Day 41 - and onto the Shropshire Union.

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10 locks, 247 in total.







I think the Staffs & Worcs is the second most enjoyable canal visually out of all those we've travelled so far – first is the K & A. It was dug in 5 years, using Dutch navvies plus several hundred sheep which were herded to and fro along the mud liner of the empty canal to puddle the bottom! The far-ranging views on both sides are stunning, helped today by the sunshine. I think in wind and rain you might prefer a little shelter though. There is more variety of plants because the canal sides are open to the towpath, rather than a concrete edge or steel-edged piling, and plenty of damselflies today too. The best today was a whole area of orange buddleia, each plant would fill a decent-sized room as they have not been pruned. We saw some more orange hawkweed as well and some has mysteriously made its way into a small bucket on board. All the poppies are coming out now and they are a beautiful sight. The canal does bend but not too sharply and generally it's wide enough for 2 boats to pass with ease.







At Bratch there are 3 locks that are so close together that they are almost a staircase and someone was on hand to guide the boats through the process. Basically they let 3 boats up and then 3 boats down, which makes best use of the water and time. We had to wait 30 minutes to enter the bottom lock – yesterday the wait was 2 hours! Bratch Locks have won many awards for 'best-kept lock' and they deserve them – the whole area was in pristine condition and the added attraction is an octagonal tollhouse, built over 2 lock levels.







We pottered along for several miles, passing the top of the (closed) Wolverhampton Flight on the right at Audersley Junction and then shortly afterwards turning left at Autherley Junction onto the Shropshire Union Canal. Immediately there was a lock but there was no difference in water level on either side so we opened both top and bottom gates and motored through to a mooring spot. Apparently there is usually a 6” difference but we were just lucky.

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Photos

Old steps, used before the bridge blocked them.
They were like steps into a castle dungeon.

Note the wet on the ground......
.... on smoe of these locks you get a geyser when you raise the ground paddles - boaters beware!

Not a bow wave....
.... just some foam generated by the force of the water entering the lock.

A wharf whose name I've forgotten.
There are private moorings here but not for us travellers - I'm beginning to feel victimised.

Like the speed camera warning.
Boaters should slow down to tickover speed when passing moored boats - this doesn't always happen, hence the notice.

Weeds in the water.
The last mile or two before Audersley Junction the water became very clear and we could see all this weed growing on the bottom - pretty sure our prop wouldn't like it. The water turned murky again once we were on the Shroppie so.....did the weed clear the water or was clean water pumped into the canal as a top-up which enabled the weeds to grow?