In Coven..........

........and no sight of any witches yet.

A bit of a catchup again, while holding at Penkridge for Otherton lock to reopen I did some shopping and had a look around the town, the main street and surrounding areas obviously older than the now fairly heavily developed outer reaches.

For a small town it had its fair share of pubs, just before Penkridge lock and canalside is ‘The Boat’ 

further along also canalside is ‘The Cross Keys’ as you walk into the town you pass ‘The Star’ 

The Star

at the far end of the town is the appealing looking ‘White Hart’ 

The White Hart

and out on the main road there was yet another which I didn’t get a picture of.

At the far end of the town and close to the railway station stood St. Michaels Church.

In the high street between the shops stood this delightful cottage, great for shopping, not so good for parking and I wouldn’t like every passer by being able to look into my ground floor rooms.

Walking back towards the canal this cottage looked as if had been added to twice at least, the original section being distinctly different to the add-ons, it also looked as if it had been extended to the rear, making what was originally probably a small character filled dwelling quite a large, rather spoilt (for me), home.

I also snapped Penkridge lock.

I liked Penkridge, another town as yet unspoilt by huge developments and superstores, there was some of those on the outer reaches but the town center still retains a small village feel to it with small local shops clustered along the one way high street.

The weather has not been good so my intended move on Saturday was postponed until yesterday, before setting off I walked back to the lock and the local paper shop to get some postage stamps, on my return I noticed that the pound between the Longford and Penkridge lock had emptied, presumably someone had left the paddles up at Longford lock allowing all the water in the pound to drain away, I could see two boats high and dry where I had originally moored so I was very glad that I had moved up through Penkridge lock.

On reaching Filance lock (37) I could see a gate open so it was a simple, gentle, nudge on the remaining gate to get me off to a good start.

Passing a tree house that looked more like a shed had been erected and killed off the tree.

Otherton lock (36) was next and as I approached I could see workmen moving around and for a moment I thought perhaps the work hadn’t finished on schedule, but I needn’t have worried they were working on the adjoining bridge and not only that but one of the men worked the lock for me, I remained on the tiller, happy, things were going well.

Rodbaston lock (35) also in my favour, I was getting quite a smile going now.

The next lock (34) also in my favour and was another strangely named one, there is probably some reason for it!

Brick Kiln lock (33) was also in my favour, could this be my day, and then of course Gailey lock (32) was against me, but what a lovely lock, it has cranked balance beams because it is so close the the bridge, it made moving across the lock a bit awkward between the bridge and the gates but I liked it.

This lovely little wharf and service area also has an unusual Roundhouse alongside the lock.

I stopped and emptied and filled, had a cuppa and a sandwich and then moved on passing the Viking Afloat hire boats, lots of them!

Looking back towards Gailey Wharf, hire boats on the right.

No more locks for a while but there is a chemical works stretching all the way along a straight section and warning ‘no mooring or stopping’, who would want to? horrible looking place but they did tell you when you were past.

Looking back virtually the whole of this straight section of canal was bordered
by the chemical works on the left in this picture, probably 3/4 mile.

Hatherton Junction at Calf Heath looked a bit confusing in my guide book, with a now defunct Hatherton branch and a sort of cut back to Hatherton Marina, and then the main canal heading off towards Autherley junction, on arriving I thought I need to go right but it didn’t appear to have any signs and I wasn’t 100% sure.

I need not have worried, as I glanced over to the bridge on the right I saw the words I needed to see.

I continued on to Coven and moored just before the Fox and Anchor pub.
I phoned Martin on fuel boat Halsall who was due through tomorrow but he said he would be passing around 7pm tonight now so I asked him to stop for me, and at 7pm almost to the minute he arrived and topped me up with diesel, smokeless coal and gas, so I’m all set for my little journey to get through the Audlem locks on the Shropshire canal before they close for repairs on the 4th Jan until 11^th March.

Last nights mooring

Totals yesterday : 6.5 miles : 6 locks

All stop........

.........just for a while.

