A day off in Atherstone.

Wednesday was another beautiful day, warm and sunny as we headed to Atherstone.

Leaving Polesworth


I’ve always fancied having a go at one of these off-road courses…

The old swing bridge has seen better days…


…as has this boat near Grendon Dock

It’s a riveted iron butty (unpowered), and, judging by the bow, probably built in Northwich. Can’t make out the name, though…

We caught up with a boat at the bottom of the Atherstone Locks. Only to be expected, now we’re moving into the season. There’s a lot more boats about down here than up in the north in the winter!

Mags in Lock 10 of 11.

Unfortunately we’re counting down, not up!

We had boats both before and behind, so the crews helped each other as we went. There were a couple of boats coming down, as well.

And we had anglers!

They were quite a jolly bunch, actually. It might have been a different story had it been bucketing down!

The pattern for the cast iron ground paddle pedestals didn’t change…

1902…


…1910


In Lock 7, Baddesley Wharf, home of Barry Hawkins Boats, in the background.

We pulled in on the straight between L5 and L6. It’s not the quietest spot, sandwiched between road and rail, but it’s the closest to Cox Automotive, who were to repair a faulty alternator for me.
I dropped it off in the afternoon, and after testing said they had to get a part in. But I could have it back next day.
In the event I missed the call, and it was late yesterday afternoon before I realised. Too late to collect it, so I left it till first thing this morning.

So this morning, after walking Meg, eating breakfast and collecting the repaired unit, we were off.

Just around the corner was our first lock, and they come close together on this, the top half of the Atherstone Locks.

We were lucky, two early starters had already come down and we beat anyone else going up, so all the locks were empty for us.

First today, Lock 5


Plughole bywash weir


All the locks have side ponds alongside.

They are a feature designed to save water, by using them only half a lock of water is used each time a boat passes through. But they’ll all out of action bar one, and that is locked up, only to be used by CRT staff.



“Do you want me on or off, Dad?”
 

It was grey and cold compared to the previous few days. I started off in shorts, fine when working the locks, but  had to put trousers on later. And a heavy coat… and gloves!

We reached the top in good time, just 50 minutes for the 5 locks. At the top we were just topping off the lock when a familiar boat arrived. It was NB Ami Bovard, with Nigel and Glen. It’s been almost 12 months since we saw them, so we had a bit of catching up to do… It was a good job no-one else was waiting to use the locks!


A new crew member, 6 month old Bear.


After filling up the water tank and disposing of the rubbish we were on our way again. We had no clear destination in mind, it depended on the weather.

Good views to the north across Warwickshire


Twin brick bridges at Hartshill


Coventry Canal BWB BW CRT maintenance yard.
 

There are a couple of pleasant mooring spots between here and Nuneaton looking out over the Anker valley, but it was still fine so we pushed on.

A comfort break for steerer and co-pilot (Meg) at the Anchor near Bridge 29 and we carried on, into the built-up area around Nuneaton.

They must be well into fresh produce in Nuneaton; the allotments are huge!

Starline Boats at Boot Wharf


Moorhens do build precarious nests…


This area is smack in the middle of the North Warwickshire coalfield, the main reason the canal was built. Power stations in Longford, Coventry and further afield relied on regular supplies, carried by boat. Most of the collieries had canal arms, connected to the pits by narrow-gauge railway.

Griff Colliery Arm

There’s a large business park on the site of the colliery.

A little further on is Marston Junction and the entrance to the Ashby Canal.
Another canal whose existence is due to coal, this time from pits on the edge of Leicestershire.

Soft-top boat?


Charity Dock is always worth a look…

The Stig is still here…


and the other “staff” are modelling the 2016 Spring collection.

Another short loading arm, this one for the Newdiggate Colliery

The old Navigation Inn has been converted into a stunning private residence

We finally pulled in on the first available spot on the moorings before Hawkesbury Junction.
It’s busy here, there were only a couple of spots free anyway.

We’re going to do a short-ish day tomorrow, hopefully mooring at All Oaks Wood. Sunday will be a day of rest… For us anyway. London Marathon day!

Wednesday- Locks 6, miles 3¾ , today - Locks 5, miles 11½

Pigs and colliers

Today dawned bright and sunny. Cool, but it is only April…
After mooring yesterday afternoon in a quiet, out-of-the-way spot, we were joined by another three boats! Safety in numbers doesn’t really apply, there was no-one about. Must be magnetism.

Us…


…and our little flotilla!


