Worcester Marina to Tibberton (Worcester & Birmingham Canal)

Moored in Worcester Marina

Leaving Worcester Marina Behind

In Gregory Mills lock

Waiting for lock to empty

We left the boat in Worcester marina on the Friday night while we went back to Weston for my annual check-up at the hospital which went well and I got the all clear for another year.  We also stayed in the marina Saturday night as well as we didn’t get back to Worcester until early afternoon and then had shopping to do.  Worcester marina is really nice, it is a hire boat base so can be busy with boats coming and going but the staff there are all very friendly and it has a nice feel to it.

The sun was shining this morning, so we did the washing, filled up with water and then chugged out the marina and set off for the locks.  We have 12 locks to do today as we are mooring at Tibberton tonight.  All these locks are not very deep and have steps as you go into the lock, so Kev stepped off there with a long rope and shut the off side gate and did the paddle that side while I did the tow path side, this way it saves me going back and forth from one side to the other, our system worked very well and we were soon making steady progress up the locks. The down side was that there was a boat in front and so every lock was against us and also that boat was going like a snail, we go slow but they were even slower than us and we kept catching them up.  Eventually a couple of boats came down which helped the boat in front of us and they pulled a gap.

In last lock of the day, hurray!!

Working up Offerton locks

We worked our way up the locks and soon we were coming out the last lock and a short cruise along the canal and we were at Tibberton where we moored up.  I was glad to stop as it has been very hot today and quite humid at times, but we shouldn’t complain as I prefer that to rain!!

Tibberton is a small village four miles from Worcester yet that is four hours boating on the Worcester & Birmingham Canal!  This canal was built between 1794 and 1815.  Many different cargoes were carried by narrowboats including coal, matches, flour and chocolate.  Two big companies used to use this canal were Cadbury and Worcester Procelain.  The boats were often pulled by a pair of donkeys. This worked well unless the donkeys did not get on!

The village has two pubs, The Bridge Inn which is on the canal and Speed the Plough in the village, there is also a shop/post office.

We are staying here for a couple of nights here now.

Moored at Tibberton

Worcester Basin to above Blockhouse Lock (Worcester & Birmingham Canal)

We are going up two locks today and mooring above the second one, Blockhouse Lock, it is less a mile so a hard morning for us!!

In Sidbury Lock

We have to go back to Weston-Super-Mare tomorrow as I have my annual check at the hospital and we are leaving the boat overnight in Worcester Marina which is a few bridges up from Blockhouse Lock so if we move up there today we can then go straight in the marina tomorrow morning and have plenty of time to get our train.

Words on railing by Commandery

It was a glorious sunny warm day.  We pulled back to the water point first and filled up, then we set off to the first lock, Sidbury Lock which is a deep lock.  By Sidbury Lock is The Commandery Civil War Centre and on the top of the railings there are some words which are hard to read, but when the sun is out they cast a shadow on the path and hey presto you can read what it says, clever! 

In Blockhouse Lock

The lock was full, so I emptied it and then Kev brought the boat in and soon we were going out the lock and onto Blockhouse lock.  This one was almost empty so didn’t take long to go through and we moored a little way from the lock in a nice sunny spot.

Kev did some sanding down of the boat and painting as it was such a lovely day and I gave the inside of the boat a clean then had a wander around the shops.

We will stay here tonight then off into the marina in the morning and back to Weston-Super-Mare we go.

Moored above Blockhouse Lock

Train Trip to Droitwich

Droitwich Railway Station

We decided to go to Droitwich today as it is only a short train journey and cost £2.50 return each with our rail pass.  We walked up to Worcester station and got on the train and soon we were in Droitwich. 

Vine Park

The town is a short walk from the train station.  There is a very small bakery in Droitwich which sells delicious bread and cakes so we went there first to get a few things, then we headed to Waitrose to buy some sandwiches and a drink and then went and sat in Vine Park and had a picnic as it was lovely and sunny, a couple of boats came through the bridges but it was very quiet.  

