After a wet day doing nothing yesterday, we decided to visit the National Brewery Museum. We have been to Burton several times but never done the brewery tour, so this was to be remedied.
We have discovered before that bus numbers 3 and 8 depart every 15 minutes from Shobnall Street, just across a footbridge from the mooring. We planned to get off in Station Street, after crossing the high railway bridge by Lidl, and walk through to the museum.
The bus came, and we got on board. We got to Lidl, and then we realised that the railway bridge was closed for major road works, and the bus took a long detour, ending up at New Street. We had a longer walk than expected to the museum, but were still in time for the morning tour at 11am.
Dustbin land by the bus stop
Victorian Buildings
There was a lot to see in the museum, and we could have spent a long time looking round. One of the other people on the tour was a narrowboater called Richard, moored a few yards from us on a boat called Y-Knot. We got chatting to him over a drink in the brewery tap afterwards, and discovered that he goes to a church in Bradford on Avon. We gave him some BCF literature.
Shire horse
The Worthington’s building
Historic vehicles
Richard and the tour guide
Model of Burton
Old railway engine
After some shopping and a visit to Costa, we caught a bus back to the boat.
Cooper statue in the shopping centre
Shobnall Fields with Y-Knot in the
foreground, and Gabriel in the distance
No boating today
Wed 11th September Burton-on-Trent to Branston
We felt we had done justice to Burton, so we moved on a short way. The first stop was just after the first road bridge, where we pulled in to Jannel Cruisers, at Shobnall Fields Basin. We needed some coal, and we saw they had fuel at a reasonable rate, 73p, so we filled up. In hindsight it would have been better to reverse in as the fuel pump was in the entrance to what had been a loading basin for canal boats, taking beer on board. There was a small electric lift bridge that we needed to operate in order to get the boat in the right position. Staff were very helpful, and we were able to empty a cassette while we were there.
Fuel stop
Marston’s Bridge
We set off once more, under a bridge that leads to the Marston’s Brewery, and then to Branston Lock. We moored by Branston Water Park, and then took out our Nordic walking poles and took a turn around the lake.
Branston Lock
Branston Water Park
Nordic walking
The mooring was very noisy as they were building houses adjacent to the canal and the park. Later, when the machinery ceased, a floodlit rugby ground opposite came into action with lots of yelling.
Floodlit rugby
Sunset at Branston
1 lock, 2 miles, 1 lift bridge
Thu 12th September Branston
We walked into Branston village, using an underpass below the A38. James found a barber’s shop and had a haircut, and we bought some things in the Co-op.
No boating today. No photos either.
Fri 13th September Branston to Alrewas
Everything was very wet with dew this morning, and we were shaded by trees, so it took a while to dry the hood before putting it down. The Trent and Mersey has low bridges.
Dawn at Branston
Our mooring by the water park.
The first lock was Tatenhill Lock, with a typical low bridge at the entrance, a picturesque lock cottage and an historic boat. This is followed by bridge 36, a turnover bridge, where the towpath crosses from one side to the other, and it is unusually narrow.
Tatenhill lock
The narrow Bridge 36
We realised that we had collected something on the prop, so when we paused on the water point to fill the tank, James visited the weed hatch to remove clear the propeller. It was fishing tackle, and the hook of a spinner managed to find his finger. With immediate use of TCP, we think we avoided infection.
Fishing tackle from the prop.
Our unwelcome experience at Barton Turns Marina
We decided to visit Barton Turns Marina to empty two cassettes, and possibly moor overnight to visit one of their restaurants. The sign said, “Visitors Welcome”. We emptied the two cassettes, as we have done here on previous occasions, but a staff member came up and charged us for doing so. It was only £1.50, but there was no sign to say so, and James didn't have the money on him, and it made us feel like intruders. A sharp contrast to our experience at Shobnall Fields Basin a few days ago where they were pleased to see us.
We then went to ask where to moor to visit their restaurant this evening. Visitors moorings were advertised outside.
“Oh, that is £11 per night.”
“Even if we are mooring to eat at your restaurant?”
“Yes, if you are here overnight.”
“Visitors not so welcome then.”
“But you can have four hours free, in which case you don’t need to book, just go and moor.”
So we left the services wall, not so easy as it was difficult to turn, and found our way to the pontoons in front of a large sign saying “visitor’s moorings.” Having moored up, we discovered that, although we could walk ashore through a gate by pressing a button, we wouldn’t be able to get back in. We phoned the office to ask about it, and were told:
“Oh, you need to come to the office and get a key fob - £5 deposit”
“Why didn’t you tell us that when we were in the office?”
“I thought you would moor on the waterfront”
Well, there was no notice to encourage visiting boats to moor on the waterfront, and there were just two boats moored there, both of them commercial trading boats. We had moored where it said “Visitor Moorings” in large letters.
After paying our deposit, we looked in the shops, all very upmarket, e.g. Italian shirts, half price, now less than £100. There were lots of people having coffees in various eateries. We found a Thai restaurant and went for their lunchtime special, which was very nice. We followed this with an ice cream from another place.
James took our key fob back to the office and retrieved our £5 note, leaving Hazel on the pontoon to let him back in. We then departed.
Barton Turns Marina
On the visitor’s pontoon
The waterfront area
The Thai restaurant
The canal at this point runs alongside the very bust A38 dual carriageway, and it was noisy. We were pleased to divert a little away from the road at Wychnor Lock. The church at Wychnor has a prominent position on a hill.
Alongside the A38
Wychnor Lock
St Leonard’s Church at Wychnor
Before reaching Alrewas, the canal joins the River Trent once more, just for a short stretch, but in times of heavy rain, this section is sometimes closed. Not so today, and the far end is marked by another lock, at the start of Alrewas.
Crossing the Trent at Alrewas
Approaching Alrewas Lock.
We moored soon after the lock, where it was sunny, as we had washing to hang out.
4 locks, 5 miles. Dep 0915, arr 1125 Barton Marina. Dep 1315, arr 1430 Alrewas.
Next: a day at the National Memorial Arboretum, then a visit to All Saints Church on Sunday.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.