Onto the Staffs and Worcester canal

Sunday 30^th August; Salt to Tixall Wide

The road and railway soon quietened down last night and didn’t disturb us at all.  With heavy showers and the risk of thunderstorms forecast from midday we were away before 9, in glorious sunshine.

Salt bridge in the early sun

There were no other boats moving on the two miles or so to Weston lock, the first of two for today.

But there were a lot of Canada Geese grazing over the field.  Hope they leave some grass for the livestock.

There was a stoppage for a few days due to low water levels from Aston lock to Weston shortly after we got home from our last trip, and then a week or two ago, Weston lock was closed for a day for repairs to the top gate to reduce leakage.  It must have been the gate paddle, which had been leaking badly, as the notice we saw last time instructing users to force the paddle closed had gone.  The balance beam, still reinforced with the metal rods and bolts, is unfortunately not on the winter stoppage list.

The lock still took ages to fill

Hoo Mill lock had been on restricted hours when we came up a month or so ago, for the culvert to be rebuilt after it collapsed.  The work is all done now and the bywash operating normally, but the channel between the culvert and canal looks unfinished.

Sorry about my finger at the top

Luckily there was a space to moor before Haywood Junction so we could pop over to the Canal Shop.  They had fresh oatcakes on sale, so I got a packet of those and also some of the oatcake mix to take home with us.  There was heavy cloud and we decided to move on before lunch to get moored up before the forecast heavy rain arrived.

Our last crossing of the Trent this year

There were some spaces along the Broad Water but they were overhung with trees and we didn’t want drips on the roof all night, so moved on to the far end where it starts to narrow again.  There was a very light shower as we finished tying up, but after lunch the sun came out so I decided to walk back to the junction with Jess to dispose of the recycling and have a look at a trading boat moored near the junction.  It was selling honey, which we hardly use, so we carried on to Haywood lock and then down to the Trent at Essex Bridge so Jess could play in the water.

Come on Mum, the water’s lovely

On the way back I stopped at the Cheese Boat for some cheese.  I think it’s the same one we met at Windmill End last year, but the current owner has only had her for 6 months.  We came back round the junction with still no sign of the promised rain.

The parapet of the junction bridge runs right down to the ground to stop towropes snagging

As we walked back towards the boat we passed Halsall, the fuel boat, on the way to the junction.  Dave had heard his horn, and while he was stopped for the boat ahead of us to take on fuel Dave changed the gas bottle which had run out yesterday.  £40.  In the early evening there was a heavy downpour, and another after dark, but the threatened thunderstorm didn’t materialise.

5½ miles, 2 locks, Trent aqueduct.

We needed rain, didn't we ....

Saturday 29^th August; Aston marina to Salt

It was dull and overcast when I took Jess out at 7.30, but at least it was dry.  The bags and waterproofs which had been drying off overnight got tidied away after breakfast.  We needed to pay for the extra week we had stayed and get a pump-out, but as the office wouldn’t be open till 9 Dave went down the engine hole and I drove off to M&S Food in Stone to get a few bits and pieces.  By then it was raining lightly and that continued as we made ready to reverse back to the wharf.  But a boat was already there, getting some diesel.

The service wharf is under the bridge between the two mooring basins

There was no point in reversing yet - perhaps we should wait?  But what if another boat arrived?  Instead we went the long way round, out of the exit and slowly back along the canal to the entrance, but we were still floating about for 15 minutes while they completed their pump-out, paid and were on their way.  At least there was no wind.  We eventually left the marina at about 11.

Still raining, so the Nicholson’s cover was essential

If the weather had been fine we would have continued to Haywood Junction and tried our luck at mooring on Tixall Wide.  But not in this miserable weather, though the cattle weren’t bothered.

It’s unusual to see non-Highland cattle with horns

Every now and then the rain got heavier, so we thought we’d get down Sandon lock and moor up somewhere for the day.  We met a couple of boats which had clearly come up the lock, but although we weren’t aware there was a boat in front of us there it was when we arrived, refilling the lock.  Sandon lock is deep and takes a long time to fill so it was a while before it was ready for us.

