Monday 13th July - Hopwas to Fradley
An overcast, cool and fairly breezy start to the morning, so Toby and I walked for the first mile out of Hopwas.
A very attractive walk along the canal with the River Tame flowing below and to the right of the canal. Hopwas Wood also known as Hopwas Hayes Wood is ancient woodland situated in the District of Lichfield in Staffordshire. It is owned by Tarmac and the Ministry of Defence and public access to the Wood is via bridlepaths. Since the Ministry of Defence have commenced firing on the Whittington Ranges the Wood is closed to the public from the ranges down to Wood Bridge on various days.
This is the end of the Wyrley and Essington Extension Lichfield Canal at Huddlesford Junction. The part that is still in water is private mooring for the cruising club, but the other end comes out at Ogley Junction, on the Anglesey Branch that ends at Chasewater Reservoir. We cruised this part of the Wyrley and Essington Canal during our last cruise, the Birmingham Explorer. Brilliant when you see how the network used to link up.
As we approached Fradley Junction we found a mooring before the swing bridge and tied up for the rest of the day. We walked along to the cafe, The Laughing Duck, and had some lunch before returning to the boat.
We learnt today that the Bosley Locks that we need to go up to get to Furness Vale Marina are being put onto a timed opening due to low water levels. We have decided to travel as quickly as possible to the Bosley locks in the hope we can still get through them.
8 miles, 0 locks, 3hrs 24mins
Tuesday 14th July - Fradley to Great Haywood
Toby and I walked from our mooring up to the first lock, this is Dave bringing the boat from Fradley in to the lock.
There are a lot of volunteer lock keepers, 2 on each of the locks going through Fradley, all equipped with radios informing each other of the boat movements.
The lock cottage here has been requisitioned by HS2 and will be knocked down to allow for the building of the track. One of the volunteers said that HS2 was scheduled to pass over the canal in Fradley 3 times!
We know this marina as Bromley Wharf where our share boat used to be moored when we owned shares in her. It has changed names but still looks the same.
This very early canal tunnel was 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. After the tunnel we stopped at the next water tap and filled up with water before carrying on towards Great Haywood.
Colwich Lock has always been very picturesque and it is a shame about the scaffolding, but it still looks very pretty.
We decided to moor the boat below the lock in Great Haywood and quite a way back, then walked into the junction to visit the farm shop. We had a cold drink and a cake and whilst we were there I checked the CRT website for the stoppages and discovered that the Bosley Locks have been closed completely with a review on 21st July. This means we are not going to get to Furness Vale Marina by 27th July
Once back at the boat we made a phone call to Andy Russell, our boat painter, and explained the situation and cheekily wondered whether he would be able to do the work at Overwater Marina as we could get there. He spoke to Matt, the paint shed manager, and discovered that they did have a space matching our dates! So, we are now aiming for the Shropshire Union Canal and Overwater Marina just outside Audlem.
12 miles, 4 locks, 5hrs 36mins
Wednesday 15th July - Below Haywood Lock to above Haywood Lock
Today we moved the boat from below Haywood Lock to above Haywood Lock where the wifi and phone signals are much better. We spoke to David at Overwater and have booked our boat in from 27th July so we can get back to Worcester in time for Lizzie’s wedding. We also phoned Furnesss Vale and cancelled our mooring there. The repaint is now being done at Overwater from 3rd August for 4 weeks. It has been a long stressful 3 days but it has all worked out for the best and we have been very fortunate and lucky.
Toby had a dip in the River Sow to cool off.
We took a walk over to Shugborough Hall and walked through the grounds before a spot of lunch in the cafe. We also spent time in the second hand bookshop, finding several books we would like to read. Then spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing by the boat.
0.25 miles, 1 lock, 36mins
Thursday 17th July - Fradley to Stafford Boat Club.
Today we have decided to continue on our journey and once we get to the junction we turn right under the bridge and begin to cruise along the Staffordshire and Worcester Canal instead of carrying on the Trent and Mersey.
This is Tixall Wide, a large expanse of water, it was created in 1771 to disguise the canal so the owners of Tixall Hall could enjoy a peaceful view over their estate.
