Bridge 8 (Shropshire Union Canal) to Coven (Staffs & Worcs Canal)

 

Sunday 4^th July

We had a few nice days here, we went for a nice walk down to the lovely Avenue Bridge and we had a BBQ.  We had planned to move today but we had rain overnight and early morning and the forecast wasn’t too good so we were undecided as to what to do but then it brightened up, so we decided to go for it.

                                                       

 We untied and set off along the canal, under a bridge then came to a narrow bit, we waited for a boat to pass then on we went.  

A chap came by in a kayak and his name was Roy Beal, he is paddling in a wooden sea kayak from John O’Groats to Lands End to raise money for charity and also to raise awareness of the impact of plastics in the marine environment and to promote outdoor sports safety.

                                               

We carried on along the canal and under a few bridges and another narrow bit, then we came to Wolverhampton Boat Club where there are lots of moored boats.

                                                   

                                                                                     

We chugged on and stopped at the water point to get water.   We were almost at the end of the Shropshire Union canal at Autherley Junction where this canal meets the Staffordshire and Worcestershire canal.  There is a stop lock here.

I walked down to the lock and a boat was just coming through so it should have been our turn but there was a boat right behind them and the lady said they were already lined up to come in and couldn’t reverse as they were towing a canoe!  She was sorry but could they come in first.  The lock is only a few inches deep so I said okay, couldn’t really say anything else as they were blocking the junction, it was a shiny new boat, don’t think they had been out much. 

                                                        

I went to open the gate to let them out but couldn’t as the canoe was blocking the boat, I asked them several times to move the boat back before they eventually did, then they phaffed around picking up all the fenders they had down, they then went out and it was our turn.

Kev brought the boat in and soon we were going out of the lock and turning left onto the Staffordshire and Worcestershire canal leaving the good old Shroppie behind us, we love that canal but it will be nice to go on different canal for a while.                                                                                

                                                          

We chugged on along the canal passing a long line of very tall trees, then came to a very narrow cutting in rock, once known as ‘Pendeford Rockin’ after a local farm, there is only room for one boat, but there are a few passing places.

We had to wait for two boats to come through then on we went.  Luckily nothing else was coming and we got through there okay.

                                                 

We went under a few bridges.  The bridges on this canal are wide but quite low, different to the bridges on the Shroppie as they are tall but quite narrow.

We chugged on and then came to Coven where we moored up just before The Anchor pub.

                                        

                                               

We are staying here for a couple of days as tomorrow we are off on the bus to Wolverhampton to do some shopping.  Then on Tuesday we will move on a bit further.