Stoke Golding to Wyken Basin

This morning was greyer and cloudier than previous days and rain is forecast in more substantial quantities than just the occasional shower. However it was dry when we set off at 9.00 and still dry when we moored up half an hour later at Spinney Bank Farm Shop. We bought an assortment of goodies, returned to the boat, had coffee and set off again.

We only had another hour’s journey as we were meeting our friends Christine and Terry for lunch at the Lime Kilns. They arrived on their boat soon after us, so we sat and chatted until it was time to go for our lunch. Good pub grub as always.

The rain arrived while we were eating lunch, so we all went back to Chyandour for coffee/tea and cake and ummed and aahed about when to set off for home. In the end we left at about 2.15, and Chris and Terry followed a little later.

The rain stopped just as we set off and we only had one short sharp shower during the afternoon. We arrived back at Wyken Basin at 5.30.

1 lock      13.50 miles                                               Total Locks  2      Total Miles 51.50

Snarestone to Stoke Golding

Yet another fine sunny morning. Just before 9.00, I walked down to the swing bridge to undo the bolt at one end and the padlock at the other end, and make sure I could open it. Stephen motored through and we were on our way again.

Strings of big bricks - Bridge 62

I took this photo yesterday, but I thought I'd include it here - it shows the use of old double sized bricks in Bridge 62; they were salvaged from the dug out canal bed. They were made in Joseph Wilkes'local  brick works over two hundred years ago with the double purpose of speeding up construction and of reducing the amount of brick tax he had to pay.

We did meet one obstacle en route - it had also been there when we went through yesterday. Steve reported it this time so hopefully it will be moved soon.

Obstructive Tree

We had coffee on the move as we wanted to stop at Shenton for lunch. We arrived at the mooring near Bridge 35 at 12.15, but it took us the best part of half an hour to moor up as the water was too shallow and our boat too deep. Eventually, we got the bow in and left the stern sticking out a bit. We walked over the bridge to Shenton Station – no trains today, but we did have a look round the glass gallery and workshop which is based at the station.

We then walked down the road, under the canal aqueduct and into the village of Shenton with its 17C hall and picturesque houses. We were heading for Whitemoors Antiques and Craft Centre. There is a lovely tearoom there so we had lunch before exploring the centre. We didn’t find much in the way of craft, but if you like rooting through small antiques and collectibles, bric-a-brac and knick-knacks, you could spend several hours here. We stayed nearly two hours and walked back to the boat taking a short cut on a footpath across a field back to the bridge.

(No photos of this section - I left my phone on the boat.)

We got going with no trouble (having feared we might be wedged on silt and mud) and made our way to Stoke Golding and Duck Corner where we had moored on Tuesday evening.

0 locks 12.50 miles         

Stoke Golding to Snarestone

Just before 9.00 we set out on another sunny morning, though it was quite cool and breezy. 

We stopped for coffee near Far Coton and then went as far as Shackerstone where we moored and then walked to the Battlefield Line Station to have a look round and to have lunch at the Victorian Tea Room. Steve especially enjoyed visiting the Museum crammed with railwayana, including some equipment he remembers using when he worked on the railways some decades ago.

After walking back to the boat, we continued to Snarestone. Parts of this section are very attractive especially Gopsall Wood. 

Gopsall Wood

Although there have been a number of boats around today, nothing was coming through Snarestone Tunnel when we arrived there, so we went straight through.

The light at the end of the tunnel

Swans usually serenely move out of the way when a boat goes past, but we met this one which tried to outrun us. At about the fifth attempt, he did manage to take off and escape.

Spooked Swan

On arriving at Snarestone, we winded just before the swing bridge and moored up while Steve went to talk to the very nice people of the Ashby Canal Association. They opened the swing bridge, we reversed to the moorings on the other side of the bridge and were moored up by 3.00.

We wandered across to the base of the Canal Association for a cup of coffee, a chat and a look at all the stuff they have for sale, all to raise funds to extend the canal a little bit further.

We walked to the end of the in-water canal which ends in another winding hole, but as it is only suitable for boats up to 53’ in length, we wouldn’t be able to turn in it which is why we had to wind before the swing bridge.

