June 2011

June 1st.I arrived at Heathrow, took the tube to Euston and the train to Litchfield. Tesco’s was five minutes up the road from the station which was handy. Did a big shop and got a taxi to the Marina. The day was spent unpacking and getting Carpe canal ready. I was disappointed to find that the servicing mechanic had not installed an automatic bilge pump as instructed and moreover had disconnect both the mains shore line electricity meaning that my frost guards were not coming on and my battery trickle charger was not working & all the 12v breakers, meaning that the bilge pump would not have been powered anyway! Joined fellow boaters from my pontoon for a BBQ and got to bed at about 9.30. A long day.

June 2nd. Much of the day was taken up by the technicians putting things to rights. When I went to take a shower in the morning I also found that the shower emptying pump was not working, this had been erroneously disconnected!

June 3rd. On my way at last. Glorious summers day, wonderful feeling of freedom  and gorgeous green undulating countryside. Moored up for the night at Shrugborough which Grant and Al will remember from last year, having stopped off at Woolsey Bridge garden centre for more salad plants.

June 4th. On to Penkridge to-day. Stopped at nearest point to Stafford and took bus to town for a new 3G dongle and the FT, made Penkridge in the afternoon.

June 6th. After a non cruising day in Penkridge set off early this morning and made Coven by lunchtime having stopped for tea at Gailey. 8 miles & 7 locks,all manned solo as most other boaters were still a-bed and now that the school half term week is over the traffic has diminished.

June 7th. Another early start to facilitate getting through the narrow cut before any other traffic. This portion can only accommodate one boat at a time . There are a few passing places but if you have to reverse it can get tricky. The cut passes through red sandstone of the same sort that was used to build Coven church.

Another interesting feature of the

locks on this stretch was the

circular weirs.

June 8th. Took the bike into the outskirts of Wolverhampton today to visit my old school. I attended between 1951 & 1959, starting in the Junior school. I was given a tour by Lisa Li, a prefect in the lower 6th who has only been in UK and at the school since last

September, from mainland China. She was charming, sounded as if she land lived in UK all her life and was a top math student hoping to go on to Cambridge and read History.

June 10th. Peter caught up with me yesterday. He has a friend from Aussie on board. Yesterday I got as far as Greensforge and today to Whittington. It is a very pretty canal with some lovely mooring spots.

The highlight of yesterday was the Bratch Lock staircase. The three locks lift or lower the boats 30 feet. Today I stopped off at the delightful village of Kinver which boast two butchers, two artisan bakers, a Co-op and a Spar.

13th June. Since the last entry I have come to the start of the Staffordshire and Worcestershire canal at Stourport-on-Severn, navigated the River Severn to Worcester and turned into the Worcester and Birmingham canal. I am moored up at the Viking Afloat boatyard in Worcester. Had to give up and pull in next to a pub on the river on Sunday as I was soaked to the skin and cold. Worcester is not a place where I would moor up alone on the canal tow path. It is grotty and I have passed some really dodgy looking people. It is the boat yard or staying out on the river near the race course. Tomorrow Anne & Stewart Litchfield join me and we will probably stay here for the night as the cathedral looks as though it is worth a visit.

14th June. Anne and Stewart arrived and unpacked and while Stewart was re-positioning their car ready for the end of the trip Anne and I explored Worcester. After lunch we took Peter and Stewart out to look at the town with us and visited the rather magnificent cathedral.

15th June. We headed off early leaving Peter at the marina where he will be joined by another friend in a couple of days time. We had good progress and stopped at Hanbury to look at the Hall and its gardens.

After visiting the Hall we put another 7 locks under our belts to position ourselves well for tomorrow which will be a long day.

16th June. Up early and into the locks straight away. We were to do 35 locks and two tunnels today. Most of the locks were of the Tardebigge Flight which is the longest flight on the waterways. It was not as impressive as the Caen Flight of last year as it did not run in a straight line so you did not get the great vistas down the flight. When we got to the first lock the pound above it was completely empty so we had to bring water down from further up the flight before we could go on.

17th June. Moored up in Alevchurch for the day and did a long country walk through the fields by way of little used public footpaths where we saw a deer.

18th June. Alvechurch to Hockley Heath today by way of two tunnels one of which was over 2kl long. We turned into the Stratford-on-Avon canal at King’s Norton and immediately passed through the guillotine lock which is no longer used but which is where the canal company would have collected tolls from boats as they came through.