The steps are worn from thousands of boots over the years

It wasn’t long before Salt bridge came into view and we moored below it, cold, wet and a bit fed up.  The traffic on the wet road was noisy, but the railway wasn’t too bad on a Saturday afternoon and was even quieter later on.  We put the Eberspacher on straight away to take the chill off the boat and dry the dog towels.  The rain did stop during the afternoon for Jess’s long walk and Dave checked out the pub, but it soon started raining again and we decided to eat on board.    

1 lock, 4 miles

 

We needed rain, didn’t we …

Friday 28^th August; to Aston marina

In all our years of boating we don’t remember ever needing to unload the car in full wet weather gear – well we had to today.  Yesterday there was heavy rain forecast all day for most of our drive to Aston, so we put the journey off till today, when we would be able to do most of it in the dry and only the last bit in heavy rain.  But we had forgotten Friday is the start of the bank holiday weekend so of course the traffic on the M5 from Exeter got heavier and heavier as more and more cars and motorhomes joined the crawl from the Devon and Somerset holiday resorts.  Thankfully most of them went off towards South Wales at Bristol.  Then there was a long delay on the way to Worcester with some traffic incident, and then the usual crawl to join the M6.  I had plenty of time to get a snap of the M5 aqueduct on the Tame Valley canal before we could join the M6.

No boats today 

We crossed the aqueduct several years ago and though we waved at the cars nobody waved back –  they probably hadn’t noticed a boat in the sky!  But with the Perry Barr, Rushall, Ryders Green and Walsall flights around it all closed it would have been surprising to see one today.  In the end we spent 6 hours in the car, 2 hours more than usual for this journey and then had to unload in the pouring rain, as it clearly wasn’t going to stop.  But we’re pretty slick at it now and we were inside in the dry quite quickly.

The boat was festooned with cobwebs and thistledown, which must have come in via the open hoppers.

We had hoped to have time to settle up in the office and cruise for an hour or two this afternoon, but we were exhausted – particularly Dave who had driven the whole way – and it was still pouring with rain so we opted to stay in the marina tonight.  The rain wasn’t too bad by about 6 so Dave and Jess had a good walk, and by bedtime the sky had cleared.  A partial lunar eclipse was predicted for tonight, so there should be a ‘blood moon’ to see.  I woke about 4, during the period the eclipse was supposed to be around its maximum, but although the moon didn’t look quite normal, it definitely wasn’t any shade of red.

Soon to be obscured

Tomorrow’s rain clouds were already on their way.     

Railways 1, Motorways 0, no contest

Friday 24^th July; car shuffle day

We were up and about early, leaving the boat just after 8 to walk the couple of miles to Stone station.  It turned into a bit of a route march, being 2½ miles from our berth and having not quite enough time!  We could have crossed the canal at Lime Kiln lock but that way to the station entails using a very high footbridge above the power supply to the trains which our knees, in their current state, would not enjoy.  So we walked up the High Street, and I mean up - it’s quite a climb to get to the station and time was short!   But we arrived before Dave’s train, and Jess and I could walk back rather more sedately.

At the top end of the High Street

The street stall selling oatcakes had gone at least a couple of years ago, but today there was a small stall with freshly made Indian snacks – samosas, pakoras etc.  I love them so bought several for lunch.  I got back to the boat at 10.30, and after a round trip of 5 miles in hot weather I didn’t feel like doing a lot, so had coffee while the fridge defrosted.  At least I could have the side hatch open on the shady side.  Dave was back at 2.30, having had a straightforward train journey – although the first train was running late, the second was too, so he made the connection and could relax.  But the drive back – M40, M42, M6 – was awful, with miles of crawling traffic and a white van man desperate to get past and almost climbing up the exhaust before making a dangerous move to get by and eventually disappearing on his aggressive way.  We went for fish and chips in the restaurant later on.  It’s called No. 26, after Aston lock nearby.  We sat outside, at a table on the deck overlooking the marina.  The meal was good, plenty of mushy peas, good batter, nice fish and good chips.  Aston Marina has its own best bitter (brewed by Titanic brewery) but we found that very disappointing and wouldn’t have it again.

The view from our table

Saturday 25th July; Aston to home

On the Saturday we had no need to get up early – it would have been silly to leave the marina only to join crawling queues of holiday traffic heading for Devon.  We got on with a few jobs.  I managed to get the baffle plate out of the stove while Dave was polishing the brasses.  It is extremely awkward to get it free of its mounting when it’s time to clean the flue, because the peg which locates it at the back of the firebox is too long.  

