This Blog will be the travel log of Narrowboat Harnser as we cruise the system. We are not continuous cruisers but just spend as much time as we can on the boat.
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Yesterday evening we decided to eat at The Queens head, Diana and Brian walked over during the afternoon to book a table, no chance, they were fully booked, but if we turned up as soon after 6 pm as possible we would probably get a table in the bar and they were spot on. The place was heaving but I must say the service was second to none. well done them.
This morning we were ready to leave at 9-30 as Brian had the breakfast out for us when we got up. There wasn’t a breath of wind and the sun was getting brighter, looking out of the rear door this was our view of the pub.
As it had been some time since the last boat went up the flight we set off, it turned out to be well timed because as we left the second lock another boat was ready to start their way up.
There are even more aerials up this way now, with a large array hanging from a crane.
Brian worked very well both shutting behind me and sometimes setting ahead, not bad for someone who is 10 tomorrow.
We made good progress up the flight meting 4 boats when we were well over half way up, but this didn’t help much as they had passed another boat going up a lock or so ahead. The reservoir looked quite low as we passed.
A couple of locks further up the flight is a sluice that feeds excess water coming down the flight into the reservoir.
We continued on to the long pound before Tardebigge Top Lock to moor for the night at 1300 hrs.
We had a good nights kip after our BBQ even though we were quite close to the railway. This morning we were away at 9-30 and had to turn Astwood Bottom lock, but it was the only one as there was a steady stream of boats coming down. Part the way up the flight we met Roach hanging below lock 19 waiting for their butty, Gosport to catch up. This was being bow hauled down the flight, they didn’t give any signal that I should pass on the wrong side but I though it would be a good idea. Once clear of the flight the relief steerer took over for a bit as we made our way towards Stoke Bottom, We called in for a quick squirt of water, the relief skipper wanted to make sure we wouldn’t run out.
We pulled in for lunch just below Stoke Top and then moved on to moor opposite The Queens Head for the night, We did try on the rings but were bumping on the bottom so moved along to the piling which is better. All the moorings are now full for the night.
Tomorrow its off up Tardebigge, good job we have the extra crew, this year he is big enough to draw and lower paddles as well as open and close gates.
What a wonderful place Droitwich is, they have really embraced the canal with Vine Park that runs between the river and the canal and also Vine Park basin visitor moorings where there is room for about 14 Narrowboats. It was full last night but there are also good bank side moorings in the town beside the park.
A very late start today as my Grandson has come to stay for a few night so it was 2 pm before we headed off first for water and then up the canal to the Birmingham and Worcester canal at Hanbury junction. In the park there is a finger sign board pointing to all four points of the compass, its made of solid oak and was unveiled by a very good friend of ours Andrew Dyke who was instrumental in raising cash and awareness when he was a Councillor. There are four swing bridges in use that cross the canal in the town, all pedestrian and hand operated. One of them crosses the Barge Lock so has to be opened before you can use the lock.
As the Barge Lock in not in line with the canal it required a layby below it to allow the barges to line up so the could enter and leave the lock. After this lock the rest are all narrow and include a staircase of two, as we approached it we met a volunteer lock keeper on his bike who had drawn the bottom paddle for us. All the locks above the tunnel under the M5 only have one paddle operational, this is to prevent water entering the canal to fast and raising the level in the tunnel as some boats only have millimetre clearance depending on the height of the river. Today the river Salworpe was very low so clearance was good.
There is another corrugated iron bridge to pass under, this one has two rows of buoys to help you keep to the middle.
After the stair case there are three more locks and these all have working side ponds which they ask you to use, I would suggest they have better signage like they have at staircase locks. This sign for instance makes no mention of using the side pound when you empty of fill a lock before use, only when the boat is in the lock. When the water comes into the lock via the side ponds some of it enters just in front of the tail gates bubbling up furiously.
I am not sure how much water these ponds actually save as the next lock down is the staircase which are very inefficient water wise so needs sufficient water from the junction to top it up. At the junction we turned left up the Birmingham and Worcester canal mooring quite close to the railway for the night before lighting the BBQ.
Today’s Journey
2¼ miles I staircase lock, 3 locks with side pounds, 1 Barge Lock, 4 swing bridges, 2 canals in 2¾ hours.
