Arts Festival

The Trent  and Mersey took us through the small town of Stone where we stopped overnight before continuing through open countryside.  As the Bank Holiday weekend approached the boat traffic increased and as we moored up in a quiet spot a familiar boat came towards us,  Victoria Plum, whose home mooring is Viking Marina.  Don pulled over and we had a good natter before a heavy shower had us running for cover and Don continued towards Stone.  

Cows paddling  on a rural stretch of the Trent and Mersey

It's a shame the weather has turned cold and wet this month and we've been glad of the gas central heating.  We were pleased to see a trader selling coal at the side of the canal but surely we shouldn't need it in August.   But the cold weather did us a favour.  While looking for warm clothes in our under-bed storage I spotted a damp patch and further investigation revealed the small water filter was leaking.  Luckily nothing had been damaged and Kev easily fixed the leak.  

The next small town was Rugeley which has a new large Tesco store next to the canal, ideal for stocking up.   The once busy Morrisons in the town centre was obviously feeling the impact of the competition; when we called in their 'reduced to clear' shelves were full and even included cans of beer!

Fradley Junction connects the Trent and Mersey to the Coventry Canal and several locks resulted in a queue of boats.  Once through we moored up next to Fradley Reservoir and nature reserve.  The path round the reserve makes an interesting walk revealing numerous bird and bat boxes, a hide with a thatched roof and some wood carvings.   I took the new camera but didn't need the zoom for the huge wooden dragonfly at the entrance. 

Wooden dragonfly in Fradley nature reserve

 By chance I walked Bess and Brinny up to the next village  along the canal, Alrewas, and discovered it was their biennial arts festival week.  The next day I went for a look round and followed the arts trail around the village.  The route was marked with colourful bunting and fabric pictures and quilts hung from gates, fences, trees and even canal bridges.  I enjoyed a spinning demonstration and looking round the art, textile and photographic exhibitions held in various halls along the route.  

Detail from a wall hanging in Alrewas arts festival

   

Nursery rhyme characters make a jolly display 

Our journey from Wedgwood to Alrewas

    

The Potteries

At Barbridge Junction we turned off the Shropshire Union and onto the Middlewich Canal.  There are just 4 locks on this short canal but as it's part of the popular Cheshire Ring some queues developed.  Coming out of Minshull Lock we passed 8 boats waiting to go through in the opposite direction.  

Poor little Bess picked up a chest infection and was very down.  A visit to the vets in Middlewich resulted in a course of antibiotics, an anti-inflammatory and a whopping £80 bill. Happily Bess quickly responded to the treatments.  

At Middlewich we turned south on to the Trent and Mersey Canal and headed out of town past the huge piles of salt at the saltworks.  Our luck at avoiding delays ran out as we started to climb the Cheshire Locks also appropriately known as Heartbreak Hill.  At the third lock we were stopped by a boater in front who advised there was a shortage of water ahead.   We could see our pound was down and after walking up to investigate further I was told the water shortage stretched over 6 miles.   Canal and River Trust staff came out but seemed to be at a loss about the cause of the problem or how to resolve it.  They eventually decided to stop boat movement for a few hours which allowed the water level to improve sufficiently for us to proceed.  

Waiting for the water levels to recover.  This section of the canal has two locks side by side to reduce delays!

 When boats started moving the water levels rapidly diminished and we came to a halt as we grounded on a shallow bend.  Luckily we could get ashore and I walked ahead to let some water down from the next lock while Kev manually towed Brent III into deeper water with a rope.   We were pleased to see the water levels were normal at Rode Heath and moored up with two other couples who'd been travelling with us.  We all sat out and enjoyed a drink or two as we discussed the failings of CRT.  We have since seen from the stoppage notices that a leak was identified on one of the locks and there have been attempts to repair it.  

The next day, despite a bad forecast, we decided to move on and up to the top of the locks to avoid being caught out by any further water shortages.  Shortly after the last lock we joined the queue for Harecastle Tunnel.  This tunnel is 2926 yards long and isn't wide enough for two-way traffic.  Convoys of 8 boats are allowed into the tunnel from one direction at a time and we were lucky to be the last boat in the next group travelling south.   We were warned the headroom varies and in places it is very low but our journey through the tunnel was slightly quicker than the estimated 45 minutes.  

