Atherstone

Today's Canal : Coventry

We are having to plan a little more carefully than usual for a few days as the water shortage has led to the top half of Atherstone only being open 10 - 2. The bottom five locks remain open at all times.

As a result, we set off just after 9. We moored overnight between two busy road bridges - you may just be able to see the one behind us and the one in front, the main A5, equidistant but out of sight (behind the camera)

We had a fairly short run to Fazeley Junction, where a later canal branches off to go straight to the centre of Birmingham (closed at Curdworth and Minworth currently - water shortage, of course!). We continued on the Coventry but we ought not dwell too long on our steering at this point. Christine claims that as we approached the junction bridge, Mike was too distracted by wanting to take a photo whilst Mike points out that there was, very unusually, a large projection at water level from the offside under the bridge, at least as large as that for the towpath opposite. In any event, we did not do well!

Shortly after we passed over the River Tame. By now the promised sunshine had arrived but in came and went throughout the day. So also did the wind, we wondered if this was the edge or the remnant of storm Floris which mainly battered the northern part of the UK in the last couple of days.

A little before Glascote, a boat pulled out in front of us so we had to follow them up the two locks. This was extra fortunate for them as when Christine asked here they were headed they replied "Leicester". But surely you are going the wrong way said Christine in reply - "You do know that the Leicester Branch is closed from Watford to Leicester?" It seems that they did not and as they had a fitting for a new boat cover booked they opted to turn around as they now have just enough time to get there in time - they did not want to lose their booking slot.

Overall, we had not lost too much time when we emerged from the upper lock.

Alvecote Marina is home to a goodly collection of historic boats so this time we thought we might try and identify a few and look for their history. This is Bream which started life as a full length working boat, built in 1949 for the British Transport Commission (just after nationalisation) to the same design as several for Fellows, Morton & Clayton. It was eventually chopped into two. The shorter, rear part was joined to part of a BCN day boat and used as a hire boat.

Nuneaton was built in 1936 by Yarwoods for the GUCCC. It was bought by the Narrow Boat Trust in the 1970's and since then has been paired with a butty, Brighton, alongside it is this photo. For a while the latter was used as a camping hire boat and then did some gravel carrying on the Soar near Thurmaston.

Ceres was built by Harland and Woolf in 1935 for the GUCCC and later the Manchester Ship Canal where it operated as a tug. Lupus dates from 1936 and also built by Yarwoods. It spent much of its time on the Bridgewater Canal. It only became paired with its current mate in the last few years.

Atlantic No 3 was possibly built for Stewarts and Lloyds in the 1940's although the National Historic Ships website tells a slightly different story. In any event, it seems that it largely worked in the Walsall area of the BCN.

We pass on: Pooley Hall Colliery was part of the once substantial coal mining activity in this area. This short set of private moorings was once a loading arm or basin, open only at one end. It has now been opened out so that boats can access either end - they are keen to tell us that not only is this not CaRT water but that it is also full of silt. So how do boats get in or out?

After the colliery closed, a large area was established as a country park. Large flags announced their tempting ice creams for sale at the canal-side tea room. We await with bated breath the coincidence of them being open and us being here at the right time of day so that we can put the products to the test. We are not unwilling!

Under Bridge 53 in Polesworth are some plaques engraved with what we assume to be extracts from a poem. The first begins "Power. Primaeval power, the forest comes, stretching, reaching for sun and sky" We have not been able to find any info on the source or author but wonder if it might have been inspired by Longfellow's poem Evangeline which begins "This is the forest primeval". 

Just after leaving the village we could see this obelisk on Hoo Hill in the distance (hence the heavily zoomed photo). It is said that it marks the site of a chapel dedicated to St Leonard. A picture of the view that spot can be found here.

We have passed Grendon Dock many times but this year little seems to be happening although there is a boat inside. With the mass of weed now sitting above the stop planks, we are not sure how it might be allowed to escape, even if it wanted to.

Just a few minutes away from the Atherstone flight we pulled in to have lunch. Afterwards we moved on to the services at Bradley Green: we were lucky as a boat that had passed us earlier was just finishing filling with water and we could follow them immediately. The tap has a very good pressure and filled the tank even before the other usual tasks were finished! As we set off, a boat coming down from the locks also wanted to pull in, so another immediate swap.

Several boats had recently come down and the locks were all empty. This gave Christine an opportunity to chance her arm again.

The locks are closed at the top of the flight at 3 o'clock and perhaps because of this, with several boats still in the flight, the shorter pounds were now alarmingly low. We drifted over the cills with extreme caution! (If a boat does catch on the cill it is important to be able to reverse immediately to avoid a sinking, especially at the top end) The closure is supposed to start at Lock 6 but the pound between it and the one below is rather short so we opted to stop in the longer pound below Lock 7 where our guide indicates mooring is possible. It was and there was plenty of space. It was just a tad too far to walk to the shops but we will have time to do that in the morning. The locks do not open until 10 and we have until 3 to exit! We can hope that, as on the way down a few weeks ago, there will be a plentiful supply of volunteer lock keepers to compensate for the lack of water supply.

Later, Christine went to forage for fruits for her breakfast in the morning and returned with a goodly handful of small plums and bigger damsons.

10 Miles - 6 Locks