We weren’t expecting to get as far as the T&M today!

Monday 25^th September; Hopwas Woods to above Woodend lock

We awoke to sunshine and after breakfast Meg took Dave to the woods.  But the red flag was flying and the gate locked, so instead they took an alternative route down a long and gentle slope to the river.  We didn’t leave till after 10, with the exodus from the Heritage Boat gathering having begun before we did so – the Cheese Boat and Cassiopeia were the first.  The weather was glorious, although you needed to be wrapped up in the shade.

Hopwas woods

It was a very interesting morning’s cruise.  We lost count of the number of historic boats coming the other way.  Several of course were passed at bridges or bends, and we spend a lot of time hugging the right side to let them by.

As we approached bridge 80, the last in Whittington, we could see one, then two, high bows on the far side of the bridge hole!  With a boat moored on the offside just before the bridge, there was only one thing to do – hold well back and hope the boat behind us did too (which they did).  It seemed the first boat had run aground but luckily, as the second passed it, the pull was sufficient to free it and they both passed us easily.

The second boat which we think had been aground

Eventually it was our turn at the bridge!  As we approached, we realised the house and boat belonged to Eric and Doreen, the long-time supporters of the Lichfield and Hatherton Canal Trust, who gave me a pumpkin years ago.  On we went, out into the open where the wind was whipping across the fields near bridge 81.  It nearly blew us into a moored boat, then as yet another one came towards us we got too close to the bank and off jumped Meg.  We decided to let the boat behind us, Jubilee, go past, and then decided we’d have an early lunch stop in the glorious sunshine.  The constant passage of boats coming from Huddlesford had dislodged a dead helium balloon which the wind kindly blew to within reach of the boat hook.

Wouldn’t want that round your propeller

I chucked it in the bow to join a couple of lengths of red-striped plastic tape which I’d picked up earlier.  By the time we set off again, we estimated well over 20 boats had passed us going towards Hopwas and Fazeley – we lost count early on.  Huddlesford was not quite empty,with just a few boats left from the weekend, and a lot of trodden grass along the towpath too. 

Huddlesford Junction

On we went, still in lovely sunshine.  It was much quieter now with only one other boat on the move all the way to Fradley Junction.  We passed Old Nick, the electric boat we had been moored next to at Droitwich over last winter.   They are moving to Brinklow for winter this year.

Since we passed Tamhorn winding hole this morning, the canal has been unfamiliar.  It is new waters for Bonjour, though not for us as we came this way several times with Chuffed and Padworth, our share boat.   We recognised Huddlesford, but then nothing until we approached the moorings at Fradley Junction.  We would have like to moor here overnight, but the bank before the armco was too shallow to moor so Meg could get on and off safely at night.  And of course the ‘proper’ moorings were full.  We took on water and disposed of the rubbish, before rounding the junction and ascending Middle and Shade House locks.  I found the bottom gates unexpectedly heavy.  At Middle Lock an oncoming boater brought the unwelcome tidings that a stoppage had just been notified for tomorrow at Wood End to repair a paddle.  So although there was a space above Shade House we thought we had better go on!  Up Wood End lock we went.  It all looks very sad now, with the cottage and offside mooring above it abandoned.   The cottage still has carpet and curtains, and even a chair could be seen through a window, but it’s all fenced off now.

At least the birds will get this year’s berries

 We squeezed onto a mooring beyond the lock.  It is fairly quiet apart from a distant road, and a tractor busy harvesting maize silage, but who knows when (or if) the HS2 works will start in the morning?  Or if the sections north of Birmingham will get the chop, as Mr Sunak seems to be considering?

Ground paddle well wrapped up, but why such an urgent stoppage?

We had hoped to eat at the Plough in Huddlesford and the Swan at Fradley Junction on this trip.   There was no hope of a mooring for the Plough for the weekend, we knew that, but were a bit annoyed to discover later that we would have been fine to moor at Shade House lock and walk back to the Swan - the stoppage at Wood End isn’t for 2 weeks.  Grrr!

9 miles, 1 swing bridge (kindly swung by another boater), 3 locks