Back to Keadby

After a couple of days at Gunthorpe we sailed on to the next moorings which are at Hazelford Island.

On the moorings at Hazelford Island.   CRT's crane is on site because they have been working on the high wall and the boat heading downstream is the St John's trip boat Crusader. 

The island used to be home to a thriving population of rabbits but when we walked along the grassy paths it was obvious their numbers had dramatically diminished.   There were still plenty of smells to excite Bess and Brinny who enjoyed a good run round. 

Bess keeping an eye on Brinny from her spot in the shade

During one of our walks I spotted a bright butterfly which I haven't been able to identify.

The brightly coloured butterfly

On Sunday we moved on to Newark passing a variety of birds at Averham Weir. 

The posts at Averham Weir make a convenient place to preen

Newark is convenient for shopping with a good market and I couldn't resist some arts and crafts purchases from various shops.  Kev picked up an ebay delivery from Argos and of course called in at Just Beer.  Flocks of sparrows live in the bushes lining the river wall and some sat long enough for a photo.  

Fluffed up in the wind at the side of the Trent

On Thursday we pulled off the pontoons and over to the opposite bank which is conveniently near to Morrisons.  After shopping we left Newark heading north for Cromwell Lock.  

The pontoons at Newark

We stopped at Cromwell over the weekend and caught up with some maintenance jobs.  We also fitted some extra eyelets on the gunwhales to hang more fenders to protect our paintwork and bolted on some additional mooring cleats.  These will be useful as mooring bollards and rings aren't always conveniently spaced for the length of the boat.  

On Monday we went down through Cromwell Lock onto the tidal section of the Trent.  The water levels were very low exposing the shoals which extend into the river and can be a hazard to boaters. 

A gravel shoal which has built up on the inside of the bend in the river

We had a good run to Torksey where we stopped on the pontoons overnight.  The next day we had a 7 am start in order to make the most of the outgoing tide.  It was misty as we set off but shortly afterwards the mist turned to a thick fog which was alarming because we could barely see the banks.  Kev was able to keep on course and gradually the fog cleared.  

Sheep walking along the bank in the fog 

Despite the fog we had another good run and on arrival at Keadby turned into the lock to find the invasive floating weed is back.  Up on the canal we carved a path through the green carpet and pulled up for the day.  

Our journey from Gunthorpe to Keadby

Back to the Trent

We left Branston under blue skies but the clouds weren't far behind. 

Dark clouds follow us as we head towards Burton-on-Trent 

On our way out of Burton-on-Trent we came down Dallow Lock, our last narrow lock this year.  The next day we left Willington and soon found ourselves in a queue for Stenson Lock. 

We've moved Brent III up the queue ready to go in the lock with the boat in front.  The white building is a cafe whose customers sit out on the veranda watching the boats in the lock. 

Once through the lock we kept our fingers crossed for space on the moorings at the Ragley Boat Stop pub.  We were in luck and stayed a couple of days enabling us to enjoy their excellent meals.  

On Friday we resumed our journey and were joined by another narrowboat at the first lock which was lucky; Weston Lock is renowned for it's heavy bottom gates but it was easy with two of us.   We shared the next few locks and were both able to moor up at Shardlow which was surprisingly quiet when we arrived.  

Moored up at Shardlow, this was the last time we had to drop the wheelhouse for low bridges.

Sawley was our next stop as we travelled the now familiar route north. 

A vivid sunset at Sawley

Volunteer lock-keepers took us down through Sawley Lock onto the wide River Trent but this first stretch of the river is short; after a mile Cranfleet Cut bypasses Thrumpton Weir.    I also had an easy time at Cranfleet Lock as 3 more volunteers manned the lock and let us out back onto the Trent.   We stopped on Cranfleet pontoon and then my work began.  Brent III's paintwork needs some protection and Kev thoughtfully brought a gallon of polish which, with some elbow grease, had Brent III gleaming in the sunshine. 

Sailing into Nottingham we were surprised to see a line of empty moorings.  The boaters who had taken root on the visitor moorings had clearly been persuaded to move on.  We stopped overnight and restocked at Sainsburys before continuing through Nottingham with it's mix of old and new buildings flanking the canal.  

A Nottingham wharf filled with seats and flowers for the Canalhouse Bar.  The warehouse in the background once belonged to Fellows, Morton & Clayton, a well-known canal haulage company.

At Meadow Lane Lock we left Nottingham Canal and will be on the River Trent for the next 70 miles.  The Trent trip boats were lined up on their moorings as we passed.  

The Trent trip boats on their moorings.

Our first stop on the Trent was at Stoke Bardolph where I enjoyed a good walk with the girls who appreciated the smell of rabbit more than the view over the lagoons.   We then moved on to Gunthorpe and Kev, always an early riser, told me about the mist at dawn but I only saw it on the photo he took on our second day there.  

Kev's photo of boats in the mist on the Trent

Our journey from Branston to Gunthorpe 

August Bank Holiday

After Minworth the Birmingham & Fazeley became a quiet rural canal and we spent the next night alongside a large RSPB reserve at Kingsbury.  Our journey north then took us under Drayton Footbridge which has a tower at each end containing a spiral staircase for access to cross.

