Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal

We didn't move FL yesterday, we had a slothful day, reading, cross-stitching, sketching and in the evening we had the TV on and watched 'The Good the Bad and The Ugly'. The wind had been aggressive most of yesterday and is continuing in the same spirit today. The colourful trees opposite are getting threadbare before our eyes.

It has been a mild day with lots of sunshine despite the wind. Autherley stop lock raised us a foot onto the Staffordshire and Worcestershire canal where we turned left and skirted the edge of Wolverhampton, through a very narrow cutting and under the M54.

A fishing match was in progress as we cruised towards Hatherton Junction, I always slow down and cruise down the middle of the canal as invariably the guys have their hooks in close to the opposite bank to where they are sitting. One fisherman asked us politely to move closer to his bank, I prefer this type of contact from the anglers rather than the quiet heavy scowl from under a Shakespeare cap, to be fair this group of guys were all friendly.

The Hatherton branch used for transporting coal from Cannock was abandoned in the 1950s but there is plans to reopen it sometime in the future.  We moored a little further on at Calf Heath, a peaceful four hour Sunday cruise.

Autherley stop lock

We are heading for Great Haywood

The Jam Butty

Autherley Junction

Two feature's of the Shropshire union canal are it's straightness, arrow straight in places and the long wooded cuttings that envelope the canal, the trees branches knitting overhead to make a living tunnel to cruise through. This time of year the falling leaves makes it feel like we are in one of those snow globes but instead of white flakes we have green, red and browns. 

We stopped at Brewood to visit the butcher and green grocer before continuing out into the open countryside to moor a couple of miles from Autherley Junction. It's been a warm sunny day, we have been so lucky the last few weeks but the weekend isn't looking too good.

On the radio Steve Wright has just said  "at the age of 58  people have got their work-life balance right" .... I can't  disagree with that.

A5 aka Watling Street

Phoebe definitely has spirit.

School children out for a run with the PE teacher.

Avenue Bridge

Wheaton Aston

Before we left Norbury Junction we filled the diesel tank at the boatyard, 0.79p a litre. Out of the shadows the morning sun was warm. South of Norbury we cruise on the huge Shelmore Embankment which used all the spoil from the Grub Street cutting we passed through yesterday, the canal village of Gnosall and it's short Cowley tunnel are left behind as we continue on to High Onn and Wheaton Aston. 

A all female hire crew on a day boat from Norbury turned at the winding hole at Lord Talbots Wharf, after ramming the bank at full throttle they started pin balling their way of moored boats and the opposite bank, Sue went forward to advise them to stay still until FL passed and to keep their boat hook off other boats. 

A boat going slower than  FL's tick over speed waved us through, which was nice as some boater's seem to take pride in holding other boats up unnecessarily.

The garage by the canal at Wheaton Aston has a sign up 0.709p a litre (Doh), we moor in sight of the first lock of tomorrows cruise.

Had a walk into the village and bought milk in the village shop and vegetables in the pub.  

Not sure what that big lump is called.

Gnosall

Cowley Tunnel

We will be waved through soon.

I apologise for the amount of bridges I photograph and post on the blog, I just like bridges over water.

Used the boat hook to get an evening snack.

Chestnuts cooking

Norbury Junction

A seven mile cruise through farmland, some big machinery helping the last harvest of the year while on the other bank a multitude of black and white cows rest there legs and udders and lie around the pasture. We have crossed the border from Shropshire to Staffordshire, Grub Street Cutting must have been a challenge for the navvies of the day, being a mile long and eighty feet deep. The much photographed telegraph pole in High Bridge is a relic from a past communication link.

In places the canal is a mat of fallen autumn leaves that stick to the prop lowering the speed of FL through the water, when we feel her start to labour a short blast of reverse clears the prop.

The autumn colours of the trees are a reminder of how short the seasons are. It only seems a few weeks have passed since we were cruising past trees in bud, a look at the calender tells me it's been seven months.

We have moored at Norbury Junction which hasn't been a junction since the Newport Branch Canal, which joined at the site of Norbury boatyard, was abandoned.

It's pie night at the Junction Inn...may just have to sample one.

High Bridge with telegraph pole.

