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| Into Shadehouse Lock |
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| Chugging past Coventry Canal |
We are moving on today to Alrewas and we have seven locks to
do! So we set off fairly early and went
through the first lock, a boat had just come out so that was easy and there was
a volunteer lock keeper on the next lock so that one was ready for us as well.
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| Going down Junction Lock |
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| It's made to measure! |
We went on along the canal, past the entrance to the
Coventry Canal and into the next lock.
We haven’t done this part of the Trent & Mersey before as we have
always turned off to the Coventry canal so it is all new from here which is
exciting, not knowing quite what to expect.
Soon through that lock and we stopped at the services to
fill up with water, get rid of rubbish etc.
When all that was done, we were on our way and onto the next lock there
was a boat coming out of there so that one was set as well and onto the next
one. These locks are not very deep so they don’t take long to go through.
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| Going down Bagnall Lock |
We chugged on along the canal, it is a really nice stretch
of canal and we were soon at the next lock and soon through there and on we
went and we were soon in the last lock for today.
We went through the lock and then moored in the visitor
moorings just under the bridge.
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| Butchers in Alrewas |
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| Hats on the posts! |
We had lunch then went for a walk up into the village of
Alrewas. The somewhat unusual name is
Alrewas, pronounced ‘Olrewus’, is a corruption of the words Alder Wash – a reference
to the many alder trees which once grew in the often-flooded Trent valley and
gave rise to the basket weaving for which the village was once famous.
It is a nice village and has a sleepy feel to it and there are
quite a lot of old cottages in the main street.
There are a few shops including a great butchers which of course we had
to go in and buy a few things. Also I assume for the Queen's Birthday all the posts had hats on them!
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| Where the mighty Trent meets the Canal |
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| Alrewas Church |
We walked back to the boat then walked on down the towpath
to the next lock. Just after this lock
the River Trent joins the canal for a short distance so sometimes after heavy
rain this section of the canal is shut. We had a look at the marker and it is
in the green so hopefully will stay that way when we want to go through in a
couple of days time.
We walked back up the canal and went to have a look at the
church, it is 14th Century.
Unfortunately it wasn’t open so we couldn’t go inside.
We went back to the boat then shortly after had a heavy rain
shower, but luckily it didn’t last for long.
We are staying here now for a couple of days as it is such a nice area.
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| Moored at Alrewas |
I've been getting the CRT alerts for that area and have been keeping my fingers crossed for you, about the levels. Good to hear it's dropping.
ReplyDeleteAn old man who came and sat on a bench to chat to us there told us the church is lovely inside. Sadly we didn't get chance to look — can't quite remember why, may have been wrong time of day, probably just that we had a tight schedule — John was still working then :-)
We had a look in the church on Saturday and it is nice. When did you do this stretch of canal, was it last year when you met us at Kilby Bridge after coming through Leicester?
ReplyDeleteYes, we did that ring that goes across through Burton on Trent, to Trentlock, had a little diversion to Nottingham, then headed south through Leicester.
ReplyDeleteI expect you've been getting all those CRT email notices about the Macclesfield Canal too — they're much more detailed than the ones we get in the Glos area. Fingers crossed, it looks fixed for now …