Atherstone

Today's Canal : Coventry

When we set off this morning, there was still quite a bit of mist around. This lasted another hour and after that we have had one of the finest days this trip - bright, sunny, gentle breeze and very warm.

A while later when we were gradually benefitting from the sunshine, we could still see thick banks lingering over the nearby hills.

Our schedule - based on getting to Brinklow in time to get home for all the appointments booked in from Monday (first stop, car service!) - involved reaching the bottom of the Atherstone flight by the time we moored tonight. However. once we had established our departure time we substituted an ambition to do a little better, perhaps four or six locks up, so that we can do some top-up shopping at tesco.

By the time we arrived at Fazeley the sunny weather was in full flow. This meant that mostly our pictures have blue sky but, depending on the direction of travel, the bright sun made some shots impossible.

As we crossed the Tame we exchanged enthusiastic, friendly waves with the canoeist below as he passed under as we were just completing the aqueduct crossing.

We were fortunate at Glascote, with a boat just leaving each of the two locks at the right time for us to pass and for them to leave the bottom gates ready for us.

A young lady was patiently waiting at the locks for a couple of boats to arrive so that she could join them. (Lacking a lock key she could only help by pushing gates but that was still very welcome) We later passed nb Cassiopeia and nb Purton, with nb Harnser sandwiched in between. The first is a full length former working boat, largely in its original configuration, whilst Purton has a full length cab. in conversion. Harnser is know to us as one of the listed blogs on the right of this page. Alas, with having to manoeuvre carefully (we, of course, met them at a bridge hole) we failed to take any pictures.

We did, however, manage a shot of the restored and converted boats in Alvecote Marina which seems to have managed to be home to a good number of those still operating. 

Several of the more urban stretches seem to have quite a density of bridges, of all shapes and sizes. Many will have been part of the canal infrastructure for most of its history but others have been added or modernised to serve the many new housing developments close by. And look at the sky!

But the sun was not kind when we passed this sign: Lees and Atkins Dock. It seems that here was once an important and well known narrow boat builder, who, along with Nurser at Braunston, supplied most of the Number Ones, boaters who owned their own boats and were self employed, at a time when, as a result of tough competition from railways, survived by taking their whole family to live on a 'pair'.

We had read a recent comment of someone who thought that when they passed recently, Grendon Dock was looking rather forlorn. For a long time the site has has a close resemblance to a scrap yard but it remains in hight demand as a facility and two leisure boats were in having work done.

By now our sights were set on reaching the services just in front of the next locks, before having lunch - we could then eat whilst the water was filling. Alas, another boat arrived and waited until we had finished - so lunch was interrupted to allow us to relocate back onto the towpath nearer the locks.

And so to the Atherstone Flight. Alas, that boat that arrived at the services overtook us just before we were ready to leave again so the locks were set against us, except for the second where a boat was coming down. Still, these locks are not difficult - unless, of course, someone leaves a gate paddle just a little ajar which we did not spot until we wondered why the last few inches were not filling!

We debated whether to stop after four locks, with a pleasant context and not too close to the railway, or to move on to the visitor moorings which are best for going to the town. In the end. after Lock 8 we called it a day, able to enjoy the rest of the sunshine.

11.5 Miles - 6 Locks

Hopwas

Today's Canal : Coventry

We walked the short distance to the village of Fradley and St Stephen's Church, to attend the morning service. In fact, this church was built in the late 19C as a chapel of ease to the older parish church in Alrewas. 

Until the 20C, Fradley was just a small hamlet not that far from Lichfield. A wartime airfield took over many of the farms and today there are no working farms in Fradley civil parish. As we noted yesterday, huge housing developments have taken place on the old airfield, but with the canal in between the old and  the new.

The service was led by the vicar who is retiring in a couple of weeks and this was his last appearance at this church - there are three in the benefice, centred around Alrewas. There was a small, but enthusiastic music group. The first of the two photos above, alas, missed out the most interesting element - a lady playing a bass recorder! Guitars are common but not this. There were about 30 in the congregation. Afterwards there were refreshments - plenty of cakes left over from an event yesterday!

In the churchyard is a significant set of war graves, nearly all Australian airmen. One of the functions of RAF Lichfield during the last war was to act as a training centre for aircrews intended to carry out bombing raids in Wellingtons, with a strong emphasis on Australian and other Commonwealth recruits. It seems that quite a high proportion of the graves are of those who were killed during that training and who never flew on an active sortie.

