Back at "Spooks"

Our weekend turned out splendidly.  On Saturday we woke to a lovely autumn day:

Ann arrived at 11 and we were soon heading off in glorious sunshine towards Snarestone, the first time any of us had visited this stretch of the Ashby.  Much of it was quite different from what had gone before, being densely wooded rather than going through open farmland.  Although this made for a lot of leaves to get in the prop, the colours were magical and for a change there wasn't a breath of wind.  There were photographic opportunities aplenty:

A few hundred yards after Snarestone Tunnel (250 yds and crooked) we reached The End. 

Beyond the bridge there is a newly-restored 100 yards or so which is used only for mooring at present.

To say it was Saturday, the start of half-term in Leicestershire, and a lovely day, the place was deserted.  Even the Ashby Canal Association's shop was shut.  We turned the boat, filled up the water tank, and headed back to moor just beyond the tunnel for lunch.

The journey back to Shackerstone was no less pleasant and on arrival, while Ann & I shared a pot of tea, himself went for a wander with his camera and found some trains

Shackerstone being one terminus of the "Battlefield Line".

We finished a great day with a meal at the Rising Sun and said our goodbyes to ann before heading down the moonlit towpath to tonight's mooring - The One After the Bridge.


Sunday saw us returning first to Market Bosworth, for another slog up the hill (easier without the bag-on-wheels!) to get a paper and some milk, then after our traditional Sunday brunch of bacon butties we set off again, ending at Stoke Golding.  It had been another fine day but by 4 o'clock the clouds were gathering and we'd not been moored long before the wind got up and the heavens opened.  The forecast for Monday and Tuesday was fog and fog,  so we think the good weather bubble has burst and we're happy to on the homeward trek.

Today it was indeed damp and miserable when we woke, and much colder.  We've made it back to the "Spooks" mooring after brief stops for diesel and water, initially to have lunch but we've decided to stay.  There's plenty of time...

Normal service resumed

Missed blogging yesterday as we had an exhausting day cruising a whole 6 hours!!

Probably the best day yet weather-wise; we found an excellent farm shop by Bridge 23 near Stoke Golding (Spinney Bank); had a great lunch at the Sutton Cheney Wharf cafe; moored eventually at Market Bosworth after battling some near gale-force winds.  Steak for dinner from the farm shop - superb.

Today we took the 1-mile uphill walk into MB to replenish supplies.  The 1-mile downhill walk back wasn't much better as the bag on wheels threw a hissy fit and decided to redistribute its load so that it was dragging on the ground.  We now have a bag on wheels with a hole - but it'll probably still do for logs.

Set off at 12.30 for Shackerstone which took all of 90 minutes.  Dead calm for once - the canal was like a millpond and the sun even put in a couple of appearances. Saw our first kingfisher this trip! The autumn colours are beautiful and the hedgerows are positively groaning with berries - if the old wives are to be believed it will be a very hard winter.

Spent the afternoon doing some cleaning and tidying as we will have company tomorrow - our friend Ann is joining us for a trip to the source of the Nile (OK, the end of the Ashby Canal) and back, followed by dinner at the Rising Sun here in Shackerstone.

Tonight's mooring - "The One before the Bridge" (not much imagination there...)

Warm but Windy

After a very rainy night we woke to blue skies again and they have stayed that way all day, but it's been extremely windy.  The fire was just a tiny glimmer but the boat was pleasantly warm, so that worked well.

Three hours cruising saw us at Hawkesbury Junction aka Sutton Stop.  For the first time ever we found a free mooring there so went to the Greyhound for lunch.  An old and characterful pub with plenty of boating memorabilia.  Beautifully cooked omelettes.

Off again at 2.15 and the wind made the turn onto the Ashby Canal really tough.  Also not helped by a swan with a death-wish which insisted on swimming less than a foot ahead of the boat for the first 20 yards or so.

Wind and shallow water made the rest of the journey a slow one but we reached our intended destination only 10 minutes after our intended time, and luckily enough witnessed another great sunset.

Tonight's mooring is "The Spooks One" - named for our experience here around a year ago.

Sunny Shopping Day

Off at 9.30 this morning for a leisurely 40 minutes to Rugby, by which time the wind had risen to near-hurricane speed, so mooring up took a while.  Having completed our Tesco shop (though I still managed to forget the soap), we next headed to the retail park for Homebase, Halfords, Wickes and even Sport Direct (woolly hat - only £2.99).  Oh the excitement.

Homebase had fuel (coal, logs etc) on 3 for 2 so it was back to the boat for our folding sack truck.  Also took the opportunity to get a companion set (very complicated instructions:-

- but I managed it).  No coal scuttles to be had so pro tem we have a £1.99 plastic bucket.  And so we are at last ready to burn coal on our stove, which hopefully means we can keep the fire in all night and wake up to a cosy boat for a change.

All this took us no less than 4 hours including coffee break, so after another couple of hours cruising plus a brief stop for water, we have ended up at another mooring we know well.  The name we have for it is not suitable for polite company but its official name is All Oaks Corner.

Despite the strong wind (and leaves in the prop) it's been a glorious day and more is now promised for the rest of the week.  Perhaps the man at Hatton Locks was right after all...

The man at Hatton Locks is wrong!

We met this guy almost exactly 12 months ago, when he told us the weather in this particular week had been fine for the last 30 years. This was the basis on which we decided to take another two weeks on Bonjour in the second half of October.

Yesterday we set off from the marina in lovely Autumn sunshine, as predicted. (By the Met Office too, it has to be said)  Within an hour, it started raining.  It didn't last though, and we moored at our Favourite Mooring* in time to witness a glorious sunset.  Cold though - time to light the stove for the first time this year.

