Pelsall Common

As we were moored right outside the Nickelodeon pub we decided to eat there, the menu was not that exciting but the carvery was OK. The carpark was a bit noisy with the boy racers but quietened down before we went to bed. This morning we woke to bright sunshine. We slid very gently out of the arm backwards trying successfully not to pick anything up on the prop and headed off along the W&E making good progress, in fact we only stopped once for a weed hatch visit and that was caused by hooking a large branch on the bows. When I reversed off to clear it I picked up a large blade full, it mat once have been a fisherman’s bivvy with big heavy duty zips and some thin semi ridged plastic, that held us up for half an hour or so. I must say the water was not as cold as I expected.
We stopped at Sneyd Junction services and topped the water tank up a bit as we were passing, that should see us OK to Longwood.
Something I haven’t noticed before is this installation for disabled fishing persons, wheelchair friendly hard flat surface and a raised section to stop them rolling into the cut.

One day, hopefully the Heatherton canal will join here to give a direct connection to the Staffordshire and Worcester canal.

We carried on a little further mooring for the night just before the junction with the Cannock Extension at Pelsall Common, we are actually about two foot out from the bank and the pins are only in the ground six inches but we are not expecting anyone to come speeding by tonight.

Todays Journey

11½ miles, no locks in 4½ hours

Bentley Arm W&E

The weather forecast for today was rain, and they weren't wrong, although it wasn’t as heavy as I expected, but at least it was warm. After about 10 minutes we were at Aldersley junction entering lock 21 of the Wolverhampton flight.

Some of the locks were with us and some against, now and again even the rain stopped for a short time. Something that is always good to see on the 21 as you approach a lock is water coming from the bywash, it means the pound above is the correct level, there have been a lot of problems this winter with the flight being drained overnight, but today all was fine, only 2 to 3 were down a little bit.

Everything was well greased and worked well, even the anti vandal locks worked with only 2 faulty on the whole flight. Much to our surprise we met a boat coming down at the half way point, this meant all the rest of the locks would be with us. Some time ago CRT but little signs by every lock warning of falling from a height.

Today most of them have disappeared and just the posts remain. I can’t think why anyone would want to pinch them.

Some of the locks still have to original stone by the bottom gates giving both lock number and date.

One lock even supports an Ordinance Survey datum mark on the stone work. I often wonder how accurate these are today and how much the ground has moved since the marks were made.

Not a particularly fast run up the flight as things were a bit slippery in places with soggy leaves etc. so it took us 3 hours and twenty minutes. Once clear of the flight we carried on to Horsleyfields Junction where we had to turn left, as the canal ahead is still closed following a fire before Christmas. You can just see the gable end of the old industrial building standing there looking rather unsafe.

We were now on the Wyrley and Essington Canal. A short way from the junction is an old gauging lock, the gates long gone, but its a great spot for collecting rubbish round the prop, today we came through clean. A spot that always demands a photograph is going under the polished stainless steel bridge arch where you get a reflection of the boat as you pass under. A selfie with a difference.

We arrived at The Bentley arm and tucked in for the night right beside the Nickelodeon pub. Since we have been here the wind has freshened and is quite gusty.

Todays Journey

4¼ miles, 21 locks in 4¼ hours

Autherley Junction

Well last night was the opposite of the night before, when we went to bed the deck was covered in ice and when we set off this morning it was raining. We didn’t leave quite as early as normal as we didn’t have far to go, only Autherley Junction, tomorrow its the 21 and its forecast to rain. We didn’t have much rain today, just a few light showers and the only other boats we saw on the move were these kids in their canoes.

I noticed that some of the bridges, instead of having a cast number on them have a hand painted black wooden plaque.

One thing I spotted at Four Ashes was this old telephone wire pole or GPO pole which still has a couple of insulators on it, there are a few around the system where they and not easily accusable to remove.

As the day progressed the wind increased and although the actual temperature was quite high for the time of year the wind made it feel cold.

Todays Journey

7¾ miles no locks in 2½ hours

Gailey, Four Ashes

We had heavy rain overnight followed by a frost early this morning so went I went out to put the flags up they were frozen to the roof so had to be left for a bit, the grass was white in places and even very smell patches of ice at the edge of the canal. We were away about 10 am and it wasn’t long before we passed a moored boat, it was the one that came by yesterday evening. We only saw two boats on the move all day, both going from Gailey to Penkridge, the first then returning and mooring just ahead of us.
The crocodiles are out in force in this part of the world, we passed a second one today.

