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

Ella Repainted Autumn 2026 - Week 3

 Monday 14th September - Compton to Bratch Locks

A bit of a drizzly cruise this morning, hence no photos, but we arrived at the Bratch Locks and moored up and by the afternoon the sun had arrived and we went for a walk back along the canal, across to the disused railway and back to the Bratch locks.

A beautiful stretch of the canal, with the cricket ground on the left of the canal.  Toby loved this walk as he was off the lad for a lot of the time.

A very sad sight, a boat sunk and looking a real mess!

At Awbridge Lock is this fascinating carving in the stone coppices on the bridge.  According to long-standing local legend, a detailed carving of a sailing ship on the southern wall of the stone bridge parapet (or bridge pier) was etched by a French prisoner of war during the Napoleonic Wars. Many French POWs of that era were detained in England and frequently put to work on civil engineering and infrastructure projects, leaving behind small relics of their craftsmanship.

Walking back along the railway line we passed The Platform, a cafe in the old station waiting room.  It was closed when we walked past but a visit another time.

This is the old pumping station, built to look like a fairy castle with pretty brick patterns and turrets on all the corners.  The Bratch Pumping Station is a beautifully ornate building that was constructed after a dispute over water prices between Bilston and Wolverhampton.  It contains a fully working vertical triple expansion steam engine which is operated on open days by Friends of The Bratch. 

Sunset on Ella in the evening.

4 miles, 5 locks, 2hrs 42mins

Tuesday 15th September - Bratch Locks

Today we have decided to stop above the Bratch Locks and work on the side of the boat.  Cleaning the new paint work and touching up any marks on the blacking below the rubbing strip. Took a couple of hours but it was very satisfying and we were very pleased with our efforts.  A walk back to The Platform where we had a lovely lunch, well worth a visit if you are ever out this way.

Wednesday 16th September - Bratch Locks to Ashwood Marina

A lovely sunny morning so we set off through the Bratch Locks helped by a jolly crew of volunteers who worked the locks for us!

Waving happily as we passed through the final chamber and out onto the canal again.  The Bratch Locks consist of three locks and two bridges that use red and blue brick. Between each of the locks there are very short pounds and it is essential to follow the rule - blue before red - so that water is emptied into or taken from the neighbouring ponds.  The two-storey octagonal tollhouse attached to bridge number 48 has doors at the level of both the middle and upper locks.  

This is Bumblehole Lock and last time we came through the house looked derelict.  Today it is looking much more loved and has a landrover parked outside.

Work has obviously gone on inside clearing the house as in the garden is this upright piano, a shame to leave it sitting out in all the elements, but maybe they just don’t want it.

We moved on to a set of staircase locks and unfortunately Dave made an error whilst emptying the top lock into the second lock and Ella ended up stuck on the bottom of the lock, and it was a very deep lock.  Eventually it was sorted by letting water in behind me and bringing the boat back up to the top before starting again.  I think Dave was hugely embarrassed to have made what he called a school boy error, but there was no harm done and we made our way through safely in the end.

Dave bringing the boat into the lock ably assisted by Toby checking how close he is to the edge of the lock.  One woof - looking good, two woofs - your way a bit, hehe.

We stopped at Greensforge to fill up with water and then dropped down the lock and found a pleasant open quiet mooring opposite Ashwood Marina.  After lunch, a delightful walk took us to Ashwood Nurseries where we bought some plants to go on the roof and a solar lantern shaped like a balloon.  I wanted something to hang on the tiller when we are moored up.

4.25 miles, 10 locks, 3hrs 42mins

Thursday 17th September - Ashwood Marina to Hyde Lock, Kinver

Another lovely sunny start to the morning and we set off from our mooring and headed for Kinver.  This is a circular weir, I’ve only ever seen them on this canal, and these circular overflows were also referred to as "Brindley Lobster Pot Weirs".  The water would flow over the lip and down to the pound below or into a neighbouring stream.

In the sunshine, this must be one of the most beautiful canals on the network.

 Dunsley Tunnel, on the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal, was one of the earliest built on any British canal (about 1772). It is only 23 yards long and unusually for a tunnel of this age it has a towing path. It  is an accommodation bridge allowing farm access to meadows by the River Stour.

Hyde Lock is one of the prettiest locks on this canal, the gateway into the garden is a miniature lock gate, how cute is that?  We are moored above the lock on a quiet bend in the canal opposite a field with geese and a wood beside us with remains of the disused railway in amongst the trees.

And here is the solar balloon hanging from the tiller and lit up by solar power, so pleased with this purchase!  At dusk before the balloon lit up we were treated to an aerial display from some bats swooping along the side of the boat and into the trees, it was amazing!

3.5 miles, 3 locks, 2hrs 18mins.

Friday 18th September - Above Hyde Lock

We are staying on this mooring so that we can black the side of the boat and clean the roof and sides.

Afterwards we went for a walk to the winding hole and back again to have lunch in The Vine at the lock.  By this time it had started raining and it carried on for the rest of the afternoon and evening.  So a quiet time on the boat relaxing to the sound of rain glorious rain!

Saturday 19th September - Above Hyde Lock to Whittington and back to Kinver

A lovely short cruise today from our mooring through 2 locks, turning around at Whittington Winding Hole and mooring again below Kinver Lock.

These two plants came from our daughter’s wedding at the beginning of August, they were given as cuttings from a plant called ‘Blushing Bride’ for the wedding favours.  One is ours and the other is for my sister Helen, they are enjoying the rain and sunshine and looking very healthy.

Dropping down through Hyde Lock and then slowly past the long line of moored boats.  On then through Kinver Lock where it suddenly became very busy with boats queueing top and bottom.

Here we are approaching Whittington and the winding hole is on the left just past the large tree.  The breeze was in our favour as it was blowing towards me and would help to push the front of the boat round, hence the name winding hole.

The nose of the boat perfectly positioned in the V of the winding hole, half way through the 180 degree turn to the left.  It is possible to turn a 70’ boat here so plenty of room for our 57’.

Returning back the way we had come and past the chimpanzee family enjoying a snack by the canal.

We moored up and tidied the boat before settling down for lunch.  I spotted out the window a Jay in the undergrowth and was amazed that it stayed long enough for me to get a photo. Although they're the most colourful members of the crow family, Jays are actually quite difficult to see. They are shy woodland birds, rarely moving far from cover. Jays are famous for their acorn feeding habits and in the autumn you may see them burying acorns for retrieving later in the winter.

A walk into Kinver through the Brockley Riverside Walk in the afternoon and we spotted a doorway into the rock behind a lovely house.  I wonder where the doors lead?

Sunday 20th September - Below Kinver Lock

Today we have decided to stay in Kinver and work on the windows.  Andy, the boat painter, had told us that it would be necessary to tighten the screws holding the windows in place after three weeks in order to stop them from leaking in years to come.  This meant removing the wooden frames around each window and tightening the fixing with something like an Allen key.  After nine windows and two hours we were done and felt very pleased with ourselves!

After lunch we went for a walk up to Hyde Lock and this is the garden gate in the shape of a lock with a paddle mechanism beside it.

After crossing over the canal we continued walking through the trees on the other side, beautiful in the dappled sunlight and warm sunshine.

At the end of the road was this pretty house with a hexagonal turret and named ‘Tinkers Cottage’ - looking far less like a cottage in my opinion!