The weatherman on Countryfile promised us a sunny day today, but we woke to dark mists and heavy showers (had he not spoken to the man at Hatton Locks?).  Encouraged by a glimmer of sun behind the clouds, we set off on the familar path to Braunston and then onto the North Oxford.  The day has passed fairly uneventfully - I have been mentally making a shopping list of all the things we forgot for our compulsory visit to Rugby Tesco tomorrow, and Brian tried to repair the horn, but without success, as a tool is required which unaccountably is absent from the vast array we carry on board.  So we will be visiting Homebase as well.  What we love about boating is how it gets you away from normal life...

*We call it our Favourite Mooring because we've been there so many times, but we don't properly know where it is.  Tonight we are at "The One By The Golf Course".

In which we fail to visit Market Harborough

This morning we actually set the alarm clock which meant we got going a whole hour earlier than usual.  By 10.30 we were at the top of the Foxton Locks and third in the queue to go down.

This is the flight of locks we changed our depature date to avoid going down at the weekend, as they are a popular spot for gongoozlers.  But it seemed Mondays were no different.  They are pretty impressive though.

Anyway, off we set and it's "red before white" again.  All of a sudden I feel like I'm part of some street theatre performance. There are people everywhere and I seem to spend a large part of the time asking them politely to move away from this paddle or out of the way of that gate.  However, almost without exception they are genuinely interested in what we're doing and ask questions, tell their children what's happening, and many are are happy to help open and close gates.  They're having a great day and so are we.

At the bottom of the flight we have to go through a swing bridge before mooring up with the intention of just becoming gongoozlers ourselves, but the pub looks nice, and its canalside garden looks nice so before we know where we are we're ordering lunch.  Just as it arrives the heavens open and we have to make a dash for the covered seating.

Afterwards we walked halfway up the flight again, stopping at the shop to get a "Foxton Locks" plaque to join our "Four Counties Ring" one on the rear doors (though it's not there yet - keep forgetting to buy the screws).  We came back by way of the site of the former Inclined Plane - another wonderful feat of canal engineering which lifted boats from one level to the other sideways in caissons on rails. More info here: Foxton Inclined Plane Trust .  I just hope that, like the Anderton Lift, the restoration will happen in our lifetime.

By the time we got back to the boat it was raining again so we waited until 3 before heading off for our planned stop for the night - Market Harborough.  This was a fabulous journey - a winding canal amongst lush greenery, with far-reaching views over the Leicestershire countryside.  We even saw a kingfisher.  And passed under another of  "our" bridges:

But, when we got to the end of the line, Market Harborough was full - not a mooring to be had.  So we made the most of a glorious evening by turning round and coming two-thirds of the way back again to another countryside mooring "somewhere in Leicestershire".  So we have no idea what Market Harborough is like - but I'm sure we'll find out one day.

13 1/2 miles, 10 locks, 2 swing bridges

To Welford (on the Avon)

After an evening spent enjoying the "Golden Hour" at the Olympics, but frustrated because we could hear, but not see, what seemed like a fantastic firework display nearby, we made another leisurely start this morning, when this was the view from the stern:

After an hour I was scuttling inside as the skies darkened and there was a torrential downpour.  Eventually it eased off enough for me to push a mug of coffee out to the Captain, then, with the speed of lightning we felt overdressed and overheated as the sun came out.

We decided to turn up the Welford Arm, moor at the end for long enough to see which medal Andy Murray would win, then meander back to moor back on the main line "somewhere in the country".
We actually stopped just short of Welford Wharf and walked up, first to the village shop (which is in Northamptonshire) and then back to the Wharf Inn (in Leicestershire), where we had a great lunch.

The county boundary is actually the Avon - the Warwickshire one - which rises a couple of miles from the village.  At this Welford it is all of 4ft wide!  It also bisects a delightful "Pocket Park" where we spotted Postman Pat

By the time lunch was over, I found out from my Olympics mobile app (yes, I am that sad) that Murray had already won the first set, so we hurried back to the boat.  Disaster! - no TV signal!  So we decided to move off back to the main line and hopefully find a better mooring, where we could also spend the night.

The Welford Arm was gorgeous - even quieter and more remote-feeling than the main line.  It has just one lock which I think is one of the beautifully located we've seen - does need a lick of paint though...

Note the blue skies?  Twenty minutes later it was chucking it down again, with lightning for good measure.  Still at least we would have our waterproofs on ready for drips in Husband's Bosworth tunnel.....which was completely dry.

The canal was very much closed in with trees for the next few miles, which was not conducive to good TV reception,  so eventually we had to resort to my App for the news which had two sixty-plus boaters jigging about on the stern shouting "Yesss!!"

We then wondered if Andy Murray actually does better when we are not watching him on a boat - a theory which came closer to being proved when we eventually moored for the night and joined the mixed doubles at the start of the second set.

We are "somewhere in the country".  Think it's probably Leicestershire as we haven't crossed the Avon again.

13 miles, 2 locks (1 x 2), 1 tunnel

Red before white

We'd not planned a long day so didn't set off until 10, whereupon it started raining.  However, this didn't last long and we reached Norton Junction in bright sunshine.

Now we were in pastures new.  The Leicester line of the Grand Union is delightfully rural, even though the first couple of miles are disconcertingly close to the M1.  We were soon at the bottom of Watford locks (near the famous Watford Gap), which are well decorated in honour of the Jubilee, England, the new Canal & River Trust and probably Team GB as well.

