Thursday 28/5 Bridge 61' GUC to just before Bridge 50, Stratford Canal Pt.1

We left our overnight mooring at 8.30pm. Dad would have been 94 today. We went through the Rowington Cutting

And had about a mile to motor to the turn onto the Stratford Canal

Looking back to the GUC after making the turn

Up the short branch that was built in 1802 to join the GUC and the Stratford Canals

Coming to Kingswood Junction. To the right is a lock that takes one onto the Stratford going to Birmingham. We went straight ahead under the little bridge to go south.

It is very narrow

Kingswood Junction

Kingswood,Junction. The barrel roof section of the cottage is the original part. There are a few barrel roof lock keepers cottages on this part of the canal. The unusual design is said to be due to the use of the same wooden frames used for the construction of the brick road bridges which spam the canal.

The first of our locks of the day at the end of Kingswood Junction basin. Here we begin the descent back down into the Avon Valley.

We are back onto narrow locks and when going down Lawrence helps by closing the rear gate

Aqualife hanging about after exiting a lock. Where is the skipper?

This stretch of the canal is very, very pretty. It is a delight to travel.

Margy waiting to drain a lock while Lawrence farts around, with another barrel roof lock cottage in the background.

Going through the last vestiges of the old Forest of Arden

This is the first pheasant I has been close enough to snap. He was on an old bridge abutment and I think he was weighing his chances of making it across the canal. They are crap flyers like lyrebirds.

Some quirky sheds. Earlier we had passed some nesting boxes up trees made out of, presumably old, gumboots, or Wellies, as they are called over here. 

After 9 locks, it was time for a break and at 11.56am we just happened to be going past the Fleur de Lys Pub so we moored up just before Lock 31 and went and had an early lunch

We had one of our best meals yet. We started with what we thought was a share entree of mussels. You know, about 4 mussels each, possibly 6. Well out comes a huge bowl full, and whilst the mussels were tiny compared to our local Eden mussels they were every bit as tasty. So reasonably full we then had to tackle our mains. Fish and chips for Lawrence and a free range chicken and wild mushroom pie for me which was delicious. We tottered back to the boat, very briefly discussed moving on and promptly fell onto the spare beds to sleep off the excesses of lunch.

Today's travel has been at a much more relaxed pace and the locks are slow to fill and slow to empty, so lots of pics.