Hockley Heath to Kingswood Junction

Tuesday 21st March

We decided to stay put on Monday, the weather was awful and we only intended to get to the top of the Lapworth locks which was only a few miles. So on Tuesday we made an early start and through the two manual draw bridges which are still really tough to operate, the second one being the worst.

We were soon descending the Lapworth Locks and the weather was certainly on our side, it was a gorgeous day and we had a lovely time making our way down the 19 locks to Kingswood Junction, we turned off left onto the Grand Union Link and called it a day as we wanted to hop on the train at Lapworth station to Birmingham.

3 miles and 19 locks

TOTAL 18.5 miles and 19 locks

Alvechurch to Hockley Heath

Sunday 19th March

We were both excited to be setting off on our travels again, although we had been moving location every couple of weeks since December it's not really the same.

We went though Wast Hills Tunnel again and at 2726 yards quite a long one, then up to King's Norton Junction where we left the Worcester and Birmingham Canal and turned right onto the Stratford-Upon-Avon Canal. 

We meandered along to the Shirley Draw Bridge, and I pressed a few buttons to lift the bridge and let James and LJ through. We continued onto Hockley Heath where we decided to stop on some convenient bollards near the Wharf Inn Tavern.

15.5 miles and 0 locks

Lowsonford to Knowle

Another lovely spring day saw us leaving Lowsonford going through a couple of locks before reaching the bottom lock of the Lapworth flight, although the first few locks here are quite away from the main flight so I'm surprised they are included within the Lapworth locks. We past a very remote cottage, which I believe is one of two that is still completely off grid.

No evidence of an access road for miles 

The pitched roof house is attached to this one, so guess it has a massive extension

On reaching Kingswood Junction we turned right onto the Grand Union link and then at the Grand Union it was left, onto new waters for us. 

Kingswood Junction

Onto the Grand Union link

and left turn at the junction

The Wide Grand Union

We continued on for a couple of miles before stopping half a mile or so before the Black Boy pub on the outskirts of Knowle.

4.5 miles and 10 locks

TOTAL 64.75 miles and 93 locks

Wilmcote to Lowsonford

After a couple of productive days we headed off on a three mile lock free section and crossed the Edstone Aqueduct, we had walked there the previous day so I managed to get some photos of the structure from road level. This is the longest aqueduct in England at nearly 200 yards.

This photo makes it seem wider than it actually is, the boat just fits in 

After crossing the smaller aqueduct at Wootton Wawen we had to negotiate getting past the hire boats moored at Anglo Welsh, as our stern was still in the narrow aqueduct we couldn't get the front round to avoid the boats across the canal, there was nothing for it but to keep going and push them out of the way, not ideal and not something we liked doing but on this occasion there was no choice, as well as their own moorings being completely full they had also taken up several spaces on the visitor moorings. I really am of the opinion that if the hire bases have not got the room to put their boats when there are all back at base then they really should reduce their numbers.

Just about to go over Wootton Wawen aqueduct

No way we can get round that, half of LJ is still in the narrow aqueduct

It was then up through a few more locks and the lovely barrel lock cottages, we stopped again overnight in Lowsonford. It had taken us five days with three stops on the way back to Lowsonford, on the way down it was all one journey - we had missed so much.

A very extended barrel roof cottage

Yarningale Aqueduct

Lowsonford Lock

Lovely barrel roof cottage

Lowsonford barrel cottage around the 1950's

Moored outside the Fleur-de-Lys

7.5 miles and 9 locks

TOTAL 60.75 and 83 locks

Stratford-Upon-Avon to Wilmcote

Again didn't cover much distance on this journey, but we got up the Wilmcote lock fight a rise of just over 77ft in 11 locks. We passed two Anglo Welsh hire boats on their way to the basin, both were out for long weekends from the base at Wootton Wawen. We stayed a couple of days in Wilmcote so James could get on with some more pen making.

1.75 miles and 11 locks

TOTAL 53.25 miles and 74 locks

Stratford-Upon-Avon

We made the most of the relaxed winter visitor mooring restrictions and stayed the full 14 days in Stratford Basin. Dudley enjoyed his river walks and it was handy being in right by the shops in the town. We were there for my birthday, Mum came to visit for the day and we enjoyed lunch in the Black Swan, or Dirty Duck as it seems to be called.

On our last evening we had decided to go to Cafe Rouge with our converted Tesco Clubcard Vouchers, the previous day and overnight it had constantly rained, I took Dudley for a quick morning walk around the basin as it was still raining, at the lock the boards onto the river were just borderline on the red meaning it was unsafe to navigate. When I took him again around five hours later the river level had risen dramatically and it was almost level with the canal, there is usually around a 4ft difference between the canal basin and the river. We did think about moving onto the floating pontoons but decided to stay where we were as we were off first thing in the morning anyway. We had a lovely evening in Cafe Rouge and the steak was the best I've had. When we got back to the basin the river level hadn't really risen much.

The next morning as we were getting ready to leave the river became level with the canal and both sets of gates on the lock opened. We hadn't planned on going too far as we wanted to visit Aldi at the other end of town and James had some shoes to pick up from Clarks. I must admit I was a bit happier to get through the first lock and be higher that the river though.

1.5 miles and 6 locks

TOTAL 51.5 miles and 63 locks