Gloomy day from Norbury

We stayed at Norbury Junction till today, waiting for Simon to get my wood cut for my next project. You’ll still have to wait to find out what it is though.
It’s not an ideal place for a stop-over, there are some good walks for Meg but all involve mud to one degree or another, and the internet and phone reception is patchy, to be charitable.

There was one bright spot, Graham and Jill off NB Armadillo joined us for a brew yesterday afternoon, after cruising up from Gnosall.

After collecting the wood I’d ordered and watered up etc., we were on our way.

Looking back at Norbury Wharf….

….and forward to the C&RT maintenance yard


We passed NB Armadillo moored on the visitor moorings, but no-one was home.

When we arrived the other day there were but 3 boats this side of the bridge, and these filled the 5 day moorings nearest to the junction. Today there was only one decent space on the 300 yard length of 48 hour moorings.

I wonder where they all came from?

Leaving the junction heading south you’re on one of the high embankments for which the canal is known, and which gave the engineers such grief during construction. The steep sides kept slipping until they were finally stabilised. It might have been difficult to build, but it affords good views…

Taken Wednesday when it was brighter.

At either end of the embankment there are stop gates, used to close off the channel for maintenance, or heaven forbid, in the event of a breach.

Southern stop gate

It was only a couple of miles to Gnosall, where, as expected, the moorings were busy.
Not a problem, we didn’t intend to stop here anyway.

The canal exits the village through the rocky portal of Cowley Tunnel.
Only 81 yards long, the far end is supported by brickwork. It should have been longer but the ground on the south side is loose and unstable, so is a deep cutting instead.

We pulled in on a short length of piling we’ve used before, between bridges 31 and 30.

Mooring just around the corner

It’s been damp and drizzly all day, but the last couple of pictures show the day got duller as the afternoon wore on. We’d just got tied up when the rain came on properly, and it’s been heavy since.

The forecast promises brighter but colder weather for tomorrow.

Hi Adam. Yes there’s evidence of a bit of veggie bashing on the offside here. it’s a delightful little structure.

Hi Kevin T. I think that maybe you’ve got a Travel Pack fitted, so yes, you do need to keep the revs up. We run our washer off the inverter, and only when the batteries have had 40 minutes or so of charge.

Locks 0, miles 3¾

Short cruise to Norbury Junction

According to the forecast we’re due some rain this afternoon, so we planned just a short day, leaving late and finishing early. Come to think of it, how’s that different from most days?
Anyway, we got going at around 10:45, chugging on tick-over as the washing machine did it’s business past the linear moorings between Shebdon Wharf and Anchor Bridge.

Shebdon Wharf

Moorings near High Offley

St. Mary’s, High Offley, has a great view of the surrounding countryside.
Parts of the church date from around 1200, later bits are Victorian.
The “worm” you can see on the sky is not fluff on the camera lens as I thought; it’s a scratch. How that got there is anyone’s guess!

Approaching Grub Street Cutting there’s a feeder coming in to the canal from the north east. On the map as Lonco Brook, it crosses the level control weir in a miniature cast iron aqueduct before dropping into the canal.

Canal feeder



On an overcast winter’s day the woods on the approaches to the cutting as appear to me to be somehow primordial, brooding. As if there are hidden eyes peering out from behind mossy trunks….

It’s all chaos and confusion, ivy-clad tree limbs leaning haphazardly.
Maybe I’ve been reading too much Stephen King…

The cutting itself is not as deep or sheer as the more northerly Woodseaves, but has the second “High Bridge” across it’s deepest section. Not much imagination, these canal engineers…

Although lower than that in Woodseaves, this is the one that sports a stumpy telegraph pole in the arch…

Out of the cutting there’s a short straight to the busy Norbury Junction, boatyard, chandlery, café, pub. We moored here, just short of the bridge. I made a trip to the workshop to speak to Simon, with a view to getting the materials for a little project I’ve got in mind.
Watch this space, as they say.

Locks 0, miles 3½

A day at Shebdon

After a cold frosty night the today started clear, but by 9 o’clock a heavy mist had risen from the fields. It took until after lunch to clear, but then we had a sunny afternoon.

There was a small blown down tree alongside the moorings, but it’ll not be there when we leave… it’s all logged up and on the roof!

I took Meg for a walk as the sun was setting this evening, and had to dash back for the camera when I saw this view…
To the right is the bulk of The Wrekin, standing 1320 feet above the Staffordshire plain. The plumes on the left come from Ironbridge Power Station near Telford. Both are about 15 miles away.

The power station is one of the few coal-fired sites left in the UK, although now the black stuff is supplemented by oil and biomass. It still uses an amazing 1.2 million tonnes of coal per year. Unable to meet future emission controls, it's scheduled to cease operations by the end of 2015.

We’re toddling on a bit tomorrow, but will be moored up by the time the next weather front comes through, replacing the dry bright conditions we’ve enjoyed these last couple of days with more rain.
Then it gets wet and windy towards the end of the week. Lovely.

Locks 0, miles 0

What a fantastic day….

…..for a cruise!
We’ve only seen two other boats out today, the others just don’t know what they missed!
You don’t get many days like today, not in mid-January.

We’d planned a fairly long day so were on the move at 10 o’clock this morning. Twenty minutes and we were at the bottom of Tyrley Locks.