On Sunday before retiring for the night I checked my weather App and it told me Monday was going to be wet and windy with some improvement on Tuesday so when I woke on Monday I took my time doing the usual morning jobs, around 9am I ventured outside and it was bright, dry and windless so I checked my App again and it had changed to Monday being better than Tuesday, I decided to move up to Penkridge, casting off around 10am.

I was soon back below finding some sunglasses as the sun was bright and low reflecting off the water.

Passing Stafford Boat club and then Hazelstrine bridge no.96 the sun making picture taking difficult.

First lock of the day was Deptmore Lock (42) at a depth of 10ft 3inches deeper than most I’ve encountered recently.

I then passed through Acton Trussell, a small village with what seemed to be just a church and a very nice four star hotel, The Moat House, it looked very nice and very expensive but the sun prevented any pictures.

I was amused by the name of this cottage, well little things amuse me as I pass the time looking at my surroundings, in case you can’t make out the name I’ve captioned it.

Canalside Cottage, it must have been difficult coming up with that name.

The M6 runs through this part of my cruise for quite some distance, busy with people rushing about their business oblivious to little old me a few hundred yards away enjoying my morning.

Entering Shutt Hill lock (41) proved entertaining with the sun blinding me, I could see a gap in the gates so I knew the lock was empty and gently nudged my way in allowing the boat to do the hard work opening the gates for me, after entering a single lock when going uphill I like to nudge the bow fender against the front gates or the cill (very gently of course) leaving the engine in drive on tickover then keeps the boat in place and when the lock is full the boat nudges the gates open and starts to move out of the lock with me hopping aboard when convenient, well that’s the theory. This time the cill was just below my bow fender level and so even though the boat was hardly moving at all the violent stop as steel hits stone was enough to knock over a few items inside the boat, it’s this reason a lot boaters fit an extra fender beneath the main one, something I may do sometime.

A blind approach slightly on an angle, you can just make out the gap between
the lock gates telling me the lock was empty and could be nudged open.

Teddesley Boat Co. And Midland Chandlers are alongside Park gate lock (40) and it all looked very quiet with nobody around.

Just after this the canal passes beneath the M6 at a shallow angle making the bridge almost feel like a wide tunnel.

Longford lock (39) another deep one at 10ft.

I stopped and moored just before Penkridge lock (38) and then walked up to see how busy it was and finding that there was plenty of space I moved up through the lock and stopped on the service point to empty and fill before mooring on the 48hr moorings (14 day in winter).

I now have to wait for Otherton lock (36) to reopen after winter maintenance work; it should reopen on the 12^th.

Today I have busied myself, between heavy rain showers, doing little regular jobs about the boat, cleaning filters, checking battery levels and such. I have also started to investigate more fully the electrical system, intending to find out exactly how the boat is wired from batteries to distribution boards, I have a ‘live’ 12v cable in the battery compartment that goes nowhere, I would like to know why, and it must be a solvable issue J , well maybe.

Total travel:  4.5 miles : 5 locks

And finally, a joke that made me chuckle:-

Yesterday the wife asked me to pass her some lip balm, I gave her superglue by mistake, she's still not talking to me.....

Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal

I was just getting ready to leave this morning when Rod (N.b. Tilly Mint) passed by travelling towards Rugeley, a quick hello and goodbye before I finished getting sorted and cast off.

Just a few hundred yards to the Haywood Junction where I turned left leaving the Trent and Mersey canal and joining the Staffs & Worcs canal passing the Anglo Welsh hire centre with all their ‘resting’ boats.

Then across the aqueduct over the river Trent.

Beneath this nicely named bridge.

 At Tixall wide the canal opens up (hence the name) to become quite vast, there is a difference of opinions about why, some say the land owner wanted it like this for aesthetic reasons and others are of the opinion they was possibly a lake there before the canal was built, whatever, it does catch the eye and I’ve heard a number of narrow boaters like to do a few ‘doughnuts’ just to say they have.

Across from the ‘broadwater’ can be seen Tixall Gatehouse, Tixall Hall has long gone but the gatehouse remains and is now used for holiday lets.

