Back to Brum

We left Hockley Heath this morning and our first stop was to visit the lovely bakery at Illshaw Heath a little way on.

We have visited before, in this quiet sleepy village there doesn't seem to be much else but this fantastic bakery, with loads of mouthwatering pies, cakes and the welcoming smell of bread wafting down to the canal.

And so we moved on up to the end of the Stratford on Avon Canal to the junction with the Worc. & Birmingham Canal.
Here the refurbished guillotine lock was standing proud as we passed underneath the raised gates.

The lock is not used, it is left open for passage through.  Though it was put in as a stop lock protecting the two canal companies 'own water.'

Off with his head!

By the time we turned onto the Worcester and Birmingham towards Brum itself, it was raining. So for the first time this year we finished our day's cruising getting wet.  We found a mooring in Brindley Place where it is quiet and we feel safe.  We shall spend some time pottering around Brum over the next few days.................. maybe weeks.

15.5 miles, 2 tunnels, 1 bridge