8am Monday 31st January at Bratch ...
... more ice on the canal ...
... but the promise of a bright sunny day ...
... as I take first turn at the locks, here entering the bottom one ...
... it's a long way up there looking back to the bridge ...
Mags steering Seyella into the middle one ...
... George has opened the bottom gates and I prepare to leave ...
... blimey, that's high!
The lock house at Bumblehole has some very nice features although it's condition is not nearly as good as the one at Bratch - (is it still owned by BW I wonder?)
We're playing leap-frog today, we (RnR) have set Bumblehole lock for Seyella to enter without pulling over - Seyella will now steer the way and set the next set (Botterham Staircase) for us.
Botterham Lock House looks lovely in the sunshine as I enter the lock.
... the paddles are open and I'm waiting to descend - Geoff looks very pensive!
wow! look at those icicles under the bridge ...
... Geoff has promised not to jump on the bridge so they shouldn't fall on my head!!
... what whopping great gates here.
Geoff and Mags breaking the ice as they approach the lock ...
... another unusual overflow at the bottom of the staircase ...
... we've set Marsh lock for Seyella who breaks through the ice ...
Anyone got a caption for this picture...
or even this one?
... and another lovely shaped overflow here too.
This hopper moored by what looks like a pump house looks very pristine - I wonder if it has much business?
It's very cold as we reach Hinksford Lock; the weir here has lovely icicles still on it.
It's nearly 4:30 as we motor to our mooring for tonight. After filling up with water we at Greensforge we decide to go down the lock to moor and wait for Mr Tescoman tomorrow morning.
Tuesday 1st February - Rock n Roll reversed back up the lock and duly received the Tesco orders - mine came in through the side hatch and Geoff stacked Seyella's provisions in the front cratch ready to transfer to Seyella when we've dropped down the lock again. All supplies stored away, we set off at about 12:30 - we're hoping to reach Kinver today.
4 ducks or 8 - what a busy picture!
these two were sleeping on the ice until we woke them up as we approached
Ashwood (private) Marina - looks a very pleasant place to have a mooring.
The ice was getting harder to break through and I had quite a problem getting around this corner above above Rocky Lock, eventually Geoff and Mags arrived and I suggested that they pass me on my right to break up the ice a bit more to enable me to get back into the middle channel
Mags on Seyella is also having problems getting off the bank to pick Geoff up
The scenery here in South Staffordshire is beautiful - but you can see that the ice on the canal; it was really hard work breaking through the it as we completed Gothersley Lock.
It was about 2:30pm when we steered through Prestwood Bridge (34) and saw Seyella pulled in to the side; we wondered if there was a problem - and there was - they'd had enough! I couldn't agree with them more, it had been a difficult couple of hours cruising battling against the elements and we were glad to moor up for the night.
While I had a nap (not feeling brilliant at the moment) George and Geoff went off with the dogs for a walk ...
... the footpath took them past some fantastic houses; this one is apparently a BUPA hospital/care home - the reprobate in the corner is Geoff if you don't know him!
what a palace - if the beautiful gates are anything to go by the house must be something inside.
... it's nearly dark when they return dogs covered in mud up to their arm pits ... oh, Meg, the ignominy of having to bathe on the towpath ...
Bridge 34 Prestwood is a pretty one with the 4 barriers on the offside in the hole and the strange 'ledge' there on the left of the arch; I wonder what that's for?
It was nearly 10:30 when we set off again - we should get to Kinver today ...
... but the ice had different ideas .. although a boat had obviously been through here recently and broken up the ice, the going was difficult - again!
The much photographed black door in the sandstone bank - I've heard that it was once used for boats ... and for the barge horses ... and for storage even ... but I couldn't see how anyone would access it at all!
The River Stour creates a 'lake' in front of this grand building.
This space has been carved out of the rock and may well have been a wharf at one time - possibly when the canal was built? and perhaps has some connection with that door?
Stourton Junction - we go straight on ...
... we shall ascend these locks on our return journey.
As I waited for Stewpony Lock to be set for me I 'lost' forward momentum but George pushed out the stern and I managed to 'glide' into the lock.
Scooby from NB Festina Lenta came up the towpath and was telling George that there was a diver in the water doing repairs to the bank below Kinver Lock and that the pound (the name of the piece of water between two locks) below Stewpony was a bit low because of it.
Another of those lovely fretted ironwork foot bridges from many moons ago...
... Rita on Festina Lenta passing us to enter the lock which is now ready for them ... we found that we still had no forward motion and pulled into the side for George to clear the weed hatch of leaves that had caught around the propellor...
... but we still had the same problem as we tried to get through Dunsley Tunnel (all 25 yards of it) and realised that the water was down much further that we had anticipated - at least 5-6 inches and having a rather deep draught (approx 28") our stern (rear end) was dragging the bottom of the canal and picking up goodness knows what!
... Geoff had to wait in the tunnel into we could get going again.
Brick pillars hold up the sandstone in places.
We continue very, very slowly around the bend and who's that moored over there - it's NB Poppy - we had promised that if we saw each other we'd stop and introduce ourselves, which we did once moored. I had fully intended to ask them round for a cuppa and a chat, but I was still not feeling 100% and so got onto the bed and slept the afternoon away. I must see them in the morning.
Hi you two,
ReplyDeleteWe were off at just after 9 this morning, had a date with the coal man! Came to say bye but no sign of anybody, not sure if you were having a lie in ;) Just read you were not feeling too good, hope you're better today. I'm sure we shall meet up again on our travels.
Julia & Mark
This is quite frustrating as, had we not had to re-trace our steps re the engine mount problems, we should have been able to meet up with all of you bloggers - instead we've missed you all by the proverbial gnat's whiskers.
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