Wednesday 10/6 Greensforge Lock to top of Bratch Locks

Whilst Lawrence was doing engine checks this morning who should motor past by Midnight greetings over we were informed that  dear doggie did another runner last night. Another couple of boats passed us by before we were ready to depart. Up through Greensforge Lock and passed the last of the rocky sections which gave way to more open and urbanised country. There were quite a few patient fishermen dotted along the canal today

With more of those long poles

They have a lot of paraphernalia that gets packed onto a special buggy to be wheeled along the towpath

Unloved cottage at the bottom of Botterham staircase Locks

Looking up the staircase that takes one up 20'6"

I toddled up to the bottom lock and who do I find floating in there - Midnight and the darling doggie

Aqua Life rising in Botterham Top Lock

We were now entering the outskirts of Wombourne.

We passed Midnight, moored up for a shopping trip to the nearby Sainsburys. Even the urbanised canal is still attractive

We stopped short of Bumblehole Lock for a spot of lunch at the Round Oak pub. The boat in Bumblehole Lock

As we came out Bumblehole Lock another boat was waiting to come in. There were the usual greetings and their lock lady said 'oh, are you the Aussies that have hired for 7 weeks?'  Some what startled I yelled yes, how do you know and all I could hear of her reply was '...word travels up and down the canals...'. So it seems we have achieved some sort of notoriety, good or bad, I have no idea.

Passed another long pole fisherman. According to the shouted conversation as we went by - they don't eat any of the fish they catch, carp are put back and a top of the range pole can cost up to 10,000 quid , which I think I must of misheard.

Next up were the Bratch Locks. A set of 3 locks, not quite a staircase, but the 'pound' between each lock is only about ten or twelve feet long. They raise the boats up 30'2". They looked horribly complicated, however they were manned by two CRT employees who worked the boats through. Entrance to the bottom lock, under a road bridge

Looking up the locks from the top of the bottom lock. The little octagonal building is the toll house.

Looking across the middle lock to the toll house

Believe it or not that turreted building in the background is a Victorian Pump House

Entrance to the pump house, now no longer used.

Looking back towards the top of the Bratch Locks. The lock house is one of the few still owned by CRT.

We moored up not far beyond the Bratch Locks and called it a day. We seem to be getting a bit lazy, today we didn't start until 10.00 and we finished at 3.00!  We had some good news last night. Tim and Mike are going to join us on Sunday for our last week. It will be lovely to have them with us again.

4 miles, 10 locks, 3.5 hours