It was dry but rather cold as we set off, marginally later that usual at 10 am.
We soon warmed up as the two locks down to the river were quite stiff even though they do not change in level as much as those further up the canal.
At the bottom lock we could see signs of the winter flood levels with still plenty of caked mud on the top gates, on the ground around the lock and in the nearby hedges. No problem today and as we completed the lock we called ahead to the keeper at Holt Lock who promised to have it ready for us.
By the time we turned onto the river the sky had cleared and the sun was much warmer - before long we regretted not removing a layer before strapping ourselves into lifejackets. Every year when we first need this protection we both struggle to remember how to put them on without getting into an utter jumble with the straps!
There are no villages close to the river between Hawford and Stourport although occasional small groups of houses can be seen, carefully built so that they survive the regular flooding each winter.
Holt village is more easily recognised by the distinctive Holt Castle. Although it was originally started in medieval times, as a fortified farm house, most of what can be seen dates from the 16C and 17C. It has always been a private residence and remains so today. Some several years it has been licenced to hold weddings and in 2014 and article in Country Life states that it was for sale with a guide price of just under £2 million.
It was just an hour after leaving Hawford that we sighted Holt Lock - it is immediately preceded by a splendid single span road bridge that was originally designed by Thomas Telford.
The friendly lock keeper saw us coming up the long straight and the gates swung open just as we began to slow down in front of them. Although large, passage through these locks is smooth and straightforward, with both ends of the boat held with ropes onto the risers placed along each side wall.
We continued up river - the next reach is slightly shorter with an expected time of 50 minutes.
Half way along we spotted the entrance of the Dick Brook, a modest stream that can easily be missed today but for a while in the 18C was developed to be navigable for a short distance to give access to Astley Forge and Mill. According to once description, the mill had successively varied uses, including the fulling of cloth and the making of scythes!
On schedule the short cut from the river to Lincomb Lock could be seen - although trees are beginning to do their best to disguise it, the warning sign is still visible for some distance downstream. Again, a very friendly lock keeper - they have just gone on to full time opening (during the winter the locks are closed two days a week) and we were the first through today. Yesterday they did have a few more.
We did persuade the keeper to allow us to moor up on the lock landing above the lock - at the time we did not realise that it is one of the least suitable but he not only came and helped us moor up but also came back later when he saw us ready to leave. The reason we were looking to stop at this point was that Christine had made a soup with the lamb bones that came from the butcher with last night's roast joint and if we continued we might well have had to continue up into the basin at Stourport (there are almost no general moorings on the this part of the river apart from pubs and junctions)
There are several landmarks on the final short run to the junction, the first is Stourport Matina. Although the narrow protective entrance means that it is possible only to glimpse a little of what lies inside, it does seem to hold quite a few boats.
Immediately above the marina entrance is a working boat yard - this gives us the opportunity to add an entry into our collection of Unusual Boats We Have Seen - not been busy of late with very few to add last year - this craft has obviously had a varied career and now looks somewhat top heavy!
The River Stour accompanies much of the lower Staffs and Worcs canal (although probably we should put that the other way around!) and finally emerges into the Severn just before the junction. The unwary might think that this was actually the junction but close up it is not navigable. The 1929 OS map indicates that the large building is a Vinegar Works.
We passed the barge locks (there are two separate entrances to Stourport Basin) we could see a volunteer lock keeper waiting to greet us on thew pontoon below the narrow locks and he offered, along with another volunteer, to assist us through the two staircases so that we could immediately take the boat into the lock without trying up below. We were only the second boat today - the first must only have gone as far as the marina as we did not pass it on the way up.
The staircase locks are unusual - in most cases the instructions clearly instruct that the lower lock should be emptied before the upper one is lowered. These are designed so that the excess water flows away without causing a flood whatever the level in the lower one.
Once through and into the basin we found a space on the visitor moorings beside the service block - eventually we opted to stay here for the rest of the day and overnight. This meant that we could visit the nearby main street shops - it is a small town centre but with a full range of small shops. We really only wanted a newspaper but did pick up a few other non-essentials. These included a pork pie from a small butcher who was very chatty!
Alongside the mooring is a modern inscription in the low wall Plan of Mr Acton's Field with the Rises and Falls of its Surface at every square Chain's Length taken 19th January" This appears to be a reference to the person who owned the land over which the canal junction was originally built and he co-operated in the survey of the area.
There is a modern bridge that seems to give access to further moorings off the main basin, along with new apartment blocks. The plaque records that the development of Lichfield Basin allowed active canal use. Despite the provision of a number of well-appointed moorings in two parts of the basin, it does look as if the residents have other ideas and they all stand seemingly very much unused.
In 2008, the local council proudly stated to parliament that the Lichfield had once again become an active basin! We join an illustrious line of boat blogs that wistfully wonder about all this, including Oleanna and Epiphany.
8.9 Miles - 8 Locks
A year ago we were stuck on that mooring in Stourport as the river had come up. It stayed in the red for two weeks when we decided to give up and go to Worcester the long way round. The electric post at the end of the visitor moorings there works if you have am electric card, very handy when stuck. Pip
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