Well, as you all know the weather has changed from the miserable rain we’ve been experiencing since April to what seems like a normal summer. Resulting in Flo & I deciding the time is right for us to get Bacchus out for a trip up to Ellesmere Port via Birmingham and Chester.
We left Crick on Tuesday 24th going through the Watford flight, Braunston and mooring at bridge 103 near Flecknoe for a BBQ. Wednesday continued to be dry and hot and saw us turning right at Napton Junction and moving down the Stockton Locks. We were feeling the heat by lock 11 and the Blue Lias was a welcome sight, liquid refreshments were called for before attacking the remaining locks and finally mooring at Long Itchington close to the Two Boats. On the recommendation of passing jogger dinner was at the Buck & Bell located on the village green. Excellent meal.
The Blue Lias - first boat is Bacchus
Stockton Locks
Two Boat
Straight forward chugg to Radford Semele, mooring around lunch time. We were here in 2010 and the village church was covered in scaffolding and tarpaulin and under repair after an arsonist had set it on fire, the scaffolding and tarp are still there. The heat of the day had dropped around 4ish so we continued our journey to the edge of Warwick mooring close to the Cape of Good Hope, and being in a good position to climb the 21 locks of the Hatton flight next day.
The Hatton flight was far easier than we expected. Very few other boats were around and the two trust volunteers on duty helped us up through the top 15 locks resulting in a really good time of just over 3 hours for the flight. We only met 3 other boats going down, but lots of gongoozlers. Moving up the flight we saw buzzards, grey wagtails and a vole scuttling between a pair of locks. Chugged to Rowington and moored for the night. Watched the Olympic opening ceremony, we both thought it was better than we expected.
Half way up the Hatton flight
View from Rowington mooring
Left the Grand Union at Kingswood Junction, joined the Stratford Canal and chugged up the Lapworth flight, another flight of over 20 locks, decided not to moor for the evening but to continue to Birmingham and stay for 3 days. The weather broke on Sunday, hot weather disappeared and we are now back to rain.
King's Norton stop lock
Birmingham University clock tower
First of August tomorrow – leaving Birmingham for Wolverhampton and then proceeding onto the Shropshire Canal the day after
