Springwatch 2018

We are back on the Staffordshire and Worcester canal heading north towards Great Haywood. 

Wednesday was a showery day, as there was very little wind it was a pleasant cruise under the golf umbrella when needed. Watching damp lock wheelers working from the vantage point of the brolly covered poop deck is one life's small pleasures.

A distance of 10 miles and 6  locks, with a short stop at Gailey canal shop to pick up a Stratford on Avon canal plaque, found us at Penkridge. An hour in the Cross Keys before tea was well earned by both crews.

M54

Boggs lock

We have seen lots of wild life  on this trip, Spring Watch could definitely do a program from the Staffordshire and Worcester canal  

Cormorant drying 

Grey Squirrel 

Unusually this heron swam across the canal. ( Who knew)

Deptmore lock is  in a lovely setting

Back to the countryside

It's great to be out of the city, the canals were built to connect coal, industry and ports, these parts of the system are great in their own historic way but we prefer the rural isolated villagey bits.

Five  miles from Autherley junction is Wheaton Aston and Turners garage where the fuel hose can reach down to the canal to refuel the boats, a gas bottle was purchased too.

Turners garage from the web.

We were to retrace our steps back to Autherley junction which meant reversing back through Wheaton Aston bridge so we could turn at the winding hole and back to Wheaton Aston lock.

Hunting bridge was our mooring point again, bankside chairs were out for a convivial afternoon before tea time.

Avenue bridge.

St.Mary's at Brewood

IOM Ferry

Odd arch to Eskew bridge.

Stretton aqueduct

Lapley Wood Bridge

Wheaton Aston

Autherley Junction

Misty 07:30 start to today's cruise from Dudley canal 

 Klara at Factory junction.

FL enters Coseley tunnel

Klara exits Coseley tunnel

We traveled through an industrial landscape during a two hour cruise to the first of the Wolverhampton flight of 21 locks.

Having lowered FL 132ft through these locks we turned right at Aldersley junction onto the Staffordshire and Worcester canal, half a mile further on we turn left at Autherley junction onto the Shropshire union canal and moor on rings at Hunting bridge.

Autherley junction

Black Country living museum

Not that we are fair weather boaters you understand but the monsoon conditions that greeted us this morning meant that we would leave the boats tied up for another day. A lull of a couple of hours before lunch time allowed me to get out with the camera and take some more shots in the museum for the diary.

Thunder and lightning has now been rolling over us for most of the afternoon and the worst has just arrived at tea time.

Cheese contains charcoal.

Black Country cheese on toast. Tasted great.