Passing the occasional renovators delight
And the odd wreck
The coaching boats are far more attractive than the tommies the Oz coaches get.
Past some rather nice houses
The last of the rowers to pass us, disappearing into the distance.
Now we are meeting the crews coming back
Holt Castle across the field
Under another Brindley Bridge to Holt Lock in the distance. Our second lock of the day.
Passed this attractive pub, Lenchford Inn, but our lock companions for the morning recommended Hampstall Inn at The Burf - a great Sunday Carvery and equally important when on a boat, good moorings.
Another attractive house
Following our lock companions
Going through Shrawley wood. The greens are so vivid over here
Not long after leaving Shrawley Wood behind we moored up at the Hampstall Inn. Our lock buddies, Bridget and Rod were right. The Sunday Carvery was delicious, both the meat and veg. And a real steal. A soft drink each and the Carvery was 19.40 pounds.
After a salubrious lunch with Bridgit and Rod we cast off to do their last lock together. Their marina was just after Lincomb Lock. Following B+R to the lock. The weir is up the left branch.
B+R entering the lock. The tall poles to the left are safe moorings of the River rises.
Once they are in and secured to the wall, we enter, preferably hitting neither their boat or the wall as we fasten Aqualife to their boat. When everything has been done to the lock keepers satisfaction he then closes the gates, fills the lock, and opens the top gates to let us out - all by pressing buttons.
A crane used for lifting boats in and out of the water
Looking back down the Severn as our lock companions turn into their marina
A row of little cottages, but considering the height of the emergency mooring poles below the lock, these cute little houses must get flooded quite regularly
Approaching Stourpot
It was quite a shock to the system to be faced with single locks again. The first four to take us up out of the Severn were two staircases of two. Which meant that I had to fill the top lock, let Lawrence into the empty bottom lock. Then lift the back paddles on the top lock which then filled up the bottom lock.
Let Lawrence into the top lock and then fill it again. Repeat the whole process at the next staircase barely a boats length away. Maneuvering a lengthy boat between the staircase pairs is tricky as they are offset, and it doesn't help ones sangfroid that, on a sunny weekend, as was yesterday, there is often a sizeable crowd of gongoozler's who gain as much amusement from your technique, or lack of it as from the adjacent fairground.
Then we had to wend our way through the Stourport Basins. Designed by James Brindley, the largest opened in 1771.
A quick piece of trivia before we leave the Severn River way behind us. It is Britains longest river at 221 miles long, 40 miles of which are navigable.
We we quite hot and bothered by the time we entered York Street lock and I watched the gongoozler's coming out of blossoms tea shop with icrecream in a cone. So as the boat rose in the lock I jumped on got my purse, ran into Blossoms and get an icrecream each. A fitting reward for making it through the staircases and basins unscathed.
We are now back on narrow canals. This one is the Staff and Worcs. Lawrence, now a River lover, is grumbling that we have returned to 'muddy, shallow drains'.
But I think it's very pretty and secretive. You can imagine fairies in the woods
Vision can be somewhat obscured at times
And passing moored boats can be a tight fit
Falling Sands Lock. We are mooored just beyond it for the night.
They look so narrow, and so much like damp narrowboat coffins, after two weeks of wide beams. The locks on this part of the Staff and Worcs are seven foot wide and our boat is six foot seven inches
This old working boat came through the lock just on dark. He is 72' long and has a much deeper draught than us. I don't know how they do it.
I don't think I mentioned it earlier. It was a glorious day to be on a boat.
14 1/2 miles, 7 locks, 7 hours
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