Thursday 13 June 2019 Day 48: Opp Ashwood Marina - below Woverley Court Lock - before Cookley Tunnel

Started off at 9.15am having waited for the drizzle to abate.

 Lovely garden south of Bridge 36. It belongs to John Massey owner of Ashwood Nursery, internationally famous for their hellebores.

Circular weir at Rocky Lock

Steps leading down from Rocky Lock to the boat boarding stage. Nearly went A over T on the slimey, slippery, moss covered top steps.

Mike walking, in the distance, walking on to Gothersley Lock, to help Tim, who'd already gone ahead, set the lock.

Gothersley Lock Weir

It wasn't a very deep lock, and Tim and Mike soon had the gates open ready for L to drive A.B. out

With Mike and Tim giving me a day off from locking, I sat back (when the seat wasn't sodden) and enjoyed the ride and the scenery

sliding

slowly by

Smestow Brook joins the swollen River Stour on the other side of the canal

The River Stour now accompanies the canal on its journey down to Stourport

Stourton Junction coming up

We passed the beginning of the long ascent into Birmingham via the Stourbridge Canal

The Stourton Bridge has taken its fair share of knocks from boats over the past 250 years.

We were going to fill up with water at the Stewpony water point but both spots were taken by the Texan brothers and their wives with whom we have been playing leap frog the past couple of days. Seeing the lock ahead was in our favour we decided not to wait and pressed on.
Coming into Stewpony Lock

The opening under the bridge the barge horses used

The diminutive Dunsely Tunnel is only 25 yards long and carved through a sandstone outcropping.

One of a series of brick piers built to support the sandstone cuttings where they have been eroded by the water in the canal

The rain held off and the Staff & Worcs continued to enchant

Round every few bends the scenery changed.

The beautiful setting of Hyde Lock

Leaving Kinver Lock

Looking for a mooring below the Kinver Lock

Having found one we walked back to the lockside pub, The Vine, where a carvery was on offer.
After indulging we walked up into the village, crossing the increasingly swollen Stour

After finding a tea shop recommended by some fellow boaters, we further indulged, this time in cake and coffee.

We pulled the pins and left Kinver at 3.20pm

This was a very characterful little dog, whom we kept running into the next day

The canal overflowing

All the birds were enjoying the soggy ground. Even the ducks were eating worms.

Mike and Tim filling Whittington Lock

Now full, it is ready for A.B. to enter

Winding up the bottom gate paddles to drain the water out of the lock

And onwards our journey continued

Duck and ducklings busy guddling along the overflowing edges of the canal

Ducks and geese near Austcliff Bridge (no.24)

An alternative mode of transport, each taking 12 people

Debdale Lock where a cavern is dug into the sandstone cliff beside the lock. The interesting thing being that no-one knows who dug it out or why.

Leaving Debdale Lock

Sandstone outcrops through which the canal is cut are common through this section

The camera ran out of battery, you'll be relieved to know. So no more pics for awhile. We continued on through Cookley and the Cookley Tunnel, down Wolverley and Wolverley Court Lock and onto the winding hole on the outskirts of Kidderminster (of carpet fame) where we turned A.B. around and began our return journey.


The Stour , now in flood

The canal is just as beautiful on the way back

Through more sandstone cuttings

 We were, well I was, relieved to get back above the recent slip. If it rained more in the night (and it did - all night) it could have slipped some more.

We retraced out steps, eventually mooring up just shy of Cookley Tunnel at 7.20pm.  Thanks to Tim and Mike doing most of the lock work, and that it didn't rain for most of the time, I had a lovely day.

12 miles, 12 locks, 10 hours