Meadow Lane Bridge - Wyken Basin

Sunday 2 June

The best laid plans . . . I had hoped for an early start today so that I could get back to base in good time. As it was, I overslept and was not able to get away much before 6.00am.

I did, however, make good time and caught up with some other early birds as they started their ascent of the Atherstone flight. It soon became apparent that there was a singular lack of water in some of the pounds and this was not helped by us going up. By the time I was waiting to go into the bottom of lock 7 I had ground to a halt.

There was no way I would get to the side so stuck my nose into the gates as far as I could go, and that enabled me to walk the gunwale and get off up the steps at the front. Then a problem appeared round the corner from lock 6 in the form of a boat heading for the full lock!

I explained my predicament to the steerer of said boat and asked if he would mind me letting down a lock-full of water to assist movement in the pound. He was, however, not keen on this idea, unless his boat went down with it.

I had no alternative but to get back on Chyandour and endeavour to move backwards in the centre of the pound. With the extra water from the emptying lock it was just about possible but, when the descending boat came out of the lock I was pushed onto the mud and got stuck.

Fortunately I remembered a trick or two from those who taught me years ago and was able to free myself. Once in this lock water levels improved because of the extra held in Baddesley Wharf Marina.

I continued without further incident up the flight and, with the help of the Volunteer Lock-keepers, reached the top just after 11.00am.

It was coffee o'clock so I moored briefly on the Visitor Moorings for second breakfast!

After this refreshment it was easy going and I was able to ring Gwyn at Hawkesbury about 2.15pm to warn her of my imminent arrival. I had arrived and moored up in Wyken by 3.00pm.

What a trip! What next, I wonder?

Locks 12   Miles 15.9                                         Total Locks 221   Total Miles 330.25

The Taft to Meadow Lane Bridge

Saturday 1 June

After a very restful night I made an early start, saying farewell to The Taft at about 5.45am.

Farewell to The Taft

There was not much else moving this early and I got all the way to Wood End Lock before meeting another boat. The bottom gates (with cranked beams) proved just as tricky as ever, and the one that refuses to stay closed lived up to its reputation!

By the time I got round the corner to the Fradley locks the Volunteer Lock-keepers had arrived so my passage to the junction was made much easier. To add to their service, one of them went round the corner to open the swing-bridge on the Coventry Canal for me. Star service.

Time for a coffee before continuing.

After a while I found myself at the end of a queue following a slower boat and this continued all the way to Fazeley. I decided to moor up for lunch opposite the old Peels Wharf CRT offices, and this gave a chance for the boats in front to get on and up through Glascote locks.

This proved to have been a good choice as, by the time I got there, they had all moved through.

The rest of the journey was quite uneventful and I decided to moor up for the night just short of Meadow Lane Bridge at 4.45pm.

Locks 6   Miles 27.5                                        Total Locks 209   Total Miles 314.3