Ella Repainted Autumn Cruise - Week 5

 Monday 28th September - Great Haywood Junction

A few nights ago it was the Harvest Moon and this morning the moon was still clearly visible at 7 o’clock in the morning, beautiful!

Toby sitting patiently on the towpath waiting to go for a walk around Shugborough.  He knows that once we get over the Essex bridge he can get down to the river and go for a swim and chase sticks in the water.

An amazing cloud formation, we thought it looked like a paw print.

We walked through the estate to the Tower of the Winds.  The tower was originally surrounded by water, being situated at the end of an ornamental lake, and was linked to the land by two bridges. The ground floor windows were inserted in 1803 when Samuel Wyatt converted the building into an ornamental dairy for Lady Anson.

Bright stained glass windows inside the tower, it also has slate work surfaces and alabaster lined walls.

On our way back over the Essex bridge we stood to watch the local fire brigade doing some water rescue training in the river.  Later in the afternoon we walked down to the Post Office to collect a parcel delivered from Amazon - very convenient!

Tuesday 29th September - Great Haywood to Rugeley

On Tuesday we continued our journey to Rugeley, moored up and went for a walk into the town. We passed a derelict church, the remains of the original St Augustine’s church, which became the parish church in the 12th century. These remains have come to be known as the Old Chancel.  To the east of the chancel is the unusual tomb of two sisters – Elizabeth Cuting, who died in 1695, and Emma Hollinhurst, who died in 1696. On its top are carved effigies of two figures, each tied at the top and bottom in a shroud. These curious effigies are behind a local legend that the sisters were buried alive in sacks by Oliver Cromwell – despite Cromwell having died earlier, in 1658.  The true story of the tomb is connected to a Parliamentary Act of 17 years earlier, which required corpses to be buried in wool. These ladies, among others, preferred to be buried in linen, and defied the Act, as the burial register shows.  Defiance would have resulted in a fine.

On the other side of the road is the new church where the victims of ‘Palmer the Poisoner’ are buried.  Palmer was  a local doctor who got into massive debt through gambling and took to killing off members of his family to get his hands on the money from insurance policies.  A lovely lady told us all this history as she walked past with her dog and informed us ‘it all happens in Rugeley!’

4.5miles, 2 locks, 2hrs 8mins

Wednesday 30th September - Rugeley to Fradley Junction

The Armitage Tunnel is a very early canal tunnel built at Armitage in 1770, though this no longer exists as a tunnel. The roof was removed after subsidence damage caused by local coal mining.

Passing once again Bromley Wharf moorings where nbMinuet used to be moored when we had shares in her.  It is now used by Burton Boat Company focusing on repair and maintenance of narrowboats.

We moored for the evening at the top of the locks heading down to Fradley Junction, there are some lovely visitor moorings just before the locks.  One drawback was the lack of any WiFi signal, but we had a lovely evening playing games, reading, crocheting and chatting.  We had a lovely walk through Fradley Pond nature reserve.

Some of the wildlife on the walk…Heron

Squirrel…

Goose.

7.25 miles, 1 lock, 3hrs 6mins

Thursday 1st October - Fradley Junction to Hopwas

Another sunny day and a pleasant cruise through to Hopwas.  The woods as you approach Hopwas are used by the military as a firing range and today the access gates were padlocked and we could hear gunshots in the distance.

So we chose to go in a different direction for our walk and set out to follow a footpath that would give us a circular walk around the village.  Unfortunately Toby was attacked by a dog which appeared out of nowhere, and was called off by the owner although we didn't see the owner.  We quickly realised that Toby had been bitten and was bleeding, so we returned to the boat where we cleaned him up and sterilised the wound.  A very scary incident!  Toby seemed fine, I think Dave and I were more shaken up than he was.

8.25 miles, 2 locks, 3hrs 48mins

Friday 2nd October - Hopwas to Meadow Lane Bridge 50

A brief update on Toby, he has slept well overnight and is eating and drinking as usual.  The wound has stopped bleeding and is drying up nicely, so fingers crossed all will be well.

Today’s cruise took us past Alvecote Priory, a small Benedictine priory founded in 1159 by William Burdet, it later became a cell of Great Malvern Priory. Alvecote Priory appears to have regularly housed only four monks and their servants.  You can just see the ruins through the trees.

Fazeley Junction and there are now four birds painted on the wall, organised by New Urban Era, the hope is that the canal will begin to attract real birds to the area.

Our overnight mooring about 40 minutes away from the Atherstone locks, nice and peaceful with a glorious sunset.

10 miles, 2 locks, 4hrs 6mins

Saturday 3rd October - Meadow Lane Bridge 50 to Mancetter Bridge 36

The Atherstone Locks are due to open at 10 o’clock this morning so we set off at 9am and stopped at the services to get rid of rubbish and fill up with water.  

