We arrived back in the marina on Thursday 21 June after a really good trip during which we met some great people. We travelled with nb Shear Maddness crewed by Mervyn and Sophia down the Hatton flight and also up the Stockton flight. Its so muh easier to travel in pairs through the wide locks. We had to wait for half an hour at the top of Hatton for them to turn up. Not wasted time as we had a sausage and a bacon sandwich in the cafe- I also had a cappuchino which was excellent- now that was a very pleasant surprise indeed.
We also introduced them to the
Saltisford Arm as we had nb Friendship-Stan and Sheila on our way up to Birmingham-who we also met on our second visit as they returned from Stratford on their way back to Milton Keynes.The six of us all walked into Warwick (only 10minutes away) and had an excellent Italian meal together. We stayed for two nights (first free then £4 per night plus electric if required) during which we visited Stratford upon Avon by bus-first time use of bus passes.The lock keeper on the Lapworth flight had said how crowded it was due to The River Avon being closed- and it was.
We had two really bad days- one in which we boated up the Hatton flight the other we stayed put with the fire alight -in total our short trip to Birmingham entailed - 130 locks and 79 miles
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| Dredging work on the old narrow lock to improve water flow through the flight at Radford Bottom Lock |
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| There was a lot of water flowing down the 21 Hatton locks |
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| Our mooring just past bridge 62 on the embankment. There are only a few nice moorings between Lapworth and Hatton top lock. |
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| Entering Shrewley tunnel with the towpath going through above us on the right. |
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| Had to include a picture of the classic barrel roofed cottage on the Stratford upon Avon canal at Kingswood junction |
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| Sign at the basin in Stratford - the average lock/miles for all the above is 3.6 lock/miles per hour. Now that is some going as our average over the last 8 years has only been 2.5 lock/miles per hour. |
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| The start of the canal restoration movement. The canal was first owned by The National Trust but taken over by British Waterways in1988. |
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| Old bridges still mark the entrances to long forgotten wharfs near Gas Street Basin Birmingham |
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| Going past Brindley Place on the right. Through the bridge in the distance is Gas Street Basin |
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| Our mooring was on the right near the NIA. |
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| A panoramic view of Stratford basin from the bridge over the canal as it enters the basin. The lock down onto the river is behind the boats on the left. |
