Looking around Wootton Wawen and Day Trip to Stratford Upon Avon

Thursday 28^th May

We are staying here today.  There is a train station in the village so we walked up to see how far away it is and it is about a 15 minute walk from the canal.  

We walked back up the road to the Saxon Church, St Peter’s and went inside to have a look.  It is really interesting and there is an exhibition explaining the history of the building.  We had a walk around the outside.  Next to the church is Wootton Park, there is a 16^th Century Farmhouse which does B&B and weddings, events etc.  Also in the grounds are lots of park homes and a village shop and Post Office.  We had a walk around there then back to the boat and chilled out for the rest of the day.  We are staying here again tomorrow.

Friday 29^th May

It was pouring with rain when we got up this morning and we are going to Stratford today on the train so I was praying it would ease off.  Luckily my prayers were answered and by the time we were ready to leave the boat, it had eased off.  By the time we got to the train station it had stopped and the sun had come out.

Wootton Wawen is a request stop, so when we saw the train coming, Kev put out his hand to stop the train, he had always wanted to do that, it seemed funny stopping a train and we were a bit apprehensive in case he just roared by but no, the driver saw us and stopped. 

 

It is only about a 15 minute train journey and then we were in Stratford.  The station is not far from the main shops, its just a short walk.  We had a wander around the shops, then walked down to the basin and the River Avon.  Went for a coffee in the café in the park on the banks of the River Avon.  There was a few heavy rain showers.  We decided to go for some lunch and found a Thai Restaurant called the Giggling Squid where they do Thai Tapas and it was really delicious and very reasonably priced.

Walked back to the train station, when our train came in, we made sure we told the driver and the conductor that we wanted to get off at Wootton Wawen, we didn’t want the train whizzing past with us on it!  Thankfully, the train stopped when we got there.  We walked back to the boat and got back just in time as about 5 minutes later, there was a heavy shower.    Late afternoon, the rain went over and it was a nice sunny evening.  Hopefully it will be a dry day tomorrow.

Lowsonford to Wootton Wawen (Stratford Canal)

I though he was going to climb on!

We are chugging off today and the sun was shining, so that was good.  The lock with the Sir Anthony Gormley’s sculpture was just up from where we were moored, so I walked up and set the lock, then Kev came in, the man was just watching us and it even looked like he was going to board our boat!

Just past there is a water point, so we stopped to fill up, then chugged on, through the locks, we are doing 8 today.  

Yarningale Aqueduct Sign

Passing over Yarningale Aqueduct

On down the canal to Yarningale Aqueduct, it is a narrow cast iron trough and the towpath runs along the level of the bottom of the tank, so that towing horses and pedestrians get a duck’s eye view of passing boats.  These aqueducts are unique to this canal and there are three on the length of the canal.   They are really interesting and it is weird standing on the towpath and looking up at the boat.

Going through Preston Bagot Bottom Lock

Yew Tree Farm Complex

On through Preston Bagot, we will probably stop here on the way back and soon we were at Wootton Wawen.  We moored up and walked up to the bridge and there was a sign saying farm shop, café and craft centre, so we walked up to have a look.  It is called Yew Tree Farn.   

Yew Tree Farm Shop

 There is a farm shop, craft shops and a café.  We had a walk around, then had some lunch in the café, it was very nice.

Walked back to the canal, then walked down to the aqueduct, then had a look in the shop at the boat yard and the chap there told us there was a shop just up the road that sold everything,  a bit like Arkwrights!  So we trotted off up the road and sure enough, the shop sold everything, it was jam pack with stuff.  

Opposite the shop is St Peter’s Church.  There was originally a wooden church on this site, built c.720-740 by Earl Aethelric, but the present structure dates from 1035, when it was erected Wagen the Thane, a local landowner, as part of an early Saxon Monastic complex.  Most of the tower and parts of the walls survive from this time.  Later additions include the barn-like Lady Chapel, added during the 14^th C, the tower-top and clerestory added in the late 15^th C, and various additions since then.  The church is the only one in Warwickshire that derives from Saxon times, and the original sanctuary in the centre of the 11^th-C church survives intact, still the focus of the building after over 900 years. 

St Peter's Church

We are going to have a look around the church tomorrow as it looks fascinating.

Walked back to the boat.  We are staying here tomorrow, then maybe chugging on after that depending on the weather.

Lapworth to Lowsonford (Stratford Canal)

Sorry this post is a little late, where we were moored in Lowsonford it was an internet blackspot, none at all.  This is the first time on our trip that we haven't been able to get any internet, so we can't really complain.  So late post is below:

Monday 25th May 

First of 15 locks today

We are chugging off today and the sun was shining and it was quite warm.  We have 15 locks to do today so off we went through the first few, then stopped for water and get rid of the rubbish.  It was quite busy with a few boats some way in front of us and several coming the other way so quite a few of the locks were set.  

Into virgin territory we go!

Past Kingswood Junction

Past Kingswood Junction where there is one of the unusual barrel shape roof cottages, then we were on new territory for us as we have only done the first bit of the Stratford canal before, so quite exciting!  As we had done the washing earlier, we stopped again just to top up the water tank, then on through the locks we went.  It is a really nice canal, very rural and a lot of the locks have the cast iron split bridges unique to this canal.

