Trip Advisors

 We have deviated from our planned route south because we listened to our trip advisors (not the one you’re thinking of!!). We are really pleased we took our fellow boaters' advice, we’ve been to some super places.

Our Dyson vac has been playing up and needs re-booting frequently, so we sent for a new battery from Amazon and arranged for it to be delivered to Brewood post office. It turned out the PO is in the Co-Op, who were shut for a refurbishment. So, once we were informed it hadn’t been delivered we arranged another drop off point, near the junction we were heading for. All was not lost, as we were moored beside a very steep bank, full of young nettles. We picked about 1lb of the shoots for wine.

We headed off to ascend Wolverhampton flight of 21 locks at first light, so we could be up the locks before the youngster got out of their beds. We had a little delay as our boat got jammed in the stop lock at Autherley Junction, the gate wouldn’t open properly. Another boat got through the lock gate with John and the other chap pushing it really hard, and so did we in the end.

Within a ¼ mile of Autherley Junction is Adersley Junction, which I think is pretty confusing!!

 

 

 

 The flight was very pretty, interspersed with industry and the West Coast main line. 

John chatted to the volunteer ranger who oversees the flight. I got to do a bit of spinning before he filled the lock for me.

The water was clear, so it was easy to see the rubbish in the water and also, how very shallow the pounds between the locks were!

One of our trip advisors suggested we head up the not well-used Wyrely & Essington Canal to stock up our cupboards at Bentley Bridge Shopping centre.

We actually missed the junction of the W&S Canal as we were looking at our first brood of goslings this year!!!

The little Bentley Arm of the canal used to continue a further 3.5 miles to mines and foundries, but now it’s all under the shops.

 

 

 

There was a chilly wind, so there was no one in the pub garden, and the car park right next to us was closed for re-surfacing. With the shopping done, we headed off bright and early the next day.

Our other trip advisor suggested we moor at the Black Country Living Museum. We arrived at the secure mooring on the museum site just as 3 other boats were leaving.

We opened Jubilee Fibres on a rather dull, but dry St. George’s Day and chatted to lots of the museum visitors.

We spent a whole day in the museum, it must have been 15 years ago we last visited. One of our first stops was the bakery, where we brought two super huge biscuits.

We were up and away from the museum by 06.15. We had the choice of using the newer straighter canal or the old contour one. We decided to take the old Wolverhampton Level, which meanders a good bit and appears very rural. It’s so hard to imagine how the area must have been with all the heavy industry.

 

 

 

We passed many disused & bricked up arms of the canal.

We went over the Netherton Branch and could see it’s tunnel’s portal.

 

At Smethwick Locks we dropped to join the straighter route we’d not taken. We could see down to the canal from the lock landing, with the impressive aqueduct of the Engine Arm going over.

We travelled a good distance right under the M5, where it was pretty cold as we were in the shade.

It was a treat to see Birmingham centre from the water. Edmund was at uni there, and we visited him many times and walked the canals.

We cruised through the infamous Gas Street Basin, in front of the Mail Box and onto the leafy Birmingham and Worcester Canal.

 

  I’d visited our nephew when he was at Birmingham University and the last time I was there they’d renovated the clock tower ‘Old Joe’ and he was chiming after many years. However, today we passed at 11.00 & his hands were at 5.30!

We were thrilled to find a spot on the secure visitor mooring at Bournville, right next to Cadbury’s.

After a trip to the sweetie shop ,we picked dandelions for wine. It’s our tradition to pick them on St. George’s Day, but it was dull & dismal, so their flowers weren’t open at the museum. There was a super patch beside the mooring.

 

 

 

 

We have seen this sign post many times and feel it comes over more as an instruction than a warning!!!

Easter 2022

We’ve had a fairly lazy Easter, pottering around and spring-cleaning. The brass is glowing and the port side and roof are clean (for now)!!

John did a full oil and filter change on the engine.

As usual, we’ve had some glorious sunsets. John snapped a few trains on the West Coast mainline.

Here we are turning out onto the Shropshire Union Canal at Barbridge Junction from the Middlewich Branch. This is our first trip south on this canal.

We cruised past the beginning of the Llangollen Canal and moored up. We strolled back to look at the first few locks on the canal that leads to Wales.

Just about all the bridges have metal rubbing strips, which protected the brick work from the tow-ropes. The deep grooves show how busy this ‘super slow-way’ was in its day.

At Audlem, we moored in-between the first couple of locks on the flight of 15.

The Shropshire Union Canal has many cuttings. Approaching Tyrley locks in a shallow cutting.

Woodseaves Cutting has suffered quite a lot of landslides and fallen trees. There is a 2 mile/hour speed limit, and it’s impossible to go faster as you can hear the large bits of debris under the boat!!

A tree stump, decorated with its Easter bonnet.

There are spectacularly high bridges along this stretch.

It was busy at Norbury Junction for the long weekend. We stayed just a couple of nights there.

This nest is right by the bridge over the junction. However, we’ve seen many swan’s nests, nestled in the reeds.

As we explored Market Drayton, we stumbled across Jules Brewery. So we just had to have a pint at its brewery tap.

We are having a go at growing some garlic and to keep it company we have our first 

on-board tomato plants.

 

 My scrappy blanket made with ends of sock yarn has come to a halt as I’ve run out of scraps. It’s a perfect size for my garden chair at the moment.