The entrance to Harecastle Tunnel.  The canal is orange due to iron deposits leaching into the water.   

Inside the tunnel the yellow paint indicates the lower level of the tunnel roof ahead. 

South of Harecastle Tunnel the countryside gives way to the Potteries.  Distinctive kilns line the bank, some factories are sadly derelict whist others are still operational and now have their own small museums and visitor centres.  

The kiln outside Middleport pottery.

 We decided to visit the Wedgwood factory which relocated from Burslem to Barlaston in 1940.  The interesting factory tour took us through the processes of bone china production and it's elaborate decoration and the intricate work on Jasper ware.   The Wedgwood Museum held a vast collection of pottery was well as information about Josiah Wedgwood and his experimental work on pottery techniques.  

Surprisingly work is underway to build a new factory which will accommodate new technology and improve the facilities for visitors.  Also included in the plans is an 80 berth marina so there'll be some changes the next time we come this way.  

Our journey from Calveley to Wedgwood 

A Holiday on Land

From the rural moorings at Coole Pilates we sailed into the busy little town of Nantwich.  We arrived on market day but a bigger event was due to start the next day; the Nantwich and South Cheshire show.   The showground was adjacent to the canal and as we sailed off in the morning people were streaming over the canal bridges and cars were queuing to park in the fields.  

After Nantwich the canal widens into a broad canal and the landscape changes, the steep cuttings and embankments give way to fields and round lock huts stand next to some of  the wide locks.  

Now disused, a round lock hut which had a single room and a curved door.  The planks in front of the building are stop boards which fit across the lock entrance to stop the flow of water in an emergency or for maintenance.   

We retraced our route from 2012 back to Tattenhall Marina where we left Brent III to take some shore leave at Mum and Dad's in Chester.  It was good to see the family again with Sar, Sam, Jo and Paul, and little Nellie joining us during our stay.  

Whilst in Chester we took the opportunity to buy a new camera to improve our chances of taking some good pictures of the wildlife we see on the canal.  Our new camera has a 50mm and a zoom lens and a multitude of functions and settings; luckily we can use autofocus until we've mastered the other settings.  I particularly like the continuous shooting option which increases my chance of a good photo from a moving subject. 

A grey squirrel in Grosvenor Park, Chester.  Sar and I went for a walk with the new camera and I was pleased to get this shot.  

After an enjoyable and relaxing stay at Chester we returned to Brent III and sailed south.  On board we have everything we need for a task we have been putting off, repainting Brent III.  At Calveley we were able to dismantle the wheelhouse and lay out the windows and roof on the bank, during the day, for painting.   We were able to make good progress although the tail-end of Hurricane Bertha kept us inside on Sunday.   

Our journey from Coole Pilates to to Tattenhall Marina and back to Calveley

Audlem Festival of Transport

The time had come to move on from Norbury Junction but we didn't go far, just along to a pub recommended by other boaters.  Sadly the Anchor Inn did not live up to expectation and we won't be passing on the recommendation.   

During the hot weather Bess and Brinny have been having their walks during the cooler evening.  From our mooring at Goldstone we followed the towpath under one of the high bridges and into the narrow Woodseaves Cutting.  The canal has been cut through sandstone leaving craggy rock faces which are partly hidden by ivy and other vegetation.   A strip of trees cling to the cutting sides but the occasional uprooted tree shows their grip is precarious.   

High Bridge over the Woodseaves Cutting

As there is barely room to pass other boats on the Woodseaves Cutting we set off early the next day and arrived at Market Drayton in time to look round it's large street market.    That evening a working boat towing it's butty passed us, unusually both were loaded with loose coal. 

Historical pair, the butty is being towed passed us at Market Drayton

The next day we moored at Adderley Locks and some more historic boats sailed passed. Realising there must be an event somewhere Kev called out to find out where they were heading: Audlem, 2 miles further on and our next intended mooring.  It doesn't take much to persuade us to stop in one place so that's what we did.  