Droitwich Town Centre

We walked down to the marina where there was quite a few boats moored, then we had a walk around the town, stopped for a coffee then headed back to the train station and got the train back to Worcester. 

We are staying here again tonight then off up a couple of locks tomorrow.

Diglis Pontoon to Worcester Basin

Going up locks into Basin

We are moving up into Worcester Basin today, so I went up to the lock to get it ready for us.  We were lucky as the lock was empty so I pushed open one gate as they are double locks and went and signalled to Kev to come on in.  There was a hire boat on the Severn turning around so I shouted to them if they were coming into the lock and they said yes so I told them to come on in so we can share the lock.  They came in and I opened the other gate and in came Kev. The gates are very heavy so I was grateful for a few passers-by who helped me shut the gates.  A lady got out the other boat to help and we filled the lock, it took ages though as they are very slow to fill.  We were soon in the next lock and through that one and out into the basin

We stopped at the water point and filled up with water which seemed to take for ever as the tap was dribbling out.  We then moored just down from there in the visitor moorings. We are staying here tomorrow as well.

We had lunch and we had a few heavy showers so we waited for them to go over and then we went out for a walk, but we timed it wrong and it started to rain again, but we sheltered under the bridge until it passed over.  We walked up to Aldi and then to Worcester Marina as we wanted to see about the leaving the boat there for a couple of days at the end of the week as we have to go back to Weston.  It is a nice marina and they had a space so we will go in there Friday morning and leave Sunday.

We walked back to the boat and just chilled out

Moored in Worcester Basin

for the rest of the day.

Day out at Stratford Car Festival

We are off to Stratford-Upon-Avon today as there is a car festival being held there where they close the main streets and all the cars park up in the town so you can look around them and then they have a cavalcade around the streets.  Our friends Steve and Ian will be there with their two Morgan cars so we will meet up with them which will be nice.

The two Morgans

We went by train to Stratford which was a two hour journey but we didn’t mind as it is a day out and we were meeting up with our friends.   Steve and Ian were parked up in High Street so we went and found them.  There was lots of cars, some really old, some new, super cars and old cars, really good and there was crowds of people.

It was really nice to see Steve and Ian and catch up.  Their two cars were gleaming and caught the attention of a lot of people especially the three wheeler, which is such a fun car.  The thing that surprised us was how people not just children (whose parents didn’t stop them) but adults as well seemed to think that it was okay to touch the cars and even attempt to climb in them and when Steve asked them not to they gave him such a look.  I wouldn’t dream of doing such as thing but I suppose that is the society of today!!

Off we go!

At lunch time they held the cavalcade around the streets which Steve and Ian were taking part in, Steve drove the four wheel Morgan and Ian was in the three wheeler and they kindly said I could ride with Ian.  Well, we dressed up for the part in hats and goggles and I looked like Biggles and we set off, it was a slow procession but such fun and Ian pleased the crowds by revving the engine at every opportunity!  There was hundreds of people lining the streets, waving, cheering and taking photos and in some places they were three deep, we felt like we had won the FA cup or something and everyone was out on the streets to see us, I don’t think I have ever had my photo taken so many times, it was great.  The Sheriff followed us all the way around so we were on our best behaviour!!

In the cavalcade

Kev took our photo as we set off and he kept appearing from behind lamp posts and people all around the route, we had our very own paparazzi chasing us!!

A lovely VW

We eventually got back to where we started and Steve and Ian parked up the cars again for a while then they set off home.  When they left, all the crowds gathered around to watch them go and we waved them off.

The Sheriff was in town!

We then had a walk around, there was a market down on the waterfront so we had a look around there and then had a coffee sat by the river.  We then walked back to the station and got the train back to Worcester.

It was a really good day and it was great to see Steve and Ian and I did so enjoy riding in the three wheeler in the cavalcade, so thanks again to them for letting me, it was a lot of fun .

Steve and Ian setting off home