Fazeley (almost)

Today's Canals : Trent and Mersey, Coventry 

The weather forecast for today gave a high probability of rain off and  on during the morning but brighter times from mid afternoon onwards. It was correct!

The first leg of today's journey was very short indeed - just across the canal to the water point directly opposite! As this is a notoriously slow tap we were not surprised to be passed by several boats that went up Junction Lock before we could join the queue.

This gave us time to look at the wharf crane - a memorial plaque alongside states that it was brought here from Horninglow (in Burton-on-Trent)  when the former salt warehouse was demolished to make way for the new A38 dual carriageway.

The volunteer lock keeper was very chatty and she told Christine about the way in the adjoining small reservoir (Fradley Pool, now also a nature reserve) came into being (to prevent the Coventry Canal stealing the Trent and Mersey water) and is still used. It is at the level of the first pound down from the junction (where we moored last night) and is fed  by a bywash from the pound  above the junction. When called for, the reservoir then feeds back in the longer pound below Hunt's Lock.

After the connection between the Coventry and Trent and Mersey was completed, this location became quite a busy place and both boat and boater were well catered for. What is now a paint dock has long been a dry dock for repairing boats whilst The Swan refreshed thirsty boatmen!

We headed down the Coventry, retracing the route we came up a few weeks ago. After Bridge 88 and the Fradley Pumping Station (drinking water supply not canal - dating back to 1891 and originally steam powered), it is just possible to see a railway line a few metes beyond the fence. This was a line built to connect Burton-on-Trent to Dudley and Walsall in the West Midlands, via Lichfield. The line is still maintained but some parts are now mothballed. This section is still in use but does not run a regular service: some freight traffic, depot-bound trains and occasionally when other routes are unavailable.

Approaching Streethay there is a large Distribution Park, largely hidden from the canal by trees but in a gap we did spot a large warehouse for the Cotswold Company. This area has developed extensive logistics services. helped by improvements to the A38 and direct connections.

Streethay Wharf is well known for its boat services as well as a small 40+ boat mooring.

On then to Huddlesford Junction, once the northern end of the Wyrley and Essington Canal. The Lichfield and Hatherton Canals Restoration Trust are gradually bringing this lost route back to life and when complete will make a tremendous difference to the use of the northern BCN network. Ogley (on the top finger of the signpost), by the way, is the other end of this link.

A 20C house alongside Bridge 80 styles itself as Whittington Wharf (not to be confused with another wharf of the same name on the Llangollen). However there is no mention of the  name on the 1900's OS map but it does show an Inn!

The next section shows the dangers of reducing the amount of in-water vegetation allowed to grow. At this point there is only room for a single boat for some distance and in places only by allowing the boat to push its way against the reeds.

Nearby is a bend where the reeds make it impossible see if there is an oncoming boat with a bridge just around the corner. Given that this canal does not have any locks to maintain it does seem unfair that it should have some of the poorest vegetation management.

We noticed that, on a rainy day, this farmer continues to irrigate his fields. We wondered where the water comes from - hopefully not one of the abstraction licences that permits water from the canal to be used in this way, even when it endangers closing the canal to navigation.

The rain which soaked Mike as he was mooring for an early lunch, gradually went away and by mid afternoon was, as predicted, largely sunny, warm and dry.

That's the excuse for including this photo taken shortly before we moored for the night close to Fazeley Junction. Mooring on the canal for a few miles before the junction is not easy and we noted from our map that these would be a possibility midway between two busy roads. This bridge welcomes drivers to Mile Oak, now a suburb of the village of Fazeley on Watling Street (once the A5). The other bridge carries the modern A5 and we fortunately found a good Armco mooring just out of sight of it. The louder noise is from the wind rustling the leaves in the trees surrounding us!

10.2 Miles - 1 Lock