Dave got the bolt croppers and chopped off part of the peg in the hope that it will be less of a pig to get in and out in the future.  I left the baffle plate in the grate - cleaning the flue is for the next trip.

We left for the drive back to Devon at 1.45, and apart from the usual crawl to get from the M6 onto the M5, and then another between Bristol and the main holiday turn-off to Weston-Super-Mare, it was fine and the slow bits didn’t add much to the journey time.  There were several cruisers in sight as the M5 crossed the  Warwickshire Avon at Bredon Hill, and for the first time ever we saw a boat cruising towards Bristol Floating Dock as we crossed the Bristol Avon.  No photos unfortunately, I was too surprised to get my phone out and it was rather far away anyway.

Trip stats

125 miles 3 furlongs and 95 locks.

This is made up of 53 miles, 5¼ furlongs of narrow canals; 42 miles, 1 furlong of broad canals; 29 miles, 4¾ furlongs of small rivers; 36 narrow locks; 59 broad locks.  (Thanks Canalplan).

Aqueducts big enough to notice; Smeeton (Leicester line), 2 or 3 over the Dove (between Willington and Burton on the T&M), Trent (after Brindley Bank, Rugeley).

Tunnels; Braunston, Crick, Husband’s Bosworth, Saddington.  3 miles ½ furlong underground.

 Waterways; Grand Union, N Oxford, Leicester Line, River Soar, River Trent, Trent and Mersey.

 

Failing assets

Thursday 23^rd July; Shugborough to Aston marina

It was cool when we set off at about 9, but that didn’t last long.  There was a short wait at Haywood Lock as a day-boat came down, and a boat waiting for the lock as we left.  It was quite busy boat-wise – several green hire boats from Stone had gone past us yesterday evening, looking as though they were travelling together, and a couple went by earlier this morning travelling back towards Stone.  We snaffled a space just past the junction for a quick visit to the canalside shop before we went on to Hoo Mill lock, where there was a queue.  Hoo Mill lock has been on restricted opening hours since 16^th June, with the paddles locked from 6 pm to 9 am to 'allow CRT to closely monitor water levels and ensure none went over the weir by running water through the lock as necessary'.  The bywash culvert was damaged and out of use until repairs have been completed.

The bywash sandbagged

Chain ready for this evening

I spoke to a guy working on the repairs, and he thought they were ‘nearly done’ though it didn’t look like that to me.  The repairs will include the road surface and the downstream headwall, and the restriction end date isn’t till 14^th August.

t was hard to see exactly what was going on

Weston Lock was next.  That’s in a ropey condition too, unlike its namesake down towards Shardlow.

The top gate is falling apart at both ends

Yet it's not on the winter stoppage list

We made a lunch stop at the Salt moorings, and got to the marina at about 4.  We checked in before the office closed, then went for a walk to refresh our memories of the way to the towpath for Dave to get to Stone station in the morning.  We paused on our way past the restaurant for an ice-cream and sat on a shady bench overlooking the marina to enjoy it. 

Salt bridge

8½ miles, 2 locks

 

An abrupt change of plan

Wednesday 22^nd July; Wood End lock to nearly Shugborough

After yesterday's longish day we had some time in hand, so Dave used the early morning cool to paint the starboard side between the gunwale and the rubbing strake.  Just when we were thinking about moving a boat appeared behind us with another close behind, and then another, so we put the anchor away instead. It normally lives under the bed so it is not a trivial operation and by the time it was done the lock was clear.  I went up to empty it for us, but had to open the top gate instead as a boat was approaching.  They reported low water levels in Rugeley yesterday, the working boat Dane having got stuck under a bridge and needing to be pulled free.

Broken windows don’t stop this factory operating.  Does anyone know if it’s part of Armitage Shanks which is a little further along the canal?

Jess came with me to help spot oncoming boats at Armitage Tunnel, but there was nothing coming.  There was a little welcome shade as we walked along the narrows.