19th June. Today we went through the lovely Lapworth Flight with unusual side pounds and barrel roofed lock cottages. It was my birthday and Anne & Stewart spoild

me, I had phone calls and messages from family and friends and my dear daughter drove all the way up from Wells in Somerset to have lunch with me. A lovely day.

In the middle of the flight of locks is the Kingswood Junction with the Grand Union canal which we will return to in a couple of days as we head to Warwick.

20th June. From Dick’s Lane at the top of the Lapworth Flight to Wootton Wawen with its delightful church parts of which date back to the 10th century. Thw village also boasted a general store and a complex of boutique shops set around a farm yard. The farm shop itself had a wonderful stock of deli type foods which were very tempting!

21st June. Killing time today as Anne has to see the Doctor locally tomorrow. There is an interesting viaduct south of Wootton, the longest in England, which we decided to cruise over and then turn below and return to Wootton. The viaduct is the longest in England and has the tow path at the same level as the bottom of the tank making it feel as if you are very high up on the steering deck. There was a very strong cross wind and it was difficult to get the boat off the side. Back at moorings in Wootton we had a family of swans looking for scraps.

22nd June. Retraced our steps back up to Kingswood Junction and moored up just a few hundred meters into the Grand Union.

23rd June. Last day of cruising for Anne & Stewart took us through the Shrewley Tunnel, which was very wet,     and on to the Hatton Flight of 21 locks.

  

                                                                                                                   

The Hatton Flight is spectacular. The Locks are all doubles this being a broard canal. They are quite new, relative to the 200 odd year old canal system! as a result the gates are well balanced and the winding gear is easy to use. The area around the locks is landscaped and the views up and down the flight are good.

We moored up in the Saltiford arm and after lunch Stewart went off to collect their car. Tomorrow we will drive to Stratford-on-Avon for the day, Saturday we will explore Warwick and Sunday Royal Leamington Spa. On Monday Anne and Stewart leave and I will

head on down the canal towards Oxford.

24th June. Stewart’s birthday. No cruising today. We took the car to Stratford-on-Avon and explored the town having coffee and pastries at a pavement cafe opposite Shakespear’s birthplace. In the late afternoon we had a look at the exterior of the castle in Warwick. Both towns have wonderful Tudor houses on every street and at every corner. They are both quite beautiful and speak of a history of wealth and influence. Warwick Castle having been the seat of the Earl of Leicester,  Robert Dudley, who along with his brother Ambrose, enjoyed the sponsership and friendship of Queen Elizabeth the first.

The narrowboat basin at the junction of the Stratford canal and the River Avon is delightful, central and was not full. mooring is allowed for 48 hours and is on attractive pontoons in a garden environment.

We also took a drive out to a little village called Broardway where there were more examples of Tudor architecture. It was very touristy though  and by the end of the day Anne pronounced herself as being “Tudored out”. On route we passed through Chipping Camdem where all that remains of the grand house is a pair of delightful banqueting houses.

25th June. In the morning we went to Royal Leamington Spa which is very different architecturally. The baths were developed in the Victorian era and like Bath the town features grand Regency Terraces but on a smaller scale. The gardens beside the River Leam are formal and colourful. A good farmer’s market on the green offered really good pies and preserves.

                                    Warwick

We went back to Warwick and the boat for lunch before taking a drive round the country lanes and through Coltswald villages. The hills make the countryside interesting and the ordiliness of the fields are an indication of the wealth still residing in the farms and estates.

26th June. Today we visited Kenilworth Castle a British Heritage site which is beautifully presented. My (consessionary ie: pensioners) £7.20 entry fee included an audio comentary device that explained the history of this site that commenced development in Norman times under the de Clintons, was occupied by Robert Dudley, favourite to Queen Elizabeth the first and was finally made uninhabitable by the Roundheards in the civil war. The recreation of the Elizabethan garden using old fashioned roses, carnations and pinks that actually have a strong perfume, so essential in those days before regular showers and deoderants not to mention good sewerage, are all there.

 

 

 

27th June. Anne and Stewart got off early on their journey to Scotland and I did the 6 miles and 3 locks necessary to get me clear of Warwick and Leaminton Spa and into the open countryside where I caught up with Peter again. After cleaning the boat I settled down to catch up on computer work and downloading photos but I did not have a signal so couldn’t get on-line. On the 29th I moved on to Long Itchington with Peter and on the 30th moved up two locks and at last found myself in signal range and hunkered down to really catch up with work. One of the nice suprises was communication from Lisa Li, my guide on my tour of my old school.