53' Winding hole and the onward line of canal

The next part of the canal bed is infilled, but digging this out is a straightforward task in canal restoration terms. The next major obstacle is constructing an aqueduct to cross the Gilwiskaw Brook. Apparently funds are in place to start this work.

We retraced our steps to the boat noting the conversion of the waterworks building into a residence.

0 locks       12.25 miles

Wyken Basin to Stoke Golding

Today we are starting a short trip along the Ashby Canal – a sort of recompense for having to cut short our planned trip to Lincoln. We left our mooring at Wyken Basin around 9.30 in bright sunshine, a lovely October morning. Just before leaving, Steve discovered he had forgotten his wifi router, but he thought he could manage by tethering his phone.

Leaving Wyken Basin

We went through the stop lock at Hawkesbury – the only lock on this journey - and turned off the Oxford Canal onto the Coventry. Steve soon had the idea that if we rang our friend Christine (who lives alongside the canal) she might be able to give him a lift home to collect the missing router. (Although it had taken us over an hour to arrive at Chris’ house, it would only take 10 minutes to drive back to our house.)

Not only was Chris willing to do this, she also gave us coffee and cake – what a star!

So a little later than planned, we turned onto the Ashby Canal which was its usual peaceful self, though there were a number of boats about. 

There are a lot of reeds .........

.......... but improvements are being carried out ...........

........in some places.

The weather remained fine through the morning, but the clouds were building and the wind was rising. Sure enough just before 1 o’clock, it started to rain, but as it was lunchtime, we moored up at Burton Hastings for lunch. The rain soon passed and by the time we were ready to start off again, the sun was shining.

There was another shower around 3 o’clock, but again, it only lasted 15 minutes or so.

We moored for the night at Stoke Golding at 4.00. 

Duck Corner at Stoke Golding

After a cup of tea, I went for a walk up the hill to the village. The church, St Margaret of Antioch, was open, so I had a look round (and bought some jam). The church building is mediaeval and has some interesting features. 

The building needs some expensive work carried out, but meanwhile, the current congregation is actively involved in all sorts of activities in the church and the community.

Today’s totals:    1 lock   13.25 miles

Atherstone to Wyken Basin

In complete contrast to yesterday, today was bright and sunny, though cooler than the last few days. 

We left Atherstone at 8.30. On the way, we stopped at Springwood Haven Marina, where Steve thought they might have an appropriate tool to extract the obstinate pieces of screw. They were very helpful and not only got rid of the old screws but also found him a couple of new ones. And they also gave him a battery which someone had left with them having replaced it with a lithium one in their campervan. This battery will be passed on to a boater Steve (wearing his Waterways Chaplain hat) has been helping.

We stopped for lunch after passing Charity Dock and then continued to Hawkesbury where we did today’s only lock.  We arrived back at Wyken Basin around 3.00

Totals for the trip                  28 locks           61.25 miles

Polesworth to Atherstone

More rain early in the morning, but it was dry when we set out at 9.00. It stayed dry until we reached Atherstone Locks and then it started to rain again. We met boats coming down in all but one of the first six locks – all of us looking increasingly bedraggled as we got wetter and wetter. 

We stopped briefly for coffee between Locks 6 & 5. We know that you shouldn’t moor by just a centre line, but we thought we’d be OK for the short time it would take us to have coffee. Wrong!! A big, heavy boat going too quickly past us caused us to rock violently and the weakest point gave way. This turned out to be the fairlead which ripped completely off. As it didn’t fall in the water, Steve was able to rescue it. The fixing screws had sheared and although he managed to remove some bits, others defeated him for the moment.

On we went to the last five locks which were quickly done as they were all set for us except top lock which was kindly emptied and set ready for us by Ian, one of the team of VLKs. The rain had stopped while we were having coffee so these last locks were completed without getting any wetter. We moored on the Visitor Moorings above the locks while we had lunch (Gabriel with James and Hazel aboard are here too). The rain soon started again so we decided to stay where we were.

Later on, the rain stopped again and we went to the White Horse for a meal where we had excellent pizzas. And they packed up what we couldn’t eat – that’s tomorrow’s lunch sorted.

11 locks            4.75 miles                                     Totals    27 locks              48.75 miles