Fazeley

Today's Canal : Coventry

The forecast for today only gave it as grey throughout but there were plenty of brighter spells and  blue sky. Mostly a fresh breeze kept us a bit cooler but it died down by mid afternoon and the temperature rose once again.

Overnight there were three other boats on the same stretch of mooring as ourselves but two of them, as you can see, left before we were anywhere near ready to  set off!

We went only a few minutes before reaching Grendon services where we not only made disposals but also filled the water tank as a washing load was due. This photo has not really worked. It was meant to be a lesson in what not to do when attaching a hose to a water point with good pressure. Mike attached the hose and turned on the valve full blast and almost immediately the connector disconnected and Mike discovered that the stand pipe was pointing directly at his nether regions!

We have not seen as large a plant pot as this before.

Grendon Dock was empty today - we usually see at least one boat in there.

Perhaps this was a second brood but the tiny ducklings seemed to be rather late in the year.

On the  northern edge of Polesworth we noticed these two properties for sale through the same agent. The details on their web site state that this was originally one house, built around 1810 by the Coventry Canal Company to house a foreman. By1835, the company was so successful that its staff expanded and this house was extended and converted into two cottages for lengthsmen. After nationalisation, BW continued to use the cottages for their staff and this continued well into 2000s. By then tied cottages were no longer in favour and we assume that the present disposal follows that trend. They are not large properties - the one on the left has three bedrooms whilst the other only two. Each bathroom is on the ground floor. The house on the right has an asking price of £250K but with extra outbuildings and a somewhat larger garden. Both come with reserved car parking. Look here if you want one!

The Coventry Canal is often overlooked in favour of its supposedly more picturesque competitors. However, as the canal vegetation develops there are some really pretty stretches and very little industrial outlook.

One of the abutments to the M42 bridge has this artwork. The unexplained sketch at one end is given sense by the cryptic label (please add the missing S) at the other end.

The remains of several bridges can just about be seen as we pass through Pooley - once a major coal mining area which finally came to an end in the 1950s. This one, and most of the others were simple accommodation bridges probably used by farmers to move stock around fields that were cut in two by the canal. Once the mining expanded they were no longer needed.

Alvecote Marina is home to a number of full size former working boats, converted or restored in many different ways. (One of the blogs on our list in the right hand column is or was based here but we cannot remember which!) The pontoons look rather narrow for such as ourselves and maybe even rather wonky!

At least we know the purpose for this former railway bridge - it joined the collieries at Amington and Glascote to the main line.

Marshwiggle Cottage near Amington has a plaque with the following information: CHARLOTTE BILL 'Lala'  1875 - 1964/ A regular visitor to this cottage. Royal Nurse Maid to Princess Mary and Prince John (the lost Prince).

There are just two locks at Glascote and Christine demonstrated her continued improvement by working both of them. We were fortunate on having boats coming up both of them so the top gates were left open for us. (Definitely for real and not posed - if it had been posed we might have managed a clearer picture!)

The River Tame at this point is really picturesque - the canal crosses it on a narrow aqueduct. Earlier, when it passes through some urban areas, such as Salford (Spaghetti) Junction it is sadly little better than a muddy ditch. According to Wikipedia, it is used by some migratory birds to help them navigate a ross the country. As it skirts Tamworth (which share the name) it joins up with the River Anker. It finally loses its identity when the longer River Trent joins it at Alrewas - which we plan to pass through in a few days time.

At Fazeley the junction is with the Birmingham and Fazeley Canal which runs (off to the right of the picture) from here directly into the heart of Birmingham. Originally, the next part of the Coventry fell into the ownership of the B and F when the Coventry canal Company was in financial difficulties. Today, the whole stretch is known as the Coventry Canal.

Our main aim today was to get beyond Fazeley Junction with the possibility of making it to Hopwas, about half an hour further on. However, it was by now rather hot and when Christine spotted a useful mooring about ten minutes later, we called a halt.

This turned out to be fortuitous as it gave Mike the opportunity to do a couple of overdue tasks. Earlier on this trip a tumbler fell off the back rook and smashed into smithereens on the rear deck. We swept up most of the remains at the time but knew that there were still some small, but sharp, bits left in the drain channels around the deck board. Time to sweep them out.

A check on the weed hatch was overdue so conscience took over and Mike tackled the unwelcome task. It was possible that something was causing a little more noise from the prop than normal. A modest amount of plastic came out - reluctantly - but felt ghat something was hanging on to more. And then a piece of wire, about the thickness of a coat hanger, poked out of the water but pulling on it changed nothing. So, Mike found a piece of blue rope (same thickness as traditional sash cords) and he made a loop in the part of the wire he could see, tied the rope to it and heaved. Rather to his surprise it came out with a jolt and a bit more plastic wrapped around it. Relief all round but a large cold drink was now on order. To be fair, we have had no other trouble with weed and rubbish on this trip so far.

The miscreants.