Heading north: Day 6

The mooring at Grendon was excellent, with the hill between us and the railway line really cutting out the noise of the trains.  This morning, there was a lot of birdsong, including a weird robotic type noise, which is that of the lapwing.  Once I knew, I could then see them in the field next to the towpath.  The Merlin birdsong app also picked up dunnock, robin, wood pigeon and collard dove.

We set off about 8.45, under cloudy skies and with a stiff breeze.  The sun soon burned off the clouds, but it didn’t get warm until this afternoon.  We crept through Polesworth and past the mining heritage centre with the big wheel outside.

There’s then a brief glimpse of the Golden Tower of Leaves poking out above the trees, from its position on top of a spoil heap.  In 2022 we walked up the hill to it, so there are better pictures on that blog.

The back gardens of Amington were enjoyed, and then we reached the Glascote Locks.  A boat was coming into the top lock from below, with a very chatty couple on board.  They moved to a life afloat in 2001 planning to do it for two years; they’re still liveaboards 24 years later!  Their boat had crossed with one in the middle pound, so the bottom lock needed filling before we could go down.

As we dropped, a boat arrived at the bottom, so we could leave the gates for them.  We carried on to Fazeley Junction, where the Coventry Canal meets the Birmingham and Fazeley.

We tied up and went to the little Tesco to stock up on hot cross buns, then we decided we might as well have lunch while we were stationary.  We wanted to get out into the countryside for the night, so we set off again at 12.30.  This is a very pretty section of canal, and was even better in the sunshine.  Past Hopwas is Hopwas woods, which look lovely — but actually contain a firing range, with warning signs.  No red flags today though, so no shooting.

This part of the Coventry Canal was built by the Birmingham and Fazely Canal company, who got fed up with the slow progress that was being made.  It changes back at Whittington and there’s a marker by the canal.  But you can also tell who built which bit, because the B&F used names for their bridges, while the Coventry used numbers.  At Whittington you get the last named bridge and the first of the numbered ones.  It’s number 78, picking up from the bridge at Fazeley Junction which was 77, as if all the ones in between hadn’t happened.

We pulled in after a couple of hours before Bridge 82 and Huddlesford Junction, in a nice sunny spot.  We have the trains for company, but that’s true all along here.

14 miles, 2 locks.  (77 miles, 37 locks)