Stourport

 

We are having a couple of days in Stourport before moving on again and while having a stroll around the town we passed this shop. Needless to say we couldn’t walk by without having a look inside.

Carolyn said she enjoyed the town here in Stourport as she did in Droitwich Spa. Again there were plenty of Charity shops for her to have a look in. We had also gone out in search of the Stourport Wetherspoons only to find out it had closed a couple of months ago and it had now been taken over by another Pub chain.

Would you believe it, they have Fairground here next to the River Severn. Good job our Granddaughter Curly isn’t with us yet or else it would have cost me a fortune.

Next to the main Basin in Stourport there is a further basin which is surrounded by this new housing development. What’s the betting that they are all Nimby’s and don’t want boats anywhere near their wharf side homes. Such a shame to see it empty as there is clearly a demand for extra visitor moorings in Stourport.

While moored up in Stourport we got friendly with Richard on NB Tabitha Twitchit who was moored behind us .The conversation got around to Barbecues (Not toilets) and we explained how we had one ,but it used to get on my nerves being stuck on the roof all the time ,so in the end I chucked it away. Ah! said Richard have a look at this …

Its a stainless steel fold up Barbecue and takes up very little room onboard. Once you have finished cooking on it you can then fill it with coals and it becomes a fire pit . Needless to say I got immediately on the Internet and ordered one straight away. Can’t wait for it to arrive…

Tomorrow we are on the move again as we want to get to Kinver and have a day there to look around the village. Its just over 4 hours from here ,so we may have a lie in tomorrow and pull pins about eightish ..

                                                                                                                  Happy Days

Pea soup

 

After a most enjoyable couple of days in Droitwich we untied from the bollards at 07.55 and turned right out of the basin towards The River Severn. After only a hundred yards or so we were surprised to see this amount of Algae on the canal ,it was certainly just like Peas soup.

From Droitwich down to The Severn it is a barge canal and we are back to double locks.

We did the Droitwich canal last year and said at the time that from Droitwich Spa town to The River Severn it has to be one of the most boat un-friendly canals anywhere, it’s Reeds all the way. From the Basin in Droitwich there are no moorings at all until you get to the lock above The Severn where there are a few moorings , Although if you happen to be an Angler there are hundreds of well prepared  places to enjoy fishing from. This is a distance of 8 miles.

Leaving The Droitwich canal we dropped down onto The River Severn and headed North up towards Stourport. We were joined on our cruise up the river with NB Nauti-Lass .

We don’t mind the Severn locks at all. When entering it’s just a case of putting your ropes around a steel rope which runs up the side of the lock. You then hold tight and keep the boat against the lock wall as it fills.

After a good cruise up the river we pulled in and used the wide locks as we were travelling with another boat and there was a couple of boats using the single lock.

When we got half way up the locks we were a bit shocked to be confronted by an angry Gentleman who looked to be in his late sixties and wearing a bright red jumper,he had a right go at us for using the double locks . He wanted to know what the hell did we think we were doing and and why didn’t you both use the single lock. He went on to explain that he worked in the basin and knew what he was talking about. He said that the double locks used more water than the single lock and we were being ignorant using those locks. I kept my cool and asked him if there was a water shortage to which he replied “no”. At this point I was ready to get off Inca and have a right go at him (Verbally of course), but Carolyn stepped in and told me to stay where I was and she then tried to diffuse the situation. To say he was aggressive was an understatement. I should have taken a picture of him and shamed him on here. He then walked off shaking his head and mumbling to himself.

Eventually and very Peed off we exited the top lock and entered the basin ..

Just to jump forward  ..

We walked down to the locks the following day and spoke to the Volunteer lockie who lives in one of the Cottages next to the double lock. He told us that if two narrowboats came up the river together they would often lock them up in the double lock . We explained to him what happened the previous day and he was a bit shocked at what had happened . Never mind , you do get the odd idiot now again ……

In the basin and we got onto the services and filled with water and got rid of our waste. There are two 24 hour visitor moorings in the basin which are  behind were we are moored . But you certainly couldn’t get two 60 feet boats on them .

But luckily we were able to pick up a mooring above the lock which lifts you up and out of the basin. We will have two or three days here to explore the area before moving off along the Staffs and Worcs canal.

                                                                                                   Happy Days

Droitwich Spa

 

We pulled pins from our mooring at Stoke Prior at 07.40 after the best nights sleep I’ve had for a long time,must be something to do with the 33 locks I did yesterday. After dropping down the 6 locks of The Astwood flight of locks we were soon at Hanbury Wharf . We have been a bit undecided over the last few days, should we drop down into Worcester turning left or turn right and drop down into Droitwich Spa . In the end we tossed a coin and turned right.

There is usually a Volunteer Lockie on at this flight as it seems some people get confused about using the side ponds when locking up or down . Although this guy didn’t really say a lot he was very helpful and efficient.

Just past Droitwich marina entrance and you pass under this bridge. I think it’s a good idea they put those floats there or otherwise a lot of boats would get damaged.

After the bridge we come to the staircase locks . It’s always easier going down as you go down on the same lock full of water .

After the next lock we go onto a river section with the notoriously low bridge under the M5 Motorway . Guess what happened next ? We hit the height board a good 3 inches up it with our cratch board. But not being easily put off We carried on slowly and in the end just about scrapped through with no damage done . The bizarre thing then was that we were a good Quarter of an inch below the height board on the other side of the bridge .I think someone needs to do a bit of adjusting.