The boats were travelling to the Audlem Festival of Transport and a good turn out filled every available mooring.  The fly boat Saturn was open to the public and I had a look inside the tiny boatman's cabin.  It was about the size of our bedroom and would have been the living space for the family working the boat.  

Boats fill the canal at the Audlem Festival of Transport

The festival included a historic car rally on a nearby field where cars parked up surrounding a helicopter which was on display.  

The oldest cars on display with the helicopter in their midst.

As I wandered round I spotted a sign for the Wool Boat and was soon chatting to Colin and Carole, the friendly owners.  Looking through their wicker baskets of sample balls I spotted some James Brett random wool in subtle tones which I will knit up into a cardigan.   Its a good job I don't live on Saturn, there's barely enough space on Brent III for all my materials.  

On Monday morning we set off early to go down the flight of 15 Audlem Locks.  We timed it just right;  the boats leaving the festival were coming up the locks as we came down which halved the amount of work.   We continued the short distance to Coole Pilates moorings.   

Our journey from Norbury Junction to Coole Pilates. 
  

  

Heatwave

On Monday morning the canal became busy with boats on the move.  We joined them and made slow progress, sometimes stopping for boats coming the other way through the numerous bridges.  At Wheaton Aston we joined the queue for the lock and after descending we found a mooring under the dark canopy of branches overhanging the canal.  

Turners Garage at Wheaton Aston is well known for it's cheap red diesel and there is a jetty for boaters wanting to fill up.  The first customer arrived at 7.30am, opening time, and a steady stream of boats continued to pull over until 9.00 when we spotted a gap to take our turn.   

The southern part of the canal is mainly rural, passing through steep-sided cuts with woodlands and then along embankments which are also wooded.   In many places the canal has concrete edges with a shallow shelf which prevents boats pulling up to the bank for mooring.   To compensate there are plenty of visitor moorings at the villages along the way.   Our next stop is Gnosall which has some shops as well as 3 pubs.  

The canal is often flanked by woodlands and has numerous bridges. 

From Gnosall it's a short distance to Norbury Junction, a bustling area even though the canal branching off is just 150 yards long and terminates in a dry dock.   Opposite the junction a hire boat company operates from Norbury Wharf  and the little day narrowboats are very popular.  A trip boat takes out parties for short cruises and there are plenty of walkers and customers for the cafe and Junction Inn. The small provisions shop and chandlery are useful for boaters but an ASDA delivery to the Junction Inn car park was required to replenished our stocks.    

We decided to stay put during the hottest days and didn't envy the crew on the historical steam powered narrowboat, President, which stopped on the waterpoint.

President letting off steam

After the hottest day we experienced possibly the wettest.  In the early hours of the morning Bess and Brinny came crying at the bedroom door as distant thunder rolled across the sky.  The next morning only a determined group on a day boat braved the torrential rain.  I enjoyed having some time to start working on a phoenix design in applique.  I haven't had a lot of practice at this craft so there is some trial and error involved.

Having stopped at Norbury for 4 days we decided it would be a shame to miss the Sunday lunch carvery at the Junction Inn.  It was a good decision; the meal was excellent, one of the best carveries we've had.

Our journey from Bridge 8 to Norbury Junction

Heading North

As we left Droitwich we decided to return back to the River Severn instead of continuing towards Birmingham and the 30 locks of the Tardebigge flight.   We shared locks on the return journey with another couple and travelled together up the Severn to Stourport.   There are 4 connected basins at Stourport which are a bit of a maze for the boater.  Broad locks provide access for wide beams and we joined the queue for the narrow staircase locks.   At the top of the locks our route took us across a small basin; up another staircase lock; across a basin filled with moored boats; into the last basin and finally through the last lock which led onto the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal.   Stourport is an odd little town literally built around the canal basins as they were constructed.  It boasts a funfair and amusement arcade but there is little else to attract the tourists. 

After sailing through Kidderminster the canal flows through cool woodlands and tight bends take us round outcrops of red sandstone.   There are caves in this area which were inhabited as recently as the 1960s.  We were surprised to see a cave entrance next to Cookley Lock but I can't imagine anyone would live here after the lock was built so close to it. 

Cave entrance at Cookley Lock

Although the locks are narrow they are deep and we climbed steadily as we headed north. 