There is one grave of a German Air Force pilot, Joachim Schwartz, see here or here for his story (ignore the unfortunate title) but that account does not indicate why he was buried at Fradley.

By the time we had stayed to chat (and sample the cakes!) and then walked back to the boat, it was almost lunch time.

When we eventually set off, around 1.45, rain started, at first light but then very much wetter. It continued that was for most of our afternoon cruise - none of the promised sunny spells. As a result were unable to take any photos apart from just before we moored.

We only passed a couple of moving boats during the afternoon but around Streethay and Whittington there were plenty of moored boats so that progress was a bit slower than hooped.

At one stretch the canal has been allowed to grow extensive reed banks, such that at times there was barely a boat width of open water.

Approaching Hopwas, the land to the north of the canal has warning and  no entry signs as this is still a military firing range, part of Whittington Barracks, These were established the 1870's on land that had previously been used as a very popular racecourse, being not far from Lichfield itself. The main use of the barracks today is the headquarters of the Defence Medical Service, covering  work with all three services. It seems that actual firing is on the most northern part of the site but the woodland creates a very green corridor along the canal. 

Shortly after Hopwas Wood Bridge we moored for the night.

7.4 Miles - 0 Locks

Fradley

Today's Canals : Trent and Mersey, Coventry

Another fine day! The first photo is of our overnight mooring right in the centre of Rugeley. To the left is private housing - mostly little boxes - whilst to the right is an industrial estate with Screwfix almost the other side of the hedge.

The canal skirts the edge of the town and almost at the end is this bridge, built on the skew so that boats from either direction have very little chance to spot an oncoming boat until the last moment. Although we later had several crash stops on bind corners but this one was all clear. Just beyond the bridge (actually where the camera position is) we stopped to fill up with water - Christine put the washing machine on even before it was full.

Next came the so-called Armitage Tunnel. When the canal was built there was indeed a narrow tunnel cut through the rock, but not very deep below the surface. In recent times the roof was removed and the tunnel opened out, save for a wide bridge at the eastern end. We believe that this was the result of subsidence, a reminder (since nature and developers have all but removed all other signs) that this was once an important and successful mining area.

However, we were amused that whoever was tasked with specifying the Blue Signs at either end had probably only heard the name and so included all the warnings and information for a real tunnel! (Sorry it is rather fuzzy as the sign was rather far away - also makes the point that most of the info is too small and missed by passing boaters for the same reason)

Armitage Shanks factory making sanitary ware seem to have reorganise their outdoor storage arrangements and we caught only the smallest glimpse of the stockpiles that used to be next to the canal and good for a classic photo!

We were a bit puzzled by this security camera on the top of the main works building - from several angles it seemed that it was pointing into the wall? Perhaps they have previously been attacked by Spider Men.

For most of the time since Etruria we have been close to the loop line through Stone and Stoke but now we have swapped that for the proper West Coast Main Line, with its four tracks and a mix of freight and passenger traffic.

We called at Kings Bromley Marina to fill with diesel - we were getting a little low and Streethay (where we hoped to call) is closed tomorrow. We were required to reverse onto the fuel berth, not the easiest in an unfamiliar marina and a stiff breeze as well as having to wait for a few minutes as both berths were occupied when we arrived. But after an extended hover we found ourselves in just the right position, having looked carefully at the wind direction, to come in smoothly. The staff, both on the fuel berth and in the office were very friendly and helpful. However, all this concentration meant that we forgot about photos!

By complete contrast, a short distance away is Bromley Marina - a bit different. Alas, its neighbour has now taken all the trade for diesel etc.

We moored just above the first lock of the day - Wood End Lock. The fencing has been erected since ewe last came by - the other side was to have been part of HS2, that included the most oft quoted feature of a viaduct crossing the canal.

The cottage was compulsorily acquired and the occupants moved elsewhere. Now that the last government cancelled the northern phase, all of this is either in limbo or redundant, depending on your view of what should be done. On the local scale this means that the small niche in the bridge just below the lock is now empty - no more does it display bright teapots!

And just glimpsed through the vegetation, some of which was planted as part of the overall scheme, is the HS2 graveyard, or part of it.

Not really fans of boat designs with bar stools or seats, especially when not visually integrated with the overall shape. However, we could not help buy have a smile at these toadstools!

And so to today's last lock, just before Fradley Junction where we turned right onto the Coventry Canal.

The classic view of The Swan is really best from the stern of a boat just after the turn - it only lasts this way for a fleeting moment!

Immediately after the turn is a small swing footbridge. This really has to be the easiest swing bridge on the whole system, even a toddler (or an octogenarian) can manage it.