Tixall Gatehouse in the centre

A closer view

 After leaving the wide I soon found Tixall lock(43), which was very muddy and slippery around it, but another lovely lock, only 4’ 3” deep and the paddles and gates working well and easy to move.

Entering Tixall lock

Nice lock Cottage, while I am waiting for the lock to fill

Then across the aqueduct over the river Sow.

Winter stoppages at Otherton lock(36) are not due to finish until 12^th December so again I am in no rush and I intended to moor at Milford, but when I arrived I found the mainline railway runs very close to the canal and decided to head on further to Baswick and that is where I have moored, the grass  between the boat and the towpath is very stodgy and muddy but the Wi-fi is good, everything's a compromise J

Tonights mooring

Total today : 3 miles : 1 lock 

Another wander.

I went for a circular walk yesterday around the village of Great Haywood primarily to purchase a newspaper. The catholic church of St. John the Baptist had a very interesting tower but, as with quite a few of these buildings, trees obscured the best views.

These cottages in the main road caught my eye in particular the inlaid stone bearing the name Robins Nest on the left hand cottage.

I Googled it to see if I could find out who Robin might have been if there was a Robin but all I found was that it sold in 2001 for £142,950, I bet it’s worth a bit more now.

After crossing back over the canal I wandered across the bridge over the river Trent

and into the grounds of Shugborough Hall, there was a marquee in the grounds obscuring the building itself so I didn’t venture too far in, this little cottage was just by the entrance.

Returning to the boat past Haywood Lock and Lock House Restaurant and tea rooms.

Today I finally met up with Rod (N.b. Tilly Mint) . We first made contact through a non-boating forum 18 months or so ago when Rod announced that he was buying a narrowboat and retiring, almost exactly the same time as I was and we have kept in contact since then so it was nice to put a face to the name today, I went along at looked at Rod’s boat.

Interior Tilly Mint

It's nice to have the chance to look inside other boats as it gives you ideas on layout, Tilly Mint is more open plan than Quinquireme and a very nice comfortable layout without fixed seating, something I may well do in the future. We chewed the fat and then we went to the local Clifford Arms for lunch

Unfortunately due to a gas leak at the pub they were not serving food, so we had a couple of beers then returned to Quinquireme and exchanged a few more experiences and ideas, a very enjoyable way to pass the day, thanks Rod it was lovely to meet you and I sure our paths will cross again, happy cruising.

Great Haywood

It wasn’t the best day to move yesterday but it wasn’t a great day to be exploring Rugeley or sitting around doing nothing either, so in the end I decided to move.

It was wet and windy, I managed to snap two pictures as I was going across the Trent Aqueduct but other than that the camera stayed in the Tupperware container.

Got the Tea mug in shot, I think that's a first.

It was a shame really because the run from Rugeley to Gt. Haywood was lovely, varied and plenty of what would have been good picture opportunities but that’s how it goes, I did not want to risk damaging the camera.

I had only passed one other boat moving and as I approached the lock landing at Colwich Lock and began to head towards it a lady appeared at the lock and waved me in, lovely that’s a pleasure I will never tire of, we had a chat as you do while her husband waited on their boat and I was soon on my way again and arriving at the charming and shallow Haywood Lock, 4ft 2”, the tea rooms adjacent looked empty, not many people about today, once out of the lock and around the bend I spied a nice gap in the moorings and got myself moored up.

Great Haywood boat sales was one of the first places I came to when I started looking at boats, I had a day out looking at around 10 boats the first 4 or 5 were at Whilton Marina and nearly put me off the idea altogether but I was very pleasantly surprised at the much better boats on offer when I got to Gt. Haywood, and although I never actually bought from them the viewing experiences and service was among the best I came across.

No TV signal on the Necvox ariel and as it was windy and wet I decided I could easily do without erecting the large ariel.

Wi-fi is ok but not good enough for streaming a movie so it was on with the radio, I listened to the Archers on Radio 4, that’s a first for me, and a last! Time to get out a CD or two.

Totals: 5 miles : 2 locks