Tardebigge Triumph

“You know me - I never object to being on a boat!”  This was Adam’s response when we suggested we head all the way into Birmingham today due to the weather forecast tomorrow.  To start with we would be tackling the 30 locks in the Tardebigge Flight!  We started at 7: 20 and all the locks were in our favour with only one boat coming down the flight.  By the time we got to the top we had achieved a remarkable passage time of only 2 hours 45 mins.  A triumph if ever there was one! 

A luxury bird table at lock 39.

Another view of lock 39 with the flight stretching down into the distance.  Once you’ve seen one lock you’ve seen them all!

A view of ‘Chance’ at lock 50 taken from the edge of the Tardebigge reservoir.

At the top of the flight there is a plaque commemorating the auspicious event at this point which gave us the fantastic canal network we enjoy today.

No sooner had we climbed the two hundred feet up the lock flight than we were into the Tardebigge Tunnel.

Adam at the helm (dry)

Adam at the helm (wet!)  The rain started at about 12:30 and continued steadily for the rest of the journey.  We had four tunnels today to add to the excitement and after the longest one (Wast Hill) we were on the home straight into Birmingham City centre.  The canal from Wast Hill tunnel, past the Bournville factory and almost to Selly Oak was very ‘gloopy’.  Luckily we only had to get down and clear the propeller once but that was enough.

We got into Birmingham and safely moored by 3 o’ clock after a very successful and enjoyable seven and a half hours.

Our mooring this evening.

The Droitwich Duck

Last night we all went to The Gardeners’Arms (thanks to Jane for your recommendation) for our evening meal but first there had to be pre dinner drinks and nibbles on ‘Chance’………

……. all aboard!  Vic (behind the glasses), Adam, June, James, Sue and Bob.

In the pub for a good meal and an hysterical evening:  Sue, James, Adam,Bob, June,Doug and Vic.

Today we said goodbye to Bob and June on nb ‘Autumn Myst’ for the third, but certainly not the last time!  With Adam on board, we left the Droitwich Basin and headed off to complete this, our first, journey up the canal.

Before we left we had coffee and cake al fresco, thanks to June and Bob. (Pic-James and June)

Not long out of Droitwich we came to the M5 tunnel – notorious for it’s lack of head room, variable to boot due to the changes in the river level.

The Droitwich Duck!  We know Doug is short but he’s definitely standing down in the stairwell this time!  Adam is bent double and James is steering on his knees!

The new double staircase locks on the Droitwich Canal – cast concrete is not very inspiring but it does the job.

‘Chance’ at the top of the staircase locks.

Corrugated bridge lining and hanging poles to keep within.

One and half miles from the Driotwich Basin and we were on the Birmingham and Worcester Canal and heading in the direction of  Birmingham. 

The very picturesque second lock going up the Astwood flight of locks.  Perfectly manicured and freshly grown vegetables for sale. 

Oscar has had a very mobile day today – but that doesn’t say very much!  Here he is as we are nearing the end of todays’ trip -  the top of  Stoke Locks.  We moored mid afternoon just below the daunting Tardebigge Flight of 30 locks which we will tackle tomorrow.  So this afternoon was spent regaining our strength by sitting on the rear deck and enjoying the last of a full days’ sunshine ( and a glass of wine or two Adam!)

Severn Experience

Last night was a great success when we ate at “The Steps” in Stourbridge with very good food and very large portions.  Sadly we enjoyed it so much we forgot to take some pictures of us all.

Today we took to the river (Severn) as we headed down towards the Droitwich Canal.

The river gave us chance to open up the throttle!

The locks are a lot larger then we’re used to on the canal system.  This is ‘Autumn Myst’ leaving one of the two locks we went through on our way down the river.

 

‘Chance’ and ‘Autumn Myst’ arriving at the entrance to the Droitwich Canal.

Much of the Droitwich is reed encroached on both sides – very pleasant and rural but thankfully we didn’t meet another boat coming the other way in these stretches.

A great photo of ‘Autumn Myst’ and ‘Chance’ taken by Adam

We arrived at the Droitwich  at about 2:30. The canal basin is secure (with access by key) and the pontoons, although not long enough, are very good.  ‘Chance’ and ‘Autumn Myst’ are roped together at the bow to stop us drifting about at the front ends.

We’ve met up with Vic and Sue on nb ‘No Problem’ who were already here when we arrived.  Sue, bless her, was out and helping us tie up while giving Vic instructions to put the kettle on!  A good cup of tea was had on board ‘No Problem’ and then Adam, James and Doug did their walkabout in the town centre to look for another place to eat tonight. We found somewhere slightly quicker than we did in Stourport! All seven of us are looking forward to a nice evening together.

Three men in a boat.

Before we left Kinver this morning we took a walk up to see the Rock Cottages (NT) built into the sandstone ridge above the village.  We were rewarded after the good walk up there by being shown round by the guide before it was properly open to the public for the day (we couldn’t go inside as they are not open until 2 o’ clock).  We will certainly go back to look around properly when we have more time – they are quite unique.

Nice porch!

Des Res?

Hope the cellars are not too deep.

We arrived in Kidderminster at 12:30 as we had arranged for our friend Adam (from nb ‘Briar Rose’ fame!) who is joining us for the next few days.  Adam duly arrived smack on 1 o’ clock as promised and off we set for Stourport on Severn.

This is Adam doing his first lock for us here at Caldwall Lock just outside Kidderminster.

We arrived in Stourport around 2’sh and, as luck would have it, there was space one boat up from Bob and June on nb ‘Autumn Myst’ (it was about 60 feet long and we are 58 so we used the shoe horn!)  Adam, Doug and James had a look around the town to find a place for all five of us to eat tonight and after a very long time we managed to find somewhere.  The place in question has a good write up in Trip Adviser so we are keen to try it. 