Leaving the moorings.

Looking back at Market Drayton

“Mornin’, Jacob”

I’m not going to waffle on today, I‘ll let the photos do the talking.

Approaching Tyrley Locks

In the flight of five

Fierce bywashes!


Sorry about the shadow…

Top Lock and Tyrley Wharf
The chap on the right was taking his windlass for a walk. I think he’s called Mick, and he set the top two locks for us.

We pulled in at the services for water etc. (a very slow fill), then pushed off, around the corner to Woodseaves Cutting.

Recent rockfall, probably a result of the heavy rains

High Bridge across the deepest section.

The other High Bridge is the one more regularly photographed. It crosses Grub Street Cutting a bit further south and is the one with the telegraph pole stuck in it…



An unlikely place for a mooring… ah, he’s collecting firewood!
There’s another recent rockslide just this side…

It was cool in the cutting, but we emerged into bright, warm sunshine.

 

Even passing the long lines of permanent moorings around Goldstone and Little Soudley seemed a little less tedious in such fine weather – at least for the first 20 minutes!

I don’t know what it is, but it’s very green!
A completely unexpected colour this time of year…..

The blob on the branch in the middle is a buzzard…
…his (her?) mate was wheeling around above, calling, calling....

We moored at the far end of Shebdon Embankment, after passing Knighton Wharf, where once boats unloaded chocolate crumb from Cadbury’s in Bournville.

Knighton Wharf, now no longer working as a wharf, makes good sheltered moorings for historic boats.
The long straight over the embankment runs off into the distance…

Moored at the other end after a fine winter’s day cruise.

We’re taking a day off tomorrow. We’ve moved every day for the last five days! Almost unheard of, even in the summer. A bit of wood to slice and dice, all though that’s getting down, now. Not so much along here to forage. There’re more boats about looking for the stuff…

The bulk of the locks are done now, just the one at Wheaton Aston and the stop lock at Autherley before we turn north again on the Staffs and Worcester. Mags can put her feet up for a few days.

Locks 5, miles 7½

Communications black hole in Market Drayton

We arrived in Market Drayton about half past twelve as planned, and moored up just north of Bridge 62. We’ve not stopped here before, but it’s just beyond the services so the plan was to pull back a boat’s length in the morning to fill with water and dispose of waste.

But when I set the aerial up we couldn’t get a signal, no matter where I tried. Then  switched on my Wi-fi dongle to be treated to a red indicator on the incoming signal monitor.

We moved 200 yards south of the bridge and bingo! everything came on again. You wouldn’t think such a short distance would make that much difference. We’ll know not to stop there again….

We set off this morning at around 10:45, the showers had eased to a drizzle then stopped, so we took a chance and got going.

Heading up Adderley Locks

Our chance paid off; the rain stayed away until I’d got back from a shopping trip in town.

We met another boat coming down (the only one today) so the top three locks were empty, making it easier and quicker. In fact we reached the top 55 minutes after pulling pins.

Passing between Locks 4 and 3
Mags is hanging back so the boats don’t pass at the powerful bywash.

Adderley Top Lock

From here it was a steady three miles to the town. Passing through Betton Wood I caught a glimpse of a buzzard crossing the canal in front of the boat, but it disappeared across the fields to the west. It must have come back around though, or else it’s partner was behind us a couple of minutes later, it’s distinctive call clearly heard.

Under the by-pass bridge into Market Drayton.

The towpaths are still very muddy, Meg is soaking it up like a sponge. Until we get to a cleaner stretch of canal we’re just having to live with it. I get as much off as I can with a towel, then brush a bit more off when she’s dried. She’ll need a good scrub in the shower when I get the chance.

Locks 5, miles 3¾

A bright day for up the locks.

We waited till mid-morning before we made a move today. Two other boats had passed going in the same direction so we knew the locks would be against us. The last of the overnight showers petered out around 10:00, so we got underway around half-past.

Coming up Lock 12 in bright sunshine.

What a fantastic sky!

By the time we were halfway up I’d shed my jacket, walking up and down the flight was getting a bit warm.

I think that’s Lock 7 or 8 just about full.

Nearing the top, with just two locks to go, I thought our luck was about to change. Grey clouds started rolling in and there were a few spots of rain in the wind, but it didn’t amount to much.

A bit gloomy above
Lock 2

Although the day was mainly dry and bright, the towpath had suffered with the recent wet weather, in places just 2 or 3 inches of mud. Although there’ll be a little less now; Meg brought quite a bit up with her!

The Muddy Munchkin

I gave her a clean up as best as I was able at Lock 1, before we finished off the day with the 25 minute cruise to the bottom of Adderley Locks.

Last one for today, Audlem Lock 1

The grey had cleared back to blue as we finished the day’s trip.

Looking NE over the Cheshire Plain

Up the Adderley five tomorrow, then a bit of shopping in Market Drayton. Should be there by lunchtime.

Locks 11, miles 2¼

Schilling Rudder

I forgot to put this on the previous post, this one’s particularly relevant to George and Carol’s WB Still Rockin’. At Nantwich Marina there’s a poly-tunnel on the car park, under which a Dutch barge is being prepped for painting. It’s got a big, round, rear end, underneath which is one of those fancy rudders!
Not quite as voluptuous as Still Rockin’s but at least I know what it is!