Sunday 31 May 2015

Saturday 30/5 Wilmcote to Bancroft Basin, Stratford upon Avon

A lovely sunny morning greeted us when we opened the hatch this morning. We headed off a little before 8.00 passing quietly through Wilmcote


And we were soon leaving it behind


On this trip we have seen plenty of dogs being dragged along the towpath but this was a first.


Another of those skinny bridges and this one is slightly skewed which makes it even harder to negotiate


Just to show you how narrow these bridges are. The clearance one one side


While touching on the other


The first flight of locks for the day


Not another barrel roof look cottage! Note the raised arc of bricks to give the lock worker some purchase when opening and closing the gates. Sometimes you really need them.


A pair of swans and their offspring


Locking down into Stratford


Under the low bridge hard on the end of the previous flight


Whoops, nearly came a cropper coming out from under the bridge straight into a blind turn


Here we are moored up in Bancroft Basin, Stratford Upon Avon


Moored up and kettle on by noon. After a quick revitalising cuppa we thought about lunch. Having no other plan that NOT a pub we started out and sooner than expected  we caught a faint whiff of garlic in the air. Like a pair of sniffer dogs we followed the scent and found an Italian restaurant. Only pausing long enough to scan the menu to make sure it wasn't Anglicized Italian in we went. I'll spare you the drooling and salivating over the menu and just say after much deliberation chose calamari and an anti pasto platter to share. Gastronomically satisfied we set about exploring  Stratford.

We'd had a good days narrow boating. The first 6 locks had been against us, but after the 6th we met someone coming up so the remaining locks were in our favour which makes life hugely easier - 2 less paddles to wind up and down for a start. 

4 miles, 16 locks in 4 hours





















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