A detour to Sourbridge (sorry, Stourbridge)

We had a brilliant evening when Bob and June came to us for drinks after dinner.  June showed Doug how to crochet, as he has a half finished mooring pin cover made out of supermarket carrier bags and needed help to complete it.

June ended up doing most of the crocheting!

This morning we awoke to frost on top of the boat and steam rising from the canal.  A truly beautiful morning.

We all took off at about 8 o’clock this morning and cruised on until we came to Stourton Junction, where we parted company with June and Bob for a while as we wanted to explore the Stourbridge Arm.

Stourton Junction where we turned left towards Stourbridge.

On the way we came upon this strange craft! 

After about a mile and a half of very nice rural canal we turned right at  Wordsley Junction for the short trip of about a mile to Stourbridge – we wish we hadn’t!  The canal was in poor condition to say the least.  There was a lot of floating weed, which wasn’t too much of a problem but the floating debris unfortunately was. We found ourselves having to avoid some fairly large stuff.

Like this!

Arriving at the end of the canal in Stourbridge was a disappointment  as the ‘secure’ moorings were taken up with either permanent boats or those associated with the wharf industries.  So we winded the boat with some difficulty, as there was a boat moored opposite the winding hole and eventually moored up outside the secure zone.  Doug went into the town while James, feeling it necessary, stayed on the boat.  We both quickly concluded to shelve our original idea of staying overnight and head back to the main canal.  On the way back, and after successfully negotiating all the rubbish for the second time, we managed to get something round the propeller while we were on the nice rural stretch.  We knew it was serious as there was a terrible screech from the prop and the engine stopped.  Managing to get the boat to the bank,  James got himself down the weed hatch and, with much grunting and swearing and cutting and pulling,  ……..

…. he managed to get this lot from around the prop.  It turned out to be a whole length of a bolster which they place at the edge of the canal to repair the edges and grow marginal plants in.

After half and hour’s delay (mercifully no longer!) we were on our way and back on the main canal.

A cute little toll house at the wonderfully named Stewpony Lock.

This is Action Man having just finished his duties at Stewpony.

We reached Kinver at 4:30 this afternoon and who were we able to moor next to but June and Bob! who took us in and gave us a very welcome cup of tea.

Well, it’s been an adventurous day to say the least and one we will put down to experience, but anyone thinking of doing the Stourbridge arm – perhaps think again?  Unless we’ve missed something it really isn’t worth the effort.

Bratch and beyond.

Today we travelled with June and Bob on nb ‘Autumn Myst’, leaving our mooring at Wightwick at 8:30am  (the pronunciation is ‘witwick’ and it doesn’t have an h after the W as it was spelt in the last blog)!

Our travelling companion, the beautifully built Sandhills’ narrow boat  ‘Autumn Myst’ at the start of our  journey today.

About half way along the route today we went through the Bratch Locks – a trio of locks which were originally built as a staircase but later separated into single locks to eliminate water waste.  They are unique on the canal system so we are told and immaculately kept by the lock keeper who is on hand to help you through if you need it.

The middle lock at Bratch.

All along this section of the Staffs and Worcs Canal are these beautifully designed spill weirs.

At Wombourne we stopped briefly to use the very conveniently situated Sainsbury's store and quite by chance, we moored next to nb ‘Lydia’ and its owner Tony, who we met 4 years ago on the Llangollen Canal when we had our previous boat.

It was nice to meet you again Tony.

Another lovely spill weir.

Half way down the Botterham “staircase” – looking back towards the towering bottom gates of the previous lock.

Tonight we’ve moored up just outside Swindon.  It feels a bit strange for James as he used to live in another Swindon – the very much bigger one in Wiltshire!

The weather has been very good again today – the rain holding off until we moored up and we even got the washing dry!  Even then we’ve only had a couple of quick showers.

Oscar with his new young, 5 month old  friend Phoenix  from nb Autumn Myst this evening, at our mooring tonight.

New Pastures

We entered into new territory today – but having left our mooring at Coven at 8 o’ clock this morning it wasn’t long before we were into the most notable feature along our route, and one we’ve experienced quite a few times before, – “Pendeford Rockin”, a  half mile long shallow and narrow cutting which has been hewn out of the solid sandstone.

It’s long and it’s narrow and very slow going!

Soon after “the narrows” we got to Autherley Junction, where the Shropshire Union Canal goes off to the right and where, on every occasion in the past, we’ve taken that right turn.  This time we motor straight on ahead and into virgin territory for both ‘Chance’ and ourselves.

100 yards past Autherley Junction we stopped at Oxley Marine for a pump out of our toilet tank (40 gallons of “black water”!).  The staff were very friendly and helpful and, £12:50 later, we were on our way. 

At the second of today’s 3 locks (Whightwick Mill Lock) we got a phone call from Bob and June on nb ‘Autumn Myst’, who we were meeting up with today, and who were only 20 minutes behind us.

Just after Whightwick Lock we found the moorings which we had agreed on with Bob and June, and shortly after they too were moored behind us. We were soon all enjoying coffee and home made biscuits on board ‘Autumn Myst’.

During the afternoon we visited the very stunning Whightwick Manor (NT) which was only 5 minutes walk from our moorings. The house was built in the latter part of the 1800’s although it does a very good impression of being Tudor.

The interior is quite sensational with strong influences by William Morris (fabrics and wallpaper) and a very large collection of Pre-Raphaelite paintings.

Bob, James, Doug and June with, guide dog in training, 5 month old ‘Phoenix’ outside the front door of the manor. 

This evening we all went to “The Mermaid”, which was even closer to our moorings than the manor, for a much deserved meal together.  Not a good picture – sorry!