Wyken Basin to Mancetter

 We are going to Birmingham to join the BCNS Explorer Cruise (booked over 2 years ago and delayed by Covid).

We had a very leisurely start, not leaving our mooring at Wyken Basin until 10.30. We travelled a short distance north-west on the Oxford Canal to Hawkesbury Junction, did the only lock for today (all 10 inches of it) and turned onto the Coventry Canal heading towards Nuneaton.

We stopped for lunch at Boot Wharf near the mooring for Nuneaton’s Community Boat – Hargreaves II. The promised rain had arrived – the gardens and fields really need the rain, but this was not enough to make much difference to soil, just enough to be annoying to boaters!

We had arranged to meet up with our friends, Chris and Terry Rigden, at Springwood Haven where their boat is being repainted. We all had tea and cake on board Chyandour before going our separate ways.

Wildlife spotted en route

We moored north of Bridge 36 just before 5 o’clock. The rain had cleared, so Steve washed one side of the boat while I went for a walk. The bluebells in the woods towards Mancetter are stunning – from our mooring they are a blue haze, closer to, they are a blue carpet.

Bluebell Wood from our mooring

Mancetter Bluebells

More wild flowers - kingcups or marsh marigolds