In Suffolk there is a property known as The House in the Clouds at Thorpness, House in the Clouds | Self Catering Holiday Accommodation |Suffolk
today we saw a model one in a garden.

We stopped at Penkridge to fill with water, I can report the tap has good pressure and the toilet spotless, also the signs on the little posts telling you not to moor to them have gone, but I have never seen so many signs on a waster disposal site, or should I call it a recycling facility. This was just the door, they are round the end as well.

It was just after this that we met the first boat of the day, they were winding and going back to Gailey, so meeting us they expected all the locks to be against them.  This is one expense that CRT  could really do without and its happening more and more, lets hope they can claim off the drivers insurance if they know who it was.

At Gailey Lock I noticed lots of books on the windowsill of the service block, but unfortunately the door was locked and a notice saying “services out of order on the elsan disposal door. We only went a few hundred yards further along the canal to the 2 day visitor moorings where we found a spot with no tree cover, this will do us for the night.

Todays Journey

7½ miles, 10 locks in 4½ hours

Deptmore Lock Christmas Day

Following my posting and photo of the building at Tixall Wide Dave sent me this link

https://www.staffordbc.gov.uk/live/Documents/Planning%20Policy/Conservation/Conservation%20Areas/Conservation%20Areas%20List/Tixall-Conservation-Area-Appraisal-Nov-2015.pdf

It has loads of information about Tixall, not just the building in question.

This morning we didn’t set off, the chap behind did so now we are all alone, we did have the company of a police helicopter for the best part of half an hour, circling a short way away, looking at the map in was in the area of Roseford Farm. 
Once that activity was over and we had had coffee I set to fitting the new alternator. The old one failed last trip and I refitted the 30 amp, 24 volt one which I originally fitted when I first installed the engine, This led to three problems,

1 I was 25 years younger.
2 There was much more room to work
3 The original came from a commercial vehicle so was a bit different on the mountings, not much but enough to make it not bolt out, bolt in replacement.

By one thirty I was seeing 42 amps going into the batteries, that is from a 60 amp alternator and so far the temperature has not reached 80° C within an hour the battery was full again and the temperature stayed constant. While I was doing this Diana took her self for a walk, on her return we had lunch and I cleared all my stuff away before His Royal Highness came on TV and said nothing of importance.
As the light faded the sky turned just a pail pink with some nice reflections on the water.

About 7pm. diner was ready, I can’t take any of the credit for this so I just did the washing up afterwards.

She even takes the credit for the Christmas decorations, I just make sure we have the electrics to keep them alight.

 

Merry Christmas one and all.

Deptmore Lock

Off at our normal ten in bright sunshine just after another boat had gone by. I think I have tried to get a good photo of this tree carving every time we have been passed but the angle is always not quite right.

When we arrived a Colwich lock, which was living up to its nickname Cow S**t Lock the single hander ahead was just going in through the bottom gates.

Diana helped him lock up and then it was our turn, if possible I like to tuck the bows in against the gate so the boat doesn't get washed about as the lock empties. As I stood there I watched a pair of Jackdaws on the lock cottage chimney top, I wonder if they well set up home in his flue.

As we were about to leave Colwich Lock a boat came under the railway bridge so we were able to leave the lock open.
The Kingfishers were out in force, the first just sat on some dead foliage as we passed but I spotted it too late to get the camera out, I had more luck with the next two.

  A bit more luck at Haywood Lock as there was a boat waiting to exit the lock and the engine had an unmistakable beat to it, it was the ex working boat called “Ironside” but I can’t find a historic boat with that name.

We continued up the Trent and Mersey canal  as far as Great Haywood Junction where we turned left onto the Staffordshire and Worcestershire canal. Surprisingly there were on 3 boats moored on Tixall Wide, I expected more stopping there for Christmas, but it did give me a chance to blow a few cobwebs out of the engine. The long building that stands not too far back from Tixall Wide was looking splendid in the morning sun. I have no idea how old it is and can find nothing about it.

