Repatriation: Day 2

We travelled the Shropshire Union lots when Debdale was based at Norbury Junction, but this is the third time we’ve done it on this boat — always in this direction.  In both 2013 and 2017 we did exactly this day’s journey, from Coxbank to Gnosall.  In 2017 it was a misty start, but today we had sunshine from the word go.  We left at 8 and did the top two Audlem locks.

Above the locks we crossed into Shropshire, (only for a few miles, before Staffordshire cropped up) with a scene that could hardly be more English.

At Adderly Locks, what usually happens is that we have to turn every lock then at least two boats arrive to come down as we get to the top.  Today we had to turn every lock, and we passed three boats heading towards the locks within half a mile of leaving the top lock.  It’s another pretty flight, and all five took us just under 45 minutes.

We went through Market Drayton.  Below Tyrley Locks, a tree trunk that just used to have a face on it, has had lots of additions.

We had better luck at Tyrley Locks, where all five were in our favour, thanks to boats coming down.  The cottages at the top lock had an interesting plaque.

The house at the top lock is for sale for £385,000.  The garden looks huge, and there’s a mooring.

Woodseaves was our first cutting of the day.  You are asked to go slowly through here because of the instability of the banks.  Sure enough, shortly after the high bridge there has been a rock fall onto the towpath, with lots more big rocks looking rather precarious higher up.

Having crawled through the cutting, we came across a fishing match.  It lasted two miles, so progress was slow — although there are also long lines of moored boats on the offside, so it would always be fairly slow. The former Cadbury loading dock at Knighton used to have quite a nice selection of old boats under its canopy; now there’s a wet dock there.

An unusual boat passed us at High Offley, then we were into Grub Street Cutting, where we took the obligatory photo of the double arched bridge with the telegraph pole.

As we passed the line moored boats before Norbury Junction, one of the permanent moorers said we were the slowest of the many boats that had been past during the day.  We took that a a compliment!  Norbury Junction was its usual cheerful self, although most of the hire boats were still in.

We carried on to Gnosall, arriving at 5pm.  One of the houses opposite has a rather interesting display on its mooring.

19 miles, 12 locks.  (26 miles, 27 locks)