Day 7 - Fradley Junction

A lazy day with Denis at Fradley, walking to the Co-op in Fradley village (a half-hour walk) and around the very pretty nature reserve alongside the canal junction.

A thatched hide at the nature reserve, with wooden bullrushes decorating the entrance

We think these are batboxes - cosy!

At the water point

Days 1 to 6 - Sawley to Fradley Junction

Jan and Pete set off from Sawley at 8pm Monday, since 20mph winds were forecast Tuesday - to find the starter battery promptly died on Sawley Cut.  Scrabbled around various petrol stations to find enough water and left the poor thing to souse overnight.  Fortunately, it had recovered enough by Tuesday morning for the engine to start first time (and, fingers crossed, thereafter).

On with the first stage of this year's trip, the Warwickshire Ring anti-clockwise, via Fradley Junction, Fazeley, Birmingham, Warwick and back north up the Oxford and Coventry canals to Fradley.

The weather turned perishingly cold - needed the stove going while we were cruising. The first couple of days it was too cold to do jobs outside, so we assembled and painted cupboards and ate stew.

Chilly morning

Mural at Horninglow, outside Burton on Trent

The boatyard at Barton Marina made us new battery leads

Lorries on Ryknild Street alongside the canal

Pete at the tiller

Pete working Wychnor Lock, before the Alrewas river section

Cow Bridge, Alrewas - the boat goes through that narrow bit

Skirting the weir

Black swan

Water meadows

Walkway along the river

The view from Alrewas Lock

Some of Pete's pics:

The Swan at Fradley Junction, view from the start of the Coventry Canal.  Sheila and Denis joined us here for an enjoyable Saturday lunch before the start of the next part of the journey for Denis and Jan, south to the Warwickshire Ring.

Day 30 - Barton under Needwood to Willington

Set off mid-morning as it was raining but forecast to stop and went through Barton Lock in peaceful solitude.

Going down in Barton Lock

I'd seen nb Mercury going past while moored at Barton, so dropped in for a coffee with Mick and Sue Gavigan at Shobnall Marina, then bought a few things at the small but thoroughly stocked chandlery.  Including a special sponge, made in Germany which cleans glass in wood burners without the use of water.

Just after Shobnall, there were a group of young men by the canal in bathing gear and one swimming in the canal - I skirted round him extremely carefully and called to make sure he kept well clear of the prop.  It was a very warm day with people out walking, cycling and just sitting watching the boats.  

Dallow Lock

Willington was quite festive, with crowds of people sitting outside at the canalside pubs, eating and drinking.  I'd expected no space for mooring, but wound through the lines of boats and found space at the marina end of the village - and slept well in spite of the noisy railway line next door.

Day 29 - Handsacre to Barton under Needwood

After a full English, Pete left and I set off solo again for the home stretch back to Sawley - going down in the locks this way, so relatively easy compared to going up.  Rain was forecast, so I wanted to get through the river section at Alrewas which can be closed if the river level is high.  It didn't seem likely, but I didn't want to risk being held up this side of Alrewas.  By lunchtime I was at the services at Fradley Junction and had time for a quick sandwich.  There were CRT volunteers on four of the Fradley locks and since it was quiet, a kind volunteer walked ahead and worked the fifth lock for me so I could stay on the boat.

At Bagnall lock, just before Alrewas, I couldn't get the lower gates to stay closed and recruited two passing walkers to lean on the gates so that I could fill the lock - fortunately they were delighted to help.  At Alrewas lock itself, a woman in a moored boat rushed up with a windlass, offering to work the lock for me.  People really are very helpful and friendly on the waterways.

Through the river section and Cow Bridge with its narrow and tricky way through, then on to Barton and a mooring for the night just by the entrance to the marina.

Day 28 - Great Haywood to Handsacre

Pete and Ray

A great day with Ray, lovely sunshine but not too hot and at his request he steered and we crewed.  He says it's a treat to be at the tiller, because normally when he's on a boat he's training.  We did 10 miles, to Handsacre,  where Ray gave Pete a lift back to his car.

Day 27 - Stone to Great Haywood

A sunny day and a short day's boating, passing south through the pretty village of Weston upon Trent and mooring just after the entrance to Great Haywood Marina. Next to bridge 74 is Canalside, an excellent farm shop and cafe attached to the marina, selling a fantastic range of British cheeses, sausages and pies and the usual biscuits as well as their own range of preserves. We stocked up and Pete got a taxi to collect his car from Church Minshull, then we filled up with water and used the Elsan (by the way, not a very clean facility!) at the Anglo-Welsh boatyard.

We then moored and got an early night, as in the morning Pete was picking up our friend Ray Cullis of Trent Boathandling to spend a day's boating with us.

Day 26 - Trentham to Stone

Early morning - bridge near Wedgwood factory

Early morning - Blue Adeline

A day of extremely heavy rain, long queues and hours waiting to descend the two flights of locks at Meaford and Stone.  We found out why mid-morning; a 76-year old woman had unfortunately slipped while opening a lock gate at Stone and had fallen into the lock.  She'd been quickly pulled out by onlookers, but had needed urgent medical attention at the scene before being transferred to hospital.