UK Canals - Journey reports

CUTWEB Rally and home

One could wonder why the silence for a few days.  Well the Rally was great fun with great company,  really good entertainment and busy.   Pat wanted to return home ASAP to rescue youngest daughter, so we left the Rally early on Sunday morning (18th) and did one of those high speed runs Napton to Harefield in 3 1/2 days, leaving us exhausted, and then on return home found a mountain of mail (well 18 inches worth) requiring attention.

I have also spent some 3 days trying to get the Vodafone 3G/GPRS card to work reliably in the laptop, but to no avail.   It seems to be a driver problem (its 4 years old now).    When time permits I will try and produce a better account with pictures.

PS October 10th !!     Pictures taken at the Rally are now on the Photo-Album pages.

Hillmorton

Here we are sitting in bright early morning sunshine albeit with a chill wind, at the top of the three doubled Hillmorton Locks.   Our gentle progress over the last few days had a number of highlights - unexpectedly warm and sunny weather - the close convenience and attractiveness of shopping in Rugeley (Bridge 66) - our "treat night" eating at the Plum Pudding Bistro http://www.plumpudding.co.uk/ including good adjacent moorings - a smooth progression up Atherstone Locks and a night at Hawkesbury Junction marked by a spectacularly good meal in the restaurant at The "Greyhound" (one should book a table here) which for ambience, service, quality and price has to be the winner of all the establishments we have patronised on our trips this year.

Yesterday we joined a file of boats wending their way to Rugby, and for us TESCO, our last opportunity to stock up before the Cutweb http://www.cutweb.org.uk/rally2005.html Rally.  Not wanting to stop there for the night because of congestion near the bridge (as well as road noise and poor TV reception) we moved on intending to stop below the locks.   However, we missed our chance of a free mooring space and found ourselves at the top.

Wolseley

We are now aiming for the CIBC (Cutweb Internet Boating Club) GIG at Napton.  We need to be there on Friday, so have to slow down.  Leaving Barlaston we thought that a stop at Great Haywood and perhaps a visit to Shugborough Hall would be fun.  Then on Monday an overnight at The Plum Pudding Bistro on the edge of Rugeley which we so enjoyed earlier this year.   However, Great Haywood was actually chock-a-block with boats, so much so that the lock landing was partially obstructed and boats waiting for the lock were partially obstructing the channel.  So we continued on to Wolseley where we found a nice quiet mooring, access to the Wolseley Arms (good for food) and a Shell Garage just up the road for Post Office, Newspapers and convenience food.   So tomorrow, a very slow 2 hour ride to Plum Pudding then with perhaps some shopping in Rugeley itself.

Barleston again

Last night, Red Bull, tonight Barleston.

It rained heavily overnight and appeared to be improving this morning.   Left at 7:30 to get the first passage through Harecastle Tunnel.  No luck!.    We were fourth to arrive, but told to breast up with the first boat by the tunnel keeper.   Thus we were first through, but not until after waiting for 75 minutes for the opposite direction traffic which included a cygnet which one boater had shepherded through the tunnel in front of his boat, afraid to squash it.    After pump-out and water at Etruria we rejoined the queue for the Stoke Locks and the rain set in.   By Barleston and after many locking delays we had had enough and settled down for the night.   

Higher Poynton

Today Nuggler returned to her birthplace at Braidbar Boats.    Leaving Bugsworth, on arrival at the swing bridge we had had trouble with on the way, we found a boat on the otherside in a situation similar to our own two days before, namely with the bridge jammed half open.  So, without more ado, as we had planned, Pat jumped off the front, attached a lengthened bow rope to the turning bar on the bridge and I put the boat in reverse.  The bridge swung open easily all in a trice.   Lunch at Marple and then on to see our friends Iain and Luisa, owners of Braidbar Boats at Higher Poynton (aka Lord Vernon's Wharf).  We had a show round their latest build - very impressive.

Bugsworth

As our journey takes us along the Lower Peak Forest Canal then via Macclesfield to the Trent & Mersey, on reaching the top of the attractive Marple flight we decided to make a small detour to visit Tesco at Whaley Bridge and Bugsworth Basin, newly re-opened after extensive restoration works.   Having passed only two boats since Portland Basin, from Marple it was a different story.  There is a new swing bridge which we hadn't expected and an old one which was so difficult to swing that it took three people - thanks to a passer by.   I couldn't expect Pat to close it on her own, so I dropped a loop over the handrail as I went by and got the boat to close it.  (Not looking forward to the return!).  Tesco came up to expectations, but Bugsworth far exceeded.  If you are interested in industrial and canal history, this place is a treasure, tastefully restored, with all the old basins now available for mooring.    There are plenty of interpretation boards and information is available from volunteers of the Inland Waterways Protection Society which has led the restoration.   The most interesting of the old photographs we found in the pub!  The Navigation Inn,  which is situated above the Upper Basin, has a collection of pictures and memorabilia which is fascinating.  It is also an excellent pub with a superb kitchen, so definitely worth a visit.    We liked Bugsworth so much we stayed two days.   The most popular mooring places appeared to be in the lower basin, the first you come across, but take the arm to the right and you come across fingers of old wharves which can be quite secluded as the picture below shows.

Ashton Canal

I'm afraid we have jumped location to Portland Basin (though we are not really in the basin) at the end of the Ashton Canal.   I wanted to write something about the National Festival, but with a full boat (4 of us) it is not easy to get the time and space.   Manchester in Castlefield was fine for overnight, even on a Saturday night.  But climbing the Rochdale '9' starting at 6 in the morning was an experience.  My recollection will be the screaming of rusty paddle gear and the lack of maintenance to the gears which makes the old chestnut about the Kennet & Avon being "difficult" seem stupid.   Some of the night clubs were still going strong which didn't give us a good feeling either.   Then the Ashton.   Well we were doing fine until we found ourselves behind a boater who seemed to manage to get his 70 footer aground on both sides of the canal at the same time - a trick most of us have performed at one time or another I'm sure.  Then it seemed he couldn't get into Lock 13 because of rubbish - a motor bike, mattress, vacuum cleaner, section of builders fencing etc.   This delayed our passage for 1 hour and 40 minutes and dropped water levels above leading to us getting stuck on a large underwater obstruction at swingbridge 14 - another 40 minutes.   Then we were into "Orc" time, the fine weather had brought them all out, looking for opportunities but fortunately we had no incidents to worry about.   Portland Basin appears to me today to be full of boats which have all the appearances of permanent moorers, so we have found a spot just up the Peak Forest before the railway bridge.   Hoping for a good trip up the Lower Peak Forest tomorrow.