Newport road bridge with Knighton bridge in the background. 

Wharf Inn Goldstone.

Birthday girl got a cup of tea brought to her in bed, the same as every other day aboard FL. I have told her she is to put her feet up and not do any lock wheeling today "I will do it all"..... the 17 mile lock free pound will help. A celebratory fruit smoothie was whizzed up in the galley, Sue had while listening to happy birthday chorus's from friends left on her Viber App.

A bit of a glitch when Sue realised I had left the cassette behind at Tyrley's elsan point. I held FL to the bank while Sue trudged back down a soggy towpath to collect the vessel... not the best start to a cosy put your feet up birthday cruise that I had in mind for her. A half hour later we are on our way again, it's grey and overcast without wind or rain as we continued through Woodseaves atmospheric narrow cutting, parts of which were dug by hand out of the solid rock, trees cling precariously to the steep cliff-like walls, two high bridges appear to be holding the cliffs apart.

We moored at Goldstone just after the cutting opposite the Wharf Inn a cruise of a mile and a half. I can recommend the pub good ale good food and large portions to boot.

High Bridge.(57)

The Wharf Tavern

Tyrley Wharf.

Woke up to the sound of cows bellowing at FL from across the canal, grey skies greeted us when we finally arose and opened the curtains. The forecast is for rain for most of the day. We have no plans other than to be in Aston Marina at the end of the month . Canalplan route planner gives this a time of 4 days travelling at 7 hours a day, so we can afford to sit out any bad spells.

It's dry as we head for the first of the Adderley locks by the time I have got FL in the first chamber the rain has started. No matter as the saying goes there's no such thing as bad weather only bad clothes, we are both well protected from the weather in Gortex coats, hoods boots and over trousers. I needed to get to Market Drayton to get a card for tomorrows celebration.

MD is a trek from the canal, I left Sue in Asda and went in search of a card shop. MD is one of those towns where you are never quite sure if you have reached the town centre or not.The better bit's may have been around the next corner, I never found the better bits but I fulfilled my quest of buying a birthday card at a shop called Hart To Hart.

Back on the boat and it has stopped raining so we decide to continue up the next flight of five locks at Tyrley, guess what, as I entered the first chamber the rain started, we filled the water tank above the top lock and moored for the night on the 48 hour visitor moorings.

Passed 'Piston Broke' today. The first boating blog I ever read was by her original owners Paul and Lynne.

Covers most of the bases.

FL on the water point above Tyrley locks.

Audlem to Adderley

Misty cold start to the day, we were planning on stopping for another day but after a bacon banjo we decided tackle the Audlem flight of 15 locks. We were up the top of the flight in three hours and have moored within sight of the Adderley flight of locks.

It has been a lovely day we met a few boats ascending, at the top lock the usual fare of goodies from the adjacent farmers wife weren't available( she was seeing to a large amount of guests at a christening do), last time we were here we couldn't resist the cakes on display.

A single hander followed us up the Audlem flight so while Sue got tea ready I lock wheeled for him up the five locks of Adderley.

The Shroppie Fly

Friday- Summer was back as we left Tattenhall Marina visitor pontoon's. The warm sunshine lasted a few hours then the showers began, one was very heavy but it didn't bother me at all, I was inside cosy and warm while Sue stoically stayed at the tiller. The sun made an appearance again as we moored at the Barbridge Inn for a lunchtime Friday special of fish and chips with Woodlands Ale for a tenner each. On the move again with thoughts of mooring at the Hurleston moorings but as the day had become summery once again we thought we would continue to Nantwich and the visitor moorings before the aqueduct. I used the newly refurbished chandlery to buy a bag of coal, a Whale in line fresh water filter cartridge and a tube of Peek, I wont be going back there in a hurry, along with the surliest of men serving in the shop (even the lady on the till commentated on his attitude)  everything in the shop was expensive. We had a quiet night on the rings on a high embankment on the fringe of Nantwich.

Summery start to the day.

The Shady Oak

Warehouse by Bunbury locks, the SUR&C was bought out in 1922, surprising the lettering is still visible, must be the amount of lead in the mix.

