Still Lovin' it!

Wednesday, 11 November 2009 16:26

Another typical November day!

But we still love canals and lovely warm, cosy boats! Winter cruising has a magic all of its own and it certainly feels like winter now, despite the temperatures not being very low. There is nothing like coming in from the damp, dingy outdoors into the warm saloon and the glow of the Morso stove. A cup of tea and a piece of cake and we are ready for the evening.

So on we go to Gnosall - the "G" is silent and the name of the village is pronounced "Know-zzle"!. The Shroppie continues its embankment then cutting profile (good 'ole Thomas Telford!).

One of the problems with embankments is leakage - as recently demonstrated by the emergency work on the Shebdon Embankment that closed the Shroppie a while back.

Shebdon Embankment in February

Small repairs are an ongoing issue as demonstrated by the BW workmen we passed today, who had just completed a repair near High Onn.

BW work boat

This house by High Onn Bridge 25 has developed over the years

Once again on-line moorings stretched ahead, I am sure that the ones between High Onn and Turnover Bridge (26) have recently expanded. But once past Turnover Bridge we were able to pick up speed a bit. Not too much, as the canal is shallow and it is easy to produce a breaking wave at the stern - a real no-no as it wears away the banks.

Looking back at Turnover Bridge

I discovered (yes, I was on the tiller - have been quite a bit for the last 2 days!) that aiming our chimney at the middle of a bridge means that we can get through the bridge without hitting the towpath side or the off side. The Shroppie bridges can be quite tight and one has to aim and hope!

Lining up Cowley Bridge (31)

Cowley Cutting after the bridge and leading to Cowley Tunnel is also a tight fit - for two boats that is!

Passing in Cowley Cutting

Back towards Cowley Bridge

Cowley Tunnel ahead

The tunnel is only 81 yards so there was no time for me to react adversly - it is really like a large bridge but hewn out of rock as the roof lining shows.

Inside Cowley Tunnel

We emerged into another cutting

This leads to Gnosall and the pleasant moorings there. Here we stopped - for tonight anyway!

Shropshire Union Canal, High Onn to Gnosall - 1 hour 20 minutes, 2.84 miles, 0 locks