The final stretch before the village of Fradley is alongside the former RAF Lichfield which was built for the last war and decommissioned not long after. For several decades the left over hangars and new builds have used part of the large area as a distribution centre, but now a huge new housing estate is growing up. It is across the canal from the old village and it will be interesting to see whether the two, perhaps quite distinctive, communities rub along together! The Neighbourhood Plan envisages around 2000 new homes since the turn of the millennium.

Our target for today was to moor just after Bridge 90, the original route in to the village. We intend to walk into the village tomorrow morning - report in the next blog (perhaps!) There was just one full space which we gladly slipped into.

9.5 Miles - 3 Locks

Rugeley

Today's Canal : Trent and Mersey

We were promised a fine, sunny day with lots of blue sky - and, for once, it delivered, right from the off.

Yesterday, we moored at Salt but the rain deterred us from taking a photo of the ornate bridge. Perhaps as well as today, in the sunshine, it looked resplendent.

As we neared Weston, we could see in the    distance Weston Hall. Dating, in part, back to 1550 as a Dower House, it was gradually extended and improved by various generations. As it stands now, it was acquired in 2012 by new owners who extensively renovated and converted it into a venue for events, weddings, restaurant and accommodation.

A couple of pics just to show the Staffordshire countryside looking its best in the September sunshine.

Weston Arm, together with Weston Wharf, is currently base of a canal contracting company. The arm seems to have serviced a manure works and other industry as well, possible, as Ingestre Station (on a now disappeared Stafford and Uttoxeter line)

Our schedule for today included four locks, all quite spaced out, the first two before Great Haywood Junction and two below. We normally allow 15 minutes for a single lock - it may be longer if against but then also quicker if set in our favour, especially if left open by an oncoming boat. It was not helpful when we discovered at the first and second locks that there were queues of 4 or 5 boats waiting to descend - almost none coming the other way. The boat in front of us (two brothers who started canal boating in 1956!) and ourselves managed to refill and empty the locks quite efficiently but why the others in front took so long we did not learn. When we arrived at the second, Hoo Mill, the boat that had been at least four ahead of us in the first queue had still not started to go into the lock!

We paused at Great Haywood to empty the elsan and dispose of rubbish but we did not need to set up the water hose pipe this time so it was a quick stop.

We were not held up at all Haywood Lock, except the need to turn it. There were plenty of onlookers but only one felt inclined to help!

After the lock we immediately found a good mooring tom have lunch. We kept the break short as we felt the need to catch up a bit on the lost time.

Close (ish) to the canal is Shugborough Hall but most is hidden by trees. They all seem to have grown since we started to build our picture library 15 years ago. This is all of the Tower of the Winds that we could manage. We could see almost all of it in 2015.

Reviewing the photos when preparing these blogs can sometimes throw up surprises not spotted at the time. Usually we take two or three of the same pic to increase the chances that one comes out OK. This is one of just a run-of-the-mill country lane bridges, nothing special to be seen.

But when we looked at one taken a few seconds later (and we mean a few seconds) see what had surprised us - where did they come from/go to?

Colwich Lock was the last for today and again there was a queue, not helped by a boat pulling out right in front of us along the way! The main reason for delay was that only one top paddle was operational - the dreaded yellow bag strikes yet again. When it was our turn to fill and empty the lock we were able to have a very friendly chat with the next boater whom we had met several times before, mostly at locks and moorings. He is a continuous cruiser and summer waterways trader (ice cream and slush)

A long level stretch now until the centre of Rugeley where we planned to stop. It is often a popular place and so there is always some nervousness about finding a gap near to the shops - in this case also close to Screwfix to let Mike collect a replacement smoke alarm that he ordered a few days ago - the front cabin one had started to complain that it was running out of battery.

We started to see more of the River Trent, now grown to an adult size, here running alongside the canal.

We crossed the same river on the Brindley Aqueduct. This is also a signal that we were now entering the outskirts of Rugeley.

One of the gardens of the houses that adjoin the canal . . . (Trying to outdo Charity Dock?)

Passing several good spaces we crept ever close to the bridge by tesco, giving in at just the right moment. When we walked that way later, after mooring, we realised that we had taken the last available place in our size.

Refreshed by a mug of tea and a jam crumpet, Mike walked to Screwfix - it is only about 100m from where we were moored - as the crow flies - but rather longer by accessible routes! Christine then went to tesco - twice as she decided that we needed some more stores. It will be a while before we are close to another supermarket.

9.6 Miles - 4 Locks