We reported to the lock keeper and waited our turn.  There are two single locks, followed by a staircase of 4, then another single lock at the top.  The staircase operates with the use of side-ponds, which take the water out of one lock and then direct it back to the next, using different paddles which are painted red, and white.  They have to be opened in the right order and there is a rhyme to help:

"Red before white and you'll be all right
White before red and you'll wish you were dead"

Not wishing to find out what the second half meant, I walked up to the staircase muttering "red before white" to myself, but I needn't have worried - the lock keeper signalled which paddles to open and when, and we sailed gracefully up the staircase without a hitch.  Hearing it was our first time, the lock keeper asked if we'd like a certificate to say we'd done the flight. I said we'd wait till next Thursday when we came down again.  We've got one for people who make a b***s up of it as well, he said.  Hmmm....

On we cruised in the sunshine until we reached Crick Tunnel, shorter than Braunston but definitely drippier.  Not that it mattered, as when we emerged it was raining.  We moored at Crick Wharf and made a brief sortie to the Post Office Stores for a paper and a few supplies.  The rain then got heavier and we stayed put while we had lunch.

Eventually the skies cleared and we set off again, still enjoying the rural and remote landscape.  This section of canal really feels like "the land that time forgot".  Stopped for water at Yelvertoft, after which we decided to moor up at the next nice spot we saw.  This took about an hour as each spot was dismissed as not quite nice enough until we reached the interestingly named Mountain Barn Bridge. There's no sign of either a mountain or a barn, but there are hills and golden cornfields, and following a short thunderstorm we have a rainbow!

Another good day aboard.

11 miles, 7 locks, 1 tunnel

Great Start

Off to the marina in glorious sunshine.  Brief(ish) stop at Southam Tesco for what was supposed to be "lunch" but ended up as a trolleyful (mostly bottled water though).

All ready to go at 12, when lo there appeared dark clouds above and it started to rain. So we had a coffee and read the paper and by 12.30 it was just damp, so we made a break for it. Up the 3 Calcutt locks entirely on our own - and the fastest we've ever done them - 20 minutes.

Left at Wigram's Turn and we find black skies ahead and blue behind - have we gone the right way? However it's not long before the good weather catches up with us and we reach Braunston.  A boat is already heading into the bottom lock so we have company up all six locks and five of them are in our favour.  Everything going swimmingly.

We have found our horn is not working so our companions follow us through Braunston Tunnel ready to give us a push in case of emergency. They, and everyone else we've met today, have been really friendly.

We reached our planned mooring spot at Welton Wharf expecting it to be busy and possibly even full, but no - it's just us and another boat 100 yds down.  Is everyone watching the Olympics? or just put off by the weather forecast?   Our neighbour tells us we may well see kingfishers, and an otter if we're lucky.

It's a lovely evening.  Perfect for a barbecue - if only we had something to barbecue.

8 3/4 miles, 9 locks, 1 tunnel

Postscript

So, we're home again.  A mountain of washing to do and the garden seems to have transformed itself into a jungle.

By the way, the fourth county was West Midlands (Worcestershire in old money) - a small corner thereof in the south-west of the Ring near Wolverhampton.  Thanks to Martin for this information, though the former working boatman with whom he discussed it described Rings as "only for b***** tourists".

Total: 275 miles, 162 locks, 9 tomatoes

25 days - 3 rain-free. 

There were times when we wondered why we did it. Perhaps our readers did too!

By way of explanation, I offer the following, attributed to Mark Twain:

"Twenty Years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bow lines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the tradewinds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."

'Till the next trip...

Au revoir .

Brian meets his match

Off at 8 this morning - unheard of for a Sunday!  Within half an hour we were at Hillmorton locks which we ascended completely on our own.  The pound between the middle and top locks was very low and the boat was touching bottom.  How could this be after all the rain?  Maybe someone had left a paddle up overnight.

A couple of miles further on we met a Black Prince boat on a tight bend by a bridge (as you do); in his efforts to avoid hitting us the guy ended up in a tree but extricated himself saying something like "well that didn't go too badly!" in a Geordie accent.  As we continued Brian said "Do you know who that was? My namesake - Brian Johnson of AC/DC".  My reply was on the lines of "On a hireboat - can't be".  So we decided it was just a lookalike.  But later on my BJ did some research on the net and found photos of the other BJ and his wife, who indeed looked like the woman with the "lookalike" on the boat. So now we think it was that Brian Johnson - or do we?

Eventually we reached Braunston, where we had a brief shopping stop, then turned down the Oxford/Grand Union (for this stretch is both canals at the same time), until we reached our favourite mooring spot.  We did not tie up until Brian had checked we had a good TV signal!  Then it was lunch, and Murray/Federer for the rest of the afternoon, which for a change was bright and sunny.  Unfortunately not the result we wanted, but a great game nevertheless.

So now it's time for our last dinner aboard.  And it's started raining again.  Are we downhearted? No!

10 miles, 3 locks

Wildlife:  Horseflies. Dozens of 'em.  Anyone know what they're for?

Silver Lining

Well, every cloud has one, and ours appeared around 5 o'clock yesterday afternoon when the rain finally stopped (that was after at least 12 hours with no let up), blue skies appeared and the sun came out.  Another glorious evening on the canals in fact.

By this time we'd already decided to stay put and support Andy Murray and as this involved some alcohol proceeding up the locks would probably have been a bad idea in any case. 

So we settled on a plan - a long day today.  And indeed we have had one - slightly over 10 hours cruising which has taken us from Atherstone to Clifton-on-Dunsmore ( a journey which would have taken 35 minutes by road).  We have had more than a few showers and a thunderstorm , but mainly it's been sunny and pleasant.

We now plan to get to a favourite mooring by tomorrow lunchtime, in order to witness the historic Wimbledon final, then gently cruise back to base on Monday morning.

