Back to Hopwas

We pulled pins at 07.15 on Thursday as we wanted to get from Rugeley to Hopwas which is only 15 miles away but on a narrowboat it was going to take us 7 hours.

                                       Statue at the entrance to the former Armitage tunnel.

  Blimey this is narrow. Just enough room for 1 boat. It used to be a tunnel but due to coal mining and subsidence the tunnel was eventually opened out. You have to send a crew member ahead on foot to make sure it is clear as you can not see through to the other end.

                      These kids have good fun with a swing over the canal and a slide into it.

                                                       Always Happy when she is locking

                                                     Carolyn liked this boat name.

                                                                 But I liked this one.

                                                         No....you are not coming aboard.

It took us 7 and a half hours to reach Hopwas and because Carolyn was using the washing machine we filled up with water twice on the way.

We managed to get one of the last available moorings in Hopwas just as you go out of the village about 200 yards past the 2 pubs. 

Our mooring is on a very narrow stretch. There is plenty of room for 1 boat to pass but lets hope 2 don't meet next to us.

Dusk from our side hatch looking at the Lichfield mast. At over 1000 feet high it dominates the skyline.

 

The weather forecast for Friday is heavy rain so we intend to sit tight here then move again on Saturday. We have good TV reception and more than 15 megs of Internet.

 

Happy Days