Bumblehole
I do love the names along this part of the Staffs and Worc.
Today as planned we made our way this morning through Bumblehole to The Bratch, and the unusual flight of locks, almost a staircase, but with a very short gap between with culverts leading to side ponds acting as pounds between the 3 locks.
The locks are beautifully kept and the architecture of the the bridges, steps, octagonal toll houseare full of history and traces of the boatmen’s footsteps from the past. We climbed 30’ through the 3 locks in warm sun giving us great views of the countryside from the top. There was a lock keeper on duty to help out and make sure we made no mistakes, opening blue painted paddles before the red.
At Awbridge, there were several working boats moored, Argus, Comet and Gosport. There is a coal yard here where they are loaded from too. In the right hand picture is another old wooden hulled boat, needing some considerable repairs.
After turning at Dimmingsdale we returned back down to Stourton Junction and took the Stourbridge Canal to…..well, Stourbridge.
Arriving at the basin and the Bonded Warehouse as it began to get dark. On the way down the Town Arm we picked up a gentleman who was taking photographs and looked familiar………
It was Joseph Boughey, Conservation Historian, recognised from the tv programme ‘The Golden Age of Canals’, which used some of his Dad’s cine films in the programme as well as his own contribution as historian.
Ian and he had a good old natter on the back on all things canal.
11 miles, 24 locks,
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