We’re still on the Birmingham and Fazeley Canal, so Tamhorn Farm Bridge doesn’t have a number.
It does, however, have a little door in the side, behind which are stored stop-planks to use in the event of a breach. Neat, huh. That’s another B&F foible.

Past Hopwas Wood.

The River Tame is down on the right.

Hopwas is a popular overnight halt, no shops but there are two pubs almost facing each other across the canal. The mooring restriction sign is somewhat confusing though…

To the left you can stop for 48 hours, to the right for 2 days. That’s clear, then!

The main centre of Tamworth is passed to the left as the canal heads towards Fazeley, but there are moorings at Sutton Road Bridge, handy for a large out-of-town retail park.

Do you remember the Tamworth Two? In January 1998 two pigs escaped from a truck on the way to the abattoir and managed to stay uncaptured for 2 weeks. They became know as the Tamworth Two, Butch and Sundance, and so great was the publicity that they finished up in luxury in a rare-breeds centre in Kent, rather than in sausages! Tamworth dined out on the story for a while, but in fact they made their bid for freedom in Wiltshire. The breed is Tamworth…

Sutton Road Bridge is just out of sight around the corner.

We cruised at tick-over into Fazeley, with several moored boats on the towpath side.

Peel’s Wharf is the local CRT office and has facilities too.

Just around the corner is Fazeley Junction


A turn to the right continues on the B&F to Birmingham, we go left onto the Coventry Canal.


WWII blockhouse on the Tame Aqueduct


The Tame was one of several natural barrier that would have been defensive lines in the event of a German invasion.

We were lucky on our arrival at Glascote Locks, a boat was just coming down the bottom one.

With no-one directly ahead the top one was still empty as well. We timed it well, two boats arrived above as we were going in.


Following the untimely death of Steve Hudson 18 months ago, his yard at the top of the locks has been taken over by Norton Canes Boatbuilders. At the moment they’re just using the basin for moorings.


The route out of the built up area above the locks seems to drag. Plenty of bridges, overhanging willow and lots of moored boats on the offside reduce progress to tick-over.


But the canal opens out past Bridge 63, heading for Alvecote Marina.

Alvecote Marina

There’s usually several interesting boats knocking around here.

BCN tug Laplander.

Built around 1830, she’s an oil-fired steamer.

It’s an oft quoted statistic that there are more boats registered on the waterways now than during the canals’ commercial heyday. It’s been busy on the water today, but I’m sure that it’s quieter than in an April in 1810, say. What you’ve got to remember is that commercial boats spent 90% of their time on the move. Not to do so would be to waste money. Leisure boats, on the other hand, spend 90% of their time tied up in marinas!

Leaving Alvecote the canal meanders through a wooded landscape with a good towpath alongside.

It’s hard to imagine now, but this was the site of the extensive Pooley Hall Colliery, opened in the late 19th century. By 1951 it had joined up with workings from Alvecote and Amington and became the North Warwickshire Colliery. Company records for the Pooley Hall Colliery from 1940 show that it produced 350, 000 tons of coal and employed around 1000 people, both above and below ground. The combined pits closed in 1965.

One large spoil heap, near the M45 bridge, carries an artwork called The Golden Tower of Leaves.
Erected in 2011, the column is made from aluminium strips shaped like birch leaves and representing regeneration, as the site has been heavily colonised by birch trees. The column also represents the production of coal, formed from compressed vegetable matter, and the gold colour indicates the wealth derived from extraction of “Black Gold”.

The canal runs into the village of Polesworth, once the home of many mining families. It’s a handy stopping point, with moorings at both ends of the settlement. We tend to moor at the eastern end, now, adjacent to large playing fields for Meg. And so we did today.

We’d got tied up by 2 o’clock, so, after a late lunch, I sat outside in the sun and mended the puncture in John Sage’s rear tyre. Then he got re-mounted where he belongs, on the rack over the counter.

I also got the left cabin side washed and polished.

Tomorrow we’ll be heading up the first half of Atherstone Locks. I’ve got a duff alternator to drop in at Cox’s for them to have a look at.

Hi Carol, yes, looking forward to catching up with you too. It’s been a while.

Les, Jaq. It’d be great to finally meet up! We’ll keep an eye on where you are and come up with suggestions as we get nearer, OK?

Locks 2, miles 9½

Blowy and cool as we head south.

Another change in the weather! From yesterday’s cold start and calm and mild day, we’re now back to a chill wind from the west, holding the temperature down and making boat handling difficult.

