A brief visit to the Stratford Canal.

After saying our farewells to the crew of NB No Problem we moved through the narrow bit of the Lapworth Link and into the basin beyond, before manoeuvring onto the service wharf.

Bye, bye to Sue and Vic

Have a good winter you two, see you in the Spring.

Heading for the cut through.
When the connection between the Grand Union and Stratford Canals was made the only route was to the right. Fine for those boats going uphill towards Birmingham, but boats heading for Stratford had to make a tight left turn above the lock there, then drop down another to get back to the same level. This short cut was an afterthought.

After filling and emptying, heading back the way we came.
The barrel-roofed cottage is typical of those on the Stratford. The story has it that the buildings were constructed by the same teams who’d built the bridges, and they re-used the formers made for the bridge arches for the cottage roofs.

Out onto the Main Line.
You may notice we’ve a bit more cargo. There was a large stack of logs just by the junction. It’s slightly smaller now…




A parting gift from Vic was some vegetable soup he’d made for lunch. I had a mug full while we cruised, and very good it was too.





It was a typically dreary, damp autumnal day, not really raining but drizzly. So I was glad we weren’t going so far. At Bridge 69 sits the Black Boy pub, opposite is the Black Buoy Cruising Club.


See what they did there? Boy, Buoy? It wouldn’t work in the States though, they’re pronounced differently.

We pulled in just beyond Bridge 70, Kings Arms Bridge. From here we’re 15 minutes to the bottom of the five Knowle Locks, the last of the broad locks we’ll encounter this year. That’s for tomorrow, the forecast is looking a bit fairer.

Locks 0, miles 3