We set out
at nine on Friday morning which was early for us but we had 16 miles and 11
locks to cover which would probably take about nine hours. Soon after leaving we bought some free range
eggs from a bench on the tow path – we love it when we come across honesty
boxes in this day and age; so refreshing. I can't beleive it is nearly 18 months since I used to sell our chicken eggs at work as it feels like we have only just started living on the water.
We stopped
for fuel and gas at Streethay wharf but had to wait for half an hour or so as
they were busy with other boats.
We spent the
time coming up with ideas about what we are going to do over the next few
years. Two important ideas come up when
we do this so we must start to act on them.
Firstly, we want to carry on with the boating lifestyle, so have agreed
that we must downsize by 12 feet so we can reach the parts of the country that
we cannot currently reach. Secondly, we need
to seriously look at renting out our house and buying a flat as it is such a
hassle maintaining a large old house when living on a boat at the other end of
the country.
We were
going down the Coventry canal until it becomes the Birmingham &
Fazeley. This is where the Wyrley &
Essington canal used to run from the right down to Birmingham at Ogley. Although it is derelict for the most part it
is actively being restored.
The towpaths
look completely different to when we came up this way in December – the canal
is often completely hidden.
Once we
joined the Birmingham & Fazeley we were reminded of how efficiently built
the bridges were as this is the only canal we have been on where the stanking
plank stores are built into the bridges.
It is also the only canal we have seen where the bridges have no
numbers - just names.
We both
laughed when we saw the name and words on this boat – shame the picture wasn’t
clearer.
After about
four hours we reached Fazeley junction where we are heading right onto the
stretch we have not been down before.
I
had mentioned in yesterday’s blog entry that we were hoping to get to Curdworth
to moor for the night as it is just before the built up part of
Birmingham. A friend of ours, Wendy, who
we met in Solihull in the winter, kindly left a message for us on the blog
telling us where it was safe to moor.
Poor Wendy cannot cruise in her boat at present as she has broken her
leg. It’s lovely when people keep in touch
like this – we had met as Wendy was one of the many helpful people in the
Birmingham area who gave us advice about travelling the Birmingham Canal
Navigations in the winter.
We have no
idea and cannot find out what these hooks are for in the underside of the
bridge.
The cratch
on this tiny boat is longer than the main cabin.
This old
mill is all we really saw of Fazeley other than people in a couple of pub
gardens telling us how nice our flowers are.
The oddest
looking footbridge we have ever seen.
The
Curdworth flight were the first locks we have been through on this canal and we
immediately noticed differences, e.g. each has its own lifebelt hut,
reminiscent of river locks.
This one had
a tiny brick hut.
And this one
had a swing bridge at its head called a swivel bridge – elsewhere in the country
they are called swing bridges.
Each lock
also has its own triangular nettle garden.
The locks
run alongside the M42 and ripening cornfields.
The canal
runs in a cutting for the most part here so we couldn’t hear the sound of the
M42.
This is the
A446 road bridge which used to be a normal humped back bridge but has been
widened several times over the years.
This is looking
back from the top lock to the M6 toll road bridge – very nondescript. We moored
for the night here and couldn’t hear the traffic as I suspect there isn’t
much need to use the toll road during the night.
Buddy has taken to playing with discarded
plastic bottles at each lock rather than sticks – it’s such a shame there is so
much litter here as it is really quite a pretty area.
These are
the 11 new locks we went up today; they are known as the Curdworth flight.
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