We waited while a hire boat reversed out from the Shroppie through the stop lock, turned round and reversed back in again, presumably to face the right way for the customers. Today is the day the lockdown eases, and hire boats are allowed to be used. We were told that they have five boats booked out from here today.
We went to follow them, but another boat was coming out, so we waited for them before going into the lock. The fall in the lock is just a few centimetres.
We passed a boat that was just about to set off, and then we had to stop at bridge 4 to clear our propeller of plastic, some weed, and a stretchy cord. The other boat went past.
The Shroppie is alternately embankment and cutting for most of its length. The cuttings have very high bridges, like this one, called Avenue Bridge, which leads to Chillington Hall.
We stopped at Brewood for 40 minutes to visit the butcher, who is highly recommended. We bought some sausage meat – flavour of the week, which was chili flavour. Also a large chicken and mushroom pie. Back via the Spar for some milk, and we were off again.
We crossed the A5 on an aqueduct, where we had to wait for an oncoming boat. There are definitely more boats out on the cut today.
At Wheaton Aston, a boat was just leaving the lock, which helped us, as the gates were open for us.
After the lock, a boat was just leaving the pontoon for the garage on the left. This is one of the cheapest places for fuel on the whole system, and is a roadside garage, with a long diesel hose down to the canal. 64.7p. We had travelled from Aylesbury on the one tankful, and here we put in 189 litres – a record for us. We also bought Calor Gas, and some Camping Gaz.
We left looking for a suitable mooring, but it was more than an hour later when we finally stopped in a rural location near Bridge 29.
2 locks, 12 miles. Dep 0900, arr 1115 Brewood. Dep 1155, arr Wheaton Aston 1300. Dep 1325, arr 1440 Bridge 29.
Sun 5th July Br 29 to Norbury Junction
We followed the online service from Broughton Church on Facebook, and then had “coffee after the service” with our life group on Zoom. It is wonderful being able to take part in these events using technology, even though we are a long way away.
We had had to use mooring spikes on our mooring as there were no rings or piling. A few boats were going past quickly, and during the Zoom meeting we realised that we were surging quite a lot. James had to go and bang the pins in again as one had come out and was hanging in the water.
We set off, and were soon in Cowley Cutting, followed by Cowley Tunnel. It is challenging to think this was all cut out by hand.
At Gnosall we saw that the Boat Inn was serving Sunday lunch until 3.30pm, so we pulled in and moored. James phoned them, and sadly they were fully booked. However, just ahead was a trading boat, with a canopy out, so James went to see what they were selling. It was the Candy Boat and he came back with three packs of fudge.
We arrived at Norbury Junction, and stopped at the facilities to empty cassettes, dispose of rubbish, fill the water tank and make use of the book exchange. We couldn’t get the boat into the side due to an underwater ledge, found in many places on the Shroppie.
As we were leaving to find a mooring further up, we spotted Elisha, so we pulled in and had a socially distanced cuppa with Malcolm and Stephanie, BCF friends of ours.
It wasn’t worth moving on by then, so we stayed the night. There was rain later.
0 locks, 4 miles. Dep 1245, arr 1420 Norbury Facilities. Dep 1445, arr 1455 Norbury Junction moorings.
Mon 6th July Norbury Junction to Knighton Wood Br 47
It was windy this morning as we said farewell to Malcom and Stephanie, and set off.
We passed several landmarks: The bridge aptly named “High Bridge” with a telegraph pole in it. The anchor at High Offley, a very unspoilt pub, run by two elderly ladies. It didn’t seem to be open. Also the wharf once used by Cadbury’s to ship goods to their Bournville works.
We noticed that the usual strimming team had not been recently, resulting in lovely wild flowers, in this case clover.
We stopped just after Bridge 47, where we found empty moorings with rings, but then two more boats arrived, plus several going past including hire boats and day boats. It is much busier since restrictions eased on Saturday.
It was a fine evening, and James went to sit in a field by a badger path, as we had seen active setts in the canal cutting. He saw no badgers, but saw a few bats, flying so close that he could feel the wind of their wings on his face. There were also at least five owls calling in the trees around.
0 locks, 5 miles. Dep 1055, arr 1230
Tue 7th July Knighton Wood to Tyrley Top Lock
We started early, hoping to make it to Market Drayton, despite a wet weather forecast.
On the way we saw two kingfishers, as well as a buzzard sitting on a canalside tree. It flew off before we could get a pic.
Woodseaves Cutting is a huge engineering achievement, built without powered tools in the 1830s. Today we found a few problems there, including landslips, fallen trees and rocks on the towpath.
High Bridge
We managed to get to Tyrley Top Lock moorings just as the rain started, so we stopped and hoped it would pass. Sadly, it didn’t stop until evening, so we stayed by the top lock.
We caught up with a few things. We have been waiting for Three to reply to two letters, the first one sent on 4th June. Yesterday, instead of answering, they had sent a “no reply” email saying they were passing the account to debt collectors. It is so difficult to speak to anyone there. James then sent copies of all the correspondence to Watchdog. He tried once more to contact the right department at Three, either Customer Complaints, or credit control, without success. These departments seem to be unreachable. He then managed to have an online chat with someone called Rakesh, who said he would get the issue highlighted to the team.
In a short lull in the rain, James managed to trundle two cassettes to the facilities block, several boat lengths away.
We were able to take part in our church online prayer meeting – one of the benefits of lockdown.
0 locks, 5 miles. Dep 0655, arr 0835.
Wed 8th July Tyrley to Market Drayton.
We left fairly early as rain was forecast later. A boat had gone down the locks an hour earlier, so we anticipated the locks would be against us. We had to fill the top lock, but a boat was coming up in lock 2, so they left it set for us. Then another boat was coming in lock 3, so again we went straight in.
Locks 4 and 5 were both in our favour except for a small amount of leakage. The flight of locks goes through a rocky cutting. There was a lot of water coming down, causing strong side streams from the bywash culverts.
We saw the first of the many artwork installations on trees that stretch from here to Nantwich. Were these done officially, or was it just someone with a sense of humour expressing themselves?
There were dark clouds around, and some very fine dampness in the air. When we arrived at Market Drayton, we put the hood up again, and walked into Market Drayton. We did a “proper” shop at the excellent Morrison’s store. We had lunch in the café, and took a taxi back to the canal. At a cost of £4, it was money well spent.
In the evening we had a Zoom meeting with the Canal Ministries team.
5 locks, 2 miles. Dep 0920, arr 1015. Amazingly fast!
Next: continuing
north, with a barbecue on Friday with friends Tim and Hilary at Adderley,
weather permitting.
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