Today was supposed to be an easy day, get up and set off when we feel like it etc. First problem was the chap behind started his engine at 7-15 am to set off at 8-15 by which time the building site had started work and boats were coming by. So at 9 am we pushed off, backwards to the first water point where the chap who had been moored next to it all night in kindly pulled back to let us in. as two hire boats were using the next outlet the tap was very slow so we only took half a tank full. Then back further to turn in the basin and into Diglis top lock which we had to turn. just as we were going in a small hire boat came steaming down the cut, turned into the basin, stopped and looked lost, he was looking for the Severn so I invited him to join us. It was an elderly couple with Grandson out for half a week doing the Droitwich ring. Poor chap didn’t have a clue what to do or where to go. Diana and I worked him down the two locks and told him several times to turn right on the river which he did, I had to pick Diana from the landing stage.
The rowers were out in force on the river between the lock and the bridge, again working on technique, which means floating in the middle of the river until you are just bow to stern with them and then setting off at 4½ MPH covering your bow. We passed the Cathedral with a Ferry gate that looks very similar to Pulls Ferry in Norwich. The landing stage is for the trip boats and then under the railway bridge. Past the Race Course moorings where the charge is £4 a night where there was more rowing and a Dragon Boat crew practicing.
As we approached Bevere lock our hire boat was just untying to go in the lock as the light was green, he made a real pigs ear of getting a line on the wire and tied off to the ladder which I spotted almost falling in on a couple of occasions. We got up unscathed and he followed me to Hawford Lock which Diana set and after we had opened the gates I waved him in. He did open his gate but didn’t take a windlass with him. By now we had a hotel boat behind us. He had great problems stopping on the lock landings, switching the engine off as soon as he was close enough to jump ashore and then running forward for the bow rope. With the help of some foreign bystanders we worked him up through the second lock, The hotel boat decided to stop for lunch above the lock. At the third he offered to stop and let us go on alone but I was concerned he might have an accident if we left him besides it would be the wrong thing to do, after that we had him getting off on the lock landing and opening one of the paddles and gates, but I was worried when he tried to climb the lock to help with the top, after this we were leaving by one gate. He was very grateful and obviously upset that he wasn’t pulling his weight. His wife couldn’t drive the boat and was waiting to go into hospital for a heart operation, The grandson who was 10 did try to help me at a couple of the later locks but wasn’t really strong enough to do much but showed interest in what we were doing as I explained things to him. When we reached the top he set off first heading for the basin to fill with water and then getting the chap at the basin to moor the boat for him.
Now came the best bit, a couple of hours later there was a tap on the side of the boat, it was the Grandson with a bag, in it was a parcel all nicely wrapped up with a bow and in it a large box of Thornton's Chocolates as thanks for helping them.
One of the locks had a rather nice circular spill weir which looks as if it was new when the canal was restored.
The locks on this canal may be heavy to open and close but every thing works nicely and the gates are all well hung without bad leaks, The paddle gear is all in good condition, I don’t know if its original of a copy, It will be interesting to see how CRT plan to modify these pawls to be self latching unless they fit springs on them.
One point that caught me out was Salwarpe Bridge, Its a big bridge than goodness but its just on the exit of a right angle bend.
A little further on there is a tunnel made of corrugated Iron rings, this is just before you get to Vine Park basin where we were mooring for the night. There are a number of finger pontoons here in a semicircle and there were still about 4 free so we slipped into one of the side ones. About half an hour later the 72 foot hotel boat arrives looking for a mooring, there are only 2 slots now at the end, but if he uses them some of the boats in the side moorings wont be able to get out, so we offer to do a swap and I went at the end leaving about 9” clearance for the last boat on the side to get out and he went in the side where I was moored.
Today’s Journey
10½ Miles 2 canals 1 river I manned lock 10 wide locks in 6½ hours
This was the view from our rear doors this morning, we were moored directly in front of a light ship. Its for sale if you fancy it.Llanthony lock is supposed to open at 8 am but then closes to boats between 0820 and 0900 hrs to let all the workers get into town, so at 8 am we were ready to leave, unfortunately the lock keeper wasn’t and it was ten passed before he opened up, by then there was us, a boat moored a short way ahead and another coming up behind waiting for him. Once clear of the bridge I rand the lock keeper who had just let the first boat of the day out, so we had to wait for it to be refilled, by which time there were 5 of us milling around waiting for the gates to open.
The trip up to the Upper Partings is quite narrow so the water runs faster and we were only doing about 2½ MPH pushing up there, I was second boat in the convoy.
We only met one boat before the partings on quite a straight part so no problems there. At the partings the boat ahead was to far to the right and hit the bottom but luckily slid over it and carried on upstream, slowing and waving me passed. At Upper Lode Lock I was first boat in the lock, and as we were well spaced out by now everyone had time to sort themselves out before the next boat came in, there were only 4 of us now as one stopped at one of the pub moorings.
