Voyages of Gabriel: Wheaton Aston to Audlem

Thu 25^th May Wheaton Aston to Shebdon Wharf

Our first job today was to get some diesel at the garage by the bridge. It seems to be the cheapest on the cut. Today it was 83.9p per litre. While there, James realised that he had left his hat in the pub the previous evening. Hazel went over and managed to find someone, and retrieved the hat. Earlier in the year he had left it in Ikea in Milton Keynes, and managed to get it back again. He wears it all the time outdoors, and he bought it in Tasmania.

We set off through some beautiful countryside, again with alternating cuttings and embankments, including the amazing cutting and tunnel at Cowley, cut through rock. This brought us to Gnosall, where we noticed there were moorings available, although we didn’t stop. When we reached Norbury Junction, we stopped for lunch.

We moved on again, past the Anchor at High Offley, which sadly is only open on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, otherwise we would have stopped here. On checking photos later, we spotted a small sign on the gate saying: “Open 7pm tonight.” How frustrating is that? This is a really quaint old pub, well worth a visit, and we could easily have stopped.

We passed a long line of permanent moorings, finally reaching the Shebdon Embankment, our intended destination. Here there are mooring rings and a wide path, where we had anticipated we could all sit out and natter. As we approached, there was a loud clunk, and our engine stopped. Fortunately we were gliding slowly towards our mooring place, and James jumped off with a rope to make us secure. He found a lump of very weathered wood jammed between the prop and the weedhatch.

We discovered that the mooring was not ideal, as a lot of the wooden fendering had been removed, leaving unfriendly bolts sticking out to scratch the paintwork. Another boat arrived and used up a mooring place. Then yet another took the last decent spot. We found out that the rest of the team had left Brewood late, as Roger and Simon had been to have haircuts. They stopped at Norbury to buy some sealing tape for Roger’s weed hatch, and had to apply rust beater before they could put down the tape. They therefore stayed there overnight.

We were treated to a golden light on the water as the sun went down.

Diesel top up

High Onn Wharf

Turnover Bridge, where the towpath changes sides, allowing a horse to cross over without undoing it's harness

The remains of the fallen tree that had blocked the navigation

Approaching Cowley Tunnel, cut from rock

Looking back at Cowley Tunnel

Passing the Boat Inn at Gnosall

A friendly village sign

Many of the embankments have a stop gate in case of a breach

pigeon with a twig

Ducklings by the dozen

The cafe at Norbury

Paused for a late breakfast at Norbury

The famous telegraph pole

Blossom and moored boats

The Anchor at High Offley, only open Fri, Sat, Sun.

And also tonight!!! (Thursday). Sign too small, seen too late.

Lump of wood on the prop

Sticking out bolts

Moored at Shebdon Wharf

Golden ducks

Evening light

0 locks, 11 miles. Dep 0920, arr 1155 Norbury Jct. Dep 1250, arr 1410.

Fri 26^th May Shebdon Wharf to Market Drayton

We were ahead of the pack today, as they had all stopped at Norbury last night.

We had a pleasant but uneventful cruise via the dramatic Woodseaves cutting, where rock falls look imminent. We arrived at Tyrley Locks, where we had hoped to empty a cassette. Although the place was still there with the elsan sign on, it was boarded up, and apparently had been closed for two years.

We were delighted to see John Halford there to help us down the locks, which was very useful. No boats came up as we went down. The rest of our flotilla had been delayed as they needed to seal the weed hatch on Spirit before leaving.

On arrival in Market Drayton, Jan was there to guide us to a mooring place which was only just big enough for Gabriel, right opposite their house.

We had a tour of their new place, which is lovely, despite the problems they have had with a plumbing leak, causing lots of remedial work to be necessary. We enjoyed a drink in their canalside garden.

They kindly took us to Morrisons in their car, as it is too far for Hazel to walk. In the evening we all assembled in their garden for a barbecue. A good day.

Some wildlife highlights included a heron in a tree, and some tufted ducks.

The Cadbury Factory at Knighton, opened in 1911 to supply chocolate crumb to Bournville

Sunshine and shade

Woodseaves Cutting

Looking back through Woodseaves Cutting

Potential rock falls

High Bridge

Tyrley Wharf

Tyrley top lock

Tyrley Locks

Approaching the final Tyrley lock

John providing a helping windlass

The cutting after Tyrley Locks

John and Jan relaxing

Moored in Market Drayton

John and Jan

Heron in a tree

Tufted Ducks

Swallow

Blackbird

5 Locks, 8 miles. Dep 0830, arr 1130.

Sat 27^th May Market Drayton to Audlem

We set off early in order to have a good chance of getting a mooring at Audlem.

We used the facilities to empty cassettes and dispose of rubbish. We were the last in our flotilla, but Chris suggested we go before Kairos into the 5 Adderley Locks, as he was planning to go on further than Audlem, and we needed to get a mooring. After Adderley Locks we found Spirit and Dizzy Duck. Chris had asked them to let us go past. We felt a bit like royalty. There was a short gap before we came to the Audlem flight of 15 locks. Here we bought a pasty and a sausage roll from the small kiosk where they have an honesty box for the money. Sadly, there was nothing coming up the locks to set them for us. However, we were delighted to see John and Jan, who had come to help with the locks. We had Jan with us, and to start with she was going ahead to set the locks for us. Hazel was getting very tired by then, so we suggested that Jan take over the helm, and Hazel could rest her legs, while James did the locks. That worked well, and we were delighted to find mooring spaces for everyone after lock 11, where we had hoped to moor all along. Chris and Sally decided to stay instead of going further.

We could hear the music from where we were moored. There were two main stages, one at the Bridge Inn, and the other at the Shroppie Fly. The music alternated between the two stages, although sometimes they overlapped, and we could hear two songs at the same time. We all gathered under some shady trees, and Roger had prepared beef pasta which was excellent. We provided a salad which included home grown lentil shoots.

Chris, Roger, Jo, and Simon went to investigate the music, and James joined them later in the Shroppie Fly, where they served Orchard Thieves cider.