26 miles, 8 locks

Wildlife:  quite a few butterflies today, for the first time.  Also we've been charmed by moorhen chicks - little fluffy black ping-pong balls with red beaks.  Altogether now - aaah!

Rain stops play

Unusually, I am blogging in the morning.  We are moored between locks 7 & 8 on the Atherstone flight and the rain is coming down so fast we can hardly see anything.  Started up the locks at 8.30 this morning intending to put in another long day, but after 4 of them I found I was almost wetter on the inside than out, slipping rather dangerously around the lock sides and ready to stop and have a rethink.

So we have (temporarily) conceded defeat.  I've rung Warwick Hospital and cancelled my appointment on Monday, so that pressure's off.  Just need to get the Chairman back for Parish Council on Tuesday!

1 1/2 miles, 4 locks


Wildlife:  any wildlife with any sense is tucked up cosily in its nest or whatever


Catching up on the last two days (when getting t'internet was a problem):

Wednesday

Set off from Great Haywood through scattered showers mixed with occasional weak sun.  The journey was uneventful and by 1.40 we'd reached Fradley Junction intending to go down the locks, make the turn onto the Coventry and moor briefly for lunch.  However, spotting a likely mooring spot just above the locks we made our way to the bank - and ran aground.  Eventually got off again and as we progressed slowly towards the lock a guy on the side said "You could moor in this space" - indicating what looked like 55ft. "No" says Brian, "too small".  "Oh I reckon you can - I'll pull you in".  So still doubtful we handed him the centre rope and lo and behold we fitted with 1 ft to spare.  What an eye! Wish I had it (see Nantwich).

Brian went to check if the Swan was serving food, but they stopped at 2.30 and as I was not prepared to be seen in public without washing my hair that would have been a bit tight.  Also there was chaos going on below and at the junction so we decided to stay put for the afternoon, cheer on Andy Murray and eat dinner at the Swan.

Had a great meal there and a long chat with a couple who were on their very first narrowboat holiday - they loved it and couldn't believe how much they'd de-stressed in just a few days.  They weren't sure when they'd be able to do it again though as they'd had to pay £700 for just a short break - 3pm Monday to 9am Friday.  We were horrified - no wonder we've not seen that many hire-boats out.

11 1/2 miles, 2 locks

Thursday

At last! A great sunny day when boating is a sheer pleasure.  We started at 7.50 am and finished at 7.10 pm, stopping at Fazeley to replenish supplies and indulge in a fish & chip lunch. Moored just a short distance from the bottom of Atherstone locks ready to tackle the flight, most likely in the rain, judging by the forecast.  Why are we allowed summer only at the rate of one day a week now?  Is it the recession?

19 miles, 4 locks


Wildlife

We have 2 or 3 resident spiders on the boat, who've done a great job keeping us free of flies, mozzies and other unwelcome beasties.  This however is the handiwork of a neighbour, seen early yesterday morning:

The rain is easing off (very) slightly.  If things improve, we may set off again, otherwise, we're here for the day and night.  Watch this space!

Grounds for Divorce

We'd intended an early start and a long day today, but that was scuppered when we realised the sink was blocked, and the Captain had to spend an hour underneath dismantling the plumbing, poking about with sticks, hitting his head and generally grumbling about the uselessness of varifocals for this sort of job.  The cause - moi - without thinking I'd rinsed coffee grounds down t'plughole last night.  (However - the outflow from the sink is now better than it's been for some time, so it's an ill wind....)

Anyway, we eventually set off southwards under threatening clouds which delivered their showers now and then.  Through four locks, at each of which we met someone who was moaning about the weather and saying they were ready to give up, moor up and abandon their trip.  One of them was so fed up he'd booked a last minute deal to Spain!

We took on water at Great Haywood Junction and that marked the official end of our circuit of the Four Counties Ring.  Now here's a question - what are the four counties?  We know we've been through Staffordshire, Shropshire and Cheshire, but what's the fourth one?

We stopped just beyond Haywood Lock for a late lunch - Staffordshire oatcakes with bacon & cheese (and in Brian's case chorizo & egg as well).  Just as we were thinking of setting off again, it started to rain (there's a novelty) so we decided to stay put.

Well, with a view like this - wouldn't you?

Shugborough Hall



10 miles, 5 locks

Wildlife: 

"I'm up here ducking responsibility for the blocked sink (they're both quackers anyway)"

Stoned

Off at 8.30 this morning because we wanted to stop in Stone to do some shopping - and the wisdom is that you need to be there before lunchtime to get a mooring.  Very true - we had to go down all 4 locks through the town before we found anything, but found space about 300 yds beyond the main road to the town centre at 11.30.

Off to the shops then - and looking at the list it seems we need quite a bit of heavy stuff (bottles, cans etc!).  So I'm wondering idly if we can get a shopping trolley when we come across a great old-fashioned hardware store - the type that sells everything you need and a lot of things you didn't know you needed.  And there it is - a black "bag on wheels" that folds up into a little bag no larger than a sheet of A4.  Only £6.99.  We head to the Co-op and head to the checkout with our laden trolley - will our "little" bag cope?  Oh yes! Beer, Coke, tonic, plus a pile of lighter stuff so it doesn't feel put upon - and off we trundle.  I'm so impressed I go back to the hardware store and buy another one.

I really like Stone - it's a bustling, friendly little place with loads of independent shops and character in spades.  It really values its connection with the canal and the Welcome sign describes it as "the birthplace of the Trent & Mersey canal".  What does this mean we wonder? - is this where they started digging?  Will have to research further.

