Mike Stevens' UK Inland Waterways Pages

TRIP REPORTS : THE YEARS BETWEEN BOATS

BIRMINGHAM & THE THAMES

August 1988

Part 4 : Claydon to Birmingham

Click on any of the pictures to see a larger version with a caption

Dry weather encouraged us to make at earlier start at 06:41, and it became sunny & warm later. We stopped past Cropredy lock for breakfast, then continued to Fenny Compton for an excellent lunch at the George & Dragon (which has since changed its name). We went down Napton locks and moored for the night at 19:38 past the bottom lock.

Wendy made a solo start at 06:31. It was another sunny day and pretty from Napton to Braunston with rabbits, heron etc. We decided to go back a different way, so at Napton Junction we continued to Braunston Turn and turned onto the northern section of the Oxford Canal. We bought some cheap diesel at Clifton Cruisers and made a pub stop at Newbold wharf . We changed our plans again and decided to head for Coventry Basin, to see it before the proposed hotel development takes place. (It never did). At Hawkesbury junction we reached the Coventry Canal and turned left to spend the night in Coventry basin, where we moored at 19:22. Since our last visit Coventry had acquired a lot of pedestrian signs, to "Shopping Centre", "Cathedral", "Canal Basin", "Railway Station", "Transport Museum" and "Lady Godiva Trail"!.

We started the day with Peter's pancake breakfast followed by some shopping at a large but sub-standard Sainsbury's, then set off at 10:14, making a messy run to Hawkesbury and then passing Marston junction. On our way down Atherstone locks we noted that the King's Head, half-way down the flight, advertised food & drink from 11 am to 11 pm. We moored at 17:55 below Atherstone locks. Ian cooked dinner. A bout of collective amnesia about cheese biscuits when shopping led to a sweet being prepared secretly: pears accompanied by an alcoholic chocolate sauce which, it was deduced (& ultimately admitted) derived from a Mars Bar. Three quarters of the crew were willing to sample it. Ian had decided to try it after doubting anecdotes from earlier cruises about such confectionery. Mars Bars were the topic on unkind remarks for the subsequent 48 hours.

In cold & windy conditions, Peter restrained himself and didn't start until 6:27. Because of a shortage of water points marked on the map, we decided to go past Fazeley junction to water at the BW yard, before turning off towards Birmingham. While winding we were blown around horribly and probably filled an anglers boots with water There was good depth in the pounds of the Curdworth flight, which was just as well, as it was very windy. We tried to stop before Curdworth tunnel and didn't find any depth, so went on to stop after the tunnel and found a mediocre pub. A farm shop looked good, but we were too near the end of our cruise to try it. Then we went on to an evening mooring at 16:37 by Chester Road bridge, Tyburn, where we found the Tyburn House to be another boring pub, but at least it has a high garden wall that sheltered us from the wind.

	Aston locks

We started at 07:20 on what turned out to be a nice sunny day, despite a grim weather forecast. We passed through Salford and Aston junctions. There were further improvements to the surroundings of Farmer's Bridge locks, and local people seemed to be appreciating them. We tied up at Cambrian wharf for lunch, after which we had a beer at the Longboat. Then we had the short trip round the corner to take the boat back to Sherborne Street Wharf, arriving there at 16:05. After packing up we got a taxi to the station and a train home.