In last lock of the day

Soon we were coming to our last lock, through there and moored up opposite The Fleur-de-Lys Pub.  On the lock, there was a sign saying there was a farm shop just up the hill, so we walked up there to have a look.  They sell beef and pork, but unfortunately they didn’t have any chops or gammon steaks, so we bought some sausages and a steak pie.

Sculpture by Sir Anthony Gormley

We decided to go over to the pub for a meal, so walked down to the lock and on the lock there is a man standing there looking into the lock, he didn’t seem to be helping anyone!

Sculpture by the lock

It is a sculpture by Sir Anthony Gormley.  It is one of five that he has done and has been dotted around the country.  It will stay here at the lock until next May.  It is amazing, it looks like it is made of wood but is made of iron, really interesting. This statue is one of five commissioned around the UK by the Land Mark Trust to mark the charity's 50th birthday.

The iron sculpture weighs 1,543lbs (700 kg) and is the only one that has been placed in a village, the other four have been positioned by the coast. 

The Fleur-de-Lys Pub

The Fleur-de-Lys  pub is really nice.  As it was Bank Holiday they were only serving food from 4pm to 6.30pm, but we got there just after 4pm, so that was good.  It was quite quiet when we went in, but quickly filled up.  The pub is 13^th-C cottages, which once incorporated a bake house, converted into a beamy pub in the 15^th-C with open fires.  The famous Fleur-de-Lys pies were once cooked here, but switched to mass production during the 1950s.  They do several different pies and they seemed very popular, so Kev had Chicken of Aragon, it is a proper pie encased in pastry and very tasty, we could see why everyone was having them.  We had a really nice meal and the bar staff were very friendly.

We waddled back to the boat, suitably full and chilled out for the rest of the evening.  It is a really nice sunny spot here and very peaceful, popular with boaters as all the visitor moorings were full.  We are having a day off tomorrow, then moving off on Wednesday.

Moored opposite The Fleur-de-Lys Pub

Tuesday 26^th May

We are staying put today to do a few jobs and chill out.  The sun was shining and it was nice and warm.  Kev made a loaf of bread and it was really nice.  We had it for brunch with sausages from the farm shop we bought yesterday, bacon we bought from a really good butchers in Droitwich and free range eggs, very tasty.  We did a few jobs in the morning and cleaned up, then after brunch, we went for a walked down the towpath to see what the locks were like that we have to go through tomorrow.  Walked back to the boat, then just chilled out, it was a really lovely sunny evening.  

Hockley Heath to Lapworth (below lock 14) (Stratford Canal)

It was a bit overcast but warm as we set of this morning from Hockley Heath.  The first bridge we got to is a lift bridge operated with a windlass, a boat came out behind us just before we got to the bridge, so I went and operated the bridge and Kev went through followed by the other boat.  

Going through Lift Bridge

There is a another lift bridge a bit further on, so they said they would go ahead and open that one and we could go through, so that’s good.  I closed the bridge and we chugged on down and when we got to the next lift bridge, it was open and through we went.  Just down from there the locks start.  We are doing 13 today before we stop, so into the first one we went, we thought the boat behind us would come and help but they didn’t , they let us do the lock, never mind!

Into first lock of Lapworth flight

Me and Unique Cast Iron Split Bridge

The first four locks are spaced out, then they start in earnest and are very close together.   A lot of the bridges on this canal are cast iron and built in two halves, separated by a one inch gap so that the towing line between a horse and a boat could be dropped through the gap without having to disconnect the horse.There was a couple of volunteers on the locks so we had some help and a few boats came up so some of the locks were set for us, it all helps.  Kev did one side of the lock and I did the other, he pulled the boat out of the lock then shut one gate so we got a good rhythm going and soon we were going into the last lock of the day.  

Not too many to go now

In Lock 14, last lock for today

An older couple was coming up that lock and the lady came up and asked Kev what side he would be going when he came out of the lock, he said whichever side I end up on but with the amount of water coming out the side wash it would probably be left, we thought it was a strange question.  She went back down to the lock and instead of opening the gate and letting her husband out, she went and talked to him, then she opened the gate, and as predicted Kev was pushed to the left by the water and he passed on the right, people are funny!

Canal shop by lock 14

Out through this lock and we moored up.  Just up by the lock, there is a nice Canal shop where they sell gifts, maps, etc. and home made cake, it is just 95p for a big slice and its delicious.  Needless to say we had to buy some, the lady in the shop is very friendly and she also does teas and coffees, so we got a drink and sat by the canal for a bit.

We went for a walk down to lock 18 and you go over the bridge and down the road, under the railway bridge and just past there is a small shop.  We got some milk, then walked back to the canal and down to the Kingswood Junction.  

Barrel Shaped Roof Cottage

First family of swans on our trip

Also on this canal there are a lot of barrel-roofed cottages, They are typical to this canal.

We are staying here tonight and might stay here tomorrow as well as it is such a nice area.  We will decide in the morning.

Moored at Lapworth below lock 14