A boat on the road? Surely not

 No - all part of Stone in Bloom











Back at the boat, the rain is bucketing down and it's not long before our "let's have lunch and move off" becomes "let's just stay here".  Plenty of others have the same idea it seems - there's not a free mooring to be seen.

4 miles, 8 locks

Wildlife: nothing of note, but as a postscript to yesterday - we were visited for supper by this lot

- a pair of swans and their 9 cygnets 

Gone to pot

After keeping Andy Murray company until his late-night victory, we rose late-ish this morning and after breakfast ambled down to Barlaston for some supplies and a Sunday paper.  We found an excellent Londis convenience store so bought more than we'd originally intended - and at last I have found some pink grapefruit juice!

We'd already decided to stay put today and catch up on some painting and cleaning, but another heavy shower put paid to that.  I researched the nearby Wedgwood factory on the net and found that their Visitor Centre restaurant does a Sunday roast, so there we went - and very good it was too.  We decided to leave the visitor centre and museum for another time - a weekday, when we can also do a factory tour.  But we visited the shop and, contrary to my grumblings yesterday, I was reassured that we can and do still make high quality goods in this country.   Also went to the factory outlet where I couldn't resist  two mugs - one says "I love mornings, I just wish they came later in the day" and the other "As you get older three things happen.  The first is your memory goes...and I can't remember the other two"  (Brian is now in fits of laughter because I had to unwrap that one to remind me what it said).

The man who started it all - Josiah Wedgwood

Note the very appropriate planters!

 








By the time we got back to the boat, the sun had started to put in an appearance, so after a read of the paper for our digestion's sake, we set to some domestic activity.  The boat is too low and the grass too high to allow for touching up paintwork, but Brian washed the starboard side and bow and stern decks, while I cleaned the windows and some of the brass.  Brian was soon complaining that the sun was making his work all streaky - there's no pleasing some people.

So, after a cup of tea, we are relaxing in the early evening sunshine having reminded ourselves (again) that it isn't actually all about the boating.

0 miles, 0 locks

Wildlife: just ducks

Sunny intervals with showers, some heavy

An early (for us) start today as we didn't want to be making the sharp left turn out of the Caldon  when it was busy.  We needn't have worried - we saw only one boat moving in the first 2 hours and when we finally reached the junction it was deserted.


From then on, lady luck smiled on us and at each of the 5 locks leading down out of Stoke another boat was waiting to come up, so progress was smooth.  Wish we could have said the same about the weather.  If "getting an anorak on and off at speed" were an Olympic sport, we'd both be gold medallists.


I'm not sorry to have left Stoke behind - yes, there's a lot of "regeneration" going on - a lot of it desirable residences for people who no doubt mainly work in service industries because, as the remaining dereliction shows, the manufacturing industries that made the city are all but gone. But the general air (to me at least) is one of despondency.

It's not all bad though -

The statue is of James Brindley (1716-1772), one of the great engineers of Britain's canals.



After more dodging of showers, some pretty heavy, we finally decided to moor early at a pleasant spot just north of Barlaston.  The railway is close, but we can barely hear it, and Wimbledon is on the telly.


11 miles, 10 locks, 2 lift bridges

Wildlife:  mostly ducks, 1 moorhen which had cleverly incorporated a plastic carrier bag into its nest

PS We now have 7 tomatoes

Pootling on the Caldon

After a late(ish) night watching Rafa Nadal's early departure from Wimbledon, our own departure this morning was fairly late.

Originally we'd thought of going almost to the end of the Froghall branch of the Caldon, but the weather was looking grim again and we decided to leave a thorough exploration of this beautiful canal for another trip.  So, our day comprised going up to Hazelhurst winding hole, turning and stopping on the way back for water and shopping at Endon, and mooring up in exactly the same spot as last night.  (Though the TV signal wasn't as good the other way round - until Brian moved the aerial).

We headed up the five locks at Stockton Brook behind 3 other boats, but only one came down, so it was hard work for the lock-winder (me) and I resolved to take the tiller on the way down.  I still can't understand why the paddle gear is so stiff on some locks but BW's only solution seems to be "slap on more grease".  Not much good for the paddles; no good at all for my clothes.

Red Riding Hood is not amused

 

We were now at the summit of the canal and the winds rose to somewhere between gale and hurricane force.  As usual, the wind proved totally useless at assisting our winding, coming at us in all directions except the way we wanted to turn.  The manouevre was eventually accomplished with much use of the bowthruster and we headed back first to the water point and then to the moorings for a lunch and shopping stop. 

With the weather sunnier but still windy, we retraced our steps and I did the "easy" bit coming down the locks.

Back at "base", we had a brief spell of sunshine but it's now a bit gloomy.  We also  found out from someone we met at the locks that in any case our planned trip to Froghall would have been doomed as the River Churnet, with which the canal shares its course for part of its length, was in flood following yesterday's rain.

Still, it does seem we have been let off very lightly compared to some, for which we are grateful.

6 1/2 miles, 10 locks (5 x 2), 2 lift bridges (1 x 2)


Wildlife:  strangely, not much fauna, but here are some nice flora, courtesy of Brian (cue groans from Nick & Chris: oh no, not flowers again)

Light at the end of the tunnel

Inevitable really, that after such a glorious evening, the morning would start grey and showery.  Still very warm though, which made the wearing of waterproofs particularly uncomfortable.  After six more locks we finally reached the highlight (in the circumstances that should probably be low light) of the day - Harecastle Tunnel.


At 1 3/4 miles long, Harecastle is one of the longest tunnels on the system, and it's one-way working only.  No more than 8  boats are allowed through at a time, alternating between southbound and northbound passages.  It takes around 40 minutes to get through.

