UK Canals - Journey reports

Oxford Canal:Newbold

Technically today there was rain but very light and intermittent drizzle, so in effect we got off lightly.  Our journey went without incident.  I took the chance to clean and refill the coal bunker and bag the ash for disposal.  On arrival at first attempt our mooring was looking at stakes before the ringed section , but at the last minute a boat moved off and we got the rings after all.  As usual, a visit to the pub followed to check for the possibility of a meal tonight and all looks good.

Coventry Canal :Hawkesbury Junction

First thing Martin went ahead to set the first lock. I arrived a few minutes later with the boat up to the bottom gates.  Martin was having some trouble getting a level.  The mantra always is in this situation: check the other end.  Sure enough, a top paddle was up.  Fortunately not much water had been lost from the upper pound.   The remainder of the 5 locks were transited quickly with maximum efficiency , rubbish disposed off T the top lock, and all just in time to meet the lock keeper coming on duty.  Thereafter  a straight foreword run.  Two boats peeled off in front of us at intervals but neither slowing us down. We arrived at the junction at 12:15 and a quick visit to the pub ordered to check about a meal for this evening.  It turns out that last food orders are at 6pm, so we shall have to eat a little earlier than usual.  Forecast not looking great for tomorrow with rain again.  Martin does a walk every day when we have moored up. Todays photos are his from  his walk.

Foot bridgr at Hawkesbury

Coventry Canal:Atherstone Kings Head

A bright cold sunny morning for a change, however by lunchtime it was clouding over with the hint of a shower.  A fairly uneventful day really travel wise.  Martin has done really  well and managed today’s locks perfectly.  We were chasing a Braidbar 139 and coming up behind all the time but without delay except possibly lock 6 due to opposite traffic.  We are moored in the same stretch as before and in good position for the Kings head where we are booked tonight.  With the exception of the Caldon Canal where no food was served at all and the Star at Stone, “no food after 5 pm” the pub stops have been brilliant with high quality at sensible prices.

Coventry Canal:Hopwas

Rain this morning but with the prospect of better later. We made excellent progress and the weather did improve, though much colder.  I was frozen by the time we reached Fradley and  change from rain wear to cold weather wear was indicated.  We reached Hopwas to return to our original mooring as of the outward bound leg.  We chose a different pub this time, the Tame Otter.  The car park was full - a sign of a popular place and the welcome was even for muddy boots and dogs welcome.  We booked for the evening and returned about 6pm.  An excellent meal and better all round than the place we visited last week.

Trent and Mersey Canal:Rugeley

More rain this morning but light and intermittent so not really a huge problem or needing extreme protection.  Martin nipped off first thing to get more milk and by 7:25 we were ready to go.  Not the only ones on the move:an opposite direction appeared as we were leaving the lock.  At Aston Lock it seemed to take ages to never finally fill, so according to the rule, check bottom gates.  Everything was in order at first look but then after more intensive scrutiny it seemed the the bottom gates were leaking very badly at the bottom sides. Nothing could be done about that so it just needed extreme force to crack the top gate.  The rest of the locks as far as Colwich were happily worked with well timed other boats, but Colwich is still waiting ground paddle repair and does of course take longer to fill.  The rash of broken or weak lock beams with the makeshift repairs makes me wonder if this was down to a bad batch of timber or maybe a sign of postponed maintenance.

Plenty of mooring at Rugeley then just as we were about to go out to find a new pub I discovered my wallet missing.  To cut a long story short, a telephone call to the Hotel where we ate last night revealed its location.  A taxi drive, about 1/2 hour each way, recovered it.  It was found by our waitress and kept in the hotel safe all wrapped up with a copy of my drivers licence stuck on the front.  I saw the lass and felt that a reward was in order.

Tonight will be a trip to Wetherspoons.

Trent and Mersey Canal:Stone

A short day today.  Just a couple of hours and 7 locks brought us to a nice mooring at Stone.  The broken ground paddle at the top of the Medford Locks had been fixed so the lock filled smartly.  There was a boat behind which was helpful since the lock exits through a hole in a road bridge and the next lock is invisible, so it expedited things for me to leave Martin in the lock in the care of the other skipper to go and get the next one ready.  Three of the four locks at Stone were passed and a nice mooring above the final lock was vacant so we stopped there.  A visit to the iconic Star Inn at lunchtime revealed that there is no food evenings after 5 on Wednesdays, so Martin revisited his earlier walk round town to find an alternate for this evening.   Photo: Medford Flight

 

 

 

 

 

Photo: Star Inn at Stone

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Caldon Canal:Milton

Having had a couple of days of rain and with bad forecast for today we anxiously awaited morning.  The met office had issued an Amber Weather Warning (oh my Gawd) for our locality promising heavy rain, flooding, property damage, cats and dogs, best stay at home in case you get wet etc.  So taking into consideration that ahead the canal joins the River Churnet which was likely to be in flood and not suitable for navigation (either going or returning) we agreed that we should turn around and not take the chance of getting stuck.  So we are now at Milton.  This leg of the journey was not without its excitement.  The pound below the first lock was low and I ran aground. Martin had already prepared the next lock around the corner and could not see me, so there was a delay.  I got him to fill the lock behind then empty it which did the trick.  Odd because the by-wash was running into this pound.  There must be a big leak somewhere possibly the top gates at the next.  After that we dawdled on through the rest of that flight and the electrically operated lifting bridge to Engine Lock.  At Milton there are some lovely shiny stainless steel rings just after Milton Bridge inviting mooring so we stopped there for tonight.  The nearby pub offers fluid refreshment but no food.  Fortunately there is a decent sized COOP not far away, so we can eat in tonight.  Alternatively we could have ordered a take-away delivered at the pub. 
postscript:  14:11.  So far it hasn’t rainred. I feel let down.