A short way below Upper Lode lock the river Avon joins the river Severn on the right, this runs up to the weir that we visited when we were in Tewksbury last week.
One of the boats stopped at Tewksbury so that left 3 of us going upstream. Not long after the road bridge there is a wharf on the right hand side, as we passed I noticed a man sat in the loader so guessed that it would not be long before we met an empty gravel barge, sure enough “Perch” was on her way down to load up. About 2 miles upstream we passed the unloading bay where the barge Elver was sitting waiting to be unloaded but there was no one about. Again just a guess the chap that unloads is the same one who loads so he was waiting for Perch to arrive and will then return to unload them both. Moored ahead of Elver were Chub and Pike. Its good to see that there is still some commercial carrying going on on the river even if it is only 2 miles.
We had hoped to moor at Upton on Severn for the night but there were already 4 boats on the pontoons and 2 on the steps, I did consider trying the end of the steps but that would have put us under the road bridge and we didn’t fancy that, we were there several minutes but no one offered us to breast up so we continued on our way to Worcester. I don’t think this foot bridge was here last time we were this way, but then I didn’t remember the locks were tandem ether. Its a bit confusing as not only is this lock known as Diglis lock but so is the one off the river going up to Diglis Basin. Our second choice of moorings for the night were the Worcester river moorings but these were also full so we locked up the other Diglis Locks, through the basin to take the last visitor mooring after the basin. Diana has walked up the canal and said there is not a single boat moored above Sidbury Lock.
Today’ journey 30 miles 3 manned locks and 2 wide manual locks in 9½ hours.
Not much to report today, setting of at our normal 10 am it was a two hour run down to the Sainsbury's short term moorings to restock before heading up the river tomorrow. This is a very useful point to stock up as you can take the trolley to the waters edge.
The bridge keepers on this canal at one time each had a lock keepers cottage and just as the Stratford Canal had distinctive buildings so did the Gloucester and Sharpness company, a bit more ornate than Stratford I think you will agree.
We were hoping to moor just before Llanthony Bridge but I could see they were all full, it was then that Diana spotted that the first pontoon mooring after the Lightship is a visitor mooring, all the rest are long term so we nipped in there for the night.
Tonight there are 8 of us going out for a meal at Vinings and tomorrow we head off back up the Severn, hopefully mooring at Upton on Severn for the night, if not its all the way to Worcester.
A late start boating today as we walked down to the river first to see the Bore, It was suppose to come at 1023 hr but finally arrived at 1045 hrs. It wasn’t very dramatic but I wouldn’t have wanted to be in a Narrowboat when it hit.
After wandering back to the boat it was gone 11 am before we set off south again, The rowers were out in force but not going very quickly at all. In fact the one coming up behind us after we set off never caught up with us, I think it was more a technique thing they were doing than power. Or destination was Frampton but for some reason there is no mooring allowed for a ¼mile after Fretherne Swing Bridge so that made the walk a bit longer. Part of the plan was Sunday Lunch but when we arrived at the Green the place was heaving, calling into the Bell they said yes we could have lunch but it was a ¾ hour wait, so we ordered got a couple of pints of “Bob” and waited, sure enough it was almost spot on ¾ hour later that two roast dinners arrived. they were OK but I wont rush back. When we left the wait was an hour. We walked along the Green passed The Three Horseshoes which was nowhere near so busy and then on to the small cafe who were doing roast at £8 so we should have walked along first. We had a couple of “Winston” ice creams before wandering back to the boat. One of the reasons for so many cars was the Circus was in town complete with Big Top and lots of living wagons as well as conventional caravans. It must be the largest collection of living wagons in the Country. As we walked by the horses were warming up before going into the ring.
Once back on the boat it was down to Saul Junction to invest £16-35 for a pump out, maybe I should do like the hotel boat and just pump it into the canal. It was then on for about a mile to moor just behind the CRT floating garden for the night.
This was being bow hauled down the flight, they didn’t give any signal that I should pass on the wrong side but I though it would be a good idea.
room for about 14 Narrowboats. It was full last night but there are also good bank side moorings in the town beside the park.
boats and then under the railway bridge. 
one about. Again just a guess the chap that unloads is the same one who loads so he was waiting for Perch to arrive and will then return to unload them both. Moored ahead of Elver were Chub and Pike. 
Its good to see that there is still some commercial carrying going on on the river even if it is only 2 miles. 
the largest collection of living wagons in the Country. As we walked by the horses were warming up before going into the ring.
