It was raining when we woke this morning and the forecast hedged its bets about when it was likely to ease off. So we had breakfast, drank a cup of coffee apiece and got into the fully waterproof boiler suits.
The rain promptly stopped and it was mostly dry all the time were boating. It was my turn to steer and Sheila's to lock. Wightwick Mill and Wightwick Locks are close together, but after that Sheila rejoined me to get the washing machine running.
This she'd done well before Dimmingsdale Lock, which is followed quite closely by Ebbstree and then Awbridge, the narrowest lock on this stretch. Most of them were against us now, but we weren't in a huge rush. It's remained very cool for the time of year – if this keeps up, I shall have to buy more coal.
I make no pretence to be a geologist, but there's a noticeable difference in the quality of the landscape between the northern and southern halves of this canal. Somewhere between Coven and Compton you cross the watershed between the Trent and Severn catchments. The landscape round here is full of gently rolling hills and small valleys, quite enchanting even on a cool damp spring day.
It's odd to think that this is the cradle of the industrial revolution, that some of the first ironworks in the country were all around here.
By eleven, we were approaching the Bratch. There was a lot of activity on the cricket ground, mostly directed at drying it off by spiking and then rolling with a fancy roller to take up some of the water. Accordingly, we came on round the corner to the official visitor moorings where there are rings. From the noises off, they are playing just now, even though the rain is coming and going. There used to be a warning sign about the risk of stray sixes crossing the cut and hitting your boat, but it's gone.
Must be a sign of the decline of English cricket... Mind you, there's now a narrowboat flying the Aussie flag tempting fate by mooring right in the danger zone.
Tomorrow, the aim will be to reach Greensforge, then on to Kinver on Monday.
1 comment:
The weather forecast for May (after the 6th) is not bad (even the Met Office is beginning to say so). The tabloids tell us we'll be roasting, sweltering, getting sunburned even if we're indoors sort of stuff. I'm choosing to believe it ALL !!
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