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.