Sunday 10 June: Coven to
Autherley Junction and the Shroppie (12 miles, 2 locks)
Sunshine again! After superb kippers and toast for breakfast, we set
off into the flow of boats heading southwards. We didn't need to
dawdle or go fast, as turns, bridge holes and the narrow sections
around Pendeford Rockin' (maybe ten feet wide with passing places)
slowed folk down.
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| Autherly Junction, turn right for the Shroppie |
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| we chatted to Lincoln folk at the 21 inch stop lock at Autherly Junction |
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| Wolverhampton Boat Club |
Hard red sandstone meant Brindley's navvies dug the
minimum width here. The three miles to Autherley Junction passed
pleasantly. We had to wait at the junction for a boat to come out of
the stop lock. As John made a very tight turn into the bridge hole
for the Shroppie stop lock, a boat travelling North didn't slow down
much or try to avoid us, so John zoomed around the corner! Thanks,
mate! Boat hirers were being trained in locking by the Napton
Narrowboats staff, and John chatted to a gentleman from Welton, near
our home, who had been taught by our good friend Karen Lamming: Small
world.
Once
on the Shroppie, things quietened down. We passed Wolverhampton Boat
Club, where members were having a work day. Through narrows with stop
gates, we approached the section with embankments (once called
“rockings”), cuttings (“valleys”) and narrows. Two nice
looking narrowboats (ex-Challenger, maybe) set off 100m in front of
us, unfortunately. John just took his time, a good thing when they
had to stop quickly at bridge holes, twice! Each time, we reached
them as they set off again, tortoise and hare-like. The sun blazed
down as we passed Chillington Wharf and shady cuttings to the
beautiful view on the embankment before Brewood. Stopping at the
Brewood visitor moorings, we enjoyed a walk around the village, which
has three pubs, plenty of shops, plus a large church with magnificent
Giffard family tombs, two fonts and eight large bells to ring. We had
a tasty Sunday lunch at the Bridge Inn before setting off the three
miles to the busy Wheaton Aston Lock, where we chatted to boaters and
canoeists. The Stretton Aqueduct needs some TLC, grass cutting and painting. We saw Phyllis May, of Narrowdog fame, at Stretton Wharf,
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| Annie on Stretton Aqueduct |
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| Stretton Aqueduct needed TLC |
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| Phyllis May |
A mile north, we moored on the long high embankment to
enjoy red wine and the afternoon sun. That Shroppie ledge meant the
boat was 80cm from the bank, so mooring pins and plank were needed.
What a gorgeous, hot day!
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| Wheaton Aston Lock |
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| we saw the Red Arrows - can you? :P |
On tv, we stayed up and watched an entertaining charity Socceraid
match. Neil from Inbetweeners scored the winning penalty after 3-3 at
full time! The Canadian GP highlights was the usual boring
procession, sadly: Isle of Man TT, and Formulas 3 and E are better
spectacles, these days.
Monday June 11: Northwards on the
Shroppie to Tyrley Wharf (18 miles, 0 locks)
Good news: Nephew Carson and sons are spending a few days with us on
Annie from the end of July :)
Up late, John finished the kipper and blogged, then we set off in the
sunshine (again!), through Rye Hill Cutting, Little Onn, Lord
Talbot's Wharf to Cowley Tunnel and Gnosall Heath. There were lots of
boats going both ways in the bright sunshine – what a gorgeous day!
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| watering up at Norbury Junction |
We got water and used the Elsan and rubbish skips at Norwood
Junction, colourful and busy in the sun. John visited the decent
chandlery to get a brass vent, needed to cover a hole to be cut when
fitting hidden plastic conduit pipe for the solar cables and their
battery connections. Moving from the services, we had a light lunch
nearby.
The wind got stronger on the high Shelmore and Shebden embankments,
while the deep cuttings were shady and rather overgrown on the off
side – we had to stop in a wider bit to allow one boat through on
the very deep Grub Street Cutting, where that telegraph pole still
dominates the double arch high bridge 39. John had a call from solar
panel sellers while driving!
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| the isolated Anchor Inn |
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Knighton canal warehouse
|
We had forgotten how many long term moorings there are on this long
pound, at Norbury, near the Anchor pub and Shebdon, plus around
Little Soudley and Goldstone Wharf. We just relaxed, passed slowly
and enjoyed looking at boats and moorings.
