Shardlow to Willington

Tue 23^rd Aug  Shardlow to Sarsons Bridge 11

Despite empty warehouses, industry still happens in Shardlow. There were several boat hulls waiting to be fitted out.

Boat fitting out

Wharf crane and warehouse

Clock Warehouse, where we ate yesterday

A boat went past, and we agreed to share locks. It was called Dog Days.

Sharing Shardlow lock with Dog Days

We went through Shardlow Lock OK, but when we came to Aston Lock, there was a cruiser going up, then a boat started down. It seemed to take a long time to empty, with both bottom paddles fully up, and we couldn’t open the gates because the water was not level. We discovered that the offside top paddle mechanism had become separated, and the paddle was no longer in place. We put the paddle in manually, but it was still detached from the winding mechanism, so we put a bag over it, so no-one used it. We managed to empty the lock and the boat came out and our two boats went in. We contacted CRT.

Paddle gear detached

Bagged up

Aston Lock

We made it through the lock OK, and continued past Weston Grange to Weston Lock, which was fine. There is a narrow bridge at the lock, and it was entertaining to watch a large farming vehicle driving very slowly over the bridge.

Weston Grange

Optimistic

Not much room

Just made it

We had planned to moor at Cliff Wood, but it was noisy from Donnington Park racing cars. We found some rings further on by Sarsons Bridge 11, where it was quieter.

Moored near Sarsons Bridge

We went for a pleasant walk along an old railway line, which is now a cycle track, over the Trent.

Railway viaduct

The view from the bridge

An old boiler or similar

Long tailed tit

Our mooring from Bridge 11

We heard tawny owls in the night.

3 locks, 4 miles. Dep 0930, arr 1230

Wed 24^th Aug  Sarsons Bridge to Ragley Boat Stop

We didn’t plan to go very far today, as rain was forecast for later. At Swarkestone Lock we found a C&RT volunteer who set the lock for us as we approached.

Under the old railway bridge

Tudor gatehouse at Swarkestone

Swarkestone Lock

The junction with the Derby Canal

Toll house and wharf crane

We stopped at the Ragley Boat Stop, as several people have recommended it as being of good value. It certainly was, with a wide ranging menu, so we had lunch there.

Moored at Ragley Boat Stop

Later we had heavy rain, as forecast. Several other boats had moored, and then another one turned up. The remaining gap was about three feet too short, so we all got wet in the rain, as we moved the boats up to increase the space. It wasn’t really a problem. The rain was very welcome.

We are still trying to find someone to fix our broken pram hood. We have left phone messages, and sent emails and WhatsApp messages.

1 lock, 3 miles. Dep 0855, arr 1015

Thu 25^th Aug  Ragley Boat Stop to Willington

Farewell to Ragley Boat Stop

There were some noisy aircraft at 4.30am, and some goods trains rattling past.

There were lots of boats coming towards us, and two went up in front of us. Old Nick was the last boat with us on the moorings, and we were hoping to share with them if they moved. The next time we looked, they had gone! It was an electric boat, and we hadn’t heard their engine.

Went through Stenson Lock by ourselves, although another boat arrived behind us soon after we started filling the lock, so they had to wait. It is a deep lock, with considerable turbulence, so it is slow to fill. It also has very heavy bottom gates.

While we were there, James gave a BCF leaflet to a lady on Land of Green Ginger, who said she was a new boater, and a Christian.

Rain started soon after we left the lock, so we moored up early on piling just before Willington, by the footbridge. The facilities can wait until tomorrow.

It was very busy, with boats going in both directions. The weather changed and it was sunny later, but we stayed where we were, because if we had moved on, we may have had difficulty finding a mooring.

We heard from Johns Covers, who can fix our canopy. It will need three visits from him. Still waiting to hear from Sarah Brady at Brinklow.

Moored near Willington

1 lock, 3 miles. Dep 1120, arr 1235

Next: Cruising through Burton-upon-Trent, past the IWA Festival of Water, which starts on Saturday. We plan to visit by taxi from Branston.