Monday 16 March 2015 Brewood

Well we have been travelling for some 11 miles and we are only about 2½ miles from our starting point, just look at the map at the bottom of the page.
After a quick fiddle down the weed hatch to remove a few bits of carrier bag we were away at our normal 10 am. passed Hatherton Marina at Hatherton Junction, the entrance to the Hatherton canal which will one day hopefully be restored by the Litchfield and Hatherton Canal trust. There use to be a pub here at one time and may be there will again, as there were signs of life at Calf Heath Marina who own the site and a new looking sign outside. One of the boats moored here caught my eye with his outdoor heater made from two gas cylinders and some other bits and pieces. The area behind the moorings is interesting as there is a lot of ornate walling enclosing an area leading to a bridge, there is also a very square pond with an island which I wondered if at one time was a moat?

Further along the Stafford and Worcester canal you come to a very narrow section, just wide enough for one boat, we have never met a boat in this section until today, luckily there are about three passing places so not really a problem.   We would soon reach Autherley Junction where we would turn right onto the Shropshire Union Canal. The Stafford and Worcester canal worried about losing their water had a lock built at the junction, this has a fall of between 4 and 6 inches. The photo is taken with the bottom gate open as we were leaving the lock. Even less fall than Hawkesbury Junction. One thing that did surprise me was the depth of water along the summit, apart from the narrows I was able to travel at a full 4 mph without any wash for most of the time.

Mooring on the Shropshire Union in out of the way places can be difficult as the canal is very shallow along the sides in some parts, maybe only 6” of water, but one of the good things is that the Shropshire Union Canal Society have made quite a few 48 hr moorings complete with mooring rings in rural areas. As we needed some shopping we pushed on to Brewood, pronounced Brewed as in beer. Shortly before arriving at Brewood you pass under Avenue Bridge, a very ornate bridge with a balustrade top sweeping back at each side. The avenue leads to Chillington Hall.

 

Today’s Journey 11 Miles, 1 lock in 3¾ hours

Sunday 15 March 2015 Four Ashes

Bit of a late start this morning, a 10 am. or normal starting time the boat moored behind us left and as we had a steady run of locks ahead be gave them a half hour start before setting off so as not to be sitting behind them at every lock.

As it’s Sunday we have seen our fair share of fishing matches and also people just out enjoying a spot of peaceful fishing. They have all been very friendly and spoke as we passed unlike the normal stare at the ground responses you often get with a match.

The contractors were out finishing of this section of hedging which was surprising it being Sunday’ it looks as if they have taken a lot of stuff down, some or which was growing into the school fence about 12 feet in the air.

At Filance Lock there is still an old iron lock side bollard well worn by hundreds of boats being strapped to a standstill. In the pound above the lock CaRT or their contractors have made a big impression on the off side vegetation, They now need to carry on in the next pound.

I was rather taken by this tree house, it even has a steel spiral staircase going up to it. I wonder what the neighbours think?

By now Gailey was in out sights with it Round Lock House, the only other place where I can think there are any more like it is on the Stroud Canal. Another unique feature of the canals was just below the lock, again one of a kind, the ice breaker Tycho.

Gailey was the last lock for today and we carried on along the 10 mile summit passed the Chemical Factory. They have now banned mooring along this stretch as well as smoking. I do wonder by what authority then have done this as there are no CaRT “No Mooring” signs in the area, not that I would want to moor next to their works. As for the “No Smoking” that is bit of a joke considering the passing boats all have internal combustion engines so would suck in any flammable gas so causing an explosion, to the other side of the site is the main railway line with overhead cables sparking away and on a frost morning. They even have cars on site.

We decided to moor once clear of the industrial works just south of Calf Heath Bridge No.77. Since we have been here we have been treated to an areal flying display by someone with some model aircraft, first acrobatics over our heads and the a jet fighter cruising round, its the first time I have seen a model jet powered aircraft.

Today’s Journey 5½ Miles 8 Locks in 3½ hours

Saturday 14 March 2015 Teddesley

Most of today was spent at the Stafford Boat Club as they were hosing the Association of Waterways Cruising Clubs (AWCC) AGM and Diana and I were there to represent the Cutweb Internet Boat Club (CIBC). The morning was taken up by the Association business and after lunch a presentation on the waterways over the past 50 years by Roger Squires BEM. It was probably one of the most interesting AGMs that I have attended for many years.