Drayton Footbridge with it's doorways into the towers

We stopped at Fazeley Hill Marina to top up with diesel, at 57p per litre + duty it was the cheapest we've seen for a long time.

At Fazeley Junction we turned north-west on the Coventry Canal and pulled over shortly afterwards for Sainsburys.  We'd noticed the canal was very busy and the next day boats were moving early.  As we set off we knew there were some boats ahead but then a boater coming in the opposite direction told us we were the 10th boat he'd seen in 1.5 miles.  Time to pull over and the next opportunity was near Hademore. We soon found we were also near to the high speed rail line.

High speed train coming under a road bridge

The low banks at Hademore were ideal for us to restart the long task of Brent III's paintwork.  During breaks in the rain we were able to rub down her starboard gunwhales exposing streaks of her previous colours.  She didn't look pretty when we left on Monday morning but we were pleased to have made a start.  We were heading for Fradley Junction and when we arrived we were surprised to see the moorings were almost empty but that didn't last long at this popular destination.

The Canal & River Trust buildings and yard opposite our mooring at Fradley

From Fradley we moved on to Branston Water Park moorings where the canal runs alongside a wildfowl reserve.  This was an excellent spot to stop for a few days to avoid moving during the busy bank holiday weekend.  The nearby Toby Carvery provided sustaining breakfasts before we resumed painting Brent III.  To paint the bow we dismantled the cratch and removed the front fender which sent a dozen surprised spiders scurrying away into the grass.  It's a shame the spiders living inside the boat don't scurry away, it's a bit unnerving when they suddenly abseil down from the ceiling.

Painting in progress.  Before we left Branston we completed a top coat to the bow to match the gunwhale 

Taking a break from painting we walked down the towpath to gather some sloes and then made up this year's sloe gin.

On the Bank Holiday Monday we awoke to heavy rain which persisted until lunchtime.  We decided to move on then, just a mile further down the canal so we were closer to Morrisons for a shop.

Our journey from Minworth to Branston

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

Sarah's Holiday

From Sharpness we sailed back to Gloucester where Sarah came on board for a holiday.  We all enjoyed a visit to Gloucester Cathedral with an interesting tour of the tower which included a bell ringing demonstration.  From the top of the tower we had some good views, especially of the docks. 

A view of the docks from the cathedral.  

 We had a good run up the River Severn to Tewkesbury and were pleased to find space on the best moorings.  Sarah and I enjoyed a potter around town before retiring to a cafe but we weren't calling in just for refreshment.  The Artist and Illustrators magazine had a list of summer projects, to try some sketching in a cafe being one of them.  

That evening we watched out for the moon.  It was the second full moon in the calendar month which made it a blue moon, as in 'once in a blue moon'.  The moon looked like any other full moon but I was pleased with my photo so here it is. 

The 'blue moon' over Tewkesbury

Our next stop was Pershore where Sarah and I continued with our art projects.  Sitting in the sun sketching the abbey, with a good brass band playing a variety of tunes nearby, was an excellent way to spend a Sunday afternoon.  

On the way to Evesham we passed the impressive mill building at Fladbury.

The mill at Fladbury

Less impressive and more precarious looking was the ferry at Evesham which crossed the river in front of us. 

The ferry at Evesham.  The wire for pulling the ferry across can be seen over the river, this had to be lowered down to allow us passed.

Sarah and I enjoyed a look around Evesham which has an abbey, a church with Norman origins which is now owned by the Church Conservancy Trust and some interesting Almonry buildings. 

The Almonry heritage centre in Evesham

We then followed the river walk and soon discovered some humorous comments on the signposts. 

One of the humorous signposts on the river walk

After our nights mooring in towns it made a change to stop at the isolated Offenham Lock.  The next day I had my camera ready as we approached Bidford Bridge.  In June a tractor crashed against the bridge wall knocking it and one of the supporting turrets into the river.  As we sailed under the bridge I focused my camera to see a man with a camera filming us!  At lunchtime we watched the BBC local news and there we were, sailing through, as they reported the traffic problems due to the bridge closure.

The cameraman, crouched down, is still filming as we sailed on.  

Stratford-Upon-Avon is a popular destination for boaters and we were lucky to find a mooring in the basin.  In the evening Sarah and I joined a ghost walk; our guide played an excellent theatrical role as he related ghostly tales.  The next day we visited the Mechanical Art and Design Museum which has an amazing collection of moving exhibits.

A wooden skeleton band in the MAD Museum, the players move as the cogs on the bar underneath rotate.

On Saturday Sarah caught the train home but we stopped for another day in Stratford.  We were surprised to see a large Sunday market materialise alongside the road.  After a walk around the market's interesting stalls I discovered the Royal Shakespeare Company Tower was open for visitors so I was able to take a photo of the scene.

The Sunday Market viewed from the tower.  Brent III is in the top right hand corner.

The majority of the tourist attractions in Stratford-Upon-Avon are linked to William Shakespeare so it seemed fitting to join in the spirit and see a play.  The Dell Open Air Theatre was host to amateur productions.  I joined the crowd sat on the grass to enjoy Romeo and Juliet performed by the Oxford University Dramatic Society.