There was a flurry of boats passing us first thing, unfortunately all heading our way. We paced ourselves, pulling out in a gap in the traffic after a boat had just come up Woodend Lock.

Dropping down Woodend Lock, I’m aboard ‘cos I was told to be!
A boat was waiting to come up and the crew were emptying the lock for me.

With so many boats heading down, and those likely to be leaving the moorings above Shadehouse Lock we were sure that there’d be a queue there. And we weren’t wrong.

But it wasn’t as bad as we expected. Just one in front of us.
There were volunteers helping out as well, so passage was swift down the two locks to the junction. So swift in fact that I didn’t have time to grab my camera! So, no photos for half an hour. Oh, and a quick hi to Roly and Bev NB Klara. Boat’s looking good, guys!

Mags made a good job of turning in to the Coventry Canal at the junction, despite the rising wind and another boat coming through the little swing bridge. Then she pulled onto the water point so we could top up the tank.
 
That’s the little swing bridge which gives access to the boatyard. Beyond the bridge is the junction, with the Trent and Mersey crossing left to right.

So we’re now on the Coventry Canal, although this could easily still be a branch of the Trent and Mersey if the Coventry Canal Company hadn’t bought it off T&M!

The Coventry Canal was built with one major aim – to connect the South Staffordshire coalfields with customers in the rapidly expanding Coventry area. Another less important consideration was the connection to the Trent and Mersey Canal, or Grand Trunk as it was known at the time.
The first objective was achieved, by 1771 the canal ran from the city to Atherstone, with various short arms connecting to collieries on route. Lack of money, and probably lack of will, put a stop to further extension along the line to Fazeley and then north to Fradley until 1790, and that was only to the first destination.
By this time the Birmingham and Fazeley Canal had been completed to Fazeley allowing traffic from the coalfields to Birmingham, but, desperate to see the northern connection established, they undertook to extend the B&F up to Whittington along the surveyed but uncut line of the Coventry, while the Grand Trunk Canal Company constructed the section south from Fradley to meet the B&F at Whittington Brook.
This, northern, six mile stretch was subsequently bought by the Coventry Canal, but the seven miles to Fazeley wasn’t. So now, leaving Fradley, we have 6 miles of the Coventry Canal, then we join the Birmingham and Fazeley. Travelling to Birmingham you stay on the B&F, but heading to Coventry you rejoin the Coventry Canal at Fazeley Junction.

Leaving Fradley I always find the first section to Streethay a bit tedious. It’s shallow, narrow, and with vegetation both sides there’s not a lot to see.

Just a glimpse of one of the old hangers, left over from when Fradley was home to RAF Lichfield.      

The base, built during WWII, was initially a maintenance unit where aircraft were assembled and modified before being flown to operational airfields. It’s role changed when it became a training establishment in 1941, preparing crews to fly Wellington bombers.
It did fly some operations, in May 1942 aircraft from here took part in the 1000-bomber raid on Cologne. These mass raids were designed to overwhelm the emergency services and demoralise the population. In a 90 minute window, 868 aircraft dropped over 1400 tons of bombs, the majority of which were incendiaries.

Narrow, bendy and shallow near Bearshay Bridge, No 87.

Just as the canal widens and straightens it turns to run alongside the busy A38…

…then there’s a line of offside moorings up to Streethay Wharf.
We pulled in here for 10 minutes. We needed a gas bottle, and with the weather remaining cool I chucked a couple of bags of solid fuel on the roof as well.

After Streethay we swap the road for the railway, but at least the permanent way isn’t as continuously intrusive.
The canal is heading south and east, passing the junction with the Wyrley and Essington, or Lichfield, Canal. This end of the “Curly Wyrley”, leading to the main Birmingham Canal Network at Ogley Junction, was abandoned in 1954. Much of the route has been filled in, but the Lichfield and Hatherton Canals Restoration Trust are fighting “To reinstate the historic Lichfield and Hatherton Canals for the benefit of the community”. 

Huddlesford Junction



Someday….

The wind was starting to be a nuisance, and I contemplated stopping at Whittington, but decided to carry on a bit further, through the village and towards Hopwas. I did call it best before the next village though, mooring up just before the start of the extensive Hopwas Wood.

A marker stone indicates the end-on junction between the Coventry Canal and the Birmingham and Fazeley Canal in Whittington

Now, until Fazeley Junction, we’ll be on the B&F. The only difference is on the bridges. The Coventry Canal made do with a number…


…but the Birmingham and Fazeley named theirs.


Locks 3, miles 8