Our overnight mooring is at Branston Water Park, orginally an open cast gravel pit and now a wildlife reserve with lake and circular walks. The canal is alongside and there are good moorings on rings for 4 or 5 boats. A large Morrison's is a 20 minute walk (back along the canal to the Bass Brewery Museum sign, then down the ginnel to the large roundabout), so stocked up with groceries we're ready for Barton under Needwood in Staffordshire, our next stop.
This group of Canada geese had two 'adopted' Grey Lag youngsters
Tatenhill Lock cottage, now a B&B with a lovely garden
Catnap's in the lock and Denis starts to close the bottom gates
Catnap ready to exit
Drawing alongside the historic 'Hadley' built in 1937 and lovingly restored
View back showing the lock cottage and 'Hadley'
Goodness knows why this bridge is so narrow! It's a 'turnover' bridge, which means the towpath changes side, in this case from right to left and the horses would have walked over the bridge, while the towline was detached then re-attached. Towlines were up to 90 feet long and one horse could pull around 50 times the weight of a cart on the roads
Careful - the right hand side is missing a few chunks already :)
Looking good
After filling up at the water point below the lock, Barton will be our overnight stop. Bought some marigolds for the rooftop trough here last year at a lockside stall with an honesty box
A fresh coat of paint and this pub is ready for re-opening post lockdown on Saturday
Characteristic of the Trent & Mersey, this large 18th century house would have been owned by someone connected with the canal trade
A few pictures of Catnap's interior, showing the nice oak joinery - and of course the shipshape and orderly way we keep her! This is the rear cabin with bunk berths, the 'office' and the painted doors to the rear deck
Another view of the rear cabin, looking forward. There's an ensuite loo next to the radiator...
...and this handy wash basin. The angled door you can just see divides the different 'rooms' up
The main bedroom, with chest of drawers and wardrobe
The main bedroom looking forward. Like all narrowboats she's less than 7 feet wide, but feels roomy compared to many we've seen
The marina at Barton, with Aqua hire boats allowed to go out from 4 July when lockdown restrictions for them ends
We really appreciated the help closing the top gate after us at Wychnor lock Great teamwork, that's a heavy gate! Moored for the night above the lock near Alrewas village and a glimpse of the moon
Our second night at Alrewas A moment for reflection, before setting off Passing moored boats and willow along the winding route through AlrewasDodging into the bank to let an oncoming boat pass "Messing about in boats"Under one of the bridges... ...leaving Alrewas and approaching the lock bollards
Definitely getting busier! Boats at Fradley Junction, where we'll use the services and enjoy the coming & going
Goes with 'Comfortably Numb' in our collection of eccentric names!
Catnap (on left) waiting to use the services Well known landmark 'The Swan' at Fradley
Turning left out of Fradley and onto the Coventry Canal, through this tiny swing bridge View back to 'The Swan' and swing bridge Colourful tug built in 1934, known as a 'joey' and used to tow coal barges. The admonishing finger was to the poor crew, trying to adjust a rope
The Coventry is thickly wooded in places, quiet and remote Perfect - a boat at the bottom of the garden All these bridges were built between 1768 and 1790 when the canal was opened
Moored at King's Orchard Marina for a few days so we can collect the car at Sawley and travel to London. An electric hookup means the breadmaker and we think we've reached 'peak spelt' here. Haven't been able to buy wholemeal wheat since lockdown began and various combos tried of spelt, Khorosan, rye, and white. Some are a bit bland, but this is absolutely delicious! It's 300g spelt, 150g white, 50g porridge oats, 2tsp honey, 1 tsp yeast, 3 tbs oil, 1.5tsp salt, 220ml Guinness, 140ml water. Baked with the rye blade for 3.5 hours.
Checking in on the veg - Jan with fellow gardener Sue and our shared plot back at Sawley French beans, leeks, broccoli and courgettes are coming along ...and chillis look ready to eat
Onboard entertainment this week:
Rider on a Storm (All4) - Danish series about a family headed by an egotistical priest, Johannes Krogh. Family dynamics are certainly stormy and sometimes tragic, but always compelling. Wonderfully acted, scripted and shot.
Mrs America (BBC2 iPlayer) - series set in the US and starring Cate Blanchett as Phyllis Schlafly, the conservative anti Equal Rights Amendment campaigner. Pretty well done and terrific acting from Blanchett, if protagonists and particularly the feminists (Gloria Steinem, Betty Friedan, Shirley Chisholm) are somewhat caricatured.
