Wood, wood, glorious wood.

Loads of commotion off our bow last night so had to go and look. The story goes....Three men fishing by the bridge, rod on rest, line across the canal and left unattended.  Along comes a boat which collects the line and the rod on the bow soul plate. Shouts from one of the men and a sudden reverse by the boater.  One of the other fishermen managed to fish out the float with his hook and retrieved the line but the rod was still somewhere under the boat. The fisherman jumps on a moored boat, grabs the line and managed to pull up the rod. One very lucky chap indeed as that rod could have been a mangled mess if it had made it to the prop.

This morning we walked to Coates Butchers. Purchased sausages (Stilton, leek and pork), lambs liver, beef and ale casserole mix and two very lean pork chops. Not cheap but worth every penny for the taste. Then it was back to FS, tiller on and about to head off when a two boats came past. Oh well, no point in rushing as Alrewas river lock was just through the bridge.

River lock

River Trent

Wychnor lock and back down onto the canal again.

 After Wychnor lock we spied felled branches....loads of them.  C&RT have started cutting back the vegetation and trees along this stretch. This was too good an opportunity to miss so pulled in and started collecting. For any boaters that are in the Burton area, there is more than enough for the taking. Plenty on the towpath side and on the off side for those shallower drafted boats. We tried but just couldn't manage to get right into the side. Ian jumped off with the rope and then we had a right laugh about how he was going to get back on! But by driving the bow towards the bank and with a leap of faith, he managed to get his foot onto the gunwale and back on board.

We could have filled FS's roof but we remembered that the more weight on top and the more unstable she gets. We nearly found this out to our cost back in 2013 when I nearly tipped Ian and the roof fully leaden with wood into the River Trent as I made the sharp left hand turn into the Erewash Canal. The river was just off red boards at the time and the flow was interesting, to say the least.

Lots of this all along from Wychnor lock to Barton Turns.

How lovely not to have all that overgrowth encroaching the canal. Planty of logs on the offside along here.

Tattenhall lock and there was still a queue. But we only wanted to go as far a Branston Water Park so didn't mind the wait. On arrival, I was shocked to see that huge monstrosity of a bridge now overshadowing the road canal bridge. And building work has begun for housing, schools, shops and factory units. A beautiful place spoilt once again by building on green belt land.

Hardly anyone moored. Must be because it is the end of half term.

That new road bridge looks more like a huge wall.

Sunset of sorts.

And some photos of my walk at the water park

Goldcrest

Wigeon

And now for a stretch

Well, we all need to go at some point!

Wren

Bagnall lock repair

Couldn't believe the time this morning. 8 15 am and we were still in bed.  Very late for us but we still managed to be up, breakfasted and away before 9 am.

Beautiful although chilly morning and very glad we didn't have to struggle with the glare of the low sun. Many a time we met another boater squinting and trying to see where they were going. We kept well over to the right avoided many a scrape as they reacted to our presence at the last minute.

 Mainly a cruising day today, well apart from the Fradley three locks and Bagnall lock at Alrewas that is. Still on the Birmingham & Fazeley until we reached Whittington bridge and then the canal reverted back to the Coventry again. Bit of history from Canal and river trust, Coventry canal will explain all.

The Birmingham & Fazeley Canal had reached Fazeley in 1789, where it joined the Coventry. Frustrated by the lack of progress in completing the Coventry Canal, the Birmingham & Fazeley and Trent & Mersey Canals got permission from Parliament to build the missing section. The two companies built half each, meeting at Whittington; the Coventry Canal then bought the northern portion, which is why there is an apparently isolated stretch of Coventry Canal between Whittington Brook and Fradley. 

So back on the Coventry again we cruised past Huddlesford and Streethay and reached that dreaded section where we lost the chimney. Still no vegetation cut back although we were reassured by C&RT that this was one of the main areas to be addressed over the winter. We will see when next we cruise the Coventry.

View from the bridge. We were tucked behind the vegetation right at the end.

It was about here where we waited for those boats to come past.

Fradley was not at all busy and after stopping for water before the junction (we could have gone onto the facilities but historically the tap by the cafe is always so slow) we descended the last three locks.

Water tap before the junction

Cafe

Then one more lock to do before mooring for the night in Alrewas. Bagnall lock had a stoppage late summer because of a balance beam break. Well, it is fixed....in a way. Hope this is just a temporary repair.

First thing tomorrow it's a Coates traditional butchers stop. Those sausages are to die for (not really allowed them but Ian always says a little of what you fancy does you good)  especially the pork and leek. 

Alrewas

And wildlife seen today,

Female Goosander

Imparting information

Ah ha... there was a slight discrepancy on the name of that helicopter shown on my post yesterday. Had two comments, one from Carol and George, Still Rocking and one from Bruce and Sheila, Sanity Again. It's either an Apache (George) or a Kiowa Warrior.(Bruce). Funnily enough, Ian thought it was an Apache as well. Anyway, Apache or Kiowa Warrior, they were still a pretty impressive pair.

Only locks today were Glascote. For once no queue and I had almost placed the windlass on the winding gear when I realised a boat was about to enter the bottom lock. I suppose I could have filled the top lock for us to enter but to conserve water had been drummed into us from the very start of our cruising life and we had always been told if the lock is in the other boats favour than we must wait. But I had forgotten the Tale of the leaky lock and that boat took forever to come up. Oh well, it meant I had time to get my cake out of the oven before it burnt.

At Fazeley Junction, it was a right turn onto the Birmingham and Fazeley Canal, sailed past the facilities which I'm lead to believe will be closing soon (the marina towards Birmingham is to be used instead) and onwards towards Hopwas.

Facilities

You may remember us purchasing another chimney from the Little Chimney Company after we lost our original over the side, well we found Kym and Tracey moored beyond Hopwas and decided to see if they had a cowl to fit the new chimney. Of course they did seeing as we had purchased it from them. The cowl fitted inside the top and works much better than those fitted on the outside. Also, because of the design of their chimneys, we have had no tar running down the side of the boat. As we were so impressed with the short chimney we also purchased a tall 18" chimney for when we are back at Langley Mill. Lovely and shiny stainless steel and a new added addition of a laser cut name on the handle.

 Standing there chatting (as you do) some information was given to us by Kym about those private moorings at Pooley Country Park. HS2 will be following the line of the M42 and those moorings are in the way of the development so they have to go. Also, a huge housing estate is being built at the back of the cafe in Fradley, and.....(worst of all) Glascote locks may be closed from 6.30pm every evening because those living in the new flats overlooking the locks are complaining of noise!!!!!!! If C&RT give in to that well shame on them. Those locks were there long before the new flats were built.

We didn't travel much further as time was by now 13.30 and having already done 4 hours, quite long enough. A length of piled edge moorings in the open and around the next bend seemed the ideal place to stop. Slightly nearer to the railway than we would have liked but lovely and rural nonetheless.

And wildlife, it's all about squirrels.