Back to Birmingham

We left Stratford Basin early on Monday morning to start our return journey up the Stratford canal before it became busy.  On Tuesday we had a considerably later start from Edstone Aqueduct and only travelled a short distance before spotting a mooring at Wootten Wawen.  

The iron trough aqueduct leading into Wootten Wawen basin with a free mooring on the left. 

Shortly after tying up we spotted a familiar boat reversing back to the waterpoint; 'The Answer' owned by Gar and Beryl who we'd met a month ago in Stratford.  Luckily another mooring became available and they were able to stop for a night.  We enjoyed the evening sat out chatting while farmers with combine harvesters worked late to bring in their crop of barley.  

St Peters church at Wootten Wawen has a Saxon sanctuary which has survived in tact surrounded by later additions to the building.  An interesting display details the church and village's collective history with artists impressions of the changing landscape and buildings.  

Evidence of changes to St Peter's church.  This old door has it's own porch on the outside but has been replaced by a larger entrance on the opposite side of the church.  

We continued our journey on Thursday and stopped at Lowsonford.  Friday's forecast of heavy rain was not wrong so like most boaters we stayed put. 

On Saturday we were up bright and early and set off at 6 am.  On the way we passed the quirky shed which always makes me smile. 

Quirky shed at the side of the canal.

At 7.50 am  we turned into the narrow entrance to Kingswood Junction which took us onto the Grand Union canal. 

The narrow entrance to Kingswood Junction

As we turned onto the Grand Union we saw 'The Answer' so we pulled over and stopped for the weekend.   We enjoyed an excellent Sunday lunch with Gar and Beryl in the Navigation Inn and sat out in the evenings for some more chin-wagging.  

On Monday morning we parted company and repeated our route from early July by heading north up to Knowle.   The next day we sailed through the outskirts of Solihull and on towards Birmingham.  The canal is shallow and we had to make frequent stops to clear rubbish from the propeller.  We wanted a safe mooring to break our journey and luckily the wharf behind Camp Hill Lock sanitary station was available.  

The next day we descended Camp Hill Locks where the canal has forced roads to curve round it's bends and rail-lines to cross over on bridges.  At Bordesley Junction we turned onto a link canal which clearly travelled through a very unpleasant area.  Most of the lock gates had been subjected to failed arson attacks and along with the normal rubbish around our propeller we retrieved a length off cable casing which had been stripped of it's wires.   Gradually the canal improved as we approached the Nechells area and Salford Junction where we turned right under the M6 onto the Birmingham and Fazeley Canal.

Looking back at Salford Junction on the left with the M6 looming over the canal

We then passed under a large building which straddles the canal, further evidence of the compromises made by development to preserve the waterway.

Looking back as we sail under a building over the canal

 We continued for another 4 miles which took us into open countryside at Minworth where we moored up. 

Our journey from Stratford-upon-Avon to Minworth