Walks, Pub Lunch and John & Sharon Coming to Collect Smuggler - Norbury Junction, Shropshire Union Canal

Wednesday 17^th to Saturday 20^th April

We have stayed in Norbury the last few days and its been glorious weather so we have been out walking with Smuggler and stopping off on the way back at either the pub or the café for refreshments sitting by the canal and watching the world go by.  

When we are on the boat, Smugs has been spending a lot of time sat outside, he is very good and lots of people stop and say hello to him.

Lovely Sunset

John, Sharon, Kev & Smugs

Saturday John and Sharon who are now back from their holiday drove up to collect Smugs, they are staying overnight.  They got to us mid-morning, so we walked up to the car park to meet them, 

I'm very comfy here!

Sitting in the pub garden

Smugs was very pleased to see them.  We went back to the boat for coffee and cake and a catch-up, then went for a walk down the towpath to the aqueduct then down the path onto the road and along there which brought us back to the pub.

Come on you two!

Another lovely evening sky

We went into the garden and it was very busy as it was such a hot sunny day but we managed to get a table with an umbrella so that was good.  We had a couple of drinks, Cider today just right for this hot weather and food which was excellent and although the garden was packed, we didn't have to wait long to get served, we had a very enjoyable few hours there, great pub, cant recommend it enough.

We then walked back to the boat and chilled out.  In the evening I made some savoury tarts for tea and we had a glass of wine and had a nice evening chatting. 

Smugs enjoying the sunshine

Staying Around Norbury Junction - Shropshire Union Canal

Monday 15^th April

Tunnel under the canal

Path alongside Shelmore Wood

Walking through the Wood

House in the woods in the distance

It was another sunny day when we got up.  We had breakfast then chilled out for a bit then went out for a walk.  We walked along Shelmore Embankment until we got to the aqueduct then walked down the steps and onto the road and under the canal and on up the road.  At the top of the hill we took the pathway which takes you through Shelmore Wood and eventually we came back onto the road and along there and then we were back at Norbury Junction, it is a nice walk and about 2 miles.

No more photos!

Ex-Working Boats

We stopped at the café for a coffee then went back to the boat.  We chilled out for the afternoon then went for a short walk early evening before tea.

Tuesday 16^th April

Today has not been so sunny although it is warmer than of late.  We went out mid-morning and walked up past the junction and on along the towpath, it’s a lovely rural stretch of canal.

By High Bridge

Coming to High Bridge

The towpath was pretty dry except for a couple of places and one spot was quite bad and Smuggler went up the bank then slid down and nearly went over on his side right in the mud but luckily he managed to stay upright and just got muddy feet, it’s usually me that falls in the mud but I was okay today!

Steep Path up to the Road

We came to High Bridge, a double arched bridge containing a small telegraph pole and we took the steep path by the side of the bridge and went up onto the road.  The road was really busy so we crossed over and went into Loynton Moss Nature Reserve.  

Loynton Moss Nature Reserve

We haven”t walked up here before so it was nice to find something new.  We followed one of the paths which led us through the reserve to the entrance and car park.  We will definitely come back here again and explore more.

Norbury Church

We went out onto the road and took the lane that leads to Norbury Church and Norbury Junction.  We stopped off at the church to have a look.  It was open so we went inside for a look around.  It is a lovely church.

Inside Norbury Church

We then carried on down the road and was soon back at the junction.  We stopped off at the café for refreshments then walked back to the boat.  Just as we got inside, it started raining although not too hard but we were lucky as we did our walk in the dry.  It was a nice circular walk about 2 miles.  

We then chilled out for the rest of the day just going for another short walk late afternoon.  We are staying in Norbury for a few more days as John and Sharon will be coming to collect Smuggler at the weekend.

Gnosall to Norbury Junction - Shropshire Union Canal

Thursday 11^th to Sunday 14^th April

Little Lambs

We have spent the last few days in Gnosall, it’s a really nice village with good walks and a few shops.  I needed my hair cut so went to the hairdressers in the village and the girl Lauren who cut my hair did a good job.  There is also a good bus service to Stafford so I went there on Saturday and when I came back Kev went for a couple of hours.  We used the same ticket as I got a day saver and that way we got good value for money.

Baby Chicks

There is a small holding at Gnosall alongside the canal and they had some chicks in a run with their mum and a five very small lambs who were always hiding when I wanted to take a photo but got one eventually.  There was an older lamb, about two weeks old and he was orphaned and followed the chap around like a little dog, in fact they had a Jack Russell and the lamb and dog ran around together, it was very sweet.  Also the chap came over to the pub which is opposite his small holding and the lamb saw him and started bleating and didn't take his eyes off him until the chap went inside and even then he kept looking waiting for him to come back, so sweet.

Today (Sunday) we are moving on just a few miles to Norbury Junction.

Leaving Gnosall

Going under the old railway line

The sun was shining as we set off along the canal but quite chilly.  We chugged on past Shelmore Wood and along the mighty Shelmore Embankment.  The construction of this great Embankment, 1 mile long, was the source of endless grief and expense to the Birmingham & Liverpool Junction Canal Company in general and to Thomas Telford, the engineer, in particular.  It was an enormous task anyway to shift the millions of cubic feet of earth to build the bank, but while the contractors struggled to complete it, the bank slipped and collapsed time and time again.

Coming to another bridge

By early 1834, Shelmore Embankment was the only unfinished section of the whole canal.  It was not until 1835, after five and a half years solid work on it and we’ll after Telford's death, that the embankment was completed and the canal was opened as a through route.

