And now on to the end . . .

It was another very cold night with a hard frost and ice on the boat and its ropes this morning.

We were in urgent need of a pump-out so I decided to get up early and move Chyandour up through Kinver lock to access the sani-station. Arriving there by about 7.15am, we had breakfast before doing the necessary.

We were on our way by about 9.00am and it got quite busy with far more boats going the same way as us than those in the other direction. A group of 6 American tourists were making way quite slowly two boats in front of us, and didn't seem to have got the hang of getting off their boat to assist others! There was also a guy single-handed in Sam Gunter behind us and a working boat behind him.

So it was Gwyn and the lady off Rachel (immediately in front of us) who did most of the locking until Rachel managed to overtake the Americans. Then the guy from the boat behind was most helpful until he stopped, whereupon the crew from the working boat helped out.

We moored up for lunch below Swindon lock and eventually arrived back at Wombourne about 2.30pm.

A good day weather-wise and the end of a very pleasant post-Easter break.

Staying put

Not completely - only as far as moving the boat was concerned.

Instead we spent it walking and geocaching. We climbed up to the Rock Houses where another one has been opened to the public having been finished in 1930s style. We had morning coffee in their tea-room and then walked for a while along Kinver Edge and then down through the heathland for a late lunch at Kinver Edge Farm - sausage and bacon & egg sandwiches.

It was a good day for walking and searching for geocaches - dry with sunny spells.

Farewell River Severn - Hello Staffs & Worcs Canal

It was cold last night – ice on the roof of the boat this morning! However, it was bright and sunny this morning and without the cold wind so it felt much warmer than the last few days.

We left the river mooring and started up the first of the two sets of staircase locks as the clock struck nine. We had help with Stourbridge Town Lock from a family on a replica Vulcan which they had collected a few days previously at Stourbridge.

We moored up at Wolverley for lunch, and then went through to Kinver, arriving about 3.30pm. We didn't see any more ducklings but we did see a couple of broods of baby moorhens.  We had a pleasant walk through Kinver to get some bread and milk – the recently completed traffic-calming measures in the High Street seem to be confusing some drivers!

Trolling the river

A lazy start today. After a leisurely breakfast we took on water near the mooring spot and set off just before 10.00am  Another bright morning though the showers started early today and it is still chilly.

Three Severn locks passed through efficiently thanks to the good offices of the lock-keepers – we were the only boat in all three, though there were several boats around going downstream.

We had arrived and were moored up on the Stourport river moorings at 1.45pm.

We wandered around Stourport in the afternoon, cream tea at The Blossom Tea Rooms by the lock (seems to change its name every time we come here) and had a nose around the show apartment in Barrett’s new build. 

We came across a community boat in the basin – boat had come from Kings Heath with a group of teenagers and had picked up a load of rubbish around its prop which they had just about managed to clear. They were also having problems with a rather large amount of water in the rear bilge due to a badly leaking stern-tube. Stephen told them how to tighten the stuffing gland nuts which resulted in the bilge pump once more winning the "more water out than in" contest.

A Deviation

The plan originally was to turn right at Hawford and travel upstream on the Severn to Stourport but, having made good time overall, we decided a trip to Worcester would be a bonus.

This morning it dawned fine and bright although the wind was cold. The journey down the Barge Canal is very pleasant - though the banks are almost all obscured by reeds. This makes mooring difficult so coffee was delayed!

As we started the first of the Ladywood locks we noticed a boat following us so we awaited its arrival and continued down the rest of the locks to Hawford with them. (Lazy Lady). None of the locks were set for us except the last one, so having a second boat and crew around was a great help.

We saw our first ducklings between Mildenham and Hawford Top Lock - 3 tiny ones with their Mum. We also saw several swan pairs with nests in the reeds.

Having got out onto the Severn we headed downstream towards Worcester. Bevere Lock soon hove into sight and, as there was a hire boat waiting, we separated from Lazy Lady. We were somewhat delayed through the lock as one of the men on the hire boat over-reached himself and ended up rather wet!

We moored at Worcester at just after 1.00pm - more or less under the railway bridge. Following lunch we walked into Worcester, paid our mooring fee, had a wander around the shops, had coffee in the cathedral and managed, in so doing, to avoid at least the heaviest of the showers.

A Special Day

We slept in a bit today and, after breakfast, Gwyneth gave her full attention to the bags of cards and presents we had brought with us for this significant birthday!

Because we had made the effort yesterday to get as far on as possible, the trip to Droitwich planned for today was made a lot easier. We set off from Stoke Prior at 9.15am, stopped for coffee after completing Stoke locks, then tackled Ashwood locks, finally turning onto the Droitwich Junction Canal at Hanbury Junction at lunchtime.

The pound from Ashwood Bottom Lock to Hanbury Junction was extremely low and hence extremely slow. Any slight deviation from the centre line resulted in a visit to the mudbanks!

Leaving the Junction Canal and out onto the River Salwarpe.

Once on the Junction Canal, we met the volunteer lock-keepers who were there to assist with using the sideponds to conserve as much water as possible through the first three locks. The weather stayed fine except for the odd passing shower and we had a good run through onto the River Salwarpe.

Will it or won't it?

However, if there had been much more water in the canal, we would not have passed under the motorway bridge! The air draft of Chyandour is 1.8m and the passable level today was 1.84m!

At the end of the river section we locked down onto the Droitwich Barge Canal, and had great fun with the swing bridges through Vines Park before reaching Netherwich basin, our chosen mooring for the night, at 4.15pm.

Chateau Impney, Droitwich

Smile - you're on camera!

The day's excitement was not over, as I had arranged to take Gwyneth for a birthday meal at Chateau Impney on the outskirts of town. The food was good and the setting spectacular, so we were both well-pleased.

The Longest Day

Not actually as far as hours of sunlight are concerned, but more about getting well on with our journey so that we can be at the right place for Tuesday evening.

We woke fairly early and I decided to make use of the early morning to make a start down the Worcester & Birmingham Canal. We left the mooring at Cambrian Wharf at 6.45am with the weather promising to be bright but windy. It certainly was the latter to start with, and I had great fun navigating slowly past moored boats with a cross wind. It was more like yawing than anything else!

The promise of  goodish weather did not materialise and it drizzled on and off all morning. That, however, did not impede progress and, just before 1.00pm we moored at the top of Tardebigge Locks for lunch.

Decision time was upon us! So, rather than sit inside and watch the rain, we decided to don full wet-weather gear and tackle the Tardebigge flight. We entered the top lock at 1.25pm, and were moored up at Stoke Prior at 5.25pm. We only met four or five boats coming up but, because of leaky gates, we had to reset almost every lock when we arrived at it. Even so, it could have taken a lot longer, and it could have been a lot wetter!

Hot crumpets and cups of tea soon warmed us up - as well as the Morsø which had stayed in overnight.

It's not a dog's life after all!

Suzie has taken to life on board very well! She has slept most of the time, though we have taken her out on her lead for a couple of walks (trying to choose times when there are no dogs about!).

Three in a Boat!

Gwyneth (wife), Suzie (cat) and me!

Following morning service we left Withymoor Island at 1.45pm - in the rain! This is the first voyage for Suzie The Cat at age 19 years. We had an uneventful afternoon in cloudy, chilly weather, arriving at Birmingham Cambrian Wharf and mooring by 5.00pm. There was not much space on any of the Visitor Moorings, and we were fortunate to get a space alongside Farmers Bridge Top Lock.