Saturday- It's another sunny day as we make our way across the aqueduct and out of Nantwich. Up the Hack Green locks, the locks are narrow from here, which pleases the crew, they are much easier to negotiate than the wide locks from Ellesmere Port. The Cheshire countryside is at it's best, herds of dairy cattle graze on both sides of the canal including a herd of Jersey cows. We have moored below the Audlem flight, we strolled along to Audlem Wharf past the Shroppie Fly to the Mill now an arts and craft shop. Where Sue chose some presents of cross stitch pattens for her birthday next week.

There is live music in the Shroppie Fly tonight so we are going to spend the evening listening to 'Messenger G' and sipping a favourite tipple Timothy Taylors 'Landlord'.......

....Just got back from the pub, the food was excellent the beer good, not sure how good the band were as they spent an hour setting up belted out a Kinks 60's  hit  'All of the day and all of the night' said it was just a sound check and sat down drinking.....we got fed up and left.

Sad, someone's pride and joy. 

Aren't Jersey gorgeous.

Kitchen window view.

Tram Horses

We awoke to the sound of rain on FL's roof, by the time we were up and ready for the day ahead the sun was out, the wind was whipping across the marina trying to remove the triskelion flag from it's pole on the tiller.

The Sainsbury order arrived promptly at 09:00, the endless orange bags were transferred into FL's bare cupboards, we should be well fed till Christmas. As we were preparing FL for the off the sky darkened, rain poured and the wind howled. So we unanimously made the decision to batten down the hatches, put a few more coals on the fire and stay where we are.

Tattenhall marina is a large smart well kept place, the laundry is close to the visitor moorings as is reception which doubles as a cafe and bar, three phone signal is excellent as is data signal on the mifi. The marina is a little isolated for the visiting boater,  a smart pub serving  pub grub alongside 'Alley Cart' is about a 30 minute walk along unpaved roads,  the Cheshire ice cream farm is opposite.

I have been reading a history book on canal transport that I bought at the museum at Ellesmere Port. Interestingly in its pages, I found a Manx connection to the canal's. Canal carrying company John Hunt & Sons's Ltd of Leeds operating on the Aire & Calder canal used ex Douglas tram horses to tow it's fleet of boats, at least up until the 1930's . These days the ex tram horses are given a  well deserved cosseted retirement at the Isle of Man Rest Home for Old Horses.

Rainbow over Beeston Castle.

We had a crew meeting this morning and I was told we needed to spend a day in Tattenhall marina to get some domestic chores done. So that is what we did, moving all of 200 yards from our overnight mooring pitch and on to the visitor moorings in the marina.

Sue did a large on line Sainsbury's order to replenish the dwindling galley stocks. She has also been busy backwards and forwards to the laundry room all day, everything on the boat that can be put through the washer has been, she even asked for the shirt off my back. I have not been idle,  FL roof and port side are now sparkling.

The morning was fine with plenty of Sun but the afternoon has been heavy showers and wind.

Rainbow over Beeston Castle.

Tattenhall marina.

Left Ellesmere Port at 08:00 in the rain, there wasn't any wind so not all bad. We had to spend a little while clearing accumulated weed from the top lock gate. With that done we had a good three hour run down to Chester dodging the islands of weed that the volunteers of the Boat Museum Society will no doubt remove when they have reached the end of the line.

Sue wasn't looking forward to the heavy locks that lift boats out of the ancient city of Chester especially the triple Northgate staircase locks at the start. Fortunately for us as we arrived at the lock there was a boat in the first chamber and they were happy to reopen the lock gates to let FL enter alongside. Great to have lock buddies on this stretch of the Shroppie, our friendly lock buddies today were Phil & Stephanie on nb Wumpus who were on their way to Tattenhall Marina, so we shared all eight double locks with them... perfect. It's good for the tiller men to have someone to converse with while waiting for the locks to fill.

It's 16:00 and we have just moored for the night outside Tattenhall marina just above bridge 113.

The storm has bared a lot of the trees along this stretch.

Bar and restaurant

Chester's lead shot tower used for making musket shot during the Napoleonic wars.

Deva Aqueduct

Wumpus heading FL towards Tattenhall marina