
Falling Sands Viaduct. Last time we were this way there was a large banner looking for support to restore it, it now looks as if that work has been carried out. The Viaduct carries the Severn Valley railway and due to water damage has been closed for several years.
Details at
Home | Falling Sands (fallingsandsviaduct.org.uk)
On the face of the viaduct is a commemorative plaque to the men that died building it in the 1870s.
Caldwell lock is interesting in that it has two bridges over the tail , one a substantial brick concrete construction with the normal split wings to allow the
line to pass through, between that and the tai gates is an iron plank bridge again in two halves to allow the tow line to pass through. On the offside there are two stone steps to make it easy to step over the parapet wall of the brick bridge, so I can only assume that the brick bridge was there first, so why add the plank bridge?
Note the handrail is a modern addition.
We had to wait for a boat coming down at Kidderminster Lock under the road bridge, opening two paddles floods the towpath.
There appears to be no change at the land slide at Wolverley other than the weeds have grown over everything, the A4 notices to tell you to pass slowly attached to the posts at the bottom of the slip if you can find them, How many years has it been like this now?
We caught up with another boat at Wolverley Court Lock so we stopped before the next lock for lunch to let them get away. However as we were about to leave two boats ahead of us set off so we tagged on behind the second. The first boat not only helped the single hander in front of us through but helped us as well and insisted we went ahead of them, it was the same boat who wanted to share the locks coming off the Severn, ended up seeing them a few times. We caught up with the single hander at Debdale Lock lock, interesting boat, all electric with a remote control fob, with that she could engage forward, revers and also operate the bow thruster. The power when engaging was impressive, its only on or off but 90% of full power, so just a blip to move of stop the boat in the lock, she hoped off at the bottom gates and let it run in from there.
Bit of a naught boy, I didn’t have a tunnel light for Cookley Tunnel, I took this picture because no one takes one from this side, they all do the other side.
This garden has a rather large collection of wooden men all sitting down, some smaller than others.
We only went a short way above Whittington Lock before mooring for the night, the towpath here is like someone's lawn, so I guess the owner of the nearby house mows it.
Today’s Journey
9¾ miles, 7 locks in 5 hours
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