Out on the Severn and starting up the Worcester and Birmingham Canal

 We have come down the Staffordshire and Worcester Canal (S&W) to join the River Severn and are now heading north from Worcester up the Worcester and Birmingham Canal (W&B). So this posting taking us up to yesterday evening covers three different waterways. So here goes:

As the opportunity has arisen (good weather and a suitable shore to the canal), Ian has been touching up the red shading of the lettering on our boat which has faded or disappeared. So here is Ian at Kinver on the S&W touching up the shadowing on "Narrowboat". A friend commented that this looked relaxing but I have to say that I find it requires a lot of concentration and wears me out!

On Thursday (5 September) we went for a walk on Kinver Edge from the boat. This picture is of Whittington Horse Bridge, a picturesque spot. Shame about the missing blue sky.

 

This is the view from Kinver Edge looking towards Birmingham. As boaters will know Birmingham is at the top of a hill and zooming in shows tall tower blocks near the top of the distant hills.

On our way down we had a look round the Kinver Rock Houses which were lived in until the 1960s and are now looked after by the National Trust. The picture shows the lowest of three levels of houses carved out of the soft sandstone rock.

Here is the bedroom in the house occupied by the Martindale family. These houses were a lot dryer than cottages occupied by other agricultural workers and were warm in winter and cool in summer.

From Kinver we carried on down the canal and this doorway by Debdale Lock leads into a large chamber. Some say it was used as a stable but somehow the horses would have to cross the lock to get in there. So it remains a mystery.

This picture was taken looking back from Kidderminster Lock towards the church. This is probably the best view in Kidderminster, a place which is not one of our favourites!

On Friday afternoon we arrived in Stourport, where the canal meets the River Severn. The picture is of the upper canal basin at Stourport. The town is an odd mixture of wonderful canal heritage buildings and a brash 'seaside' resort for the West Midlands with fairgrounds, ice cream, gaming machines and chips.

Here is a view of the river looking downstream towards Worcester.

The sign shows we have come from Wolverhampton and are heading downstream to Worcester. Beyond there the Severn is navigable to Tewkesbury, Gloucester and, if you are brave enough, down the tidal river to Portishead and up the Avon to Bristol. We have done that journey in the past but not this time.

Saturday was a misty, dull day with poor visibility. Here you see Leo waiting above the first of two double staircases of locks down onto the river. From the canal basins there are two wide locks or four narrow locks to get boats down to the river. We  were using the narrow locks.

Here is Leo coming into the lower lock of the top staircase. Beyond you can see a dry dock and, to the left of this, is the second staircase of narrow locks. Why, oh why didn't the builders line up the exit of the first staircase with the entry to the second staircase?  As it is, you have to make a nifty sideways leap to get across - not easy with a 57 foot steel boat that does not bend in the middle!

It is 13 miles from Stourport to Worcester but does not take too long as the river is deep and fast to travel and we were going downhill. We saw some sights that make you aware how much the river can flood in the winter. This cruiser clearly finished up quite a way above the summer level of the river.

These cormorants in a riverside tree reminded us of vultures.

This shapely bridge below Holt Lock was built by none other than Thomas Telford.

On a bend above Bevere (pronounced 'Beever-ee') Lock we passed Hawford Junction shown in the picture. A lock by the tall poles leads into the Droitwich Barge (i.e. wide) Canal. This leads to Droitwich from where a narrow canal leads up to meet the Worcester and Birmingham Canal.

Here you see us following a couple on a hire boat into Bevere Lock, the last of three on the way down to Worcester.

Around lunchtime we arrived in Worcester and the picture shows the main bridge with the cathedral beyond.

The cathedral dominates the river frontage and is the resting place of several well known historical figures, notably King John (of Magna Carta fame) and Prince Arthur, Henry VIII's elder brother who would have been king had he not died at age 15. Also Stanley Baldwin, three times Prime Minister in the 20th century.

Though the main street in Worcester is modern, a parallel street has a lot of historic buildings including Greyfriars shown on the left in this picture.

On Sunday our son David and his wife Ash came to visit. They are presently dog-sitting for some friends. We were also pleased to meet Cleo who was very well behaved. So the picture shows Cleo with Leo!

Ash took this picture of the four of us before a walk along the river. I'm not sure why I am apparently leaning on David.

Here we are having Sunday lunch together at Brown's next to the river. Cleo is also there but lying on the floor between David and Ash.

Sorry, another dog picture! Worcester was also full of penguins, all painted individually for charity.

Yesterday we left Worcester after a couple of days and in the picture we have just come up Sidbury Lock which is next to the Commandary where Oliver Cromwell watched over the Battle of Worcester.

Yesterday afternoon this was the view from our living room window. Having a boat is like having a country cottage but having the facility to change the view.

Today (Tuesday 10th September) we  have come up another 12 locks and are now moored in the rain at the bottom of the Tardebigge flight of 30 locks. So not a day of idleness for us tomorrow!