Caldon Canal:Stanley Mods

As expected it was raining. It continued all day on and off. So we were wet and cold.  The fire was lit from the outset and provided welcome breaks sharing the helm. Martin executed the locks on the Stoke Flight expertly and we arrived at the top, Etruria, expecting to get a precautionary pump out.  No such luck.  There was a power cut. Martin took a couple of pictures there. (Unable to post them now)
A bit wet and sorry at this moment we carried on to find 4 boats waiting to come down at the staircase lock. The lock chambers are surprisingly deep and the was quite a delay here.  We needed to press on to find our pub mooring for the night.  Sadly it was not to be.  Firstly there was a very low bridge that I couldn’t get under with the wind generator on the roof.  That had to be dealt with.  Then there were no suitable moorings at both spots earmarked.  So it was about 5pm by the time we were directed to some nice in- line moorings-but no pub.  I had to bring out emergency meal no 2.  Looks like more rain all day tomorrow.  So the plan is to get to the destination rapidly, then return at a steady pace using the local knowledge gained so far.  This is a “difficult” canal  compared with cruising on the mainline but definitely worth a visit.

Trent and Mersey Canal : Barlaston

Great leap today.  We were originally intending to stop at Stone but we had made good time and in view of a bad weather forecast for the next couple of days wanted to get a bit ahead so made for Barlaston.  Medford locks were deserted for the most part and a volunteer lock keeper was a great help for the first two.  The top lock was full and a boat just entering so I arranged for them to leave the gates open for us.  The top lock has issues.  The walkway over the top gate is unserviceable (although I crossed there because there is no notice, just multicoloured tape) and the ground paddle is u/s.  So a slow fill.  Then 10 minutes after leaving the the heavens opened with monsoon type rain.  Still in the heavy rain we were pleased that there was space available for us right outside the Plume of Feathers pub.  I got the fire lit to dry off our wet clothes and we retired to the pub for something to eat.  It is advertised as a gastropub, so being Saturday night, fully booked.  However we could eat in the bar and enjoyed an excellent meal.  It looks like a couple of wet days for us now.

 

Weston lock

Trent and Mersey Canal:Rugeley

More than usual boats moving early today.  The water around Hademoor shallow as usual by the reeds.  Bradley to my surprise was not busy and no queue for the locks, just one boat going up ahead of us.  Wooden floor lock gates are looking very tired and there was some detritus in the lock throat that played with my prop in a solid sound of way and hindered progress.  The journey to Armitage went without trouble until the narrow cutting before the railway bridge when an opposite direction boat passing us was forced to have grazing encounter with a leaning tree. (See pic).  Armitage tunnel was free and we arrived at Rugeley for shopping with plenty of free mooring.

Coventry Canal:Hopwas

Having done well yesterday I thought I should introduce Martin to the next level whereby he is involved more in the lock working with me absent preparing the next lock.  It went brilliantly.  We were alone for this last 6 and most locks empty apart from the bottom two which had just been vacated by a “working boat”.  Things started to get busy after Alvecote and with multiple opposites at the many bridged section before Glascote I managed to pick up a discarded item of clothing on the prop which needed mooring and a weed hatch visit.  It needed the diving knife to clear it.  Expecting Glascote to be busy we actually had a very easy time.   I was pleased to find the heavily receded/narrow overgrown section at Dunstable which I had encountered last year has been cleared (and the towpaths throughout likewise).   There were plenty of moorings at Hopwas and we have investigated the Red Lion in with a view to eating there tonight

Coventry Cansl:Atherstone Kings Head

Wednesday 18th

We had the canal much to ourselves as far as Springfield Haven.  Then things started to get more busy.  There was a short wait at the top lock then it was Martin’s turn to helm the boat through the locks while I had the unusual pleasure of running the tow path.  There were about three volunteer lock keepers in evidence which helped.  Martin did very well.  We moored below the main road bridge but with easy access to the Kings Head.  It was steak night and we both enjoyed a first class rump steak there later that evening.

Coventry Canal:Atherstone - Kings Head

An early start again and not so cold this morning.  Not a lot of other traffic until passing Springfield Haven.  At Atherstone. Top lock we we first in line behind a boat just going down, but there was one moored in the pound below waiting for the next lock, so I wanted to wait until that cleared.  When an intermediate pound gets more than one boat in traffic it means that two lock worth of water have gone into that pound without a corresponding use of the lock below which can mean water wasted over the weir.  Our planned stop was below the big road bridge and the Kings Head pub, our target for eating tonight.  A recce (and a couple of pints) revealed that it is steak night.  

Coventry Canal: Hawkesbury Junction

All going well except difficulty with technology.  The ipad is not able to connect to the internet, so having to use the iPhone.  Not as easy.   Now at Hawkesbury looking forward to eating in the Greyhound this evening.  The phone is always the right way up so why is this picture upside down and why can I not change it?     Good photos by Martin Chester.