Our journey from Sharpness to Stratford-Upon-Avon

Sharpness

We purchased a River Avon license from the Avon Navigation Trust boat moored in Stratford Basin and on Friday morning we descended through the lock onto the river.  As we would be returning back along the river in August we decided not to dally and arrived in Tewkesbury on Tuesday.

I enjoyed a walk around the historic town which has the coats of arms, of men who fought in the Battle of Tewkesbury in 1471, hanging in the streets.   The banners have been hung by the Tewkesbury Battlefield Society to "publicise the medieval history of Tewkesbury and to brighten the streets" which they certainly do.  

Colourful coats of arms on buildings in Tewkesbury

The Tewkesbury Art Society were holding an exhibition which made interesting viewing. Some of the artworks depicted a view of the abbey from the Severn Ham which is an area of floodplains.   

Tewkesbury Abbey and riverside cottages from the Severn Ham 

The Severn Ham was also popular with dog walkers and, for Bess and Brinny, the ideal location for a chasing game. 

Brinny in full flight on the Severn Ham 

From Tewkesbury we sailed down the River Severn and into Gloucester Docks.  Tall warehouses surround the large basin and across from our pontoon we could see the masts of two tall ships.  They are at a specialist boatyard and one of them is in a dry dock for work on its hull. 

A tall ship in a dry dock with the hull covered in hessian sacking

Lanthony road bridge is the first of many bridges we will encounter on the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal and as a bridge-keeper is ready to lift or swing each bridge it was an easy day. Unfortunately it was also a very wet day but we were able to keep dry in the wheelhouse and when we moored up near Saul Junction we didn't venture very far. 

The next day was bright and sunny so we could appreciate the view on this wide canal.  The bridge-keepers cottages have an almost classical style with Doric columns. 

The unique style of the bridge-keepers cottages 

After passing the Slimbridge Wildfowl Trust the canal runs parallel to the Severn Estuary and on to Sharpness.  We spotted a good mooring near the remaining supports of the railway bridge which once spanned the Severn Estuary.

Moored up at Sharpness, the round tower once housed a steam engine which pivoted the railway, on it's swing bridge, to allow tall boats to pass along the canal. 

As it was a fine day we had good views on our walk and could clearly see the motorway bridges which cross the Severn near Bristol. 

Slender looking motorway bridges cross the Severn

On Sunday the heavy rain returned so we stayed in and watched Chris Froome finish the Tour de France to become this year's winner.


Our journey from Stratford-on-Avon to Sharpness

Slowly to Stratford

From Dickens Heath the Stratford-on-Avon Canal continued to take us south-east towards the 27 locks of the Lapworth Flight and Kingswood Junction.  We weren't in any hurry and our first stop was near the top of the flight.

The locks on this canal are narrow and have equally narrow footbridges which are constructed in two halves with a gap between them.  This was to allow the rope on a horse-drawn boat to pass through the bridge without unhitching. 

The Stratford-on-Avon canal footbridge with a gap between the two halves

We had a lazy journey down the Lapworth Locks with overnight stops in the conveniently large pounds on the way.  After lock 19 Kingswood Junction connects the Stratford-on-Avon canal to the Grand Union but the boater faces a lock whichever way they go. 

A lock in either direction at Kingswood Junction.  The white cottage is on an island, the left hand lock drops onto a narrow canal which links to the canal below the lock on the right.

After Kingswood Junction the remaining Lapworth Locks took us down through woodlands and open countryside but we still had plenty of locks in front of us.  I was impressed by the Antony Gormley sculpture standing at the side of lock 31.

Antony Gormley's sculpture at lock 31

The sculpture is one of 5 celebrating the Landmark Trust's 50th anniversary.  The Landmark Trust buys and restores historic properties which are then used as holiday lets.  The Lengthsmans Cottage next to the lock is one of their properties and a good example of a barrel-roofed lock-keepers cottage unique to this canal. 

The Lengthsmans Cottage at lock 31

Another interesting feature of this canal are it's aqueducts.  The longest, Edstone, is nearly 200 yards long and the canal is carried in an iron trough.  Unusually the towpath is level with the bottom of the trough giving walkers an unusual perspective of the canal.  

Brinny looks across the aqueduct 

On Tuesday we descended the last of the locks escorted by a little boy and his grandmother and an Irish couple taking photos.  Kev gave the little boy a ride down a lock and I talked the Irish couple into helping out with lock 53 which has a heavy bottom gate.   We sailed under the road bridge and into Stratford-on-Avon basin. 

Mooring in the basin with another coach load of tourists in the gardens

We enjoyed a few days in Stratford where I joined the crowds of tourists strolling around the town.  I also visited the Butterfly Farm to see a large variety of colourful butterflies fluttering between tropical plants.   Three iguanas roamed up amongst the foliage  while quails and their little chicks scurried under the lower leaves.  I braved seeing the arachnids but only because the spiders were contained behind glass.  

One of the iguanas looks down from his perch among the plants

Our journey from Dickens Heath to Stratford-on-Avon