A super start to the day with a visit from a lovely family of swans.
After a few minutes cruising we stopped to fill up with water and then headed towards the Stoke Prior Locks.
Toby is comfortably seated on the roof of the boat, especially useful when we are working locks as he can see both of us at all times.
From the Stoke locks we continued into the Tardebigge Locks, a beautiful set of locks in stunning countryside. We met Tom, the lead volunteer for the flight and an old friend from nb Minuet times. So we were blessed with the aid of three volunteers to get up the flight in record time.
We moored for the night before the top lock, in a very pleasant pound of water along with other boats either waiting until tomorrow to go down the locks or like us having completed the flight and having a well earned rest.
We went for a walk and saw a family of ducks with some very young ducklings. I was most impressed by the mother duck who squared up to Toby whenever he got too close to the ducklings.
We headed away from the canal up and around Tardebigge Church and through several enormous fields of peas. The pea pods were not quite ready for harvesting and all I could think of was the Bird’s Eye advert for frozen peas - picked to frozen in under 2 hours!
3.5 miles, 34 locks, 5 hours 30 minutes cruising.
Tuesday 7th July - Tardebigge Top Lock to Withybed Marina
Tardebigge Top Lock with Tardebigge Church on the hill in the distance. A favourite view of mine, the church spire is very ornate.
Then straight into Tardebigge Tunnel, and yes there is a light at the end of the tunnel - hang on in there everyone!
Today I saw something for the first time ever, a kingfisher dived into the water ahead of the boat and came up with a fish, then flew into the bushes in the photo. The fish was almost as long as the kingfisher. However I was so excited that I didn’t zoom in and instead took a random shot! But believe me in here is a kingfisher with a fish in it’s beak!
Once we were moored up for the day and the rain has set in, Toby and I went for a walk and got soaked, so Toby retreated under the towels to get warm and dry!
Dave used the new bike to cycle into Alvechurch to buy provisions for the next few days, very handy in the circumstances as we can continue to moor up in some pretty secluded areas but still have access to shops for essential foodstuffs. The bike is transported on the bike carrier attached to the stern of the boat, very nifty!
3.5 miles, 1 lock, 1 tunnel 2 hours cruising.
Wednesday 8th July - Alvechurch to Waring’s Green Wharf
We left Alvechurch and headed out through the Bittell Reservoirs, some lovely permanent moorings and socially distanced fishermen!
We left the Worcester and Birmingham Canal and turned right onto the Stratford Canal, this building at the junction was damaged in a fire but it looks as though some work is going to be carried out on it.
The first lock on the Stratford Canal is a guillotine lock, it is no longer working but looks quite impressive. The next lock on this canal isn’t until you get to the Lapworth flight of locks.
This heron was so intent on the fish he was watching that he let the boat glide straight past him.
We moored up for the evening at Waring’s Green Wharf, a lovely quiet mooring just down from Wedges Bakery, where there are some delicious cakes and sandwiches to tempt you!
13 miles, 1 moveable bridge, 2 tunnels, 5hours 18 minutes cruising.
Thursday 9th July - Waring’s Green Wharf to Pinner’s Bridge 31
We left our mooring and cruised down to the bridge so that Dave could walk back to Wedges Bakery and buy sandwiches for today’s lunch, yummy!
Unfortunately it was a very wet day and we did as much as we could and then decided to call it a day.
Driving the boat and holding an umbrella does compromise how much you can actually see, so after a stop for lunch we simply didn’t cast off again!!!
3.75 miles, 4 locks, 2 moveable bridges, 2 hours 36 mins cruising.
Friday 10th July - Pinner’s Bridge 31 to John’s Bridge 55
Today we woke to sunshine! Toby and I walked down to the start of the Lapworth Locks and I worked the boat down the first half of the locks.
We stopped to fill up with water and then took the left hand lock to join the Grand Union Canal, then a right turn onto the Grand Union. This is a very different canal, much wider with double sized locks. It was built to create a trade corridor from London to Birmingham.
Shrewley Tunnel is wide enough for two boats, but this was the first time I had seen a boat coming through a tunnel so I wanted to watch it leave the tunnel. The little arch to the right is a separate tunnel for the footpath, quite unusual as the footpaths generally go over the top.
We have moored up for the night above the Hatton Locks which we will work tomorrow, and walked down to the locks where we had tea and cake at the canalside cafe, very nice. The cafe was doing a brisk trade with everybody sitting at socially distanced tables in the garden.
5.25 miles, 15 locks, 1 tunnel, 4 hours 24mins cruising.
Saturday 11th July - John’s Bridge 55 to Radford Road Bridge 35
Today we left our mooring and headed down towards the Hatton Locks, Toby and I walked and the first lock was ready and waiting for us. There was also a solo boater, John, waiting at the top hoping to share the locks with a willing boater, so everyone was happy!!!
The weather was glorious, blue skies and just a few clouds, Dave bought cake from the cafe on the way down, so we shall enjoy that when we have completed this marathon.
A good shot of Ella in one of the wide locks waiting for John to join us. It shows the cycle on the bicycle carrier and Toby keeping guard. But something is missing, any ideas?
These moorhens were making the most amazing amount of noise, just in front of the adult is the tiniest of babies I have ever seen!
We moored for the night just opposite Radford Semele, there are a lot of boats moored here, the evening is beautiful, and we went for a lovely walk along the towpath.
7 miles, 23 locks, 6 hours 42 mins cruising
Sunday 12th July - Radford Semele to Nelson’s Wharf
We woke to beautiful blue skies with the most amazing cloud formation. A lovely warm day ahead of us.
We were lucky enough to share the next few double locks with a week old boat, made by Aqualine, it looked very smart.
It was quite busy around these locks, but everyone sorted themselves out eventually!
We moored up for the night just past Willow Wren training centre, a lovely day with some great cruising.
7 miles, 20 locks, 6 hours 6 mins cruising.
