Day 97 - at Fazeley, in the sunshine.

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0 locks, 411 in total.







Another warm and mainly sunny day although the boat was cold very first thing before the sun moved round. I've been waiting for more than the odd cloud in the sky as I want to bus into Tamworth or Lichfield but I can't risk leaving Hattie in the boat in this weather – it would be like leaving her in a sunny car.







So we have walked the towpaths both ways from the junction and Hattie has been swimming twice. This morning I went along the Coventry Canal and then headed off down a path towards a nature reserve. There was one large lake and several smaller pools, one of which was exactly to her taste and she went straight in without needing to be enticed with a retrieve item – this is possibly a first. This afternoon, along the B'ham & Fazeley, she headed into a deep brook and just swam around, thoroughly enjoying herself. She's probably cleaner than me at the moment but I hope I don't have her 'river water and fur' aroma!







This isn't the most picturesque of moorings – there's a wall around industrial premises opposite and next door to this is a pub with outside seating. Whatever the industry is, it requires an incredibly noisy fan to be run for 2 minutes in every 25, starting at 7.15 am – it plays havoc with telephone conversations. However the mooring isn't hemmed in by trees, it's open and airy, and there aren't many flies and wasps so it suits me for these few days.







Fazeley has a real mix of housing. Behind me is a modern estate of mainly detached houses, laid out irregularly with plenty of grass. About half a mile away on the other side of the canal is/was presumably council housing circa 1970s – large blocks of flats, albeit low-rise, and small houses; all grounds are communal. Around the shops are Victorian 3-storey terraces, like I saw in Jericho, Oxford – possibly they now belong to a housing association as they were all in the same good state of repair.







Whilst we've been travelling the canals we've been surprised how little wildlife we've seen - we expected the rural areas to have many more deer, foxes, water mammals, pheasants, etc. Some places have been great for rabbits and herons and there was the mink at Anderton but we haven't seen a kingfisher for weeks – all very strange.

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Photos

The R. Tame....
.... from the Coventry Canal aqueduct. Hence Tamworth, I realised belatedly.

The nature reserve and part of the large lake.
Wild flowers everywhere - very pretty.

The renovated Peel Wharf.
Does the Canal & River Trust really need prestigious offices here? And if they do, why can't they be of use to boaters and tell me where the nearest pumpout is, as they haven't supplied either that facility or rubbish disposal at this wharf? OK - whinge over.

A rather smart footbridge over the B'ham & Fazeley.
Late 18th century and a Grade 2 listed building. Red brick, painted white externally with a stone
parapet. Each turret has a pointed arch doorway, spiral staircase and
battlements.

The spiral staircase.
One suggestion is that this was on Drayton Manor, once owned by Robert Peel the mill owner and grandfather of Sir Robert Peel of the Met. Police.

Comments

[Len and Wen]

Facinating
So interesting. Beautifil pics. Do you feel relaxed and enjoy tortoice pace of life.