The boaters view in a lock

The 3 Bratch Locks are picturesque with an attractive octagonal toll house but they are also unique.   As we approached them they looked like staircase locks but there is a small pound, just a few feet long, between each lock.  The pounds are part of a water saving system which allows water to flow to, and from, hidden side ponds during the lock operation.  

Looking across the 2nd Bratch Lock to the octagon toll house 

At the top of the locks we were surrounded by open countryside and fields with horses cantering up and down to the canal.   It didn't take much for us to pull over and moor up in this pleasant location which was also popular with walkers and joggers.

On the outskirts of Wolverhampton the canal turns east and connects with the Birmingham Canal Navigation and half a mile later we turned onto the Shropshire Union at Autherley Junction.  The next morning we travelled to remote visitor moorings by bridge 8 which made an ideal spot to stop for the weekend.  

Bess poses for the camera as we sail through woods

Our journey from Droitwich to bridge 8 on the Shropshire Union

River Severn

We left the pretty River Avon at Tewkesbury Lock and steered south on the wide River Severn.  Upper Lode Lock is an enormous lock sited at the limit of the high spring tides.  The lockie had a sheet of instructions for our approach to Gloucester Lock and lowered them down to us in a bucket.   

Entering Upper Lode Lock.   This photo was taken on the return journey and the watermark indicates the level of  the river on the other side  - only a few feet difference

Gloucester Dock is a vast expanse of water with plenty of moorings.  I'm not sure why we thought the jetty outside a wine bar, on a Saturday night, was a good idea.   Large restored warehouses line the dock but they are no longer used for storage, many are converted to apartments and a designer outlet ensures a steady flow of pedestrians through the area.  The city is also busy and its cathedral is magnificent.    

Gloucester Dock  You can just see our bow and front doors in line with the Cathedral Tower.

 Our Nicholsons guide shows the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal has numerous swing bridges.  Luckily they are all manned and swing open on our approach.   As the wide canal took us south we caught glimpses of the Severn Estuary to the west.  After Purton we are a lot closer; the canal is on an embankment running parallel to the estuary.  We moored up at Sharpness in a very quiet location with a panoramic view of the river. 

 I took a walk through the "Purton Hulks", redundant barges which were beached on the estuary banks to protect the canal embankment from erosion.  The majority of the boats were wooden and have disintegrated over the years or disappeared in the prolific reed beds. 

The view from the canal with a Purton Hulk in the foreground.

Out in the estuary a haunting sight is revealed at low tide.   Two wrecked barges have remained on the sands since 1960 when they missed the entrance to Sharpness Lock in the fog.  After hitting the railway bridge that spanned the estuary there was an explosion and both boats were engulfed by fire.  There is a memorial stone for the crew members who died in the disaster and an information board describing the event.  The elegant railway bridge had been damaged and was dismantled leaving the two wrecks to be washed over by the tide.  

The wrecks of the two barges are only revealed at low tide.  

On our return journey we stopped near Saul marina and were surprised to see a familiar boat, Audacious, which used to berth in Viking Marina.   By coincidence 2 other boats from Viking, Martini and Sara, were on permanent moorings on the canal.  

The flow of the River Severn was against us as we sailed north to Upton-on-Severn which is a charming little town.   An unusual church tower with a copper cupola dominated our view as we approached the town.   From the roadside we can see the tower is also unusual because it no longer has a church.  The rest of the building has been demolished and the land is now a public garden.

Upton-on-Severn's unusual church tower

Continuing north we stopped briefly at Worcester and then carried on to the entrance of the Droitwich Canal.  This little canal was closed in 1939 and only reopened in 2011 after a huge restoration.  Before and after photographs are displayed on information boards along the canal to show the amount of work involved.  The narrow canal twists and turns and at times we felt as if we were sailing through a channel in a reed bed.  On reaching Droitwich Basin we were pleased to see plenty of space on the new floating pontoons.  A well kept park surrounded the basin and provided a pleasant route into town.   We stopped for the weekend and enjoyed watching Le Tour de France cyclists on familiar roads in Yorkshire. 

Our journey from Tewkesbury to Sharpness and back up to Droitwich