Wednesday 23rd April; Droitwich Spa marina to Salwarpe, bridge 7
Lovely though it is round here, we really want to be cruising in the Midlands this summer!
After an easy journey we were at the marina around 12.30, and by 2.30 we had unpacked, topped up the water and fuel tanks, had a pump-out and settled our outstanding bills at the Marina. With the top lock at Tardebigge out of action for the summer, and the Avon Ring closed till June with a stoppage on the South Stratford, there is only one route to get to the rest of the network. (I don’t count the route via the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal and the K&A, which involves the Bristol Channel crossing). So we turned towards Droitwich and the Severn, in warm sunshine. The first lock was the top of the staircase, and it was against us, as were all the other locks today. But a boat arrived behind us accompanied by one of the Hanbury lockies who helped us too.
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| The staircase was the first work today |
The Body Brook joins the canal below the next lock. It has been responsible for closing the canal in very wet spells with its extra flow, as the water level rises too high to permit passage under the M5 bridge.
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| Normally this paddle is locked off, to restrict the flow through the M5 tunnel. But with the other paddle broken and chained up they have had to unlock it. |
There are three swing bridges crossing the canal in Droitwich. The first crosses the wide Barge lock and must be swung before the boat can come into the lock. I had help here from a delightful teenager who is about to start his GCSE exams. You have to use a Watermate key to unlock the padlocks on these bridges, which is usually difficult because the bridges all try to swing open, which jams the padlock against the vertical post it locks to. So someone has to lean against the bridge and hold it closed so the padlock can be opened and the bridge released. And then it’s the same again to close it. Luckily there were plenty of passers-by to help. We usually moor in Vines Park or on one of the finger pontoons in Netherwich Basin, but it was very crowded, and as we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow we thought we’d try our luck a couple of miles further on at Salwarpe.
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| This road bridge is circular in profile. You think you are well away from the walls, but they curve round under the water and you can’t avoid nudging them. |
The mooring just before bridge 7 was empty and we moored on pins with no trouble - rather relieved, as we really didn’t want to go down another 5 locks before it would be possible to moor! Jess and I went exploring, as it’s the first time we have stopped here, while Dave checked the bow thruster batteries. Salwarpe is a very small village and the footpath up from the canal passes through a churchyard, over a lane to a footpath which passes across the front garden of (though still 30 or 40 yards away from) Salwarpe Court, rather a grand house. The land behind the house runs along the canal opposite the boat, and a splendid cockerel was loudly announcing his presence. I hope he doesn’t get up too early.
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| Bonjour from bridge 7 |
We were joined later by a hire boat, which had probably come up from Worcester today.
3 miles, 4 locks (including the staircase), 3 swing bridges
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