Norbury Junction to The Anchor, High Offley - Shropshire Union Canal

Sunday 21^st April

Another glorious day when we got up, Kev took Smugs for his last morning walk with us, we will miss him when he goes home today and there will be something missing in the chair on the boat!

Passing Junction Inn

Long Eared Owl

Beautiful Barn Owl

On we go

We had a leisurely start and I cooked us all breakfast, then they got their things together and we walked up to the car with them.   It was quite sad knowing Smugs was going home, we have had him four weeks and he has been a model guest, and it will be strange without him for a while. We will miss him but we will see him again soon when John and Sharon are out on their Summer cruise, our paths will cross I am sure.  It was nice having John and Sharon to stay over as well, we always have a good time together.

When we got back to the boat, we got things ready and headed off to the water point.  When the tank was full, we set off along the canal past the pub and café and on we went.

Coming to High Bridge

Grub Street Cutting

We went past the long term moorings and went past the boat with the owls, the long eared owl was in his house at the back hiding from the sun I think and today the barn owl was outside, such a lovely bird.

The next section we chugged along is Grub Street cutting and it is shallow and rocky at the sides.  This is where we walked the other day and soon we were passing under High bridge with the telegraph pole in the middle. 

Small bar in the pub

Bar in The Anchor

We passed a few boats but didn't get stuck on the side but we passed a hire boat who was stuck but they said they would get off okay Kev just gave them a bit of advice of how to do it and we went on our way. They obviously got off okay as Kev saw them behind us, they turned at the winding hole and went back the way they had come.

Bar with old tables

We chugged on and moored up at High Offley by the Anchor pub.  It is a lovely rural spot and the pub is great.  It’s a small very old family run pub which has been in the same family for over 150 years and has changed very little in all that time. In the bar there are original settles and scrubbed tables and have been used by narrow boat people since the 1830s.

Mum and many ducklings

The Anchor Inn

As it was such a lovely sunny hot afternoon, we walked up to see if the pub was still open, our friend Martyn was moored near the pub and he was sat outside painting (he is an artist), we had a chat to him and while we were talking a mother duck came by with many ducklings, the first ones we have seen this year. The pub was open, so we got a Cider and sat in the garden.  The pub usually closes at 3pm but if it’s busy they stay open longer and it was busy which was good for us as it was after 3pm when we got there.  

We are staying here for a couple of days then going on about further.

Moored at the Anchor, High Offley