A New Home for Thomazina

Taking the boat from Saul Marina to our new home in Gnosall

an adventure in itself

Monday 26th October

Thank goodness for warming
porridge & soup

We knew this would be a hard day as we had a few logistical obstacles to overcome. Carrington Road Bridge, which takes the Worcester bypass over the River Severn, is being rebuilt, with new sections being craned into place alongside the old bridge. On Saturday, when John got his lift back with our friends John and Joan, they were delayed on the motorway by sections of bridge being transported along the inner two lanes of the motorway. Canal and River Trust (C&RT) had been sending us emails warning us that we would not be allowed to go underneath while the crane was being operated, but the emails were vague as to which times were not allowed on which dates. We had asked the lock keeper at Upper Lode Lock, but he seemed to know less than us. The best he could tell us that we wouldn't be allowed to travel under the bridge between 10am and 2pm. But he also warned us that on the previous day they had started construction work earlier in the day.

Cormorants and Cranes

Knowing that there wouldn't be anywhere to moor up if we got there and were prevented passage, we got up at 5.30am and left Upton-upon-Severn just after 6am, when it was just getting light. We had a couple of heavy rain showers, but made it to the bridge by just after 9am. They have also been refurbishing Sabrina footbridge, near Diglis Locks, but luckily for us the work was on hold and we got through Diglis without a hitch, moored for Smuggler to hop off for a few minutes, then set off again. We were so lucky with the weather from then on, with sun, showers and rainbows — lots of rainbows.

Sun, showers, rainbows,
Stourport in the late afternoon sun 

That just left the Stourport problem. Narrowboats arriving from the River Severn have to access the canal system through two sets of staircase locks. C&RT are repairing them however, and we had been told we must use the widebeam locks that are usually reserved for bigger boats, but only on a Monday, Wednesday or Friday when volunteers would be manning them between 9am and 3pm. Levels on the River Severn were rising, and when we reached Bevere, the next lock beyond Worcester, the automatic display showed amber warning for the area near Stourport. Our speed was slower than usual because of the high water, and we could see we would struggle to get there before 3pm. A hire boat overtook us but the keeper at the next lock, Holt, held the gates open so we could share the lock with them. We asked the couple on the hire boat (who knew nothing about the Stourport restrictions) if they would tell the volunteers that we were on our way, but we knew there was a chance that even the more powerful hire boat would not get there in time. Although we had originally planned to get to Stourport on Wednesday, we didn't fancy being moored for two nights on the rising river, so I took a chance and rang C&RT. The woman I spoke to didn't hold out much hope, but she rang back with a mobile number for a volunteer who had offered to stay until 4pm. We rang him when we got to Lincomb Lock and he was waiting with a friend when we got to Stourport. The keeper at Lincomb said that it was almost 3pm when the hire boat had gone through the lock, so thank goodness I found someone helpful on the end of the phone, or we'd all have been moored out on the river until Wednesday. 

The two widebeam locks took time as they are really hard work, and there was no mooring in the main basin, so we had to go through York Street Lock to find a mooring. By the time we moored up for the night it was 5 o'clock — eleven hours since we had left Upton. But at least we were now off the river and on the narrow canals where we can choose when and for how long to travel!

Smuggler waiting patiently
outside the butcher's

Tuesday 27th October

It was raining and we deserved a lie in so didn't rush to get up. Stourport has the luxury of three butchers, and we especially like Gough's where they will cut the bacon to any thickness you like. After buying Italian style sausages, black pud, duck eggs, chorizo, minced steak and thick bacon, we moved half a mile up the canal to the bridge next to Lidl and stocked up on essentials, including beer and wine. 

Autumn colour on the Staffs and Worcs Canal, repairs to the
railway viaduct, Falling Sands Lock, Caldwall Lock

We cruised for a couple of hours until it seemed the rain had set in, and moored in a quiet spot for lunch and a snooze. Then the sun came out, so we decided to carry on for Kidderminster. We don't like to moor in the middle of Kiddy, so planned on getting through the town with the aim of mooring just before Wolverley Court Lock. 

During the day we had been in touch with cousin Viv and her husband Robin, who were at work in their Antique Centre in Kidderminster. They asked if we would like to meet for a pub meal, their treat — a generous and tempting offer. The spot where we originally planned to moor has no road access, so we needed to continue cruising to Wolverley, the last half an hour in the dark. 

Kidderminster Church from the lock, lock wall detail,
Wolverley Court Lock by night

Our first experience of night time cruising — and hopefully our last! We found a mooring below Wolverley lock and had a very good meal in The Lock Inn, and a good catch up with Viv and Rob.