At Tixall lock we met a gentleman who said his son owned the boat permanently moored on the offside above the lock and that it had crossed the English Channel twice, but couldn’t get to the Montgomery Canal as it was a tad too wide. We carried on to the outskirts of Stafford, past the Stafford link where they hope to join the canal back to the river Sow one day and stopped for a short time at Meadow Bridge 99 to explore the bridge that crosses the floodplain of the river Penk, today it was well flooded.

We had often wondered where this bridge went to. Back on board we continued on our way, the floods opposite the Stafford Boat club where even wider .

By now we were within striking distance of our chosen mooring for the night which was just above Deptmore Lock, the weather was pleasant enough to go further but soon the noise of the motorway impinges on the canal.

Todays Journey

8¾ Miles, 4 locks in 4 hours

Wolseley Bridge

Got up for my early morning we and could hear the rain on the roof and it was still doing it next time I woke up at 9am. so we were a little late getting away this morning in even heavier rain. Looking out of the back doors fist thing, this was our view.

It was 11am when we set off after a couple of boats had gone by, so we were held up at each lock for a bit in the pouring rain
Just before the foot swing bridge just past the water point this chap is watching out for people overstaying on the facility moorings.

Between Shad House Lock and Woods End Lock the HS2 work is progressing but no action today.

At the cottage and lock some of the teapots have returned and someone has put some decorations on the Christmas tree in the front garden. After this the rain eased quite a bit and it was surprisingly warm. We caught up with the boat ahead by The Plum Pudding, one of the crew was walking the dog so I was able to just follow them through Armitage Tunnel. At the far side we came across a sad sight or a boat on fire, as we passed it was just belching smoke. As we passed the owner returned in their car and when he opened the front door the air rushing in caused a Flash over and it start belching flames. I hope they didn’t catch him as he opened the door. I found out later that their dog was in the boat.
In Rugeley CRT contractors are still hard at it piling the towpath edge, they had started this last time we came through.

A little further on you pass Naomi’s moorings and the Christmas display is not a let down, they have really gone to town, I don’t know what it looks like at night.

We chugged on crossing the river Trent where a football was merrily flowing down stream, as we passed Taff Bridge I could see the boats that were sitting in the field have now returned to the water. Not far to go now as we decided we would stop at Wolseley Bridge for the night at 3-30pm.

Todays Journey

10¾ Miles, 3 locks in 4½ hours

Fradley Junction

Last night we had fireworks and later what sounded like a fox calling.
We woke to a very mucky morning and set off at 10am, just after the drizzle had stopped.

We only saw 5 other boats on the move all day which wasn’t really surprising.
There were a few unusual sights like a full size giraffe behind the buildings by bridge 89 or the crocodile in the garden near the Lazy Otter pub

But the strangest must be a farmer with his irrigation system running in this weather, everywhere looked pretty wet to me.

Just passed Streathay Wharf we passed the sight of the recent closure due to a culvert failure, I am not sure if there is still a closure notice for the towpath.

A little further on they have re-piled the edge with wooden piling and repaired the towpath.

When we arrived at the junction there were only a couple of boats moored and a CRT workboat just before the waterpoints. We decided that we would fill with water and then drop back behind the CRT boat for the night, however our plans were thwarted when a boat came through the swing bridge and moored right in the spot I had my eye on, so once the water tank was full we had to go back a little further and moor with our stern right under the bows of Aldridge an ex working boat.

Todays Journey

10¾ miles, no locks in 4 hours

Fazeley

The journey to the boat went well with no holdups but there was a lot of spray in places from the lorries on the A14.
Once at the boat and the car unloaded, we seem to bring more every trip, I refilled the the water system, thankfully not found any leaks yet. The temperature inside the boat had been down to -4°C and outside -9°C.
Once everything was sorted out, stove alight, engine run and we had had a bit of lunch we set off. There was no sign of Ice at the marina but when we reached Tamworth, between the aqueduct and Fazeley Junction there were several ice flows still bobbing about. We only saw one boat on the move and we caught up with him at Glascote  Top Lock, he back set the  bottom one for us and we saw him later mooring at Fazeley outside the ex CRT office, we are a short way past him on the towpath side.

Todays Journey

3¾ miles, 2 locks in 1¾ hours