Fabulous Weekend Weather

Saturday
It was another glorious day as we moved on to the end of the Shropshire Union Canal.
It started like this..

and ended like this.

And this is what we saw in between..

more fantastic bridges,

typical Shroppie lock house,

more blue skies.

Here we had stopped at Brewood, (pronounced Brood), Himself had read in a Waterways World article that the best place to moor was not on the designated 48hr mooring which is in a cutting but just beyond with lovely view across the fields to the village.  Well so far so good, I agree the view is great and a lovely walk into the village. Only trouble was...

that was as close as we could get the boat in, good job Mr B has long legs! Mrs B had to get on at the next bridge.

The hawthorn berries are so big and such a beautiful rich red,

and so many of them, looking great against the blue sky,

and these branches with no leaves left, just very dark, big berries.

As we approached Autherley Junction at the end of the Shroppie, the colours were amazing, don't think the photos do them justice.

WOW!

8 miles, 2 locks

Sunday

So now we are on the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal, going toward Stourport.

We went to a Baptist Church this morning, it was about 35 mins walk from our mooring, but we had a good time and once again made very welcome.

So we pulled pins at about 12.30 once again in lovely sunshine.

A different canal and different locks and architecture.

At Awbridge lock

an interesting bridge parapet

an iron footbridge with no handrails for working the lock, a split in the middle for the tow rope to pass through.

the little gap in the wall below the lock to allow access to/from your boat, the metal bar over the top allows the tow rope to pass over without getting stuck.

leaving this lock, you can see the brickwork is worn from boats rubbing against it on the the way in/out. I think we managed the get through without wearing anymore away.

another style of footbridge below a lock

At the top of Bratch locks, we come across something different again.

The lock keepers lookout post for the flight

In the 2nd lock, but it's not quite a staircase,

there is a very small 'pound' between the locks. This is connected by a culvert to a side pond which the locks empty into and fill from.

the side pond

looking down over the locks.

We tied up tonight at Swindon meeting up with nb Country Rose who we were tied up next to last night.

Ivy flowers buzzing with bees in the sunshine today.

8 miles, 14 locks