We then moved onto the foot of the locks and joined a queue of 4 boats ahead of us already starting to move on up through the locks.  A glorious sunny day so no hardship to stand in the warm sunshine and wait our turn.

The long pounds between the 3 sets of 2 locks were very low and it was essential to stay in the middle of the canal so you didn’t get grounded.  This boat has just come out of the lock and is struggling to get off the side of the canal.

A short pound between 2 locks and this lady found it quite difficult to manoeuvre her boat so that I could get through the bridge.  Once we got to the top 5 locks there were volunteer lock keepers to help us through, the pounds between the locks were still very low and the boat ahead of us got stuck in the middle of the canal.  So it was a case of letting more water down from the top, a long and tiring day but we were relieved to have got through safely.

We found a lovely mooring out in the countryside, with a view of fields and sheep from the open hatch. Time to stop and rest for the evening.

4.5 miles, 11 locks, 5hrs 18mins

Sunday 4th October - Mancetter Bridge 36 to Hawkesbury Junction

Another lovely day, cold overnight but dry and sunny for cruising.  Just a very pretty photo showing how still everything is with a perfect reflection of the bridge in the water.

We pulled over at Bridge 21 in Nuneaton for a quick shop - we were out of bread and that is never a good state of affairs!

Cruising along here became so much easier, the canal seemed deeper, the engine was running sweeter, and we were able to make good headway.  This is the turning onto the Ashby Canal which we are going to pass by today and head on down to Hawkesbury Junction.

We stopped at the first available space and moored up for the rest of the day.

10 miles, 0 locks, 3hrs 36mins

Ella Repainted Autumn 2026 - Week 4

 

Monday 21st September - Kinver to above Hinksford Lock

I had to start this week off with a photo of Toby in his favourite position.  He is watching the boat come into a lock and looks so handsome!

Start of a new week and we are heading back towards the junction to go up the Wolverhampton 21 locks.  Ella entering Kinver Lock, under the road bridge and into the lock.  Not much wriggle room but just enough!

Looking back along he canal towards Kinver and the church on the skyline.  Taken from Hyde Lock. St Peter's church is sited high above the village on the eastern end of Kinver Edge in Church Hill. The church makes extensive use of the local sandstone giving it a glorious ruddy hue.  It is dated back to the 14th and 15th Century.

At the aqueduct over the River Stour we saw two people collecting samples from the river, checking the nitrogen levels.  They said their findings were poor because of the mess on the land beside the river.  

This is the remains of the Gothersley Roundhouse, a twin to the one found at Gailey.  Unfortunately the ruin suffered storm damage in 1991 and this is all that remains.  It marks the site of an important canal wharf provided to serve a sizeable ironworks which existed here until the 1880’s.

We came up through Hinksford Lock and found a mooring opposite the cricket ground.  Looking out of the side hatch I saw a kingfisher dive into the water and fly up into the trees with a fish in its beak.  It is sitting on a branch next to a pale patch of yellow leaves.  I hope you can see it as I was so pleased to have got the photo.

6 miles, 7 locks, 1 tunnel, 4hrs 24mins

Tuesday 22nd September - Hinksford to the Bratch Locks

Woke up this morning to an autumn misty vista.  As we set off you could only just see where you were going!

Dave was reminded of his all time favourite poem from his student days - Septembermorgen by Eduard Moerike…

Im Nebel ruhet noch die Welt

Noch traumen Wald und Wiesen

Bald siehst Du wenn der Schleier faellt

Herbstkraeftig die gedaempfte Welt

In warmen Golde fliessen

Dave approaching the second of the Swindon locks waving from the back of the boat.  On the roof of the shed on the right of the photo is a flower pot fisherman also waving.

I worked the Botterham Staircase locks this time, these are the middle gates as you go up and you can see how enormous they are!

Giggety Wharf used to have some lovely pairs of working boats but there is nothing there at the moment.  

Just up from the Wharf is the Round Oak pub with a postbox in the wall, we walked down  from our mooring at the Bratch and had a drink in the garden after climbing over the gate which was padlocked!

3 miles, 8 locks 2hrs 42mins

Wednesday 23rd September - The Bratch to Wightwick

On this lock there was a message warning us about the heritage iron lock ties which jut out from the side of the lock.  They are used to reinforce the brickwork of the lock and anchoring it into the surrounding earth to prevent the walls from bowing inwards under immense pressure from the water and the ground.

We moored near Wightwick Manor and walked along the canal and up the hill to The Fieldhouse to meet up with friends Anne and Steve and have lunch at the pub.  Lovely to see them again, even though it has been a week or so since the last meet up!  However the rain set in and we did get a little wet!

