Starting yesterday and even stronger today, you can’t really call it deja vu, but I’ve been here before. I definitely haven’t had to consult the map much. The Coventry from Tamworth going north and the stretch of the T&M from Fradley Junction to Stoke on Trent is very familiar territory. In fact, the section of the T&M from Fradley to Great Haywood was part of our first ever narrowboat trip. We hired a boat from Burton one chilly October half-term in the late 80’s. I think I was hooked on waking up one morning, just as the low sun was beginning to break through the mist rising from the canal. We were moored somewhere in Ravenhurst Wood, where I was last night.

The Birmingham and Fazeley Canal joins the Coventry at Fazeley Junction in Tamworth. In fact, up to Whittington, the canal heading north was the Birmingham and Fazeley. Now it is known by most people, and most guidebooks, as the Coventry. You can tell its heritage. The numbered bridges stop. They are replaced by named bridges typical of the Birmingham and Fazeley.

 

There is a stone marker in Whittington which marks the point where it switches back.

Having travelled this way before, there are a number of landmarks for me. One was an old school as you leave Whittington, going north. It looked to be disused. It’s funny what things your mind picks as memorable landmarks sometimes. Random landmarks is a theme for this post. Not much of a landmark now. It’s gone. Replaced by new houses. Another theme for this part of the canal network.

One thing I have noticed are some potential new landmarks. In their quest for more reliable revenue streams, a number of individual wind turbines have appeared on several farms. Like this one between Whittington and Streethay Wharf.

There are some other random landmarks along this stretch. First, a field alongside the canal that often has polytunnels in it, under which, I think, strawberries are grown. Next is Streethay Wharf. It always seems busy, with boats being worked on. It’s significant for our boat, as the receipts we have from the first owner, show that he often had work done there. Again the records show that this part of the network is home territory for the boat too. The original owner moored her on the Tamworth end of the Birmingham and Fazeley.

We came across another two steam powered boats. One, a steam tunnel tug (called Pilot) was moored up. But the second one was moving and steaming. Didn’t get the name, I was was surprised and struggling with the camera. It looked like hard work.

Late in the day, we passed through Fradley Junction. The Swan pub is another well known canal landmark. Even more so for me, because I can point out where someone had reversed their Vauxhall into the canal when we came this way on our first hire boat experience. Perhaps that was another attraction of boating. A small frisson of danger and excitement!

There is a little swing bridge on the end of the Coventry. Yet again, I am grateful to some helpful people. First, the boater who noticed me coming round the corner and left it open. And then the random walker who offered to close it for me. Thanks!

Now we were on the Trent and Mersey (T&M). The first big difference? The locks are going up. Sam, the roof dog, is not too sure about this. She was happy enough when we were going down. But up seems to be unnerving for her. Perhaps it’s the greater noise, or more movement.

The second thing to notice, and Heather will be happy about this. Most T&M locks have little bridges behind the bottom gates. That stops the lone helm having to leap the gap when opening the bottom gates. We ascended three locks to get to that favourite mooring spot.

I already posted that mooring location. I know I said I don’t really do mooring in wooded areas any more. But rules are made to be broken!

I seem to wake up with the sun. So I was up early this morning. One of the first things I usually do is check the weather. I had been thinking I might stay at Ravenshaw Wood, because the weather was supposed to be rough for most of the day. But they changed the forecast. Now they were saying the rain would hold off until the afternoon.

All I could see at 6:30 was blue skies. So I decided to make the most of it and head for another favourite spot, Tixall Wide. Heather is accusing me of deliberately rubbing salt into the wound. Tixall Wide is a wide section of canal about a mile down the Staffs and Worcester from the junction at Great Hayward.

So, with last look back, down the green corridor, we made an early start. I’m sure Sam was a bit disgusted with me. She has begun to expect a walk first hing, she didn’t get one until later today.

Fairly soon after starting, I had to very carefully navigate around a very sad site. It’s always very upsetting to see a sunken boat. Someone obviously cared about this one and had worked hard to rescue her. They had salvaged what they could and there was a serious pump on the stern of the boat behind here. But, it looks like that wasn’t enough. Sad.

Yet more landmarks were to come. First the Armitage “Tunnel”. It used to be a tunnel before the roof was removed. It’s still only wide enough for one boat, and has a kink in it so you cannot see the other end. A bit of a challenge if two boats start in at the same time. Not a problem this morning.

Next, I always look out for the skeleton painted on a door in someone’s garden. It’s been there for years. And it’s still there now.

Finally, it is surprising the lengths some people will go to in order to express their frustration at “speeding” canal boats. (Can 4mph be called speeding?)

Another “landmark” that dominates the landscape around here are the cooling towers of Rugeley Power Station. Having said that, they are remarkably difficult to photograph from a moving boat. Every pic I took either looked boring, or was obscured by trees.

My final random landmark actually didn’t pan out. The canal passes through Armitage after the Armitage Tunnel. If you’ve ever wondered where Armitage Shanks makes their toilet bowls, now you know. The factory is right next to the canal and they usually have hundreds of toilets stacked high, begging to be the subject of a slightly humorous photo. Not today. Sales must be going well. The yard was empty.

People seem to want to live next to the canal in this art of the world, judging by the number of new housing developments. Some of them weren’t there even last summer when we came this way. I did take shots of most of them. Just like an empty yard that used to store toilets, a series of pictures of new houses really would be boring.

Every time I got off the boat today, I could feel something sticking into the bottom of my foot. I checked for stones, twice. I checked for something stuck to the bottom of my foot, repeatedly.  It took me almost all day to think to check the bottom of my sandal. There was a huge thorn. It had gone right through the sole and was sticking into my foot. Ouch.

Two more locks and another iconic junction at Great Haywood and we arrived at Tixall Wide. It is thought that this widened section was created to give the impression of a lake for a nearby stately home. These days it is a very popular mooring spot, especially in a half-term week. I found the last remaining spot. I moored, let the dog off, just in time for the weather to turn. Phew!

Now I have a decision to make. My original idea was to turn back to the T&M and carry on up to Stoke and then up the Caldon, another favourite canal. But now it occurs to me, I could just carry on down the Staffs and Worcester to Autherly Junction. Then I can go up the Shropshire Union, onto the Middlewich branch to cross back to the T&M. I would then have to ascend the Cheshire Locks, aka “Heartbreak Hill”. It’s longer by around 25 miles. And there’s 50% more locks. I haven’t been on the Staffs and Worcester or the Shroppie for quite a few years. Hmmm. I will have to sleep on it