Following the meeting we decided to push off and get the batteries topped up before tonight. Or first stop was Deptmore lock, this is quite a deep lock and as we were coming up I noticed this plaque in the name board with David Roy Warner’s name on it. Something I had not noticed before. It just shows how you can pass things and never see them.

On the pound above the lock it looks as if the landowner has tried to stop his bank eroding, I say land owner as I can’t imagine British Waterways doing something like this,I think it was pre CaRT.

We continued on, only seeing dog walkers up through Shutt Hill Lock. Last time we came this way I asked if anyone knew what the white post on the off side below the lock was for. You can see it on my Blog for last November. Well I have worked it out I think. Originally the road crossed the canal on a bridge at right angles at the tail of the lock and adjacent to it. This would have put the post on the far side of the bridge. A pulley on the post would have enabled the horse to draw a boat straight out of the lock. With the road realignment the bridge now crosses at an angle to the canal and a bit further away from the lock.

Yet another memorial has appeared on the towpath on the pound below Park Gate Lock, but I suspect it is probably to do with a car accident rather than a canal incident. The traffic barrier along here is of the taught wire variety which have been known to be lass forgiving than the pressed steel type.

Once clear of Park Gate Lock we pulled over to moor for the night opposite the far end of the Teddesley Boat Company yard.

Today’s Journey Just over 3 miles, 3 locks in 1½ hrs.

Friday 13 March 2015 Stafford Boat Club.

It rained all night and was still raining this morning we we set off, a total of 9.3 mm. There is an old saying “Rain before 7 fine before 11” well it must be BST as the rain stopped at 11-30 am. by which time we were outside the Anglo Welch yard at Gt Haywood filling with water and warming up with a cup of coffee.

We slid nicely back from the water point with the stern tracking to port making it easy to line up with the bridge on the junction to head off along the Staffordshire and Worcester canal There were just two boats moored on Tixal wide and at Tixal Lock, with the leaves off the trees I was able to at last get a photograph of the railway tunnel entrance, as you can see it is quite ornate as you would expect for a structure on the Shugborough Estate. The tunnel is 777 yards long and built on a curve. You can see how mucky the weather was and quite cool at 5°C. I felt quite sorry for all the new born lambs in the field beside the canal.

There is a nice example of a “Turn Over” or “Snake” bridge at Milford. These were designed to allow the horse towing a Narrowboat to cross the canal when the tow path changed sides without unhooking the tow line. These was achieved with the horse walking along the left bank and under the bridge onto the curved ramp. up and over the bridge, then down on the right hand side to continue on its way along the right hand bank. It was just passed here that the RCR  offices were burnt down last November (see 27 Nov 2014 Blog) The site has now been cleared ready to erect new units.

We carried on to The Stafford Boat Club where we were greeted by Peter the Harbour Master and directed to our mooring for the night just beside the footbridge.

Today’s Journey 6½ Miles, 2 Locks, 1 Junction in 3 hours.

Since we have been here of course the sun has come out, still never mind.

Thursday 12 March 2015 Gt Haywood

I was very surprised how quiet our mooring was last night in Rugeley, not a sound all night, great.

This morning was bit of a late start as I went to a wonderful little shop in Rugeley called AVH Supplies and they sell everything, what’s more they know where it all is. I only wanted a new washer for the hot water tap in the bathroom, out came the wooden box behind the counter and there was a selection of washers. Two for 40p, back to the boat and one fitted, job done.

We finally set off at 1030 am in weather that couldn’t quite make its mind up, one minute sun shine the next blowing cold, but no rain.

I am still not sure what this object is about half a mile below Colwich Lock across the other side of the river.

There were no queues at Colwich Lock, I wonder how long it will remain like that, probably next time we come this way we will have to wait. The coping stone on the lock side has weathered to show the original strata which I expected to be parallel  with the rock faces, on on the angle.

