12th/13th June
We pressed on along the Dudley no 2 Canal from Bumblehole Bridge and then almost back on ourselves at Blowers Green, through Dudley and past it's massive Merryhill Shopping Centre where you can moor, but it wasn't very alluring. Down the nine Delph locks and onto the Stourbridge Canal, turning left at Leys Junction, where the landscape became prettier again and you no longer needed the anti-vandal key for the locks. One bridge we went through was called Astley - it's sign explained why: the council had had to wash off so much repeated graffiti (when?) saying Astley is King after he scored a winning goal for West Bromwich, that they finally got the message and named the bridge after him. Apologies to those who know football, I may have got the name and team wrong! And I have no idea of the date, so enlighten me if you will.
After many locks, all manned by Pete again and which we travelled in tandem with a nice kiwi family, it started to rain and we gratefully moored up near Wordsley on a beautiful stretch looking out at a field of ponies with a backdrop of colourful rhododendrons. The rain poured heavily all night long.
Next day continued on to the Staffs and Worcs canal, me managing 4 locks in the continuing rain. Nice lazy day through pretty scenery, where we wound up early just short of Kinver, not able to go down Hyde Lock because of a fallen tree across the canal. We'd wondered why we hadn't seen any boats today, they are all held up at the bottom of this lock. Couldn't choose a nicer place to moor though. Very wooded through here, with some huge conifers and on the other side the sandstone cliffs; some of the Kinver houses are rock houses carved out of this and still inhabited.
Much needed cuppa to drink at the next lock
Glass blowers kiln
Rainy night with horses
Pete returning with the shopping and chatting to walkers at Hyde Lock, tree cutters lorry still here.
We pressed on along the Dudley no 2 Canal from Bumblehole Bridge and then almost back on ourselves at Blowers Green, through Dudley and past it's massive Merryhill Shopping Centre where you can moor, but it wasn't very alluring. Down the nine Delph locks and onto the Stourbridge Canal, turning left at Leys Junction, where the landscape became prettier again and you no longer needed the anti-vandal key for the locks. One bridge we went through was called Astley - it's sign explained why: the council had had to wash off so much repeated graffiti (when?) saying Astley is King after he scored a winning goal for West Bromwich, that they finally got the message and named the bridge after him. Apologies to those who know football, I may have got the name and team wrong! And I have no idea of the date, so enlighten me if you will.
After many locks, all manned by Pete again and which we travelled in tandem with a nice kiwi family, it started to rain and we gratefully moored up near Wordsley on a beautiful stretch looking out at a field of ponies with a backdrop of colourful rhododendrons. The rain poured heavily all night long.
Next day continued on to the Staffs and Worcs canal, me managing 4 locks in the continuing rain. Nice lazy day through pretty scenery, where we wound up early just short of Kinver, not able to go down Hyde Lock because of a fallen tree across the canal. We'd wondered why we hadn't seen any boats today, they are all held up at the bottom of this lock. Couldn't choose a nicer place to moor though. Very wooded through here, with some huge conifers and on the other side the sandstone cliffs; some of the Kinver houses are rock houses carved out of this and still inhabited.
Much needed cuppa to drink at the next lock
Glass blowers kiln
Rainy night with horses
Pete returning with the shopping and chatting to walkers at Hyde Lock, tree cutters lorry still here.
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