We decided that in spite of Delph Top Lock being closed for emergency repairs, we’d head up the Stourbridge flight and hope it was fixed by the time we got there. A hire boat set off before we had breakfast, so we knew we wouldn’t be first up the locks — but when the boat moored behind us also set off (going to turn in the basin) we got our act together and got moving. It was half an hour along the arm to the junction, and just after 8.30 when we turned into the bottom lock.
It’s a really pretty flight. I’m pretty certain that one old warehouse had scaffolding round it last time we came this way, and is now offices and flats.
There’s plenty of history, with both the Cone and Dadford’s Shed, and a very pretty former pub.
Locks 9 and 10 are telescoped together, Bratch-style, with just a tiny pound in between — but a big side pound beyond the cottage.
We got to the top, marked by a tall chimney, in two and a half hours, which seemed not too bad for 16 locks, all of which had needed turning.
We turned right at Leys junction and were soon at the bottom of the Delph Locks. There was no-one waiting, which we took to be good news. Almost immediately, notification came through that the stoppage was over. Sure enough, there were two boats going up in front of us, and reports of a number coming down (which turned out to be three). The first one turned out to have discovered the problem with the paddle yesterday morning. With so much traffic on the flight — a local told Adrian he’d never seen so many boats — most of the by-washes next to the locks ran only intermittently. When they did, they looked impressive, and the ducks and moorhens seem happy to be swept over them. When they’re not running, the birds have to walk up.
The views from high up the flight are fantastic, with the Stour valley and the hills beyond.
Just below the top lock there’s an old arm, which is where the old locks used to be. There used to be nine, whereas now there are only eight.
The eight locks took an hour and a half. We moored on the embankment overlooking the Merry Hill shopping centre. It looks rather different from six years ago, because there’s new cladding, and some of the shops have changed.
We went for lunch in the M&S cafe, then picked up an item from an Amazon locker. We’ve been having trouble with the tv antenna for a while, and earlier in the trip in stopped working completely. Having seen the neat one on Debdale, we got one delivered to a locker in Worcester — but it had the wrong size connector. Today’s package was an adapter — which works. The new one looks very neat, so we’ll see how it fares where the signal is less strong.
As the engine was still warm, I did an oil change which had just become due. For once, I got the old oil filter off very easily. I checked the oil in the gearbox which I know hasn’t been changed for a while, but it still looked very clear, so as the process is a bit of a nightmare I decided it could last a bit longer.
6 miles, 24 locks. (136 miles, 189 locks)
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