Gailey to Penkridge (Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal)

Fourth lock of today

Monday 22^nd and Tuesday 23^rd June

Monday, we stayed put and walked down to Dobbies garden centre.  We walked straight in and there was only a few people inside.  They had a one way system around the store and it was all fine, it felt quite relaxed, I think it was because there was only a handful of people around.

Here He Comes

Off He Goes

Today (Tuesday), we are on the move to Penkridge, only about 2 miles but we have at least four locks to do and a couple more if the moorings where we hope to stop are full.

Wind Turbine in the field

Mum and Baby by the lock

It was a glorious sunny warm day as we set off.  The first lock was just around the corner so I walked to it to get it ready.  Kev came with the boat.  We were soon through there and on to the next one which wasn’t far away.  The canal was quiet today and we didn’t see any other boats moving.

M6 is very close here

There are two wind turbines in one of the fields alongside the canal and as you get close to them, you can see just how big they are.

In lock by M6

Coming to a bridge

We were soon at the third lock and the M6 motorway runs alongside, it was quite noisy and busy today but I bet if you came through here during lockdown it would have been bliss, back to reality now!

We chugged on under a few bridges and then came to our fourth lock and hopefully the last one for today.  All the locks were set against us today so we had to fill each one first but it doesn’t take too long.

Gemma Panda at Boggs Lock

Flowers by the canal

We went through the lock and on we went along the canal, under a couple more bridges and moored up just before the Cross Keys pub at Penkridge.

Lovely Sunny Day

Coming into Penkridge

We had lunch then walked back to the bridge, up onto the road and along there to a small shopping complex where there was a Co-op.  It was extremely quiet so we went straight in and got a few things. 

Cross Keys Pub

I found out there was a house in Penkridge selling homemade masks for £2.50 each and all proceeds were going to the local food bank so we went off to find the house and sure enough they had lots of masks in different colours, we bought a couple and then walked back to the main road and down to the village.

Gemma Panda in Penkridge

There is a nice baker’s and butchers here so we got a few things in the Baker’s, then called in to the Butchers. We then walked back to the boat along the towpath.  

Swan Family

There were some more moorings this side of the pub which were in full sun.  When we got back to the boat, the solar panels were in the shade and that will never do, so we untied, went past the pub under the bridge and moored up in the lovely sunny spot where we had just walked.

We are staying here for a couple of days as tomorrow is market day so we shall go and have a look around there, then on Thursday we shall probably chug on.

Moored at Penkridge