North again: Day 17

We had a relaxed start to the day, as we’d decided we’d get the bus to Lichfield to have a look round.  We walked into Alrewas to get the 0948, and the route goes through Fradley village before joining the A38 past Streethay Wharf, and then into Lichfield.  We’ve only previously seen the three spires of Lichfield Cathedral in the distance from the canal, like on this occasion in 2013, so we walked through town for a closer look.  The building has a very elaborate front.

Inside was a bit chaotic because there were school activities going on, but we managed to have a quick walk round.  We were offered a tour of the main tower, but at £18 each and lasting an hour and a half, we declined.

The area all round the cathedral is lovely, and the town centre was also much bigger than we were expecting.  We went for tea and coffee in a cafe owned by the auctioneer, Richard Winterton, who’s often on Bargain Hunt.  They often do valuation days there, as the auction centre is a bit out of town.  We then had another walk around before making our way back to the bus station, and getting the slightly delayed 1210.

Back in Alrewas we got some little quiches for tonight’s dinner from the butcher, and went back to the boat.  We had lunch, then decided to set off on a short journey to Fradley Junction.  When we got to the first lock we were surprised to find someone going up ahead; they must have come off the moorings, because they hadn’t come past us while we were on the boat.  We then followed them up each of the locks, and had a boat behind us too.  There was one short, light shower — but then the rain started quite heavily.  The only photo I took was going into Keeper’s Lock, the final one of the day.

The boat ahead had moored up on the end of the moorings and there wasn’t room for us too, but there were a couple of gaps up ahead, one of which I was confident we’d fit into.  We did, but the rings are poorly spaced for us (aren’t they always, no matter what length boat you have?), but we eventually got tied up, with at least an inch between us and the boat in front.

Since we moored up, the rain has stopped and I have made a crumble with the rhubarb we bought from by the lock yesterday.

Then the fuel boat, Bargus, came down the lock and the boat ahead of us stopped her for some coal.  Then more customers emerged from the permanent moorings opposite.

2 miles, 4 locks.  (110 miles, 72 locks)

Big Trip - Day 26

Tixall Wide really is a lovely mooring, and we can also highly recommend the chicken and mushroom pie from the farm shop.

This morning it was dull and grey but perfectly still and we slipped away from our mooring just after 8am.  I got off just before Great Haywood junction to check whether anything was coming, and Adrian made the turn back onto the Trent & Mersey.  The section from here to Fradley Junction is one of the few bits that we're repeating; we did it in the opposite direction on Day 6.

I walked down to the lock, where a boat was just going down.  We saw it again at Colwich lock.  The lock cottage has lots of old canal and railways signs decorating the walls.

We stopped at Rugeley and Adrian went shopping while I got a wash load going, and rang my mother on her 80th birthday.  Setting off again, we negotiated the narrows at Armitage without incident.

The stretch beyond Handsacre got increasingly surreal.  First we passed a boat with a cockatiel sitting on the semi-trad stern.  A bit further on, two people sitting near a moored boat got up rather suspiciously, then got out a phone as asked me to smile!  It was only when I saw the name of the boat that I realised it was John and Louise from Blue Moon.  It was good to meet them, if only briefly as we drifted past.  Next I could see that we were being followed by an unusual boat.  When we joined the queue of two boats already at Woodend Lock, the little plastic craft passed us, hoping there was a short boat up ahead that he could fit in the lock with.  There wasn't so the chap joined the end of the queue, and turned out to be wearing a kilt.  He apparently built the boat himself, and has been travelling the network for twelve years.  He sleeps on board - and has a Gold licence!

From the lock landing at Woodend, you get a single, far-away view of the spires of Lichfield Cathedral.

It took quite a while to get down the lock, and a similar process was repeated at Shadehouse lock, the top of those at Fradley.  At least there started to be a few boats coming up.  Eventually we were down Middle Lock and heading for the junction.  This time we'd be going straight on, continuing on the T&M.   The lock was in our favour, and apart from having to wait for two boats to turn out of the Coventry Canal, I could go past The Swan and straight in.

We're now on waters we haven't done for a while -- 2006 in a hire boat was the last time we did this section, when we did an extended version of the Leicester Ring.  This being Fradley on a Saturday, we weren't hopeful of getting a mooring, but in fact there was plenty of room below Junction lock.

Having moored, we walked over to the cafe the other side of the canal for tea and cake, and we're joined by a very brave little bird, which I think may be a chaffinch.

We walked back via the next lock down, then around Fradley Pool.  I hadn't realised until today that it was built by the Trent and Mersey canal company when the Coventy Canal junction was established.  Water flows down a channel from above Middle Lock into the pool, then re-enters the canal further down.  It meant they were sure they weren't losing water to the Coventry.

It's been a fantastically sunny afternoon, and Fradley is swarming with people.  The moorings here are next to the road to the pub, so not the quietest (especially with all the motorbikes and trikes going by), but you can't blame people for wanting to visit here; there's something a bit special about the place.

13 miles, 6 locks.  (321 miles, 184 locks).

June Cruise - Day Thirteen

Wigginshill Bridge proved to be a very good mooring - neither of us heard the road at all.  The boat moored in front of us left before we were up; we set off at 8.15, which wasn't exactly late.  There had been rain in the night, and the forecast was for showers.  The sky certainly looked threatening as we reached Curdworth TopLock, which was relocated when the M6 Toll was built.  We got wet a couple of times during the morning.

We like the Curdworth flight.  It's pretty and very well kept, with number markers set in flower beds; only the sound of the M42, which runs alongside, spoils things a bit.

Once the locks were out of the way, we carried on to Fazeley Junction, where we saw more boats in a few minutes than we'd seen for days.  As we approached the junction, two boats crossed in front of us; another did the same as we poked our bow through the junction bridge, and once we were on the waterpoint opposite, boats came from all three directions.

There's a new building site right at the junction, which wasn't there when we came this way on Debdale in November.  We can't remember what was there before; we just hope that whoever moves in doesn't complain about all the boats!  While Adrian filled the water tank, I went to the nearby little Tesco to top up supplies.

As there's still a danger that we'll arrive back at Brinklow early, we decided on a small diversion.  Instead of turning right towards home, we went left, planning a night at Fradley.  We stopped for lunch at Hopwas, pulling in just in front of Piston Broke, although there didn't appear to be anyone at home.  The next section always seems to take much longer than it should.  There were lots of boats coming the other way.  Unusually, we didn't meet them at bridge holes, but many of them were at narrow places with people moored up, or on sharp bends.  I felt like suggesting to one helmsman that they stand up to steer, in order to see over the roof.  Another might have been able to see better without the pram cover.

At Streethay Wharf, the canal was temporarily blocked while they slipped a boat.  This involves moving a pontoon out of the way, so that it drifts across the canal.  The wind was strong just here, so we ended up being blown into the side of an open flat moored on the towpath.

With so many boats coming the other way, we hoped there would be space at Fradley.  There wasn't, however.  Adrian checked below the lock as well (we would have reversed down the lock if necessary), but that was full too.  So we decided to wind in the junction, and head back.  Fortunately, with quite a few people sitting outside The Swan, the turn went very well, in spite of the wind.  Unusually, Adrian had the camera.

We decided to stop just off the end of the official visitor moorings.  We're using mooring pins and there's plenty of vegetation up against the windows, but it's fine.  The side hatch is on the water side, and Adrian has had great fun feeding a clutch of large-ish ducklings which came visiting.

18 miles, 11 locks.  (174 miles, 195 locks)