We didn't really want to be first in line (there's some sense of security in following another boat) but we were.  The tunnel keeper told us we'd have about an hour's wait, so we'd obviously just missed the last passage.  Still, it gave us time for coffee and a bit of photography.

The arch on the right is the entrance to the "old" Harecastle Tunnel, completed by James Brindley in 1777 after 11 years' work.  Because it had no towpath and boats had to be "legged" through, it eventually became a bit of a bottleneck, so Thomas Telford was commissioned to build a new tunnel, which was completed in 1827 after 3 years' work.  It's towpath has since been removed.  The whole concept of these constructions is quite breathtaking, considering the lack of modern building aids and methods.

Eventually, the tunnel keeper came to take our details and give us our safety briefing. Any animals on board? he asked.  Brian mentioned that we'd collected 5 snails since last night, but was told that if they didn't have names, they didn't count.  However, rather than transport the poor creatures 1 3/4 miles out of their comfort zone, we gently released them into the wild on the towpath,

Soon the sole northbound boat emerged from the tunnel and it was our turn.  Thankfully the tunnel is completely straight, but the profile of the roof changes throughout and some sections are really low.  On and on we went, hoping to see that elusive light at the end... but there isn't one, becouse the south portal has doors which are kept shut until just before you conme out, so that huge extractor fans can do their job of taking out the diesel fumes.  After 35 minutes, the sound of the fans became louder and louder, and a tiny pinprick of light appeared between the doors.  Finally the doors opened and we were out into daylight again.  The south end tunnel keeper had our details, including the boat name, and had prepared some French phrases to greet us with!

We motored on for a short while until we reached Westport Lake, where we moored up for lunch just as a loud rumble of thunder resounded around the very black and rainy sky.  We now realise that this must have been the tail end of the storm that assailed the West Midlands earlier.

By 3.30 we were turning into the Caldon Canal, where we encountered a staircase lock and an electrically operated lift-bridge in fairly quick succession.  The late afternoon /evening sun was beautiful and we wanted to take advantage of this to reach the more rural part of the Caldon for our night's mooring.  But not before we'd witnessed some sad reminders of the industry that this part of the world was built on

Two bottle kilns in a field - how long before they get swallowed up in yet another "canalside" housing development?

But it's 9.20 pm and still a lovely evening, so mustn't grumble.

13 miles, 10 locks, 1 tunnel, 2 lift bridges


Wildlife:  today we have been mainly seeing snails

A Sunny Day on Heartbreak Hill

We were forecast rain all day but I'm so glad to say THEY WERE WRONG!!

The prospect of 20 odd locks is daunting enough without the added hassle of wet-weather clobber, but I'm delighted to say I have been clad in just T-shirt & cotton trousers with an Aussie-type hat to keep the blazing sun off my neck.  Woo-hoo!!!

Stopped for water before the bottom lock at Wheelock, where we encountered firstly a boat which had been signwritten/decorated by the guy who did Bonjour's - Will Jones, and secondly some firefighters receiving training in water safety and rescue techniques.  One of them was so drop-dead gorgeous that I forgot to keep an eye on the hose and flooded the bow!

Next "Heartbreak Hill" or, less dramatically, the "Cheshire Locks".  Most of these are duplicated, ie. two single locks side by side, and you use whichever one is in your favour.  For a while, that was neither, however we soon started meeting other boats, which made things easier.  We also alternated lock-winding and steering, two locks at a time, which made things much easier. 

After the first 10 locks we stopped for lunch at Hassall Green, which on the good side has a canal shop, a lockside bistro, and a church painted pink;  but on the bad side is mighty close to the M6, so lunch was accompanied by the drone of incessant traffic. 

After an hour's break we set off again, the sun getting even hotter.  We were now being followed by three strapping lads on a hire-boat, who eventually took the opportunity of the duplicated locks to catch up with us.  Just Church Lawton locks to go and we knew there was a great mooring round the corner, so we took the opportunity to let them go ahead (not to mention emptying the locks for us).

We've not made it quite as far as we intended but the heat got the better of us and this is really a fabulous spot, with views of Church Lawton Hall nearby, and Mow Cop in the distance.

7 1/2 miles, 20 locks

Wildlife seen:  swifts, mainly - one of which was actually nesting in a lock gate

Off the Shelf

Sunday 24 June

Midsummer Day, and what am I wearing? Walking trousers - tick; fleece - tick; gloves - tick; anorak - tick; scandinavian goat-herder's hat (as Brian calls it) with ear flaps - tick.  I wouldn't let him take a photo though.  The sun is sunny, but the wind is icy.  Just two locks to go through before reaching our objective: Nantwich and a launderette.

Brian holds the boat on a mooring some way short of the main visitor moorings while I walk ahead to check if there is space further up.  I phone him - yes, just one - be quick.  It takes 15 interminable minutes ( must be a faster walker than I thought!) before he arrives and says : "That's not long enough".  Much chastened, I head further along the towpath and under the bridge, to find a "picnic mooring" (actually 24 hrs) and there we stop, the stern about 12 ins from the bank - yes, we're on the Shroppie shelf again.  The boat bangs horrendously against the ledge every time we move up and down or another boat goes past, and I'm not sure we can stand it for the rest of the day and night, but Brian rigs up an arrangement with a spare pipe fender that absorbs a good 80% of the impact.

Then, we haul our two huge bags of assorted washing up to Nantwich Marina, where the launderette goes by the name of "The Wash Basin".  It is 1.15 and they close at 3, so it will be a close call to get two loads washed and dried.  However the lady in charge is very helpful, providing plenty of change and explaining the workings (I haven't used a launderette since I was a student.)  We while away some of the time with lunch in the marina cafe - Staffordshire oatcakes with cheese & bacon.

