Day 66 trip to Bridgenorth by train

Day 65 -Thursday was our trip down the River Severn where we entered the Worcester & B'ham canal and made our way up through 4 locks to the Viking Afloat marina where we have stayed for 2 nights. This enabled me to take Anne for a trip on the Severn Valley Railway from Kidderminster to Bridgenorth today.

Totals to Day 66(Friday) are:-

Memorable events now up to 12 latest being see below
Cappuccinos now 16 with Worcester being a mecca, I included Costa Coffee and The Quay Restaurant in which we had an excellent meal on Thursday watching the dragon boats training on the River.
Lift bridges 27, narrow locks 224, wide river locks 5 and 408 miles.

We have had 2 days ashore and therefore plan to start making our way up the Worcs & B'ham canal and the Tardebigge 36 on Saturday.

Earlstoke Manor no 7812 which took us on our journey which was fantastic as the trip to Bridgenorth involved the loco working very hard indeed.

We made our way from the station to Bridgenorth town via the cliff railway. The coaches were replaced by the very art deco style in 1954.

Bridgenorth town hall
The view along the Severn valley from the walk around town

Now this is a sight you don't often see from a steam train - an elephant in Kidderminster Safari Park which is my memorable event no12!!!

A better picture of the flood levels

The large grey plaque records the flood of 1672

Down the River Severn to Worcester

As we approached Worcester the Cathedral comes into view.

On the wall near the Cathedral are the flood levels with the river in the background. July 2007 was not as high as those in March 1947, March 1886 and 1672.

How about this for a building its in the shopping area and is Worcester Guildhall

The Tontine Hotel - Grade 1 listed built by the canal company in 1788 - which now is being converted to flats over looks the River Severn at Stourport.

Holt lock on the River Severn - rather larger than the narrow canal locks

A rather lovely house on the river

Day 64 now at Stourport

The famous Clock Warehouse which strikes the quarter hour in Brindleys upper basin which is now used by the Stourport Yacht club

We have now finished our travels down the Staffs & Worcs and are now moored above York Street lock where I have an excellent 3g signal. Stourport is an inland harbour on the River Severn with very large motor cruisers in the basins. Its a very picturesque canal expecially around Kinver although 200 years ago it was a hive of activity with huge iron works of which only a few remnants remain.

Totals to day 64 Wednesday are now

Memorable events still only 11

Cappuccinos to date still only 14- nothing to add for either Kinver or Stourport - here's to Worcester.

Lift bridges 27, locks 217 and 394 miles.

The river looks like a pussy cat today so hopefully we shall run down to Worcester tomorrow morning and spend a few days in a marina to explore the area before starting our trip up the Worcs & B'ham canal which includes the Tardebigge flight of 36 narrow locks in 4 miles!!!!!!

The narrow staircase locks that we will need to go down to enter the Severn from the Clock basin tomorrow.

Towards Stourport

Today Wednesday was a really nice summer day after yesterdays rain and the Staffs & Worcs is really nice as we get near the Severn.

How about these houses at Cookley that have a canal in a tunnel running through their basement!


Caldwell Lock south of Kidderminster is a Lock with a very big Rock

This is 06.50 Wednesday morning with the sun burning off the early dew and creating a mist across the canal

A classic picture of Kidderminster lock and church

Just by chance we happened to go under the Severn Valley Railway at Kidderminster just as the 11.11 train went over- pulled by an 0-6-0 GWR pannier tank, although I got the picture Anne didn't get the number-can't get the staff

Day 61 above Bratch lock

Totals to Day 61

Memorable events still only 11

Cappuccinos to date now 14 the latest being in The Mess at Brewood

Lift bridges 27, Locks 196 and 376 miles

We have only moved 2 miles and 3 locks today and have moored above Bratch locks pictured above. They are a group of 3 locks like a staircase but there is a small gap between each one so they have to be treated as separate locks( there is no room to pass another boat). Water passes between the locks into side pounds which controls the levels between each lock as you go up or down- very good piece of simple engineering.

We walked a half mile to the Old Station Tea Shoppe in Wombourne which served an excellent filter coffee and toasted bath bun (unfortunately no cappuccino). The station is ex South Staffordshire Railway/Great Western which is now on a long distance footpath.

We have decided to stay here tonight as I have an excellent Orange 3g signal so that I can post this entry, the last week has been very bad for a 3g signal. It is cloudy and warm but we have just had a heavy shower which has now stopped so I think its time to do a few jobs around the boat.

On our way down the Staffs & worcs

Our second NT house we have walked to from the boat. Wightwick Manor to the west of Wolverhampton on the Staffs & Worcs canal. Built by the Mander family at the end of the Victorian era and passed to the NT in the 1930s. It has a recognised collection of Wm Morris furnishings and pre Raphaelite art. Brewood (pronounced Brood) is alovely village with some great buildings. This is in the Market Square, Speedwell Castle a Gothic fantasy erected in the 1800's. They also have a coffee shop called The Mess which does good capps.

The old Cadbury milk wharf at High Onn has now been converted into a rather handsome house

Saw this narrow beam dutch barge at Wheaton Aston with an interesting figure head at the bow!