Once through the lock we carried on to Great Haywood to moor about a quarter of a mile below the lock. Our reason for mooring so early is that we need to be at Stafford Boat Club tomorrow for the AWCC AGM.

Today’s Journey 4½ miles, 1 lock, 1 aqueduct in 1¾ hours.

Wednesday 11 March 2015 Rugeley

Last night dinner was taken in The Swan at Fradley Junction helped down by a couple of pints of Pedigree, thankfully they had a nice warm fire which was most welcome, after that we retired to Prairie Crocus 2 to enjoy a few glasses of Sloe Gin and Damson Vodka before heading back to Harnser for the night.

This morning Prairie Crocus was away first, not difficult I know and we set off at our normal 10 am. We had to go down the two locks to be able to wind at the junction with the Coventry canal before coming back to head north, so that was the two locks twice.

There was a fair frost last night again but spring is really here, this was reinforced by our first lambs of the season being put out on grass with there mums. A rather poor shot through the trees.

Talking of trees this one was a mass of catkins

As we approached Rugeley the birds of prey were out taking in the fresh air, it wasn’t long after this it started to rain so I hope someone got them in. They would appear to be in two adjoining gardens.

We had planned to moor in Rugeley for the night and there was just one space outside Tesco/Morrisons, by now it was raining steadily as we moored up.

Today’s Journey  8 Miles 3 lock, 2 of them twice in 3½ hours

Tuesday 10 March 2015 Fradley Junction

Last night we drove over to Donisthorpe for a meeting of the Ashby Canal Association, the were hosting a slid show/talk by Glyn Phillips and Roger Fuller,owners of Aquarius and Ilford about taking a pair loaded with Measham coal along the Ashby to various places on the system ending up at Stone. It included a video of long lineing up the Audlem flight using a 400 foot long line through running blocks.

 

Today we have been to Cropredy Marina by car to help a fellow boater do a car shuffle, this is one of the problems of moving a boat from one home mooring to another, the car gets left behind. When we did it we did a one way car hire from Enterprise, but a one way trip is quite expensive. The biggest advantage to boat owners is that they will come and pick you up from the boat so no taxi into town.

We set sail after lunch leaving our berth at 1420 hrs in nice warm sunshine heading for The Swan at Fradley to meet up with Ann and Ian who were doing the car shuffle. We arrived at the moorings above Shadehouse Lock a few minutes after them at 1520 hrs.

In yesterdays blog I mentioned the Dormouse survey so I thought I would include a photo of one of the traps in use.

Today’s Journey 2¼ miles in 1 hour

Monday 9 March 2015 Kings Bromley marina

Boy did the temperature drop last night, I recorded –2.6°C on the front deck of the boat. Thankfully it was a tad warmer this morning.

We setoff in weak sunshine, but that didn’t last to be replaced with drizzle and a stiffening breeze. The gauge on the fresh water tank was reading zero so we felt it prudent to stop at the Fradley Water Point and fill up, we even had time for a coffee and catch up with emails while it filled. It was then off through the swing bridge and hard left, Middle Lock was with us but Shadehouse was full, still you can’t win them all.

The Dormouse survey is taking place again between Woodend Lock and Shadehouse Lock with the little lengths of square plastic piping hung from branches each with a number on it. Luckily we met a boat a short way before Woodend Lock, one of the few boaters who know the meaning of Harnser, so we were met with cries of “You come from Norfolk”, it also meant that Woodend Lock was in our favour.

That was the last of the traffic for today, well we had seen 2 boats on the move and one mooring up. As we crossed the marina the breeze had definitely freshened up and it took a couple of attempts to back into our slot in the cross wind. Google earth and  MotionX-GPS captured my attempts in the SW breeze.

Once moored it was a bit of maintenance with an oil and filter change, something I do every 200 hrs. One of the good things about this marina is that it has an oil disposal tank so it saves me taking 5lt of dirty oil home with me each time to dispose of. I still have the filter to get rid of but that goes straight into a sealed sandwich box and when I get home it goes on the next bonfire and once burnt out into the bin.

Today’s Journey  4 miles in 2½ hours

Sunday 8 March Fradley

We set off south at our normal 10 o’clock just as it started with a very fine drizzle, this increased all morning until it was raining, that only stopped quarter of a hour after we had moored up.