Washing done, we catch up on yesterday's paper and the number of passing boats becomes less and less as everyone gets moored up ready for The Match.

Needing some exercise, we decide to walk into Nantwich to get a Chinese takeaway.  It's a lovely evening, and we enjoy the wooden sculptures along the towpath.

(It's a dog, in case you were wondering)

4 miles, 2 locks


Wildlife seen: see above pictures


Monday 25 June

Glorious sunshine.  We first head into Nantwich again to get supplies.  It's a lovely little town - many old and beautiful buildings, including typical Cheshire black & white.  We also indulge in a coffee at a great little cafe called Ginger & Pickles.

Soon we are afloat again, heading first for Barbridge Junction and in particular its water point - notorious for being one of the most awkwardly located and having the slowest tap on the canal system.  Someone is already on it and we wait ages before his tank is filled and we can take the space.  Then just to help matters, some BW contractors start mowing and strimming the grass around us, so the boat gets covered in cuttings.

Eventually our watering up is done and we make a sharp right into the Middlewich Branch of the Shroppie.  We really feel on "home ground" here as this was a journey we made in one direction or another many times when our share boat was based in Cheshire.  As it was then always "on the way" to or back from somewhere, I don't think we'd appreciated how beautiful it was.  Today, it was just perfect.  We stopped at one of our familiar mooring spots (6 inches out from the bank - the Shelf is still with us), had a barbecue, and enjoyed the sunshine and the view over the Weaver valley to Church Minshull late into the evening.

8 miles, 2 locks

Wildlife seen:  some exceedingly agressive swans who snatched the bread from my hand and hissed when told there was no more.


Tuesday 26 June

Off in  sunshine again - first objective Middlewich, for (a) Tesco and (b) fish & chips from our third favourite chippy.  (The first is in Queenstown, NZ and the second The Magpie in Whitby).  We moored up in Middlewich and trekked down the road to the Tesco Metro we know  (but can't quite love).  Shopping done, we see a side street and wonder if it makes a quicker route back to the canal.  We've not gone 300 yards when we realise that (a) it does and (b) it contains a much larger Tesco, where we could have bought what we really wanted (such as grapefruit juice instead of settling for ruby breakfast).  Curses.  At this point it also decides to rain.

I put the shopping away while Brian goes to fetch the fish & chips, which takes some time as there is a long queue.  They are excellent and as always in humungous portions (we always forget this).  We decide to set off again before the rain gets worse, but should really have allowed more digestion time and I find the remaining 6 locks of the day very hard work.

The first of these we always knew as "Maureen's Lock" after Maureen Shaw, who lived in Wardle Lock Cottage beside the lock and was a boating legend.  Born on a narrowboat and spending almost her whole life with working boat people, she would sit outside her cottage and offer advice and wisdom to passing boaters.  Occasionally the advice could be quite sharp and it was not unknown for her to take the tiller herself in exasperation!  Praise from Maureen for your boat handling skills was praise indeed.  She died earlier this year and it was strange to see the cottage without her.

By the time we got through Maureen's and King's Lock, the rain was driving into us and we began to regret leaving our mooring.  We decided against going for our original target of Wheelock and instead moored at a spot most familiar to us as the one where we used to moor the share boat on a Friday night before going into the boatyard on Saturday morning.  Only this time, we don't have to clean the boat!

Also, as we are now on the Trent & Mersey Canal, we have at last waved goodbye to that infernal shelf.

About 10 minutes after we tied up, the sun came out again, but we are threatened with more rain tomorrow, when we have to tackle "Heartbreak Hill".

9 miles, 7 locks


Wildlife seen:  It was Middlewich. 'Nuff said.

The sun has got his hat on (but needs his windcheater)

The plan today was to get to Audlem ("the most southerly village in the north" says the guide) before lunch and stay for the rest of the day and night, to have some downtime in a place we've visited a few times and always liked.

So, setting off at 8.30, we were soon on our way down the first 11 of the 15 Audlem locks (total descent 93 ft). Progress was quite smooth as there were plenty of boats coming the other way, and we reached the first, totally empty, stretch of visitor moorings.  However, Miss Picky decided she didn't want to stay there and that the stretch below the next two locks would be nicer, so Brian battled on with gritted teeth through the gale-force winds until we found almost the last spot available (but it did have a much nicer outlook).

After a quick coffee, and the discovery that again there was no signal to our wi-fi dongle, we set off on foot to find some lunch and do some shopping. 

Lunch was easy - the sun was shining, so it had to be outside the Shroppie Fly

Standing on the wharf and converted from a former warehouse, with a bar shaped like the bow of a narrowboat, the Fly is the epitome of "boaty".  Strange, then, that the crane in front actually came from the long-gone Audlem railway station. (Immortalised in Flanders & Swann's The Slow Train).

Lunch was so good, and filling, that we abandoned plans for eating out in another of Audlem's hostelries tonight, and went in search of ingredients for on-board eating.  First shock was that the butchers had closed.  Then we couldn't find any fresh vegetables.  Unlike Richard & Sandra, we have only tomatoes to call our own, and they are sadly not up to the mark yet - only three of them, the largest less than an inch across and defiantly green.

So we picked up a few things from the Co-op and resigned ourselves to store-cupboard creativity.  Out third shock of the day was arriving back at the boat, which now had a strong list to port.  We had become victims of the "Shroppie shelf", the water level having dropped thanks to quite high use of the lock below.  Swift action was required, and we decided that this would take the form of an exit from Audlem.  Down the last two locks, and an hour later we were at the interestingly-named Coole Pilate moorings - out in the country, and thoughtfully provided with picnic tables and barbecues.  If only the weather was good enough to use them.