2.75 miles, 3 locks, 1hr 42mins

Thursday 24th September - Wightwick to Moat House Bridge 54

We have heard that the Atherstone Locks on the Coventry Canal have been opened on a daily basis for a limited amount of time each day.  So we have decided to carry on to Great Haywood and return the way we came out in July.

First lock of the day and it is busy with boats queuing top and bottom still it meant there were plenty of people to help out.

Cruising towards the junction with the Shropshire Union, we have passed the entrance to the Wolverhampton 21 locks, so fingers crossed all will go well.  The boat ahead of us is turning into the Shropshire Union Canal and we are going straight on.

For about a mile the canal becomes very narrow, and we have never met another boat, but today we had to pass a boat coming towards us.  Fortunately they were able to pull into a siding so that I could slide past, my heart rate went sky high but we didn't make contact so I was very happy with that!

We moored up out in the countryside and went for a walk across the fields to the village of Deepmore.  The river flows through the village and I was really impressed to see this River Level Measuring Station on the bridge.

When we were back at the boat, a fuel boat came past.  Dave flagged him down and we bought a new gas bottle (which he put in the gas locker for us) and filled up with diesel, he works the whole of the Four Counties Ring on a 4 weekly basis.

8 miles, 3 locks, 3hrs 48mins

Friday 25th September - Moat House Bridge to Cross Keys, Penkridge 

This was our mooring out in the middle of nowhere with open views across farmland.  Apart from the distant sound of an occasional train passing there was no other sound to disturb the peace.

This is Brick Kiln Lock with a lock gate that has broken in two and been put back together with a metal structure.  When you pushed the gate you could feel the wood bending where it is broken.  I do hope this is on the winter works program for gate replacement!

We moved on to our next lock, Boggs Lock and found 5 boats below the lock waiting for Canal and River Trust to turn up as something had become wedged between the gate and the lock wall and therefore the gate couldn't be opened fully.

The lock was filled and Ian (CRT operative) got on the front of our boat with a long handle fork prong thingy.

He then spent 20 minutes sprawled across our bow digging around in the lock until he found what was jamming the gate.

He was then able to drag this huge log out of the water and balance it across our bow.  Once he was back on his feet, he handed me the long handled prong thingy, the gates were opened and Dave brought the boat out returning Ian and the log back onto the towpath.  We then sailed off leaving behind a queue which was now 6 boats long below the lock.

We were delighted to see at the lock, Trevor and Carol on nbMoonbase.  We moored behind them at Overwater Marina when we brought the boat from Rode Heath to Overwater on its maiden voyage.  We haven't seen them since we left Market Drayton and it was good to see them out and about and enjoying their boating.

We continued on to the moorings at the Cross Keys pub and found a space and moored up for the evening.

5.5 miles, 5 locks, 3hrs 12 mins

Saturday 26th September - Cross Keys to Stafford Boat Club

A beautiful start to the day and we went for a walk into Penkridge Market.

Bright blue sky and a gentle breeze made for a pleasant walk into the town without a coat!

I was on the hunt for some white Aran wool to continue work on the Christmas snowflake blanket I'm currently working on.

Sadly there was no wool shop (it had closed down) and there is sometimes a lady who sells wool on a market stall but not today.  But we did buy a set of Allen keys, some new gloves for Dave, chopping board and a set of teaspoons so it was well worth the visit.

At Penkridge Lock we met Minuet again, this was the boat we had shares in before we bought Ella.  She is looking very smart and well kept and we think she is now moored at King’s Bromley marina.

Teddesley Wharf where our boat builders now work from, and a brand new boat in the water still without the registration number but with the Bourne Logo on the side.

Our final lock of the day and a short run down to Stafford Boat Club and a towpath mooring in the same place we moored when we came up in July.  Dave spent the afternoon touching up the blacking on the towpath side and cleaning down the paintwork, whilst I did my workout.

The Harvest Moon rising above the tree line over Stafford Boat Club.  It is special because it is the full moon that falls closest to the autumn equinox, rising close to sunset for several consecutive nights to provide extra evening light.

5.25 miles, 6 locks, 3hrs 6mins

Sunday 27th September - Stafford Boat Club to Gt Haywood Junction

We set off from our mooring quite early so that we could get to Great Haywood in enough time to get a mooring for a couple of nights. This is crossing the aqueduct above the River Sow, the river is a tributary of the River Trent and flows through Stafford.

The River Sow is a maximum of 3 metres wide and is popular with anglers and paddle boarders.

We managed to moor after the junction and squeezed in between two other boats and gradually all the boats around us departed and we were left on our own!

Friends, Di and Mark, drove over to see us from Ventnor Marina and we went to the Wolseley Arms for lunch.  Di brought a birthday present for Dave - any ideas what the flags spell out?  Many thanks to Di and Mark for coming to see us, we had a lovely time!

5.25 miles,1 lock, 2hrs 30mins