We only travelled south for about half an hour to the winding hole just south of Tamhorn Bridge. The garden of the house by the winding hole now has a resident family of reindeer.

The polly tunnels are all up between Whittington Bridge and Hademore House Bridge. I don’t know what plan to grow under them. On our return Journey I dropped Diana off at Whittington Bridge to post a couple of letters, picking her up again at Bridge 80. Bridge Names on the Birmingham and Fazeley and numbers on the Coventry. I think I prefer the numbers, I know what order they come in.

If anyone is travelling along the Coventry Canal and fancy stopping for a meal at The Plough at Huddlesford, forget it as the place is up for rent at the moment. It always seemed busy when ever we passed and the food was OK so I don’t know what’s happened, maybe HS2 is going through the car park or worse.

We met a couple of boats but the weather was quite miserable even the ducks were on top of the bridges. With all the bad press that the Fairies are getting at the moment with their houses in Somerset woods the ones at Whittington have a police cordon to protect their doors. By the time we reached Fradley bridge 90 the batteries were replenished and as we only plan to return to the marina tomorrow we decided to call it a day.

Today’s Journey 6¾ miles 2½ hours some of it twice 

Saturday 7 March 2015 Whittington

We arrived at the boat in glorious sunshine at 1400 hrs today, the wind was light but one boat was having great problems dropping back into their slot.

After unloading the car, we had called at Morrison’s in Lichfield on the way it was time to get things up and running. Electrics on, main water valve on tank open, start pump to hear a funny bubbling noise. A  few words of advice, if you disconnect the plumbing on the pump to make sure there is no water left in it, then re connect it before turning the water back on. The bubble noise was it pumping air while the tray it sits in fills with water. That sorted we filled the system with water, letting air out of the taps while lighting the stove, see I multi task. When the water stops but the pumps still running as you bleed the air under pressure in the bathroom, turn the pump off. It could be that you didn’t reconnect the discharge properly and under pressure its blown off so you are now pumping water into the tray the pump sits in. That sorted and things dried for the second time it was all systems go, apart from cleaning up the blood spots from my finger where I cut it reconnecting the pump.

1400 hrs its 16° C outside and we drop the ropes off and sail off into the wide open waters of the marina, out through the entrance and sharp right towards Fradley. Woodend Lock is against us but as we open the bottom gates a boat approaches, so no need to close up. Just before we get to Shadehouse lock we pass “NB No Problem” moored up, a blast on the horn and out pops Sue who walks down to the lock beside us, again its against us, but as we drop down a boat is coming up the next lock so we both leave the gates open and pass in the pound. Diana walked on from Middle Lock, I thought she would cross Bottom Lock and walk round to open the foot bridge on the Coventry, but there was no sign of her so I had to stop and open it myself , thank goodness CaRT haven’t got round to fitting a lock to it yet, once through the lock I pulled over to close the bridge and find out where Diana was and she turned up looking for me. She thought we were going to Alrewas and I thought we were going to Streethay and I was driving. Sorted.

We stopped at Streethay to discuss getting some work done, I need a new rudder bearing and while its out we will have it blacked, I also fancy a rudder like Kevin Blick had fitted but that was a lot of money. Anyway we are booked in for June.

We continued on in the sun shine, but by now the breeze was chilly. Along this section of the canal the railway runs quite close apart from a small section on the far side of Whittington by Whittington Bridge, the bridges are named now and not numbered as we have just crossed the boundary between the Coventry and the Birmingham and Fazeley canals., so at 1730 hrs that is where we have stopped for the night.

Not a Trip but Information

Some time ago I posted in one of my Blogs that Tony Redshaw well know engineer of vintage engines was no longer trading in Braunston.
Today I was contacted by Paul Redshaw who informed me that they had indeed left Braunston because they were unable to renew their lease beside the Grand Union canal after the site was sold.
He was also able to tell me that they had not moved far, only to Daventry where they are still trading and that their new address is :-

Unit 13, Riley Close.
Royal Oak Ind Est.
Daventry.
Northants.
NN11 8QT

Telephone 01327 700219

They also have a web site
www.vintagediesels.co.uk

Friday 2 January 2015 Kings Bromley marina

What a difference a few hours can make to the weather. We went to bed about midnight and it was still 11°C outside, blowing a gale, raining and the barometer dropping back. Got up this morning the sun was shining, the pressure back up, no wind but the temperature had fallen to 5°C and a blue sky as you can see from Shugborough Hall.

