A very different day - it began with cloudless blue skies, although during the day some fluffy white clouds appeared but it remained sunny and pleasantly warm.
Mike walked around to the Bus Station where there is a Sainsbury Local, for a newspaper and a few pother top up items. There is no full supermarket anywhere near the canal through Wolverhampton but we can manage at least for today with just these few extra items.
When we were ready to set off we moved first into Broad Street Basin to use the facilities. The former Fellows Morton warehouse has had a number of uses in the time we have passed this way - one night we moored here when it was a nightclub (noisy!) At the moment it is a Kitchen store. The water tank took some time to fill as the tap is on the slow side.
Eventually we were able to start properly and headed towards the top of the Wolverhampton 21. a long flight of locks that takes the BCN down to the Staffs and Worcs.
We did not break any speed records (not even our own) but worked gradually and systematically down. We passed only one other boat coming up the flight. Water supply problems to the Wolverhampton Level mean that all access to that level is locked overnight but these times did present us with any issues on this occasion. A couple of pounds were noticeably lacking in water but none needed us to run water down.
A large bank alongside Lock 4 had a display of wild flowers - cowslips, daises, pink campion - which seemed slightly odd with the industrial land backdrop. There are few houses close to any part of the flight but plenty of uninteresting workshops and derelict land. A huge waste disposal site dominates the middle section.
Railway lines cross the canal several times and there are two high level and impressive viaducts.
At Lock 16 we met a CaRT Enforcement Officer who entered our registration number into his tablet so we are now known to be on the move. However, we now do have a year-round marina base so we have no concerns about being seen often enough (boaters that do not move very much get quite agitated at this!) We had a good chat over a number of the challenges facing CaRT.
However , this did mean that it was by now unrealistic to delay lunch until the bottom of the flight so, below Lock 17, where there is the longest pound in the flight, we moored up for an hour.
We were pleased eventually to see Lock 21! Below here we emerged onto the Staffs and Worcs.
Just after the junction is an elegant turnover bridge. It is then about a mile to Autherley Junction where we turned onto the Shropshire Union. The water in the long last pound of the Shroppie is guarded by a stop lock which dropped us down about 150 mm. We were a bit distracted here and so failed to take any photos.
We had no need to continue late today so after passing the long line of moored boats at the Wolverhampton Boat Club we started to look for an overnight stop - hopefully with a chance of a satellite tv signal. It is less easy to come alongside the towpath because of the famous Shroppie Shelf - a sloping edge to the bank which was party of the canal's original design.
Using the indications on Waterway Routes maps we eventually came close to the edge - enough to step over - and, to our surprise, a tv signal.
4.4 Miles - 22 Locks
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