The Elizabethan gatehouse is all that remains of Tixall Hall and is a very stylish specimen of Tudor design. The estate has been held by a number of wealthy families, including the Littleton family, the Aston family and the Clifford family. The Old Hall was demolished in 1927 and all that remains are the gatehouse and the stable block. In 1586 Mary Queen of Scots was imprisoned in the gate-house whilst her apartments at Chartley Castle were searched for evidence of treason.
Work continues on the Stafford Riverway Link, and you can clearly see the basin taking shape the other side of this fencing. Progress has been made on the lock out of the basin and also preparing the River Sow to provide a navigable link to Stafford Town Centre.
We decided to stop opposite Stafford Boat Club and spend the night there. Very quiet and peaceful, the canal on one side and Radford Meadows on the other. The Meadows form part of the River Penk floodplain, just one of a number of watercourses that converge in and around Stafford, before joining the River Trent near Shugborough. The nature reserve is the long strip of pasture immediately to the west of the canal – running south from Radford Bridge (on the A34) to the Deptmore Lock. The reserve is famously home to a population of native Black Poplars at its southern end.
5.5 miles, 1 lock, 2hrs 54mins
Friday 17th July - Stafford Boat Club to Penkridge
Our ovenight mooring opposite Stafford Boat Club, very quiet and peaceful. Did my outdoor gym on the towpath before setting off on our cruise for the day.
Toby came with me to do this lock, he is lying on the little bridge keeping an eye on me! I am waiting for a boat to come into the lock, it ricocheted into the lock and used the gate to stop the boat, no wonder these lock gates get damaged!
Teddesley Wharf is where our boatbuilders moved to when they left Rode Heath. However there was no sign of them anywhere, but this used to be their reception area and is now a thriving cafe with two trip boats.
We did see a sign for Ross Payton who is a boat painter and signwriter, he was learning his trade when we bought our boat 11 years ago.
4.5 miles, 4 locks, 2hrs 42mins
Saturday 18th July - below Penkridge Lock to Slade Heath Bridge 72
Toby and I walked from the mooring to do the first few locks, we stopped at the services to get rid of rubbish and fill up with water. Toby makes sure that he sits in any shade he can find, even the little provided by the lock beam.
When we got to Gailey Lock there was a sign advertising that Volunteer Lock Keepers were around. We could use one of these at Diglis Locks!
The Gailey ‘Roundhouse’ used to be a toll clerk’s office, then it was a tiny canal shop, but today it looks as though it is more of a private dwelling, it certainly wasn’t open when we went past.
After 2 attempts to moor and being plagued by wasps, we eventually found a mooring by Slade Heath Bridge. Cool under a tree, only being disturbed by the occasional high speed train!
7.25 miles, 7 locks, 4hrs 36mins
Sunday 19th July - Slade Heath Bridge 72 to Brewood Wharf
Heading towards the popular moorings at Cross Green beside the Anchor Inn, the scenery is beautiful.
Passing under the M54, another motorway we often use…
…with some stunning graffiti on the bridge walls. Some of these artists are really very talented.
This is a very narrow cutting “Pendleford Rockin” hewn by Brindley’s navvies through a solid belt of sandstone which breaks through the clay strata at this point. There are three wider areas which allow boats to pass without having to reverse. It stretches for 600 yards and is only about 10ft deep.
This boat belongs to Phil Clayton whom we met on the BCNS Explorer Cruise, he gave a presentation about the Birmingham Navigations at the boat club where we had a ‘bring and share supper’. The musical called ‘Birmingham Lads’ was very funny and informative.
The turning onto The Shropshire Union Canal at an acute angle and fortunately we didn't meet anything coming the other way. You go straight into a stop lock of 6 inches and a Napton Narrowboat Centre.
Avenue Bridge is a curvaceously ornate, balustraded bridge which carries the carriageway to Chillington Hall. Landowners would only allow a waterway to cross their parklands if suitable measures were taken to disguise the functional nature of the architecture of the trade route. A bit like Tixall Wide near Great Haywood.
8.5 miles, 1 locks, 3hrs 24mins
