Norbury Junction to Autherley Junction

Fri 24th Aug  Norbury Junction to Wheaton Aston

It was sunny this morning, but rain was forecast later, so we set off early.  As we did so, another boat pulled out two boats behind us, and started to follow us.  We decided therefore not to use the facilities here at Norbury Junction, but to wait until Wheaton Aston, as we didn’t want to be held up.

We passed through Norbury Junction, where a branch used to go down through several locks to Newport, Shropshire.

Norbury Junction

Cafe and chandlery

Newport branch

14 miles to Autherley

After the huge Shelmore Embankment, followed by a short cutting, we arrived in Gnosall, where we saw Pat Barton’s boat Quercus. Just south of here is Cowley Tunnel and cutting, with its impressive rock walls.

Navigation Inn at Gnosall

Floral boat

Quercus

Approaching Cowley tunnel

After another embankment and another cutting, there is a fine turnover bridge just before High Onn Wharf, where there some moorings on wide jetties with sheds.

Turnover Bridge

Moorings with sheds

A passenger on the marigolds

We passed Ultreya, but there was no sign of our friends Chris and Diana. We guessed they were on grandparent duty.

Ultreya

We moored in Wheaton Aston , before the garage where they sell fuel at an excellent price. We planned to fill up in the morning.

We went to explore Wheaton Aston, as we have never before been further than the garage. We checked at the garage to see if they would take our used oil, and saw a sign to say they would be closed over the weekend.

We saw what there was of the village, and found the Indian restaurant had closed, and there was no longer a hairdresser. There were two pubs, a post office and a Spar, where we bought some milk.  The church was locked so we couldn’t visit.

We went back to the boat, and joined a queue for diesel at the garage, where the fuel was 68.9p per litre.  They took our oil and we moved on from there to moor just before the sanitary station.

The fuel queue

The rain started just after we moored up. Later on, when it had stopped, James went to empty a cassette.  The second one could wait until the morning.

0 locks, 8 miles

Sat 25th Aug  Wheaton Aston to Autherley Junction

Hazel emptied the rubbish before we set off.  Sadly we forgot to empty the second cassette.  We blame old age.

The lock needed emptying before we went through.  There seemed to be very few boats around, possibly because it is changeover day for some hire boat companies.

Wheaton Aston Lock

We spotted Phyllis May on hardstanding in a boatyard.  This boat once crossed the channel and went through the French canals to Carcassonne. The skipper wrote a book about it. The boat later caught fire.

Phyllis May being restored. 

A5 Aqueduct

The A5 

We moored in Brewood, and went to explore the village. We bought some bacon from the butchers, and James found somewhere to have a haircut. We enjoyed some of the architechture.

Speedwell Castle

The square in Brewood

We then went to the Bridge Inn on the recommendation of Tim and Tracey.  The landlords, Mike and Maddie, were away.  We had a drink and some cheesy chips.

We moved on to Autherley Junction, where we planned to moor by bridge 2. 

The Bridge Inn

Avenue Bridge

Under the M54

Wolverhampton Boat Club

There was a shopping trolley in the water where we had planned to moor, so we having second thoughts about staying there overnight, particularly as it was bank holiday Saturday. We decided to move on to the moorings on the Staffs and Worcs at the junction.

Shopping trolley

A drunken man with beer can in hand, and two small boys in tow asked if the lads could see inside the boat. We invited them all on board and showed them around. When they were back on shore, the guy said they were his girlfriend’s kids. We could hear a noisy motorbike in the park, and he said that was the kid’s dad.

Two Napton Narrowboats staff had just taken some first timers up the canal to try their first bridge. We gave them a lift back to their base at the junction.  At the lock there was some training going on for hire boaters, so were locked through. We turned to the right and moored on rings.

The junction

Later a noisy motorbike went roaring past on the towpath, returning about ten minutes later. We wondered if it was the two boys’ dad.

2 locks, 8 miles

Sun 26th Aug  Autherley Junction

Moored by the junction

Rain was forecast this morning and rain was what we had.  We took a brolly and a trolley as we tried to find the best route to the church. We crossed over the Shroppie and took a path on the left. It wasn’t the best way, as the path sloped and was very near a hedge which needed trimming, so we were catching on brambles if we kept to the path. We walked on the wet grass instead.

We passed the Pendulum pub which didn’t look very inviting, and we went to St Pauls Church, which we had discovered on the way up the Shroppie earlier. We had a warm welcome, and we met Dot Clayton, a BCF member we have only met in passing before. The worship was pre recorded, although they usually have a music group. The vicar was away, so we had a retired vicar from nearby, and he talked about food in the bible, and particularly the communion meal.  The building was modern, shared with the school, but the roof leaked with the heavy rain.

St Paul's Church

We went to Morrison’s to stock up, and took a slightly different route back which easier for the trolley.

We decided to eat on board as it was still raining.  The noisy motorbike went past again.

No boating today

Next: heading down the Staffs and Worcs towards Stourport.