What a lot of narrowboats on 3 canals!

Friday, 10 September 2010 20:49

We knew five of the narrowboats!

The first canal was the Trent and Mersey from Alrewas to Fradley Junction. It is a fairly short trip with five locks. Petroc passed us at 7.07am precisely and John was all ready to set off too. He doesn't mind early starts.

Off they go

Through Alrewas we crept, past slumbering boat crews, boat after boat of them. We saw a familiar name - narrowboat Balmaha - we have not met but know people who know them!

Bagnall Lock and Common Lock came and went, with John following behind Petroc, with a little help from Geoff. I surfaced just as we were approaching Keepers Lock - the last one before Fradley Junction. As usual the junction was busy and there were lots of moored boats.

Fradley Junction

We, or rather I, turned left; John was off the boat to open the swing bridge for me to pass through onto the Coventry Canal: our second canal of the day.

Epiphany hovering after Fradley swing bridge, waiting for John

This all felt rather familiar now. The last time we were on the Coventry was March 2009, how time flies! It was certainly a "hello" day, as we passed first narrowboat Grace with Terry and Christine Rigden aboard and then Narrowboat Quidditch with Will Chapman at the helm.

Narrowboat Quidditch

Giving way to Terry of TR Handling at a bridge, I managed to get a yellow luminous jacket around the prop - those workmen lose these regularly, it seems! The Rigdens passed us as John dealt with it. Our next narrowboat, last seen on display at Crick Boat show, was narrowboat Sanity Again, with Bruce Napier aboard. Another beautiful boat by Braidbar.

I have never seen so many narrowboats moored at Huddlesford Junction - all under the rail bridges there. This junction never seems to change, but I suppose one day, when the restoration of the Lichfield Canal is completed, it may become a busy one with moving boats!

The Lichfield Canal towards Ogley Junction on the BCN

Bridge 78 is the end of the Coventry Canal until Fazeley Junction. The Birmingham and Fazeley Canal beat the Coventry Canal Company to Fradley, but later the Coventry Company bought the section from Whittington to Fradley - hence this strange arrangement of canal names and the change from bridge numbers to names.

Hopwas moorings were also busy. Then we travelled the lovely section through Hopwas Woods, reminiscent of the Llangollen, according to John!

At Fazeley Junction, the Coventry Canal continues to the east under Bridge 77

We called in at Peel Wharf to use the boaters facilities and pick up a parcel at the BW office there.  Petroc, who had stopped to greet friends, had moored before the Fazeley Junction moorings and Gill caught us up with Barney, via the towpath, to let us know. We decided to continue onto the Birmingham and Fazeley to see if we could find a quieter mooring.

The Birmingham and Fazeley Canal continues under Watling Street Bridge

There are moorings beside the old Fazeley Mill, once a tape mill, built in 1886. However,, we still carried on hoping for a country mooring with sight of TV satellites - yes, we have our new dish now!

Drayton Manor is the site of Robert Peel's father's house.  It is now a theme park and can be accessed from the very unusual Drayton Manor Footbridge. Robert Peel senior was responsible for the development of Fradley as  a centre of industry in the 1790s. It had mills, wharves, chapels and other canal trade associated buildings.

Drayton Manor Swing bridge and footbridge behind us

Today the Swing Bridge was closed, needing us to open it, as the farmer was using it - one local dog-walker said he had never seen it closed before.

We saw a suitable mooring spot not far from here, just beyond Drayton Brick Bridge: wonderful, rural, quiet and a good TV signal. We have about an hour's start on Petroc tomorrow, so maybe we can have a wee bit of a lie-in as a reward for our exploration!

Trent and Mersey Canal, via the Coventry Canal to Drayton Brick Bridge Birmingham and Fazeley Canal

7 hours, 14.42 miles, 5 locks