Plenty of water? I should cocoa

Monday 18^th August; Bridge 19 to Welsh Road lock

We got ready early to take advantage of the cool and overcast conditions, and were on our way to Stockton Top Lock at 8.20.

Interesting sign at Nelson’s Wharf

Willow Wren training has long gone and I don’t know what goes on there now.  The internet signal is pretty rubbish on many of the places we have moored and I haven't wasted precious uploading time to look it up! (it is now Thursday and I'm trying to post Monday's  blog).  There are a lot of moored boats on the offside around here and we were glad we moored last night where we did, where it was quiet.  At Stockton Top lock there was no movement further down the flight so I started filling the lock, shortly before 9.  Should we wait for a locking partner?  Three boats had gone by very early, in the other direction, but it had otherwise been very quiet.  Calcutt locks do not open till 10 and unless someone comes out of Calcutt or Ventnor marinas we would be on our own.  We went down.  As I started to fill the second lock, I could see blue shirts and red lifejackets in the distance, were they just coming to check the levels?  No, one stayed at the third and started to set that.

No wonder these locks empty themselves overnight

I said to the volunteer that we had wondered whether to wait for a partner at the top and he said we could have been waiting for hours – the canals have quietened down considerably in the last few days.  Anyway, he said, there’s plenty of water along here.   (Really?)

They were great volunteers

Around half-way down we passed a boat which had come up from the moorings at the pub.  I hopped back on the boat at the eighth lock, just before the Blue Lias, to get a drink, as the pound is long enough for a quick ride.  At the next lock, a couple of boats arrived as we descended.

The recently named Richard Parry work boat was moored above the bottom lock

We pottered on past the two pubs at Long Itchington and moored on Armco just past the old railway bridge just in time for coffee.  It was a bit shallow so we couldn’t get the stern very close to the bank.  Before lunch I took Jess along the old railway – now a tarmac-surfaced lane - for a bit.  It’s excellent for a game of ball, runners, kiddies learning to ride their bikes, and horses too.

 

 

The chimney of Southam cement works through a bridge

We had a quiet lunch apart from a sudden influx of three boats on their way to the locks – a couple of private boats and then a Weedon hire boat, on a mission to get back to base while the locks remain open!  Going much too fast, his passage pushed our stern aground, and then we heard two distinct horns as he powered through the bridge not far behind us – it’s on a bend, and a boat was coming the other way.  There were no sounds of frantic reversing so all must have been ok.

We wanted to get down the Bascote flight, but as we were manoeuvring to free the stern, a boat came round through the bridge – oh good, a locking buddy!  Oh no, another boat behind them!  But a crew member walking past said they were both short enough to allow a longer boat to share a lock with them, and as their Stockton locking partner had stopped at Long Itch, would we like to join them?  so we followed them down to the Bascote flight with our fingers crossed – would we really fit? 

Along the way we saw how much lower water levels really are – plenty for cruising but sometimes dodgy for mooring

We all waited a bit for a boat to come up the top lock, but yes, we would all fit safely into the lock.  Although one steerer was a complete novice, and the crew of the other last boated 20 years ago, with three crew we were easily down the staircase, and then the other two locks.

Triple sharing at Bascote

We wanted to moor above Welsh Road lock, and left them to go on together as they wanted to get as far as they could today.  So we were enjoying tea and cake by 4, then I picked enough blackberries (from right by the boat) for a crumble, cooking them with some apples from a tree at home, and with enough left over for breakfast too.  Meanwhile Dave refilled the stern gland and greased the top bearing of the rudder, before he cooked a delicious stroganoff for tea while I enjoyed a glass of wine while I typed this up, much to the approval of a group of women walking by!

An alert came through this afternoon that Tardebigge top lock on the Worcester and Birmingham, having been closed for months while the collapsing wall was repaired, will open on time later this month (too late for us to get back to Droitwich that way) – but, as we thought likely, would be on restricted opening hours – opening at 10, last entry at 1, as it takes at least 2 hours to complete the flight.

4½ miles, 14 locks with one staircase (Stockton and Bascote)

 

Running for home

Sunday 17^th August; Calcutt marina to bridge 19

Normally we wouldn’t return to Droitwich for the winter till the middle of October, or even later, but we have been wondering for some time if it would be wise to stay away for that long – and the notices from CRT have now confirmed that it wouldn't be.  The Calcutt flight and Radford Bottom lock are on restricted hours at the moment, because of the lack of rain, but the other day a complete closure of navigation was announced from 26^th of August.  We have just over a week to get through Radford, which is more than enough time, but we still thought it would be better to go earlier rather than later.

The hot weather seems to be triggering early ripening.   Rose-hips, haws and sloes near Calcutt.

There was quite a lot of traffic on the M5, but it was moving well until unfortunately two ‘incidents’ ahead of us caused tail-backs round Bristol.  So we were over an hour late getting to the marina, but still managed to get out onto the canal by 5.  We noticed many trees colouring up, well before they should have done – at home our silver birches and weeping willow have been showing colour for several days and by the time we left home there was a considerable carpet of crispy yellow leaves – birch, willow and a few field maple - over the crispy brown grass.

We cruised for only a mile, going very gently, and it took three-quarters of an hour.  We found a short stretch of Armco after bridge 19, just the right size for us, so we stopped.  Blackberries were visible from the side hatch, so a bowlful was quickly picked.  

With other berry-bearing shrubs and creepers we suspected the hedge had been planted with wildlife in mind.  Or maybe it’s been there since the canal was built, but I doubt it.

Buckthorn, also known as Purging Buckthorn, so be careful if you try it! 

 

Buckthorn is the food-plant of the caterpillars of the Brimstone butterfly, the yellow one you see in early spring.

Hmmm, this boat is VERY dusty …

Dave cleaned the starboard side and the roof before we ate.  It’s a very peaceful mooring here, a few hundred yards short of Gibraltar Bridge after which there are moorings on the offside most of the way to StocktonTop marina, after which there is nowhere to moor before the top lock of a flight of 10.

One mile.