We set off just after 10 am. expecting Colwich lock to be against us, but the top gate leaks so much it was full, Rick had gone down an hour before with his coal boat.
We only met a couple of boats today and stopped to fill up with water at Rugeley. Here we were adopted by a ginger cat, it was obviously very use to boats walking the gunwale and knowing where the doors to get into the boat would be. I wonder if a boater has lost a cat in the area as the poor thing was quite thin. As we pulled away making sure that puss was on the bank Rick pulled in behind us and puss was on his boat before he had stepped ashore.

By now it was clouding over, feeling cooler and the wind was freshening. Passing through Handsacre a pair of swans were making a start on their nest in front of the houses, it looks like a regular nesting spot.

It was good to see that the fallen tree had been completely removed between bridge 55 and the marina entrance, for once I made a perfect entry, no one to see it of course. Once in the marina we winded and had a pump out, can’t complain, its the first time its been done this year, then off to our berth, as soon as I started to turn round to back into our slot the wind picked up just to make it interesting. needles to say within an hour of mooring up the wind had died away to nothing.

Today’s Journey 10½ miles, 1 lock in 4½ hours.

Looking at our log last year we spent 176 day on Harnser, that is just short of 6 months.

Thursday 1 January 2015 Gt Haywood

Firstly this is the first blog of the year and I would like to wish you all a happy New Year. Diana and I saw the New Year in by ourselves on Harnser, there were a few local fireworks we could see but it was mainly the BBC and London display. The night was quite warm and raining so this morning there was no ice where we were moored.

Following the late night we didn’t rise to early and heard a boat go by at about 9 am. at 9-30 am the boat ahead set off and we followed at 10 am.  It wasn’t long before we were encountering thin ice, about ¼” and a little later about ½” but it was all broken by the boat ahead.

Passing the houses half way to Aston Lock this family of Swans were looking for their breakfast,  I would guess the householder feeds them regularly. One of the adults remained in the canal.

As we locked down Aston Lock two boats caught up with us, this was the start of a busy day and we have seen over a dozen boats on the move. The sky was very dark and rain was forecast for later so we expected to get wet. The temperature was in double figures but even so as we headed south there was still snow on some of the hills. When we reached Sandon Lock we caught up with the boat that had been moored ahead of us, he had got fed up breaking ice and pulled over so a following boat could take over. It was here that we met our first boat who approached the lock just as the boat ahead was leaving.

In the blog of the 22 December I promised a better photo of the floating duck house in the pond. This is the one tethered on an overhead cable.

We passed a field of fine Long Horned cattle who were just watching the world go by.

Along this stretch of canal there are quite a few white geese in the fields, this one was showing the classic signs of Angel Wing. There is a strong feeling this can be due to the type of food they eat, but one would expect the whole field full to be feed the same.

Although the actual temperature was between 12 and 14°C all day it felt much cooler than previous days but thankfully the rail held off. Approaching Hoo Mill lock we met a boat and arriving at the lock another was getting ready to come out, we thought it strange that the two chaps working the lock didn’t hop on, but there were actually two more boats below the lock waiting to come up.

We pulled over for water in Gt Haywood before continuing through the village and dropping down through Haywood lock to look for somewhere to moor for the night, we finally pulled in just passed bridge 72A where there are open views of Shugborough Hall, not that we wanted to look at the Hall but I try my hardest to avoid mooring near trees at any time and especially when its windy, by now the wind had picked up considerably, so much so that I had to help Diana moor the bows of the boat as she couldn’t hold it in and fit the piling hook.
We had not been here many minutes and it started to rain and the wing has also increased quite a bit.

This years Journey 5 Locks, 1 Junction, 9½ Miles in 4¼ hours.