Moorings along the Shroppie

Thursday, 18 March 2010 15:21

Our "love affair" with the Shropshire Union Canal is only slightly affected

Shebdon Embankment is really impressive when looking back along it

This the first time we have seen the iconic Cadbury Wharf at Knighton empty of boats, although there were three boats moored before it: those above and the one in the photo below.

Cadbury Wharf

We couldn't resist pretending that we were one of the working boats that used to pick up milk products and chocolate crumb here. It was in use between 1911 and 1961. Goods were transported to the factory at Bournville in Birmingham.

Empty wharf

Epiphany under the canopy over the wharf

It is very shallow at the far end as we discovered. We had a considerable list as we exitied - enough to make me hang on! I wondered if our adventurous spirit had landed us in trouble again. But, no we were soon back on an even keel, so to speak!

It got worse than this!

At the end of Knighton Wood, we crossed into Shropshire and encountered our first line of moored boats for the day! Once again we must question the number of on-line permanent moorings we passed.

We would probably not choose to have a mooring on the Shroppie as the canal is part of the so-called Four Counties Ring (Staffordshire, Shropshire, Cheshire and West Midlands according to a BW leaflet). This inevitably means that narrowboats aiming to complete the ring in a short time may be reluctant to slow down past moored boats - particularly when there are so many moored along the route.

The marinas - Tattenhall (near Chester) and now the new Marina at Audlem may help, but we can understand boat owners who are reluctant to use them. We do not like a "boat park" either!

However, today we only passed a long line at Soudley before Goldstone; anyway, we are in no hurry and so can and do slow down to admire the moored boats!

Goldstone Wharf too has its share of moored boats and now (new since we were last here) a caravan park with some rather posh looking caravans. We wondered if some of them belonged to boat owners too.

Looking back along the moorings to Goldstone Bridge and wharf

Ahead of us now were Woodseaves Cutting and Tyrley Locks, both interesting in their own ways.