Rugeley

As expected this morning it was raining so we set off at our normal time in full wet weather gear. The boat moored in front of us had already gone We didn’t have the same luck with the locks having to turn all three and the only one we got to leave open was Gt Haywood.
If you have a trad sterned narrowboat but fancy a cruiser stern this could be the answer, extend the rear deck backwards, I assume the rudder is left in its original location.

We stopped for water at Gt Haywood as one of  the taps was free, the pressure jumped up when the other tap was turned off.
Colwich lock cottage was nicely framed through the railway bridge and it even stopped raining for a few minutes.

The boat ahead had just exited Colwich lock so that needed turning, its very slow to fill with the ground paddle still out of use. I don’t know what’s the matter within but the workings are in a pile chained to the base.

I think I posted a photo of the ex working boat Cormorant last week on our way up, well today she looks much different.

With her old top sides laying separately in a heap on the ground. I have no idea how much is original, I do know she had been chopped about a lot.
By the time we reached Rugeley aqueduct it was hammering it down and we did consider mooring there, but its rather close to the road so we crossed the aqueduct found the sharp bend and moored at a bit with no overhanging trees.

Today’s Journey

3 locks, 6¼ miles in 3 hours.