Beating the rain

in Bumblehole Lock

Although rain had been forecast for later in the day it was a clear bright morning. We woke early, had a speedy breakfast and set off to get a few hours cruising before the expected heavy rain hit us.
 

I walked to the first lock which was waiting empty, nice to start on a good note. It was lovely and warm with fluffy clouds. Only a few privateers were around so early.
 



middle lock at The Bratch

The second lock was full but I didn’t mind as the Captain was working that one. As he worked it a ewe and two lambs popped out of the field through a gap in the fence.

“Woof!” said Lottie. Instead of retreating into the field they ran past her. Fortunately the Captain had grabbed her collar. They stopped below the lock but an approaching jogger sent them trotting further from their field. Why didn’t they go back where it was safe? Perhaps they wanted an adventure. I pity their farmer when he does the role count. The last farmer we met on the tow path was herding three calves that had travelled several miles.
 

The staircase lock was set for me when I arrived with the bottom lock empty and the top one full. All I had to do was open the gates. As the boat rose in the first lock children from a boat moored at the top came along and helped. In under an hour we had done four locks and the sun was still shining.


Bratch Toll house

The Captain worked Bumblehole lock swiftly with help from boaters who arrived just after us and we cruised on. I’d love to know how Bumblehole lock got its name.
 

We arrived at the Bratch locks and I surprised the lock keeper at his desk reading his paper. Well it was only 9.30 but he had been on duty since 8.00. Again we ascended swiftly with his help tackling several more locks.

At one lock the water beneath the lock surround whistled then shot a cold fountain up through the grill by the ground paddle while the Captain was working it. At the next Lottie Lurcher was standing over the grill when the water exploded upwards. She shot across the surround dripping, her dignity dented.
 

We moored at Wightwick for an early lunch with the wind picking up as the Captain was peckish. Although we only stopped an hour for refuelling the weather was on the change as we set off.
 



rising in the middle lock

At the first lock was a hoard of picnickers with food on blankets by the chamber. Lottie Lurcher got excited by the food but fortunately all she got was some spilt crisps before I shortened the lead. Several adults were telling the children how the lock worked and they pushed the gates open and shut for us. It was just as well they helped as the hound had her eyes on the blankets and wasn’t co-operating with me.

As we left the second lock of the afternoon it started to rain. By the time we had reached a nice mooring the rain was falling steadily.

Gates between top and middle lock

Within half an hour it became heavy so that was the end of our day’s cruise though various boats passed us in varying wet states. One hire boat with soggy crew pulled up and moored in front of us, clearly fed up with the rain.
 

The Captain took the hound out during a lighter bout but it grew heavier while they were out. Lottie Lurcher returned wet but happy having found a path across the fields to explore. Having been towelled dry she scoffed her dinner and spread out on the sofa for her after dinner sleep.

boating mistakes

 dwelling by the canal

hire boat coming out

It was another pleasant morning, a nice surprise as the long range forecast had not suggested good weather after the weekend.

We passed the other two hire boats at our first lock one moored below and the other above.

As we were leaving the lock a privateer pulled out ahead of us and we followed them to the following lock where there was a queue.

tiny tunnel

tree tunnel

It was a busy time on the canal, but lots of boats stopped at Kinver. A hire boater messed up his attempt at mooring and drifted across the canal stopping the traffic.

I felt for the tiller-man - it’s not funny when others are watching your mistakes. After getting stuck on the mud bank he managed to moor on his second attempt.

We also moored up above Hyde lock but without visiting the mud bank.

through the trees

our second tunnel of the day

After lunch we cruised on enjoying the canal’s contours dominated by the steep hills.

Fortunately there were no queues at the locks. However a cruiser was slow on the way down. The boat was new to its elderly owners and they were having trouble steering. However some walkers, a mother and daughter, had joined them as crew and worked the locks for them in return for a somewhat erratic cruise.

no way through



the lock pins

On leaving the lock the elderly helmsman got confused and steered into the brambles hanging from the cliff, but managed to push off and wiggled on his way. I wonder how far the temporary crew went before they left the boat and walked home.

We finally moored up at Swindon which is a lovely quiet spot with a great takeaway.

old bridge with original bridge sign

Rock dwellings

rock face studded with post holes

Wolverley's picturesque pub

As promised after breakfast the Captain took us up the hill to the church. It was the one we remembered.


We looked inside, wandered around the church yard and studied rectangular caves - the remains of rock dwellings. The rock was also scarred with square post holes where houses had used the rockface as their back wall. 

old cottages climbing the hill

Afterwards we headed into the village. It was pretty with white cottages tumbling down the steep lanes, a hidden piece of rural England.

After refreshments the Captain cast off and we cruised into Kidderminster. We met loads of boats including a fleet of boat shaped cruisers from a cruising club that were travelling together.

Cyclists whizzing by Kidderminster lock

We had a near collision going through the tall arch of a railway viaduct with a boat that swung towards us as if we were invisible. Too late we realised that the other skipper was watching a steam train crossing the viaduct. 

The Captain was disappointed not to have caught the train on camera but he had been too busy reversing.

“What are the chances of seeing that on our way out,” I asked, wondering if the steam train made several trips each day.

“Nil,” he replied.

old industrial buildings

We stopped for lunch just outside Stourport in case we couldn’t moor in the basin. We couldn’t! There were only two visitor moorings there and they were taken.

leaving Kidderminster

mooring for supermarkets

Stoically the Captain stopped at the water point. While I filled our tank he visited the nearby chandlery and took photos of the basin.

During this time a hire boat company released its three boats with new-to-canal crews. By the time the Captain cast off for our return journey we had to queue behind the last of the three hire boats and a young single handed privateer who had a boat full of passengers.

A rock sided lock

The privateer did everything at the lock while five of his six passengers sat in the boat. The sixth had to be told how to attach the windlass to the paddle gear so the privateer did everything himself.

The young helper told me they were just visiting his uncle and that they had never been on a canal before. While we were locking up they all said goodbye and he set off ahead of us just as we left the lock.

Rather than stop at the Stourport mooring and walk a long way to the shops the Captain decided to return to Kidderminster and shop at one of its canal-side supermarkets.

Stourport basin

We helped the single handed privateer at each lock by closing up for him. We were rewarded by the sight of that steam train crossing the viaduct as we rounded the corner. In spite of its age the beast moved swiftly, the Captain only just snapped it as the engine chugged behind a belt of trees. how amazing to see it twice.

We follow a boat to the lock queue

After shopping we cruised out of Kidderminster even though it was 6.40 as it was a lovely evening and lovely rural moorings were less than an hour away. We passed one hire boat moored before our last lock of the day. They told us it was their first time on a narrow boat and they were loving it!

We moored above the lock and cooked an easy meal- pizza!

Catch that train!