Down to the River Severn (so much for a rest day)

Friday looked like being good weather so we changed our minds about having a rest day on Thursday and rang the river authorities to try and book a passage for the river Severn for Friday.  We were lucky even though it was short notice: as long as we didn’t mind waiting at some locks then it was all systems go.  This meant we had to leave Droitwich and get down to the junction with the Severn by Friday morning.  I took Buddy for a walk and Karen did a bit of shopping in Droitwich and after lunch we set off.

I had to clear some rubbish from the prop right next to this couple who were having a picnic.  They were a lovely friendly couple - she was 69 and was really keen on finding out what it's like living on a boat.

Buddy was pretending to be shattered by the time we got to the third lock.

This cheeky fox was watching us going through the fourth lock.

This overspill was rather artistic. 

There was a lot of mistletoe growing in the trees along the canal.  Most of it was at head height; I have never seen mistletoe growing so low.  The Droitwich canal seems so remote, no walkers, runners, cyclists or cars.

We moored 400 yards short of the River Severn just above the final two locks on the Droitwich canal. Waiting moorings have been built here as a safe place to wait if the river is in flood.  We had a lovely evening sitting in the cratch with the sides up having a beer and some wine – so summery – in my parlance, “A which way is up evening?”.

The Droitwich canal is actually two canals.  The Droitwich Junction canal runs from the junction with the Worcester and Birmingham canal at Hanbury into Droitwich town centre and is a narrow canal. It becomes the Droitwich Barge canal, which is a broad beam canal, and heads west to join the Severn at Hawford.  These are the six locks we went through today.