Goodbye to the Shroppie

Today we reached the southern end of the Shropshire Union Canal and turned right onto the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal (familiarly called the 'Staffs and Worcs').  At the last posting we were near Audlem.  So I'll bring you up to date.

Last Wednesday (29th June) we arranged to meet our friends Andrew and Valerie at the Shroppie Fly pub for lunch.  The weather forecast was pretty horrible for the morning, but better for the afternoon.

The weather forecast was spot on.  We came up the three locks into the centre of Audlem in heavy rain during the morning to meet our friends.  We moored close to the Shroppie Fly seen here and you can see how wet it was.

The afternoon was much better.  After a good lunch we climbed 10 of the Audlem locks with the kind assistance of Andy and Valerie.  You can see Andy hard at work in this photo while Valerie supervises!









It was good to catch up with our friends and to enjoy some fresh raspberries from their garden with tea when we moored up.  Andy and Val walked back to Audlem in the evening (not really very far).  On Thursday we climbed the last 2 Audlem locks and the 5 Adderley locks to reach Market Drayton.

By the Adderley locks we came across this trampoline in a field of sheep.  I have visions of the sheep using the trampoline when all the humans are out of sight!!

Here is Leo in Adderley Top Lock.















Beyond Market Drayton come the Tyrley Locks, another chain of five locks.  The view of the top lock is a classic sight on the waterways and indeed we have a framed picture of this in the saloon on Leo.

You approach Tyrley Bottom Lock in a deep rock-cut cutting.  This is the view back from that bottom lock.

Here Leo is coming up in the top lock.  The buildings became derelict and have been beautifully restored, the three cottages now  being together as a single dwelling.

Woodseaves Cutting is very narrow  and unfortunately we met four boats coming the other way.  It is tricky but possible to pass.

Storm clouds were passing all day, but most of them passed to the north of us and we did not get wet.

This factory by the canal was owned by Cadbury.  It processed milk from local farms and chocolate 'crumb' was carried from here to Bourneville (on the Worcester and Birmingham Canal) by canal boat.

 From the boat on the start of Shebdon Embankment (one of a number of huge embankments on the Shroppie) we walked up to High Offley, a village on a hill with a fine distant view.  The view encompassed many of the Shropshire Hills to the west of us.

Here is another part of the view looking towards the Wrekin just to the  south of Telford.













We did a short hop on Friday into Norbury Junction.  This used to be a junction with the Newport and Shrewsbury Canal which is now disused.  We explored the first few miles of the old canal by bike.

Through Grubb Street Cutting the canal comes under this bridge with its curiously mounted telegraph pole.  This unusual bridge has become a symbol of the Shropshire Union Canal.

Norbury Junction is a great boat centre with  boatyards, cafe, pub and lots of moorings.  It is a very attractive spot and one of those places which are important in the canal network but in the real world are in the middle of nowhere.

This is the view down the old Newport and Shrewsbury Canal.  This length is now used for mooring and in the white building at the end is the first of a number of locks that went down towards Newport.  The old lock is now used as a dock for a boatyard.

On our bike ride exploring the old canal we came across this old lock.  There are no gates but you can see the stone walls of the lock.

This old canal bridge is now used by the farmer for cows to pass from one field to another under the road.

On our return, we cycled under this tunnel which takes the road under the Shelmore Embankment which carries the canal.  There are so many trees growing on the embankment that it is nearly impossible to see the canal from the road or vice versa.

Near the canal at Norbury Junction are the remains of Norbury Manor.  The flat area is surrounded by a moat.  The manor house was built in the 1300s but demolished in the 1800s and this is all that is left.









On Sunday and today we came down the last of the Shropshire Union, mooring overnight at Wheaton Aston.

Cowley Tunnel is the only tunnel on the Shroppie.  You can see from this photo how it has been cut through solid rock, an amazing achievement given this was done by hand tools in the early 1800s.

Most of the locks on the Shroppie are in flights of five or more locks, but Wheaton Aston lock stands on it own.

The Stretton Aqueduct takes the canal over the A5, curious given that Telford was responsible for both the road and the canal.  You can see that the canal narrows over the aqueduct.

Here you can see Leo coming over the aqueduct.  Ian is looking at the traffic rather than where Leo is going.  The aqueduct is built of red sandstone with the lovely round capping stones making it quite ornate.

Here is the view down to the A5.

At Autherley Junction where the Shropshire Union meets the Staffs and Worcs there is a stop lock.  Stop locks are common at junctions where different canal companies met.  They usually only raise or lower a few inches but were designed to limit the water that one company was obliged to donate to the other.

Here is the sign at the junction.  We had come from the canal signposted to Chester and we turned right for Stourport where the canal meets the River Severn.

Having turned right the canal passes under a number of bridges some of which carry large diameter water pipes bringing drinking water to Birmingham from Wales.  There are other bridges too, these being current and disused railway bridges.








Well we've made our choice.  We are not going up the 21 locks to Wolverhampton but we are still planning to go to Birmingham but by a different route.  So watch this space to see where we go.  I think Leo has a wish to have an excursion on a big river!!