Reaching Tyrley at 5pm, as expected, we tied up and chatted on the
mobile with daughter Rachel, who was fine, thankfully. John started
fitting the solar cable conduit. The new stern gland packing seems
superb, with not a drip! John used nappies to dry out the bilge under
the prop shaft. Liana cleaned the floor with the steam cleaner. We
finished off the Fajitas for tea. Liana chatted to folk by the lock,
and John had an interesting chat about eco-farming with a passing
walker as he sorted out the back and locked up in the gathering dusk.
Tuesday June 12 2018: Down Tyrley
Locks to Market Drayton, then down Adderley Locks towards Audlem (6.5
miles, 12 locks)
We made an early start in the sunshine, meeting a CRT man who had
been repainting the cill marks white.
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Tyrley Top Lock
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We worked together, lock
wheeling. The fourth pound has a shelf next to the towpath, according
to Nicholson's guide and notices on the lock gates, so you can't
moor, so we let a second boat come up before we descended. I guess we
could have passed, really. It is only a mile after the five closely
spaced Tyrley locks to Market Drayton, where we could shop. We walked
down from the embankment and along a quiet country lane into town,
where we shared a big Mocha at Costa, Liana read the Times and John
caught up with emails, etc. The town centre is rather nice, with a
variety of shops. We visited Wilko and Asda to stock up. Doctor
daughter Jo rang to say she had intubated someone who she biked past
after an accident! They were lucky! Setting off, Whisky Boats base
was unoccupied. We cruised in the sunshine to Adderley locks, through
the less precipitous Betton Cutting.The fourth pound had a big ledge, so you couldn't moor. We expected the locks to be set
for us, as boats had passed us, but they must be leaky, as we had to
keep topping them up. Passed a boat in the bottom pound, then carried
on to the top two Audlem Locks, which were set for us, too. At the
top lock, expensive (we thought) cakes and scones were for sale –
they looked nice, though! We moored below with other boats on the
quiet embankment. We have done 12/25 locks, so we hope tomorrow is
fine.
Wednesday June 13: Down the
Audlem Locks to Audlem Mill and Northwards
John woke about 7am, sorted out pots, curtains and a cup of tea, then m oved Annie down to lock 3 of the Audlem fight in the sun. It needed filling, so John went down two locks and opened top gates ready for Annie, as these were nearly full. As he returned, other boats were arriving, so in we went! It was another sunny morning, with plenty of walkers. The locks descend through a shady cutting, with water rushing down large bywashes into each pound below. We soon were passing boats ascending, and with (almost) everyone helping, we were past the Bridge Inn and Shroppie Fly and moored after the bottom lock close by the old stables by the winding hole, where John attended a good canal painting course some years ago.
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| Audlem Mill with excellent selection of canal books |
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| passing the Shroppie Fly (water point near lock) |
Audlem has developed, with some classy houses and gardens plus more shops. After a pleasant walk round, we had cake and drinks at Number 11 tea shop. The lady replaced Liana's dry cake, but didn't charge for the fresh piece. At Audlem Mill shop, the lady said trade was much reduced as they were seeing ten, not sixty, boats per day because of the Middlewich canal breach. We're surprised, as the Shroppie has seemed quite busy to us. John bought an old book about European Canals, by Hugh McNight, as Liana has been investigating shares in boats in France - ooooooooh!
The solar system is definitely helping the batteries, once the engine has stopped.
Thursday June 14: Nantwich and beyond
After a rainy and windy night, we braved the wind and walked into Nantwich for a coffee at Costa, searching for the wood yard where we could get a wooden batten for the rear cover. The usual impressively distorted Cheshire black and white wood frame houses greeted us in town.
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| Nantwich |
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| looking back into Nantwich Marina arm |
After WHS and the market, we returned to Annie. The wind dropped, so
we set off for Hurleston: The wind got up and made entering the
bottom lock difficult for John: At least we had remembered to remove
all fenders this time, as Hurleston locks are notoriously narrow!
Volunteers helped us up all four locks. Apparently, the Middlewich
breach has reduced traffic a bit this summer. We moored up soon after
and watched the World Cup opening ceremony and first match: Russia
won 5-0! Audlem sausages (Shropshire Blue cheese, cranberries and
chives – delicious!) were very tasty – we'll buy them again!
Springwatch has been good on the tv this year – last one tonight :(
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