Flood Gate on Shelmore Enbankment

Me & Smugs at Norbury

There are flood gates at each end, to close off the channel in case of a breach.  These were closed each night during World War II as a precaution against bombing.

Norbury Junction

We moored in the visitor moorings just before the junction.  While we were chugging up to here, I cooked Sunday lunch, roast chicken so we had that and after a rest to let our dinner go down, we all went out for a walk.

Old Arm & Dry Dock

We walked up to the junction.  This was once the outlet for the Shrewsbury, Newport and Trench branches on to the rest of the Shropshire Union canal system.  

Old Buildings at Norbury

There was a long flight of locks from the junction down to Newport, but these are now closed, except for the top lock which is used as a dry dock.  There is a nice pub and a cafe on the junction, it’s a really nice area.

Owl in his house

Now where's that Cat!

We had a walk along the towpath and there was an owl in a box on the top of one of the boats, we have met him with his owner at the pub in the past, such a beautiful  creature, they have a barn owl as well but we didn't see him, I think he must have been in side.   We then walked back down and back to the boat.

We are staying here until the weekend when John and Sharon will come and collect Smuggler, his four weeks with us are nearly over and they have flown by, but it’s been great having him to stay.

Moored at Norbury Junction

Bridge 24 (Church Eaton) to Gnosall - Shropshire Union Canal

Saturday 6^th to Wednesday 10^th April

The Captain waiting for the off!

Off we go

High OnnWharf

Turnover Bridge

We have stayed put the last few days in a lovely open sunny mooring near the village of Church Eaton, there is not much there only a pub and a church but it does have a bus service so on Monday Kev got the bus to Stafford, he had to walk up to the village about a 20 minute walk to get the bus as it started from there but on the way back it went over the canal so it dropped him off on the bridge near to where we were moored. We had a nice few days there but today we are on the move.

Cowley Cutting

Kev untied and Smugs took his place at the back of the boat and off we went along the canal and the sun was shining although it was a bit chilly.  We went under some bridges and past High Onn Wharf and along a very straight section of the canal.

Reflections in the water

We chugged on and met a couple of boats but the canal was not very busy at all, nice and quiet.  We went under Turnover Bridge, this is where the towpath changes from one side to the other.

We then came to Cowley cutting which has very deep sides but is wide enough for two boats to pass and we did meet a boat here and passed okay.  This section is very wooded and the reflection of the trees in the water was really nice.

Squeeze in!

Cowley Tunnel

Next we came to Cowley tunnel.  This short tunnel was originally intended to be much longer -690yds – but most of it was opened out at an early stage during construction (in 1831) because of dangerous faults in the rock, and now only 81yds remain and the tunnel is unlined.

In we go

In Cowley Tunnel

We chugged through the tunnel although it is more like a wide bridge and when we came out the other side we were in Gnosall and we moored up in the visitor moorings before the next bridge.

Out we come

Kev took Smugs for a walk and when he came back, we had lunch and then I went for a walk down to the Bakery, it’s a great shop and does sell lovely bread and lots of other things as well.  I then walked on down the road and up the other road to the hairdressers where I went in and made an appointment to have my hair cut tomorrow then walked on up the road and back to the boat.

Smugs was sat outside as Kev was doing some work in the front of the boat.  It has been a lovely sunny day but quite chilly, I think we will be having a fire this evening.

We are now staying here for a few days, then on Sunday we will chug off again just a few miles though not too far, you know us can't travel too far in one day, that would never do!

Moored at Gnosall

Wheaton Aston to Bridge 24 (Church Eaton) - (Shropshire Union Canal)

Tuesday 2nd to Friday 5th April

Sparrows munching the fat balls

Birds on the Feeders

Coming into Turners

Under the bridge we go

The last few days we have been moored at Wheaton Aston.  Tuesday I caught the bus to Stafford to do food shopping while Kev stayed with Smuggler and Wednesday Kev got the bus to Stafford to get some bits and pieces and I stayed with Smugs and took him for a walk, he was very good and didn't pull me and we didn't meet any cats so no altercations. 

Sign at Turners on the Canal

Lovely Views Today

Bridge 19

Smugs watching the world go by!

We were going to move yesterday (Thursday) and moved back to the services to fill up with water, get rid of rubbish etc., but it started raining hard so we abandoned moving on and went back to the moorings and tied back up.  It rained most of the day so we were confined to barracks although Kev and Smugs ventured out late afternoon and both got very wet, needless to say I didn’t go!

On We Go

Today (Friday) we are on the move and the sun was shining as we set off although it was very windy.  We went under the bridge and pulled in at Turner’s garage where we got diesel, coal, gas and kindling, this is a great place to stop and the diesel is always cheap.

We then set off along the canal for a couple of miles, under a few bridges then moored in a nice open spot by Bridge 24.

Martin Chugging Along

Mr Duck

We tied up then went for a walk along the towpath with Smugs to the next bridge.  As we were walking along, a boat passed us and it was Martin who used to moor on the Gloucester & Sharpness canal so we had a chat with him and he went on his way.

On our morning walk

We walked back to the boat and then had lunch.  We chilled out for the afternoon and although it is dry today it is quite chilly, so we lit the fire.  Kev and Smugs went out for their afternoon walk and I stayed on the boat.

We are staying here for a couple of days now just chilling out and doing a few jobs and the forecast is for dry weather and warming up so that will be good if they are correct, then we will make our way to Gnosall when we next move on.

Moored at Bridge 24