Swindon

Today's Canals - Stourbridge Town Arm, Stourbridge, Staffs and Worcs

A somewhat wet, windy and chilly day - none on their own at all extreme but taken together it was rather disappointing for late May!

As we wanted to moor tonight within good mobile signal range we set off in good time. But first we needed to turn around by going into the end basin where the winding hole is located. Also, in the Bonded Warehouse, there are the usual facilities and we completed a 'full service'.

Turning around was tricky - there were boats moored as close to the hole as they dared (including the trip boat) and the wind was blowing hard. Of course, having taken the wind into account and started to get almost into the hole, the wind stopped for a few moments leaving us with a much more difficult turn . . . 

Now we could start on today's cruise for real. It was back along  the Town Arm. Just after passing the spot where we moored for the last two nights, is the Iron Works Entrance what was once a narrow bridge carrying the towpath. As mentioned in yesterday's blog, the land around the end of the Town Arm was once used for a variety of heavy industries - including an iron works. This bridge is almost the only reminder of this heritage, probably not noticed by many of the passers-by.

Just before reaching the start of the arm there are two short rows of cottages, built in 1929 called The Junction. It seems from older OS maps that Wordsley Junction was known as The Junction and they appear as Junction Cottages on the 1903 map. Strangely, however, they are several hundred metres away from the junction itself.

Just after the junction we crossed over the River Stour - we will do this again in a short while when on the Staffs and Worcs.

Three of the four Stourton Locks were against us but, even so, we managed to complete them in just half and hour!

Crossing the Stour once more.

Ashwood Marina was line of the earliest to be developed on the canal network - more than half of  it extends beyond the road bridge. It was originally developed in 1829 by the Earl of Dudley as a transhipment basin for a railway that connected with the numerous pits around Dudley. When it closed it was bought in 1959 by Peter Rose, a canal enthusiast, who developed and ran it until he died in 2011. The business is still run by the same family.

Just after Greensforge Lock we  stopped on a short visitor mooring for lunch. After setting off once more we passed a motor and butty.

Most of the lock bypass weirs on this canal are built to a similar design but the company clearly experimented with a variety of very different shapes, each intended to cope with the amount of water and its variation. It is important that a steady flow is maintained to keep each pound topped up as boats pass through. Water supply was, and remains, a vital factor in the successful operation of these canals.

It was no longer pleasant to cruise in conditions that seemed set for the rest of the day so, above Marsh Lock, we called it a day, slightly earlier than we had planned.

11.0 Miles - 10 Locks