Waring's Green Wharf to Hockley Heath (Stratford Canal)

Ducklings on a tyre

Waring's Green Wharf

We are moving on today but just a couple of miles.  No sun today, although it was dry but quite chilly.  We untied and moved just down the canal to Stephen Goldsborough Boats at Waring's Green Wharf where you can get diesel, water, etc.  Water and to use the Elsan is £1 each and there is an honesty box for the money.  The lady who runs the moorings is called Marianne and is very friendly and comes from Cheddar where my dad comes from and she has relatives with my family name Hale, so you never know we may be distantly related, it’s a small world.  Last night we looked out of the window and perched on a tyre was several ducklings all jostling for position, their mum was on the towpath, they stayed there for a bit until the chap who had been cutting the grass came past with his grass blower and they all hopped off and went off up the canal, but they did look really sweet.

Sign on canal to Wedges Bakery

Maclaren Car

We filled up with water then set off under Bridge 19 and on along the canal.  At Bridge 20 we resisted the temptation to stop and go to Wedges Bakery again, I don’t think our waistlines could stand it!!

The canal was very quiet again and we didn’t pass any moving boats.  Before very long we were at Hockley Heath and moored on the visitor moorings just before The Wharf Tavern.

Miller & Carter pub

We had lunch then went for a walk up onto the main road where there is a Maclaren Garage and a Rolls Royce Garage, there must be a lot of money in this village!!  We walked along the road to the Post Office and there is also a nice pub there called Miller & Carter, we have been in there before so gave it a miss this time.   

We walked back the other way and up over the bridge where there is a Butchers, a café and a couple of other shops.  Just down a road off to the right is St. Thomas Church, we went into have a look, but unfortunately it was locked.  On the sign outside the church it said “Nuthurst cum Hockley Heath”, Kev said it was very apt to me, can’t think why!!

We are staying here tonight then a hard day tomorrow as we are off down the lapworth flight of locks and Kev says we are leaving by 8.30am!!

Moored at Hockley Heath

A Walk Around Waring's Green (Stratford Canal)

We are staying put today so decided to go have breakfast at Wedges Bakery.  

Our Breakfast!!

Kev had a Bacon, Sausage and Egg Sandwich on extra thick cut Granary Bread and I had Bacon and Sausage on ordinary cut Granary Bread with a drink.  It was delicious.  When we had eaten that, we then ventured into the Bakery to buy a few things.  The bread and cakes they make there always look so delicious that it is difficult to choose what to have, but in the end we choose a crusty Granary loaf, hot cross buns and two huge Chocolate muffins, I also couldn’t resist an enormous Danish Pastry and Kev had a slice of Bread Pudding, we are not going to eat all this at once mind you, and we will have to do extra walking but as we won’t be by this way again for a while, we had to make the most of it!!  They also sell local Lashford sausages so we got some of them to try and some local ham.

Saint Patrick's Church

Saint Patrick's Church

Bull's Head Pub

History of Bull's Head

We walked back to the boat, dropped off our goodies then walked the other way along the towpath to Bridge 17 and walked up onto the road.  There is a church there, St Patrick’s, but unfortunately it was locked so we couldn’t see inside.  

Dog Beds at pub

We walked on along the road for a bit then went off along a lane and then we came to The Bull’s Head pub, it looked really nice from the outside so we went inside for a drink.  It is really nice, quite classy and at the main entrance to the pub, there was something we have never seen before at a pub, there was a box with dog beds in and a sign which said “For our Four Legged Guests”, how lovely was that, not only being dog friendly but providing for them as well, do you think Smuggler would fit on one of them, I bet he would give it a good go!!

Bluebell Cider House

We walked on along the lane and within about 10 minutes we were back at Bridge 19 by The Bluebell Cider House, so we popped in there for a glass of the local cider, Hogans and very nice it was too, this pub has a canal side garden but we sat inside today as it is quite chilly, where has the sun gone??

We are staying here again tonight then moving on tomorrow, hopefully in the sunshine.

The Drawbridge, Shirley to Waring's Green Wharf (Stratford Canal)

Leaving Shirley behind us

Going through Shirley Draw Bridge

We are moving on this morning just a few miles along the canal and it was a lovely sunny warm day. I walked down to Shirley Drawbridge and opened it up.  You need a BW key to work this electrically operated bridge, Kev brought the boat through and then I shut the bridge, it all went okay and no mishaps.  I hopped on board and we chugged on along the canal.

Passing Earlswood Motor Yacht Club

It was very quiet and we only passed one boat.  We chugged past some apartments built by the side of the canal, they looked really nice and soon we were passing Earlswood Motor Yacht Club at Lady Lane Wharf where there are lots of moored boats.  There was a heron on the towpath and he followed us for a bit, waiting on the towpath until we got to him then flying further in front and landing again, I think he got bored in the end and flew off over the trees.

Heron flying away

We chugged slowly past them under Bridge 18 and we moored just before Bridge 19 opposite Waring’s Green Wharf in a lovely sunny spot.  

Wedges Bakery

Inside Wedges Bakery

Scone with Jam & Cream, Yum Yum!!

We had some lunch, then went out for a walk down the towpath and out onto a lane and at the end of the lane is Wedges Bakery, Deli and Café.  It is a fantastic place, they make all the bread, rolls, cakes, scotch eggs, pork pies on the premises and all the meat and vegetables they sell are all from local farms.  It is actually at Bridge 20 on the canal but we usually get off the towpath before and walk down the lane as that bit of the towpath is usually really muddy even in the Summer.

Prosecution of Felons Poster

We bought some lovely ham and a couple of small pork pies for our tea and then sat in the café and had a lovely fresh scone with jam and cream, really yummy!!

On the side wall of the Bakery, there was a poster, Prosecution of Felons and the charges, we will make sure we are good while in this area, don't want to be flung in jail and charged!!  We walked back to the canal and back to the boat.  We are staying here tomorrow as well as we are off back up to the Bakery to get some bread, rolls and anything else that takes our fancy, I expect we will need a trolley to carry it all back!! 

Moored at Waring's Green Wharf

Walk Around Shirley

Shirley Park

Commemorative Tree Plaque

We are staying put today.  We found out through Mr Google that there was a shopping area not too far away so we set out to find it.  We walked past the pub and out onto the main road, up there past Shirley Station and right at the roundabout and then took a road which led us to Shirley Park, it is a really nice park and big.   

Commemorative Tree Lined Avenue

We walked up through a tree lined path.  In November 1929, 62 trees were planted in Shirley Park and dedicated in memory of the residents of Shirley who lost their lives in the First World War.  These trees formed an avenue from Hurdis Road through the park to the Stratford Road.

We walked past an open air Gym, we restrained ourselves from having a workout, maybe on the way back!!   We carried on through the park and soon came to a huge Asda which was part of the shopping precinct.  It was less than a half hour walk from the canal and a very pleasant one.

Shopping Precinct

Wood Carving in Park

There are lots of shops here either side of a big dual carriageway, the A34, but there are lots of Pelican crossings.  We had a mooch around the shops and also found an Aldi where we bought a few supplies.  We stopped for a coffee then made our way back through the park past a lovely wood carving which had been carved out of a big tree that had once stood there.

We walked back to the boat and chilled out for the rest of the day.  Shirley is a really nice area to stop and has a train station and shopping area and a lovely park which is well worth the walk to it.