A generally wet day - however it was misty but dry as Mike walked to the village shop close to the Junction where he was able to pick up both milk and a newspaper.
Lapworth is unusual - the parish church is well over a mile away from Kingswood Junction and is where the maps show the name. However, a road sign, close to the canal bridge, welcomes drivers to Lapworth! Lapworth Village Hall is just beyond the shops.
A century ago there were few buildings at this point, including these two half timbered houses.
After a very late start we moved around the corner, via the Lapworth Link arms to the service point above the first lock on the Southern Stratford. The triangular junction has undergone various alterations since its first construction. The Stratford Canal was begun at Kings Norton, the northern, Birmingham, end and by the time they had reached this point, the company was short of money and it was some time before the lower half was built(which helps to explain why its architecture is very different). A large basin was constructed and a guillotine stop lock, same as the one at Kings Norton, was built to control water flow between the new canal and the Birmingham and Warwick (now part of the Grand Union)
Somewhat later when the canal was completed southwards, the corner was cut across, with another lock parallel to the last original one, which simplified the navigation of boats from one canal to another. At the same time, the guillotine lock was taken out of action.
The southern Stratford was not as successful as the businessmen of the eponymous town expected and it nearly closed, becoming barely passable. However the National Trust purchased the canal when a road bridge scheme threatened to cut it off forever. Restoration followed and it opened to full navigation in 1964. However, it was subsequently transferred to British Waterways in 1988.
At this stage, boats coming up fro the Stratford direction and heading onto the Grand Union had to go up a lock from the original junction and back down the cut off lock, thus wasting a noticeable amount of water. As a result it was decided to re-open the short old cut, barely longer than a lock, but on a level so that no gate operation was needed. This was the way we came.
After completing the usual services - which took a little longer than normal because the washing machine was emptying the tank as quickly as we could fill it!
At Dick's Lane Lock 25 there is a bench dedicated to Doug Smith, creator of the Lockmaster Series of canal maps who died in 2007.
By now the rain had set in but it was not very heavy nor especially cold so we continued down six locks until it was time to take a lunch break.
At Lock 28 there was line of gongoozlers, including this fine, if craggy, specimen!
As often happens with a restoration project, the locks and gates can vary in construction. This one was especially difficult to operate - Mike found it impossible to climb back onto the gate to cross back to the towpath side as the end is so high above the ground. He then found that the top paddle would not close until the gate was closed.
At Lowsonford Lock there is another seat, with this inscription.
By the time we set off again, the rain was not only much heavier but also the temperature had distinctly fallen. As a result, once we had passed through Lowsonford, we succumbed to the temptation of a good bank (but no chance of tv) an stopped for the night.
This gave us time for one or two jobs that had been waiting for the right opportunity. With the fuel gauge still misbehaving, we have restored the old dipstick but the new tank is slightly shallower than the old one. In order to prevent the stick hitting the bottom every time it is used, the cross bar needed re-siting. Also, we are getting low on logs and coal so Mike cut up the few pieces of an old pallet that Christine had acquired from one of the Ryders Green locks a week ago.
We really did feel in need of lighting the stove when we stopped as the rain and cold had made us feel a tad uncomfortable. We soon warmed up!
3.6 Miles - 11 Locks
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