Straight through

We stopped to top up the water-tank at the end of the long-stay moorings so by the time we got to Rugeley it was nearly lunchtime and we had to go almost right through before we found space to moor.  It was still only a five-minute walk back to Tesco though, before we set off again for the Shugborough area, nicely placed for Great Haywood marina tomorrow.  I had a surprise when there was an unexpected movement in Naomi’s Landing, the garden with the mannequins – someone had been watering, or checking the costumes, I couldn't see, but the initial impression was of an afternoon party!

Surprisingly there was no queue at Colwich lock, which is often busy.  A boat was just going up ahead of us but that doesn’t count as a queue.  We found a nice mooring spot about halfway to Haywood lock, and I called the marina to confirm our time of arrival. 

Oh dear!

We haven't been receiving stoppage notices for the South Stratford as we are not going that way, and had no idea the whole canal was to close the following week.  Anglo-Welsh has boats moored at Haywood Junction on the Staffs and Worcester, not far from Great Haywood marina – I’m not sure who owns whom, but the marina now answers the phone as Anglo-Welsh.  With the A-W Wootton Wawen base within the closure, the hire boats were being transferred to Great Haywood marina and all the spare berths would be in use.  You might think we were unfairly bumped off our mooring, but having been assured there was plenty of room, and as we weren’t sure which day we would be arriving, I hadn’t formally reserved a spot.  We’ll know better next time.  But what should we do, with only a couple of days to do it?  Back to King’s Bromley, which we know nothing about?  Should we try Aston marina, only 4½ hours away, where we have been before?  Fortunately, not only was Nick in the office but yes, they had space, so Aston it will be.

Our dear departed Meg in the Trent at Essex bridge

Dave took Jess along the towpath to Essex Bridge over the Trent, where she and a labrador had a fine time playing in the river.  Apart from a slightly dodgy internet, and the narrow towpath being infested by speeding cyclists for a while, it was a good mooring.

10 miles, 2 locks, too hot

Tea-cosies in Alrewas

Tuesday 21^st July; Branston Water Park to Wood End lock

Jess needed to go out again in the middle of the night, so after two disturbed nights it’s not surprising we weren’t ready for an early start this morning. 

Good short grass for a dog with a dodgy tummy

It was already warm at 9.15 as we made ready, and then loitered while another boat on the moorings set off ahead of us.  Tatenhill lock wasn’t far and was fairly speedily dealt with,

Hadley, in the British Waterways livery, has been moored here for years

These locks were well-spaced, and with a light breeze and occasional shade on the water the cruising was delightful.  The towpath was well-shaded so Dave took the opportunity to give Jess a good walk.  The noisy stretch where Ryknild Street, the Roman road now carrying the A38 runs alongside the canal, wasn’t that long, but since we were last here the vegetation has grown up a bit and the lorry drivers weren’t waving today.  At Wychnor lock the road veers away and we joined the river section to Alrewas.

At Cow Bridge someone from the long-term moorings was repairing a plank on the deck.

Once through the slightly awkward bridgehole we enjoyed this delightful stretch of river, with its long weir and raised towpath section.

Completely unconcerned

Walkers in the sunshine

There was plenty of space in Alrewas and we were even able to moor in shade.  We needed some shopping and wanted to get something nice for lunch so we went straight up to the village, first stop the butcher and then the Co-op. 

The yarn-bombers have been out in force

Tea-cosies

I think there was a bakery nearer the bridge last time we were here but I don’t really remember.  There are coffee tables down the side which were busy – it was nearly lunchtime so not really surprising.  It would have been rude not to at least buy some cake, so I did.

On the house wall by the bridge.  True, of course.

We had lunch and decided to move on, although we were very tempted to stay put.  We had been a bit careless with our calculations of how long this trip would take, and we don’t want to be too rushed at the end as it involves a car shuffle.  We also have a very busy couple of weeks when we get back (one reason why this blog is so late!).  We decided to move on at least to Fradley Junction and see what the mooring situation was.  Bagnall lock was the first of the afternoon.  The lock beams on the bottom gates were a bit short and very difficult to move – I needed Dave to help me close the towpath side one.

