Worcester Marina to Tibberton (Worcester & Birmingham Canal)

Moored in Worcester Marina

Leaving Worcester Marina Behind

In Gregory Mills lock

Waiting for lock to empty

We left the boat in Worcester marina on the Friday night while we went back to Weston for my annual check-up at the hospital which went well and I got the all clear for another year.  We also stayed in the marina Saturday night as well as we didn’t get back to Worcester until early afternoon and then had shopping to do.  Worcester marina is really nice, it is a hire boat base so can be busy with boats coming and going but the staff there are all very friendly and it has a nice feel to it.

The sun was shining this morning, so we did the washing, filled up with water and then chugged out the marina and set off for the locks.  We have 12 locks to do today as we are mooring at Tibberton tonight.  All these locks are not very deep and have steps as you go into the lock, so Kev stepped off there with a long rope and shut the off side gate and did the paddle that side while I did the tow path side, this way it saves me going back and forth from one side to the other, our system worked very well and we were soon making steady progress up the locks. The down side was that there was a boat in front and so every lock was against us and also that boat was going like a snail, we go slow but they were even slower than us and we kept catching them up.  Eventually a couple of boats came down which helped the boat in front of us and they pulled a gap.

In last lock of the day, hurray!!

Working up Offerton locks

We worked our way up the locks and soon we were coming out the last lock and a short cruise along the canal and we were at Tibberton where we moored up.  I was glad to stop as it has been very hot today and quite humid at times, but we shouldn’t complain as I prefer that to rain!!

Tibberton is a small village four miles from Worcester yet that is four hours boating on the Worcester & Birmingham Canal!  This canal was built between 1794 and 1815.  Many different cargoes were carried by narrowboats including coal, matches, flour and chocolate.  Two big companies used to use this canal were Cadbury and Worcester Procelain.  The boats were often pulled by a pair of donkeys. This worked well unless the donkeys did not get on!

The village has two pubs, The Bridge Inn which is on the canal and Speed the Plough in the village, there is also a shop/post office.

We are staying here for a couple of nights here now.

Moored at Tibberton