Today it was time to leave the cultured surroundings of Stratford and return to the familiarity of narrow canals, but first there was some DIY to tackle. One of the kitchen cupboard door hinges had broken and it needed to be replaced, I had found, on line, that B & Q stocked them, but would we be able to moor at the bridge nearest to there? In the end I decided to take a taxi there and back which cost less than a fiver, and so we were still able to be away by 9:15 in the company of nb Woodham, having fitted the new hinges before we left.
So it was up into Bancroft Basin and through the four locks out of town, of course there would have been room to moor next to the Premier Inn to go to B & Q but c’est la vie!
At the eleven Wilmcote Locks there were volunteer lockkeepers on hand to assist us one of whom ‘set ahead’ while we emptied each lock for nb Woodham as we left whilst the other lockie helped them through. At the last three locks we started to meet boats coming down, one of which was headed back to Saul on the Gloucester & Sharpness canal and had lived in our home town of 30years, Dursley.
Oh, and I’d forgotten about those vicious by-washes and narrow bridges on the Stratford, but we were on the final stretch for the day over the Edstone Aquaduct (a mini Pontcysyllte aqueduct) which is hard to photograph whist you are on it so here’s one from Geograph.
Just ‘Odd Lock’ to do and it was over the even shorter Wootton Wawen Aqueduct and were just able to squeeze into the 24hr moorings opposite the Anglo-Welsh boatyard with nb Woodham breasted alongside.
Tomorrow is our 42nd wedding anniversary so we celebrated with a meal at The Navigation Inn along with Ian, Chris & Heather off of Woodham who generously treated us to bottle of sparkling wine.