4 1/2 miles, 15 locks


Wildlife seen: 2 sparrowhawks performing an amazing aerobatic display; 1 squirrel which performed a flying leap over the lock outside the Shroppie Fly, hotly pursued by a Jack Russell

PS. Amazingly, in the middle of nowhere, we do have a signal, so I will add the photos to previous posts

Normal service now resumed ( we hope)

Last night we had no signal either for our phones or broadband, and tonight the signal is quite weak, so just to catch up...

Thursday 21 June

Heavy rain was forecast and heavy rain happened.  We went back into Brewood to get the ingredients for Brian's famous chicken dish among other things.  Found fruit, veg, fresh baked bread and cold meats at Coopers and the chicken at Maiden's, an excellent butcher.  The village is really well supplied with shops - a boaters' heaven.

We then set off, hoping to get to  a countryside mooring we stopped at last time we were round these parts, but it was likely it would take us until 7 pm, and the weather stayed pretty wet, though it was surprisingly warm.

We took on water at Wheaton Aston and then regretted having filled our diesel tank on Monday - the price at Turners garage was 14p a litre cheaper!

We had a very late lunch at High Onn bridge, then pressed on as far as Norbury Junction, where spotting a mooring space and fed up with the rain, we stopped at just gone 5.

Still, we saw another kingfisher!

10 1/2 miles, 1 lock, 1 tunnel (all of 81 yards)

Wildlife seen: the usual suspects + another kingfisher (2 in one trip - a record!)


Friday 22 June

Set off at 8.45 this morning in weather which was more showery, but definitely colder and windier.

The narrow cuttings of the Shropshire Union can be magical with their lush greenery, but at the same time mysterious and almost threatening, especially on gloomy days like this.  When we emerged onto Shebdon Embankment, the wind provided all the excitement as we struggled sometimes to keep the boat going in the right direction.  Still, we had a great view of The Wrekin, which meant it was going to rain (if you can't see it, it's already raining).

We were just thinking about lunch when we came to a halt in Woodseaves Cutting, where a willow tree was blocking the canal completely.  Three guys from boats on the other side  were already setting about it with a saw, and Brian and the man from the boat behind us also weighed in to help. (Someone had already rung BW, but apparently they couldn't get here until they'd finished another job).  After about 40 minutes our heroes had managed to remove all the not insubstantial branches from the canal onto the towpath and everyone went on their way again.  As we passed the site, you could see that the tree had fallen from about 15 ft up on the steep embankment, bringing with it a large sandstone boulder which had split open on the towpath.  Very fortunate that no-one was passing at the time.

We had a swift passage through the 5 Tyrley locks thanks to meeting other boats in exactly the right places, before stopping briefly in Market Drayton to have lunch and take on water.

The wind then began to assume gale-like tendencies as we reached Adderley Locks and our passage down them was, shall we say, "interesting".  (Must set aside some time for touching up paintwork).
Spying one Bonjour-sized mooring space at the bottom of the flight, we rapidly claimed it as our own and here we are with the wind whistling around us, awaiting the emergence of a Co-op moussaka from the oven.



14 1/2 miles, 10 locks


Wildlife seen: various ducks, canada geese and farm animals, but highlight of the day was a magnificent sparrowhawk

Kept on our toes

Left Gailey at 8.45 this morning and straight into our first lock of the day, from which a boat had just emerged - nice timing!  Was it a good omen?

But soon it looked like it was going to be "if it can go wrong it will" day.  It seemed that every boat we met was on a blind bend and/or by a bridge; the bridges seemed to be particularly awkward and narrow, progress was interminably slow past a fishing contest, Autherley Junction was like Piccadilly Circus.

The appearance of several youngsters in canoes looked like it was going to be another hassle, but their instructors had them well drilled and as we slid past on tickover, came the call "ready, on the count of three..." and three dozen 10 year olds chorused in unison "Aye, aye, Cap'n" as they saluted us!  What could we do but smile for the rest of the day.

The "Shroppie" seemed positively empty after all this activity, though there were plenty of boats moored up, their occupiers enjoying what is supposed to be the last day of sunshine for a while.

We reached Brewood, our planned stop for the day, at 2.30 - surprisingly, most of the visitor moorings were already taken, but we found a space with no problem and after lunch walked into the village for a quick shop.  We plan to return tomorrow to visit Coopers, an excellent food store, for the makings of our dinner for the next couple of nights.  Tonight, however, we are trying the Bridge Inn, a mere 200 yards along the towpath.

13 miles, 2 locks

Wildlife seen: 2 herons, a duck family in an unusual residence, 1 highland cow

Summer's here! (for a while)

We woke up to the glorious sunshine that was promised by last night's sunset

By now, most people were just relaxing, but some were still at work

Not wanting to leave such a great location in a hurry, we eventually headed off at 10 to 10, planning to reach Gailey or at least Penkridge.  Progress was slow as there were small queues at most of today's locks, and only two of them were in our favour.  We had a half-hour's countryside stop for lunch, took on water at Penkridge, and eventually tied up below Gailey lock at 6.20.

I've had a lot of opportunity today to indulge one of my favourite pastimes - looking into other people's gardens.  It's fascinating how some embrace totally their canalside location, creating delightful little terraces next to the water, while others seem to want to deny its existence and put up high fences or conifers.

Afloat too, you meet all sorts.  Now, who lives in a boat like this? It's over to you...

12 miles, 11 locks


Wildlife seen:  2 herons, 1 ginger cat on a lead, and a man at the Sow Aqueduct told us he thought he'd seen an otter - but I don't suppose that counts...