Wednesfield Junction

We were away just after 9-30am. and   it happened again, just getting ready to push off and along comes a boat behind us, so we slid out right behind him. There were a few canoeists out this morning but they looked a lot more serious about things then the bunch having fun yesterday. Moored at Oxley Marina is a boat with rather a strange bow, if its to lift the boat as it cuts through the water |I would have thought it would have needed to get to 20MPH.

Bridge 64 at Aldersley Junction looks to have had some repairs to the parapet, I wonder how it got damaged? Thankfully the boat we were following∟

went straight ahead here and we turned left to go up the 21 locks into Wolverhampton. As I feared, the bottom lock was against us. We normally do this flight early in the morning, as the locks all tend to drain over night and if you are the first up they are all with you. The bottom lock the top paddles are at 90° to what you normally find, so you stand facing the canal to work them.

The next two locks were also against us but then at lock 17 there was a boat coming down, our luck had improved, from here the locks were with us, we didn’t set ahead as we were in no hurry to catch up with the boat ahead. Just below lock 14 I picked up the pile of rubbish that someone had removed from their prop and just left on the edge of the lock landing to fall back in again. I could see lock 13 was against us, our luck had run out, then a walker shouted out “there is a boat coming down in the next lock” so Diana opened the top gates and we waited for them. We then met another boat who turned out to be a fellow Cut Web member at lock 5.
The pound between locks 2 and 3 was its normal low level but I just slid through without needing to drop water down from the top.

And up to the top lock, the sign at the top lock could do with sprucing up a bit, its an old British Waterways one and has been hand painted at some point, I am surprised CRT haven’t stuck a vinyl blue one on top of it. We completed the flight in 3¼ hours.

We stopped at the services in the basin, but they are all closed until further notice, it’s a pity CRT don’t cover the sign up saying they are in the basin, we moored up for lunch before continuing on to the  Wyrley and Essington canal passing under the stainless steel arch bridge to the Bentley Arm. We slid into the arm very gently bringing the boat to a standstill on ropes, The arm is full of blanket weed and tomorrow I will haul it out on ropes before engaging gear.

Today’s Journey

4¼miles, 21 locks in 4¼ hours

Autherley Junction

A bit overcast this morning and cooler. A few boats had gone in each direction before we set off a little before 10. Not all the embankment protection stop planks have been replaced, this one was a short way before Wheaton Aston.

One of the Wheaton Aston long term moorings has, what I think is a rather splendid tree.

We stopped at Turners to fill with diesel and wished we had come earlier, the pub do a cooked breakfast at weekends and the smell as we filed the diesel tank was tempting. We thin did a very brief stop at the services to dump the rubbish including yesterday carpet that jammed the prop. There was a short queue at Wheaton Aston Lock with a couple of boats ahead and more coming down . From here we chugged on towards Stretton Aqueduct and past Industrial Narrowboats which has a fine collections of craft. Some of the open work boats moored along the towpath have started to shoot water plants in the rainwater within their holds.

Further along the Shropshire Union canal the towpath is closed for quite a long way due to a short

length of towpath slippage which is marked  by yet another barrier, without this second barrier I would never have spotted the slip, even then I passed before I could get a photo.

We moored on the 48 hr visitor moorings in the closed section for lunch, while we were mooring up I could see 3 paramedics talking with the moorers at the other end of the mooring before leaving along the closed towpath. After lunch the starboard side of the boat was washed, we did the port side the other evening,
About an hour later we set off again passing under the M54 motorway bridge where the graffiti artists have been very hard at work on the off side.

We stopped for water at the water point just prior to Napton Narrowboat base and then onto the stop lock at Autherley Junction, I think there was  about 50mm rise in the  lock as we went through. Here we turned right and slipped into the first mooring spot opposite Oxley Marine, just as the canoe club were packing up.

Minutes after mooring up it started raining and a short while ago we had the police running down the towpath, I couldn’t see who they were chasing but they came back without them. 

 

9½ miles,1 lock in 5 hours

Little Onn

Last night we ate at the Wharf Tavern at Cholmondeston, it's about 25 years since we have been here when they kindly let us leave our car for a few days in their carpark. Today it says “No overnight parking”. They also have a large caravan park that is getting bigger by the day. As expected on a sunny July evening a canal side pub was bursting, in the dining room most of the tables were used twice and the girls were kept busy. Even so the meals were served in good time and the service friendly and unhurried.

CRT or rather Rothen Group have fitted new stop locks along here in case of an Embankment failure. The last one fell completely to pieces and would have done nothing to hold back water if the embankment developed a leak. Click Here to see what it was like.

We stopped for a while to chat with friends Muriel and Jerry, both still very active and both well into their 80s, I just hope we fair as well.
Everyone has to photograph this bridge with its old telegraph pole complete with insulators.

There is a boat on the Norbury Wharf long term moorings that has an Owl living, last time I photographed it there was a long eared owl, today its a Barn Owl.

CRT must be quite concerned about these embankments, not only have they replaced the stop gates, on the off side below Norbury Junction  they have cleared the trees.

This canal is quite well know for its Kingfishers and today we weren't disappointed. This one splashed into and out of the canal before landing on the

mooring lines of this boat. As well as ones flying ahead we passed at least one who just sat and watched us go, I wonder how many more did that, of course we were passed before I could think of picking up the camera. Likewise Herons Buzzards and Red Tailed Kites.
This weekend is the Gnosall festival and as you can imagine the canal is full of boats trading for theweekend. We have friends Anne and Oli there so we pulled alongside their boat and had a quick chat before pressing on. Lots of traders are now using small push tugs to trade from, this gives them an overall length of 70 feet so can go through a lock as a unit but gives them somewhere outside their living accommodation to trade from.

