Autumn Cruise: Day 18

We have done some pretty short days during this trip — but today was a much longer one.  After breakfast we got a wash load going and filled the water tank as the tap was close by our mooring.  We were ready to leave by 8.30 and I went to set York Road Lock, to find a boat just coming in to go down.  The next couple of locks needed turning.  Falling Sands Lock is in a very pretty location.

On the way into Kidderminster, we went under the steam railway viaduct just a couple of minutes too soon, as a train went over after we were through.

We stopped outside Tesco in Kidderminster for a shopping trip, then continued to the lock.  A boat was coming down, with another waiting, so there were plenty of people about to help with gates and paddles.  The approach is under a road bridge with the murals now defaced by graffiti, but once you’re up you have the classic view of the church.

At Wolverley, I couldn’t remember having such a clear view of the church up the hill before.  Maybe some trees have been taken down.

After the lock there’s been a landslip, where half the road above has collapsed down the bank.

This is one of my favourite canals, and I really like the sections where there’s sheer rock on one side of the canal.  The builders must have really struggled to get through some parts.  At Debdale Lock, Adrian investigated the cave next to the lock.  I can’t believe the theory that horses were kept in it; how would they have got across the lock?

We passed through the 65 yard tunnel at Cookley, and shortly afterwards crossed from Worcestershire into Staffordshire.  Apart from a couple of hours in Gloucestershire on Saturday, we’ve been in Worcs for a week.Between Kinver Lock and Hyde Lock there was a brief but heavy shower.  Hyde Lock is very pretty, and the lock cottage has one of the most photographed sets of garden gates in the canal world.

Dunsley Tunnel is hewn out of the rock, but just 25 yards long.  It still has all the signs about extinguishing naked flames etc.  The following lock, at Stewpony, has one of the Staffs and Worcs trademark spill weirs.

At Stourton Junction we carried straight on.  Last time we came this way we turned right up the locks of the Stourbridge Canal, so we actually haven’t done the section of the Staffs and Worcester between Stourton Junction and Autherley Junction with this boat, only in a hire boat and on Debdale.

We carried on to just above Greensforge Lock, mooring up at gone 5pm.  I can’t even remember the last time we stopped so late!


15 miles, 14 locks.  (186 miles, 177 locks)