The Captain's back

Hi one and all.

You may have wondered what has happened to Captain Ahab with no posts for nearly two weeks - unheard of!

As one or two you noticed, the Captian has been doing what he enjoys most - boating. But now he is back with lots of blogging material gathered as we completed what could be described as the Truddersfield Ring. By the I mean down the Trent and Mersey through the IWA festival on the Sunday afternoon (no time to stop), down the Trent to Keadby, around the Sheffield Navigations and then back over the Pennines via the Huddersfield Narrow Canal / Peak Forest Canals.

Its a mouth watering journey covering lots of new water an several old favourites like the HNC. It will be a pleasure to review our travels and publish some of the photo's I took along the way.

The holiday also offered an opportunity to do lots of waterway related reading so plenty of book review material too.

And Adrian (oops - meant Adam - sorry!), if you read this you owe me a pint - the term J-Lo stern has my copyright on it!

Quiet Waters By - Book Review

Quiet Waters By

by David Blagrove

This is the sequel to David Blagrove's other book, Bread Upon the Waters published in 1985 recounting the authors exploits along the Grand Union and Thames aboard nb Enterprise when carrying was fast becoming a thing of the past.

With commercial carrying virtually at an end, exacerbated by the big freeze of 1962/3, Blagrove finds alternative watery work on the Thames as a relief lock keeper.This position gives him an excellent perspective on river life from Reading to Oxford, drawing on the life and times of other lock keepers which, from the isolation of their locks, they were happy to share.

This beautifully descriptive account of river life is interspersed with trips aboard the Enterprise and other working boats as he moved more into trip / camping boats, including a fascinating account of his visit to the the lower Stratford Canal in its just finished state or "nearly navigable", a state I remember well from my own first trip eight years later. Lots of wobbly balance beams, narrowed lock chambers and of course, shallow waters.

Blagrove is a human sponge, soaking up the first hand accounts of those he meets along the way as well as being a keen observationalist, describing his surroundings in an evocative manner. I can almost smell those weir streams and locks of the Thames.

Blagrove is one of the original restoration pioneers, eking out a living from the waterways for three years or so before marrying and getting a "proper job" as a teacher but still living in Stoke Bruene and so able to gain access to his beloved canals for a regular watery fix.

His passion and enthusiasm is as infectious as his books are engaging.

Droitwich Double - 10 Wolverhampton

Droitwich Double 10
Wolverhampton
10th July 2011


10 miles - 3 locks - 5 hours

This is my favourite return route to Calf Heath, a few locks, pretty cuttings and finally the winding summit pound of the Staffs and Worcester where we have time to clean and pack ready for the off.

On the way out Belle had pointed out the animal graffiti on the railway bridges between Alderley and Autherley Junctions. Graffiti or art? You decide:

With fuel running low we stopped off at Oxley Marine, the first time I have used this yard. The price is right - 80p per litre pre tax, but it's always blocked off by boats which put me off. This time I decided to persist, pulling alongside the trip boat and seeking out the owner.

My time ashore turned me to a convert. I went into the workshop by mistake and found a room piled high with boating miscellany, including a part built twin for Sarnie, the tiny boat moored outside. The proper way to find him is in via the bar - yes, this place includes a popular local bar complete with pool table darts and TV - a veritable social club. If you do use this site for fuel remember - no electronic payments: cash or cheques only.

And do the end of another memorable trip. A brand new canal, twice, good weather and loads of  friends along the way. Roll on the summer trip to the Huddersfield Canal in August.

Droitwich Double 9 - Wolverley to Dimmingsdale

Droitwich Double 2011 no 9
Wolverley to Dimmingsdale
9th July 2011


13 miles - 20 locks - 8 hours

The area north of Wolverley offers some excellent boating, through wooded hillsides with the canal carved into rocky cliffs. Lock after lock rolls up, each in its unique setting rarely separated by more than a mile of water.

Dimmingsdale moorings

Kinver is something of a boating hot spot in there parts, crowded with moored boats which we passed by, the summer sun beating down on our heads and the air a heady mix of warm water and newly mown hay. What little traffic existed petered out at Greensforge Lock leaving us to carve a solitary course into the evening, 5.00pm became 6.00pm and then 7.00pm - a day you want to go on for ever.

The tail end of the day offered some the the boating gems I particularly love:

First the Botterham Staircase pair which have been the site of high spirits over recent weeks, tempers flaring as boated failed to follow the golden rule - walk to the other end first and check that the way is clear.

Bratch Locks

Then there are the massive ramparts of The Bratch, three towering chambers stacked one upon the other but oddly, not a staircase. It feels like a staircase and there is no way to pass within the flight but, as if by magic, water swirls into and out of side pounds hidden from the boater. Having travelled this way many times the operation of the flight was familiar and I was left to my own devices by the lock keeper, but guidance is needed for the uninitiated. Don't worry if you have to wait your turn, this gives you time to get the camera out and get some great shots of this unique site.

Echo's of Austria at Bratch Pumping Station

The plan was to moor on the offside above Dimmingsdale Lock and I was a bit disappointed to see it fully occupied. But its not a real issue, the area has loads of good moorings and we pulled over opposite the arm which usually contains nb Aquarius. Quiet and tranquil with just the distant roar from the lock by wash to lull you to sleep.

Droitwich Double 8 - Wolverley special

Droitwich Double 8

Wolverley

9th July 2011

After more overnight rain, it dawned clear and bright. Just the sort of day for a wander into Wolverley. We have been here before, but the village is so lovely its worth a repeat visit.

Wolverley from the canal

We marched up the hill to St John the Baptist, the red brick parish church perched on top of its sandstone outcrop. The sun came out and we soon found ourselves discarding our fleeces in an attempt to keep cool.

St John the Baptist, Wolverley

Belle went off foraging in the graveyard and I went for a wander round the church itself. Much to my surprise, the door stood wide open so I went inside to take a look. The verger was in doing some cleaning and after a slightly cautions greeting she soon realised I was genuinely interested and warmed to her theme, and she should know - she is a third generation verger!

Wolverley's stained glass window

 ... and historical tapestry

There is more to this church than meets the eye. There has been  place on the site for hundreds of years but the present church was mainly built between 1772 and 1812. On the face if it, it is a mordenish redbrick building but scratch away at the surface and you will find a more traditional sandstone tower which has been covered over. This inner layer of sandstone can be seen among the foundations and within the bell tower. This little village is proud of its church and has developed it over the years, upgrading its bells to its current full compliment of eight but retaining the tenor and trebles which date from 1737, ringing out the changes since before the canal was dug.

Berenice Holyland - verger and ambassador for the village

But it was the verger that I found most fascinating. Her name - Berenice Holyland, 7th child of Mary Magdalene Matthews - with a pedigree like that a commitment to the church appears unavoidable! But it didn't stop there. She was born in the now demolished lock keepers cottage at Court Lock (Wolverley), a property devoid of water, electricity or sewage. She explained that her father was a boatman moving coal from the Cannock coal fields to Stourport using horse drawn boats, as poor as a church mouse but offering a great childhood.

Scenes from the village square (triangle)

Everything about Wolverley feels cared for, the church, the pretty village shop, the putting green and the thriving pub. Perhaps the village shop was the jewel in the crown at the time of our visit, doubling up as an al fresco coffee shop and cafe with locals sipping lattes and downing bacon butties in the warm summer sunshine. You could be forgiven for thinking you are in France.

Wolverley houses carved into the rock

All this enthusing about Wolverley isn't getting us home - more of that in my next post.