Bagnall lock in the baking heat

Some of the gates today were metal rather than wood and were all very heavy to move, more so than the double locks at the bottom of the T&M, or maybe it was the heat getting to me.  At Fradley the moorings were in full sun and with the road to the pub running close by it would have been impractical to stop there even if there had been no git gaps.  There was work planned on the towpath round the junction past the swing bridge and the mooring had been suspended, so we couldn’t go round there.  We hoped the armco above Shadehouse lock would have space so we could go down to the Swan for a beer, but no, it was rammed.  On we went, thankful the temperature had dropped a bit as the sky had clouded over and we were cruising through woods too.  Then as we approached Wood End lock, Dave spotted a new-looking stretch of armco before the lock mooring, or maybe the vegetation had been cleared since we were last this way.  Anyway it was perfect.

Room for another boat too before the lock mooring bollards

.We were all settled by 4.30, but boats heading for Fradley junction continued passing till quite late.  We wondered where on earth they would all moor.

11 locks, 7½ miles, a heavy day in the heat

Heat and noise as we head for Branston

Monday 20^th July; Swarkestone to Branston Water Park

We had a very disturbed night as the dog got us up at 2 and 5 for an urgent visit to the towpath (followed by a tricky pick-up operation in the morning!)  Jess, being a dog, is an inveterate scavenger and we are pretty sure she found something unsuitable under the nearest table when she wriggled under the pub fence at Mountsorrel lock.  I couldn’t get back to sleep after the second time however hard I tried, so I got up and took Jess back along to Swarkestone to see if I could spot evidence of the old navigation to the Trent – apart from a sharp drop behind the buildings, which may have been the location of the first lock, I could only see a footpath following the likely line into some trees.  I forgot my phone, so no picture.  When we got back, Dave was up and we were on our way to the last of the broad locks at 7.45.

The road runs along the offside at one point.  Was this to warn motorists or boaters?

 I hadn’t been looking forward to Stenson lock.  It’s 12’4” deep, and being broad as well it looks very forbidding.  At least it was empty and ready for us.

In the depths

It took ages.  The local boater I met at Swarkestone yesterday had said that on this lock at least, opening the ground paddle on the opposite side to the boat will hold it to the side.  It did, but that didn’t mean it was as gentle as the Hatton locks, for example.  The water flows were very strong, and it took a very long time for the lock to fill so we could continue our journey.  The day grew steadily hotter and the roads and railway began to creep closer as we reached Willington.

Willlington cooling towers glimpsed through the trees.  I have a feeling we walked right up to them years ago, but it may have been somewhere else.

We pulled in to make use of the water point and recycling then cracked on, wanting to get at least as far as Burton today.  We looked out for the old bridge over the river Dove, where on our last time along here we watched lads jumping off the parapet into the river below.

The vegetation has grown up since then, and the lads too

Busy roads run close to the canal for a seemingly endless stretch till you reach Dallow lock.  The racket from the road combined with the energy-sapping heat was exhausting.  And there was a queue at the lock.  Well, one boat which was about to go in.

Dallow lock, 3’6” and narrow.  Delightful!

The murals at the lock under the road bridge, which show scenes from Burton’s past, have a polycarbonate-type cover to protect them.

It makes it difficult to get a photo without reflections

There was plenty of room to moor alongside the park at Shobnall Fields.  Though there was no shade on the boat, there were big trees nearby so Jess could have a mooch in the cool and a bit of a play.  We had lunch and a think about whether to stay.  We didn’t need any shopping and had visited the town before, but anyway it was much too hot to walk that far.  Although the road is a couple of hundred yards away across the field the noise seemed a lot worse than 10 years ago, so we gritted our teeth and carried on the couple of hot miles to Branston Water park, with just Branston lock to negotiate.  By the time we arrived, the cloud had come across and although it was still very hot we had a stroll in the water park and back along the towpath.

Branston Water Park.

The Bridge Inn not far back along the towpath has as an Italian restaurant and we had an excellent meal with a nice pint to accompany it.  We ate in the marquee where Jess lay flat out on the floor in the cool breeze from the opening, at least till the food arrived.

Last week we decided on our destination marina for this trip, and although Springwood Haven on the Coventry had been our first choice they wouldn’t have enough space for us this summer.  This morning Great Haywood marina said they would have a mooring, so that is where we will be heading towards the weekend.

12 miles, 3 locks and only one was broad, Dove aqueduct