We left our woodland mooring outside Tamworth at Alvecote by around noon today and were looking forward to a full day of cruising the next stretch of the Coventry canal. We were passing bushes of these lovely yellow flowers lining the canal and an abundance of elderflowers and blooms due to become rosehips.
It's been a blustery and grey day on the whole but with Leigh's tiller skills we skirted round bends and passed moored boats with ease whilst I took over a space on the roof and wrapped up warm with my beautiful cloak.
We went through Tamworth and had our first two locks of the day.
They are rather deep but only wide enough for the one narrow boat. We took turns with one boat going down and one boat coming up. With people helping each other we all get through with no problems at all.
The little cottage facing the second lock is rather quaint.
We set off again, leaving behind a lovely wash don't you think?
A short distance along at Fazeley Junction we took a left towards Whittington. The right goes into the heart of Birmingham, which we shall be doing in November time.
Next up was Hopwas village.
And the lovely woodland stretch of the Birmingham and Fazeley canal which has a military area on one side.
On this stretch I spotted something - Eanie meanie minie...
mo.
This is quite possibly the smallest and cutest narrow boat I have seen!
We continued to Whittington...
and found a lovely mooring as the rains were getting a bit too heavy and I was feeling worse for wear.
After a pit stop for a lovely curry at dinner time, the rain had stopped and the sun was out. It seemed only right to give it another bash at cruising this lovely canal.
We passed a group of boats having a bbq with mock awning stretched across the towpath to keep the rains off. Boaters sure are inventive lots!
We were on the steady approach to Fradley Junction a major point joining the Trent and Mersey.
Having an hour and a half until it was due to get dark we decided to give the locks a go. With it being late in the day there mightn't be a queue either, but you never know what the situation is until you arrive.
We were in luck. Everyone appeared to have moored for the night so the locks were ours. They needed refilling but with a bit of help from folk watching from the pub we were in and out the first lock in a blinking of a eye.
And so on to the second of four in this small stretch.
We have been doing a fair bit of tag teaming today, switching over roles to improve our skills in areas and here I am about to board the stern and take over manouvering the boat into the lock (which is harder than it initally seems). I handed Leigh the windlass to work the gates and paddles.
So I was heading into Hunts Lock....
she is in with a bit of a bash to one side...
and with the paddles wound open she starts going down...
down...
and ready to leave. I picked Leigh up from the towpath after he closed the paddles and gates and we set off for the final lock and to moor before it really did get dark.
Today we managed a whopping 16miles which is our most impressive day of cruising yet! And are we feeling it? We sure are!
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