Rowington to Hockley Heath

Fri 26^th June  Rowington to Packwood

It was a beautiful sunny day as we left our moorings on the embankment at Rowington. We left first, with Kairos to follow.

Sunny wake

We passed the unusually named Tom o’ the Wood pub, presumably closed at the moment because of the Corona Virus pandemic.

Tom o’ the Wood

A mile later we came to Kingswood Junction, and followed the signpost to the Stratford Canal. We went through the newer link, opened in 1995, so that we could use the facilities on the Stratford Canal. We filled the water tank and emptied two cassettes.

Signpost to the Stratford Canal

Kingswood Junction

The Lapworth Link, opened in 1995

Lapworth Junction facilities

We were now on the Stratford Canal, with narrow locks. No more sharing with Kairos. Other characteristics of this canal are the barrel roofed lock cottages, and the split bridges, designed with a gap for the tow rope to pass through.

The Stratford Canal at Lapworth Junction, 
with a barrel-roofed cottage in the background

Narrow locks

Split Bridge

We started up the locks, leaving a paddle up for Kairos. After two locks, we met a boat coming down and found that they were BCF members. Thankfully, Kairos reached the first lock first, as it was set for them.

The sun was fierce, and the weather was humid, so after the first six locks we decided to pause for a while. Sadly the “Canal Shop” does not appear to be open any more. We didn’t want to buy a canal, but we were hoping for an ice cream. However, the Boot Inn was selling drinks and food for outdoor consumption, so we had a refreshing pint, sitting near the locks.

Lunch stop after six locks

When we set off again much later, we managed to pick up an item of clothing on the prop, so James had to visit the weed hatch, surrounded by gongoozlers with drinks.

Lock 14 near the Boot Inn

Clothing on the prop

Climbing the Lapworth flight

Entering Lock 7

We stopped with four locks still to go, in a cool cutting with welcome shade. If Packwood House had been open, we could have taken Chris and Sally as guests, but only the gardens were open, and then only by appointment. We had checked and all the slots had been taken.

Moored near Packwood

15 Locks, 3½ miles.  Dep 1020, arr 1345 at Br 34/35. Dep 1645, arr 1810 Br 31 Packwood.

Sat 27^th June  Packwood to Hockley Heath

We had heavy rain in the night, as had been forecast. We kept an eye on the “Rain Alarm” app, and stayed where we were until it seemed a gap was coming. Then we set off to complete the last four locks.The final lock is Lock 2. Lock 1 is the guillotine gate at Kings Norton Junction, which is no longer used.

Heavy rain at dawn

Lock 4

After the four locks, there were two lift bridges, except they call them draw bridges on this canal. They are operated with a windlass, and the first one, Bridge 28, was quite hard work to operate. Bridge 26 was much easier.

Drawbridge 26

We moored at Hockley Heath, on piling which was on a steep bank covered in long grass. There was every danger of falling in if we tried to stand on the bank, so we hooked on from the boat, which worked OK. We left space on bollards for Chris and Sally. There were two boats between us.

Moored at Hockley Heath

We went into Hockley Heath and visited the new Co-op. There were four aisles, and they had put a barrier across the first one as they were stocking shelves. The next two aisles were full of people queuing for checkouts, so we walked past them and went up the fourth aisle, which was marked as one-way the other way. We then had to go around to aisle 1 from the other end, returning the same way, thus passing the shelf stackers twice instead of once. Not very logical.

Chris cycled back to Kingswood Junction to collect his car.

We paid another visit to the Co-op for some bits that we hadn’t had access to before, and grabbed some fish and chips from the chippie next door.

4 locks, 2 miles, 2 lift bridges. Dep 1150, arr 1315

Next: Sunday tomorrow, so a Broughton Church service on Facebook, followed by a Zoom meeting. Then, over the next few days, moving into Birmingham to catch up with granddaughter Jasmin, and Canal Ministries colleagues Tim and Tracey.