One of the best things about this canal is the safe and secure moorings in Droitwich . It is only a short walk then into the Town.

Out and about in the town and Carolyn takes an instant likening to these wood carvings. Just where we would put them on Inca ,God only knows. Eventually I managed to drag her away and we continued our look around. Like many towns today it seems to be full of Charity shops,which Carolyn is more than happy to visit.

Droitwich was known in Roman times as Salinae and salt was extracted by them, however the origins of salt extraction in the area go back to prehistoric times, the brine is 10 times stronger than seawater and can only be compared with that in the dead sea. It was not until the early 19th century that the benefits of flotation in brine were fully appreciated and brine baths built , John Corbett turned Droitwich into a fashionable spa, he was a salt king and a member of parliament and promoted Droitwich as a health resort.

“Well” said Carolyn “If I cant have one of those wooden carvings I will have one of these” . Mind you it was the V12 version and it looked to be in mint condition. Now off to buy a lottery ticket…

After a couple of days here tomorrow we will move on again. We have a 4 hour journey down to The River Severn and we will then decide whether to wait here over night or make the trip up to Stourport on the same day.

                                                                                                Happy Days

Tardebigge

 

We pulled pins at 08.10 a little later than we were going to and soon entered Tardebigge Top lock. At eleven feet and 7 inches deep it’s one of the deepest narrow locks that you will find on the canal network. With 36 locks in front of us we just hope that there are a lot of boats coming up the flight so that there are plenty of locks in our favour.The flight  comprises of 30 narrow locks on a two-and-a-quarter-mile stretch .It raises the waterway 220 feet (67 m), and lies between the Tardebigge tunnel to the North and the Stoke Prior flight of six narrow locks to the South.

With me on lock wheeling duty for most of the 36 locks Carolyn eases Inca out of the lock next to the reservoir which feeds this flight of locks. This is where the water is pumped back up the hill to feed water into the locks.

The first boat we meet of the day and he just managed not bumping into the back of us as he exits the lock. Some of the pounds are short,so it can make manoeuvering a bit difficult.

Who said that I never give Carolyn flower’s ? .She was more than happy to receive this lovely rose from me ,even though I did nick it from outside of someone’s garden. It’s the thought that counts !

It happens to all of us at times, but you can’t help but laugh when it happens to someone else. It’s a bit funny because the guy had just been telling me that they were experienced Hirers and then his wife started shouting at him to come back down from the lock and pull her in.

The obligatory picture from The Tardebigge flight. Everybody that passes this old lock cottage takes a picture of the array of aerials . I would have thought he could talk to someone on the other side of the World with all those aerials.

At last we are at the bottom of The Tardebigge flight which means we have another six locks which comprise of The Stoke Flight of locks.

After nearly five hours and with most of the 36 locks against us we get onto our mooring South of Stoke Prior. Out of the 36 locks we did I did 33 and Carolyn did 3. It’s a new world record for me with that many locks in a day and probably will never be repeated. Of course Carolyn has done more when we went up the same flight last year when she did all 36. Even though it was busy and there was a bit of hard work involved it was still a most enjoyable day.

 

                                                                                                                          Happy Days

Leaving Brum

 

After a most enjoyable stay in Birmingham we left our mooring at 07.50 and winded (turned) above Farmers top lock and then used the services before moving off. It’s not very often you see a roundabout on a canal, in fact I don’t think I’ve ever seen another one anywhere on our travels. Anyway it’s a left turn for us as we head out of the city and towards The River Severn.

Passing the Mailbox on our way out and Carolyn commented that she had been there and enjoyed shopping in Harvey Nicholls with my credit card……What ???

I must admit I did like the look of this building. It’s called The Cube and was the final part of the Mailbox complex to be built. Just the cladding alone cost 11 million pounds. It contains 135 flats, 111,500 square feet of offices, shops, a hotel and a 'skyline' restaurant. I will make sure that I visit it on our next trip to Birmingham.

Heading out of Birmingham on The Worcester and Birmingham canal and we noticed that several of the bridges had these small red doors in them . I know that when we went down the Hanwell flight into Brentford on The Grand Union Canal that the hospital next to the locks had similar doors built into the perimeter wall . They were installed there in case of a fire in the hospital so that firemen could knock out the door and put their fire hose through to draw water from the canal. I was just wondering if anyone knows if these are for the same reason.

Passing through Bourneville and guess who wanted to stop here at Cadbury World?. Unfortunately all the moorings were full so we had to keep going, what a shame Carolyn !

A few miles on and how about this for a bit of a Harry Tate boat. You have to take your hat off to who ever designed and built this. I would just love to see it running and I wonder how the drive works off that engine.

We see plenty of Scarecrows in fields as we cruise through the countryside but this is the first time we have seen one in a boat . We think he was there to scare away the Cormorants from eating all the Fish in this reservoir.

Passing through Tardibigge tunnel and it makes a change to go through a tunnel that has no brick or concrete liner but is just carved out of the rock. The tunell is for two way traffic although it doesen’t look like it. It’s said that this tunnel is haunted with a secret passage way running below the water to a cavern, although we saw no Ghosts or Bogart’s as we passed through.

After a great days cruise we picked up this mooring above the top lock of The Tardebigge flight of locks. The flight consists of 30 locks and then below that are the 6 locks of The Stoke flight . It is our intention to get up early in the morning and nail all 36 locks in one go.

                                                                                                Happy Days