Fradley Junction to Plum Pudding, Armitage (Trent & Mersey Canal)

Thursday 23^rd and Friday 24^th July

Thursday we stayed put at Fradley Junction and just went for a walk up the lock, then onto the Coventry Canal to the first bridge and then back along the road to Fradley Junction. We stopped in the cafe for coffee and toasted tea cakes.

Coming into our first lock

Moored at the water point

Today (Friday) we are leaving Fradley and heading back to the Plum Pudding Italian restaurant at Armitage.

Kids watching the boat come up

Our friendly lock keeper

We wanted to fill up with water, get rid of rubbish, etc., and the services was just across the canal from where we were moored.  There were two boats there so when one moved, over we went. The other boat started filling up their water tank, this tap is not very fast and the water trickles out, it didn’t help that the boat filling up had one of those expandable hose pipes that fits into a box, it took for ever.  Eventually it was our turn and we have a normal hosepipe but it didn’t come out much quicker.

Gemma Panda at Fradley Junction

Passing the Junction

We have four locks to do today, so when we had finished at the services, I walked up to the lock, a boat was just coming down, so we had to wait our turn.

There was several children at the lock wanting to help with the gates and were fascinated by the workings of the lock.

There were a few volunteers on the locks so that always helps.  There were a couple of boats in front of us so passage was slow up the locks at Fradley. We went through the second lock and onto the top lock at Fradley.

In Fradley Top Lock

Boats breasted up

The lock keeper helped me with the lock and eventually we were leaving Fradley behind us.

At the top of the locks in the moorings there was two boats breasted up in the narrowest bit, we got through okay but it made it more difficult, we just had to be careful we didn’t go too far over as it is shallow there and you could easily get stuck like a boat did the other day so the lock keeper said.

We went on along the canal and it was very warm and the sun came out, although when we first set off to the water point, it was very overcast and misty rain, but it has turned into a lovely warm day.

We were then approaching Wood End lock where there was a queue here as well with two boats in front of us and a couple waiting to come down. 

Quiet stretch of canal

Lovely Sunny Day Now

We both went up to the lock to help and got the two boats in front of us and the couple waiting to come down through the lock, although it seemed to take for ever and then it was our turn but guess what even though there was three boats behind us waiting to come up, not one of them came up to help so I started to do the lock on my own, I think this is why it was taking so long to get through here because no-one was helping anyone else, very selfish.

Queue at Wood End Lock

The chap on a boat coming down helped me so that was good.  We came out of the lock and they came in and still no-one came to help!

Coming to a bridge

At last we were through and on our way leaving it all behind us which was good as we were both losing the will to live!  We had another four miles to do from here which seemed daunting as it had taken us over three hours to get water, do four locks and travel one mile but hopefully now there weren’t any more locks we could get on.

How do you see to steer!

We passed Kings Bromley marina and went under a few bridges then passed through Handsacre.

We went on and the chimneys from the old power station at Rugeley came into view.  We were soon passing through Handsacre and past the toilet factory at Armitage, around a couple of bends and the Plum Pudding Italian restaurant/bar came into view. 

Rugeley Power Station

There was one boat on the moorings so plenty of room for us. We were glad to tie up after all the waiting around at locks and water points this morning, all in all it had taken us over 5 hours to get here and has never taken that long before, I needed a lie down!

Willow Curtain

On a Friday they serve food all afternoon and evening so we decided to go there for an early tea.

Gemma Panda at the Plum Pudding

We had tapas style dishes, sweet chilli chicken wings, slow cooked honey soaked belly pork, home battered cod goujons and Arancini Pomodoro washed down with Guiness for Kev and Whitley Neill Raspberry gin for me, sat on the terrace by the canal.  It was all delicious and the quality and quantity was as good as ever.

We are staying here until Sunday as tomorrow is my birthday and our special friends from Audlem, Jane, Malcolm, Dave and Anthea are coming to see us in the evening and we are all going for a meal here so really looking forward to that then we shall head on a bit further back up the canal.

Moored at the Plum Pudding, Armitage