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.