The larks ascended, and so did we

Saturday 18^th April; Tardebigge flight to Crown Meadow Arm, Alvechurch

By ’eck it was cold this morning.  We left our quiet mooring at 8.20, wanting to be ahead of any other boat to take advantage of the empty locks – most of the locks on the flight drain overnight, which is why we checked last night before bed that the lock below us was doing exactly that and we wouldn’t end up aground.

Our overnight mooring

We weren’t in a rush, no point with 24 locks before the next mooring opportunity.  Neither of us is really locking-fit and we both have a dodgy knee so were prepared to stop in a lock for a breather if we felt we needed to!  But this is a lovely flight with not-too-heavy gates and only the occasional stiff paddle, so if you take it steadily everything is fine.  The larks were singing their feathery little hearts out and the weather was glorious (if you ignore the need for gloves and woolly hats for the first hour).  The towpath was busy with runners, and the closer to Halfway House Bridge we got the more dog walkers there were – they park along the road there.

Halfway House Bridge

This is a misnomer, as the true halfway point of the flight is a few locks further on.  But this is where we were hoping to pick up a volunteer or two .... unfortunately the little hut place where they brew their tea was locked up and their car park empty.  Perhaps they would be parking at the top and cycling down?  No matter, we had hot cross buns and biscuits to keep us going – sadly not the home-made flapjack I had hoped to bring, there was no time to make it at home, and most of the ingredients I need to make it now are still in the Sainsbury’s at Selly Oak.  On we went.

Beyond that bridge is the edge of Tardebigge reservoir

We know that from here there is still an hour or so’s work before we can moor, but the lock numbers are in the psychologically significant 50s, which means the number of locks remaining is now in single figures.  A few locks further on and we were leaving the reservoir behind.

The water levels have recovered at last

At 12, oh joy! we were opening the top gate of the last-but-one lock of the flight, with a long stretch of mooring just round the bend.  We felt we had deserved a lunch break – 24 locks in 3 hours 40 minutes, no CRT volunteers on duty, and our knees were still working.

The question then was whether to stay put as we usually do, or move on - we were about to run out of milk and had run out of wine!  The nearest shops are in Alvechurch, a few miles further on.  Dave checked the weather forecast.  There was time to move on a bit before the rain was due to start, with only one more lock to do.

The towpath wall of Tardebigge Top Lock had to be completely rebuilt last year

You may remember that this lock was closed last year, officially from April to the end of August.  It was already restricted to boats of 6’10” beam or less, as the older boats like Mikron theatre’s Tyseley had been getting stuck, but with winter stoppages elsewhere on the way to Hanbury Junction the flight had been effectively closed from November the previous year.

You are still requested to leave the lock empty, which is annoying

Just before Tardebigge tunnel we saw our first ducklings of the year (not strictly true, as their dead sibling was belly-up below the lock).

Tardebigge tunnel was mostly dry, as was Shortwood tunnel a bit further on.

Lovely bluebells between the tunnels

We made our way through Alvechurch, waving to Helen and Andy Tidy who bought NB Briar Rose (Adam and Adrian’s previous boat before they moved onto their newbuild Kingley Vale).  

We moored at our favourite spot along here at Crown Meadow arm, where the M42 is not too noisy. .  By 4.30 Dave had walked the dog and I had been to the Co-op for essential supplies (getting caught in a sharp shower along the way).  I had to buy myself a chocolate bar to help me up the long hill back to the canal, it’s nearly a mile after all.  We were mightily pleased with ourselves though – 25 locks on our own, which is 100 paddles and 75 gates (though passers-by opened or closed four of those).

We were knackered and really enjoyed that glass of wine.

2 dodgy knees, 25 locks, Tardebigge and Shortwood tunnels, 5¾ miles