Strange feelings and Mitre Gates

Thursday, 25 February 2010 17:27

We wondered what "felt" different - you will see!

After two days moored near Shirley, we moved off this morning. Two days at Shirley? Well, it has a rail station and John wanted to go to the NEC and see the Caravan and Boat Exhibition. He left me at home to "hold the fort"!

Most of the bridges on the North Stratford are brick arched and feel large over a narrow canal.

Bridge 11 carrying Tithe Barn Lane

There are a number of canal-side developments and a couple are reminiscent of canal warehouses. They were pleasing to the eye!

However Dickens Heath "Village" is not so sympathetic! What a shame - this multi award winning "Waterside" missed the whole point! It appears suddenly and makes no concession to the boating community. The hire boat was taking photos too!

Approaching the footbridge

The "water feature"

Lady Lane Wharf makes use of the Earlswood Lake Feeder Arm as moorings. One "different feeling" on this canal is that we were back to in-line moorings stretching for a bit every so often! The Lady Lane moorings stretched to Bridge 18 with some visitor moorings near this bridge.

Feeder Arm

Visitor moorings

You need wellies on the towpath along the canal - some of it is completely under water. We were recommended this bakery shop at Bridge 20

Bakery sign

We did not stop - another time perhaps, as we pressed on towards Hockley Heath. Here, there is the remains of a coal wharf alongside The Wharf Tavern.

Hockley Heath

We were surprised to find Hockley Heath Draw bridge open, despite BW operating instructions to close it after use.

We left it up because we thought it best to, in case there was a good reason for it to be open. Swallow Cruisers heralded another stretch of in-line moorings (both sides, making the channel very narrow), followed by a lift bridge.

In-line moorings both sides

Lift bridge at end of in-line moorings

The short stretch to Lapworth Top Lock follows the lift bridge and the owners of the houses here obviously do not like boats, or rather boats that moor, as there were three "No mooring notices" on what would be a good section to moor before tackling the locks. Can these notices be enforced - I thought boaters had the right to moor on the towpath side?

Lapworth Top Lock is Lock 2 as the guillotine stop lock at Kings Norton is numbered as 1. Immediately, we noticed the "Stratford feel" to these locks!

In Top lock

Also we realised what "felt different" - the bottom gates were mitred. We had become used to the one bottom gate whilst on the BCN.

Looking back at the top lock

Nb Unicorn is the boat of the author Jeremy Scanlon - Granny Buttons tells his readers all about it!

I found it strange that there was only one bollard at the lock landing for Lock 3 - yet 3 new wooden ones on the off side of the lock - hmm, logical?

Bollard enigma

Lock 4 has a lovely brick arched foot bridge over it's tail

Lock 5 has new gates - but the top one was leaking like a sieve!

Leaving Lock 5 behind, we moored in the pound below, as we had had enough and John was feeling the effects of his outing yesterday! More locks to look forward to tomorrow.

North Stratford Canal, Shirley to below Lapworth Lock 5

3 hours 34 minutes, 6.63 miles, 4 locks