A new one for me today, a field of poppies, I had never considered where poppy seeds for cooking come from, I always assumed abroad, but maybe this is where that start life.

Things have been going well as far as prop fouls go but today I was just coming out of a bridge hole with a day boat coming the other way, shouldn’t have been a problem but they hit revers and slewed right across the cut, I engaged revers and after an initial slowing down nothing, I had this carpet round the prop.
We moored at little Onn just beyond Reyhill Bridge 22. We hadn’t been here long when I heard an old working boat coming towards us  and it was towing what I can only describe as a mud hopper behind with a chap sitting on a folding chair steering it.

Today’s Journey

14 miles, no locks  in 5¾ hours

Goldstone Bridge

Another sunny start to the day and we were on the move at 10am with nothing else on the move. A good run to Tyrley locks where a boat was just going up in the first lock. We followed them all the way up waiting in each pound behind them to the top, where a boat was coming down. It good to see this chap is still keeping an eye on things below the flight.

At the top of the flight the lock side cottages have a rather good display of flowers.

CRT don’t look to have too much of a problem with the offside now being roped off, they are even moored to his fence post.

We only met one boat in Woods Eves Cutting and I held back in a wider part for them but they were still well aground trying to pass. There have been several more small land slips, one of them bringing

down some large rocks, The gabion reinforcing work carried out a few years back looks to be holding well, the slips are in other parts both sides of the canal. High bridge is always worth a shot as youpass by. At the very end of the cutting a second boat held back until we were clear.

Only a short trip today as we want to eat in the Wharf tonight. its over 25 years since we have been there when  they let us leave our car for a few days. There were plenty of moorings opposite when we arrived but its filled up since.

 

Today’s Journey

5 lock, 3½ miles in 2¼ hours

Market Drayton

Last night we ate in the Shroppie Fly, I can’t ever remember eating in there before, last time we visited to eat we walked in and saw what was on offer and left. Its a different ball game now. We both had pies as the main course and nice deserts to follow.
This morning we woke to bright sun and when a boat came down the locks at about 9am we set off, the first boat passed had been about 5-30 to 6am.
If anyone requires fenders Mell Edwards now moors in the long pound above the Shroppie Fly.

We had a reasonable run up the flight, there were boats going up some way ahead, but with a nice straight flight we could see boats coming down so waited rather than turn locks, I don’t think we turned any locks in the flight.
Cakes and Porkpies were bough at the top lock cottage before carrying on the Adderley flight where we followed a single hander up the flight and no one coming down, we assisted him as much as possible. The farmers butchers shop at the top lock has now gone. If I remember correctly it was part funded by an online giving scheme.

We carried on along a very quiet canal to Market Drayton, the long term mooring on the offside are almost empty, I can’t believe that they are all out cruising.

The towpath moorings opposite these long term moorings are limited to overnight only except on market day.(Wednesday & Saturday)

CRT have now defined what over night is and posted clear signage to reflect it, 4pm-10am next morning. We managed to find a spot to moor just before bridge 63, followed by a trip to Lidl.

Today’s Journey

6¼miles, 18 locks in 5 hours

Audlem

To say it rained yesterday evening and throughout the night would be an understatement, it was raining when we got up but as soon as it cleared we decided to set off, this of course coincided with a boat coming passed, it could have been worse, when we reached the first lock there were two more behind is. It was still fine drizzle when we pushed off but that had cleared by the first lock and the weather continued to improve. On the way to the first lock we met Richard who had just come down,

so at least the lock ahead would be ready for them.
We have been playing leapfrog with this boat for a few days but its the first time we have met at a lock and had a chat. From here we followed them (at a distance) all the way to Audlem lock where they moored ready to wind in the morning. We carried on up two locks to moor for the night. There were plenty of spaces, I think these notices may have put a few off. Not everyone reads the small print.

The garden at Audlem bottom lock is still being maintained on the off side. I don’t know who tends it, I think its probably on CRT land.

This poor old old goose may have problems as he wont be able to fly to avoid predators, its commonly known as Angel Wing.

 

  

Today’s Journey

4¾ miles, 4 locks in 2½ hours.

Nantwich

We woke to a lovely sunny morning and set off earlier than usual to try to avoid the queues at Cholmondeston Lock, we had already had a couple of boats go by but the first was quite early. Not far from where we moored there are some visitor mooring with picnic tables and BBQ frames, there is also a designated disable mooring.

Our plan worked as there were no other boats at the lock and the two Volockies saw us coming and got the lock ready for us. I did consider stopping to fill with diesel now the services have been taken over by the Chamberlin’s but they were still closed,so it was straight into the lock. Its not surprising there are queues here as one top paddle is out of action. Some time later we were on our way again, I must admit we did stand chatting with the Volockies for a bit.
At Barbridge, where the Middlewich Branch meets the Shropshire Union canal there is a notice on the bridge, I can’t recall seeing a similar notice anywhere else, anyone know of one?

Two honks of the horn and I slowly went forward until Diana indicated a boat was coming, but as he wanted to come under the bridge he held back and let me out. We turned hard left towards Nantwich, I had a bit of a squeeze on the wide at Henhull Moorings as this lady wanted to hang to my side and only just left room to get between her and the moored boats, I think with the flowers she couldn’t see to the right hand side of her boat.

  Nantwich was packed, but it looks to me as if CRT have made more moorings available for visitors south of the aqueduct on the embankment. We decided to moor for the night north of the railway bridge before Hack Green locks.

Today’s Journey

7¼ miles, 1 lock in 3 hours