It's another wintry day outside...temperatures will be struggling.., ,
snow showers developing over the North Sea... wind will really rattle through..."
...not the ideal weather forecast for a narrowboat short break, particularly as I had not travelled the canals for over thirty years.
With provisions aplenty, three press-ganged companions and enough thermal socks and hats to go round, we were ready for the great outdoors. The weather turned out to be less punishing than expected, so we honed our boating skills on a dry, if somewhat overcast weekend. The experience, however, was anything but dull. Never far from the busy hub-bub of urban life, cruising along the canal at a steady 4mph (about walking pace) had a progressively calming effect and the sense of 'getting away from it all' was palpable.
Embarking on the Golden Plover from the Alvechurch boatyard, north of Redditch in Worcestershire, after receiving expert instruction -- backed up with a comprehensive instruction book should we forget - we set ourselves a realistic course on the Worcester & Birmingham Canal towards Birmingham, diverting along the Stratford-on-Avon Canal, to reach our turnaround point at the top of the long flight of locks at Lapworth
It was a good route for the novice narrowboat-handler - with no locks to operate, just some interesting road bridges and tunnels. It turned out to be an excellent time of year for first-timers as the waterways were quiet, with plenty of room for manoeuvre.
Heading north from Alvechurch, we soon coursed over a small aqueduct, followed by a pretty view across Lower Bittell Reservoir - one of the many wildlife havens that can be enjoyed from a fresh perspective along Britain's canals.
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As we had begun fairly late in the afternoon, we ventured just a little further to Hopwood, mooring up along the towpath for our first night afloat, taking advantage of the Friday night conviviality at Hopwood House pub, where the locals are well used to sharing their bar with passing boaters.
Having been advised to plan for around six hours of travelling a day, we continued early next morning towards Birmingham. It seemed no time at all before we were upon one of the most exciting navigational features of our route - the Wast Hills Tunnel -all 2,726 yards of it! Considered a stupendous undertaking' when its construction began in 1794, the red brick tunnel remains a monumental icon of the industrial age that gave birth to Britain's canal system. We were suddenly plunged into a dank and dripping, but enthralling darkness, with a faint chink of light only just visible in the far distance.
The tunnel is wide enough for two boats to snugly pass each other, although we were fortunate on this occasion, beginners as we were, not to meet any oncoming traffic. Being such a striking feature of the canal's working past, I couldn't help but wonder about how horse-drawn narrowboats could have passed safely through such a long tunnel, which incidentally has no towpath. They were, in fact, pulled through, often in convoy, by steam - and later, diesel-powered tugs - and reunited with the horse at the other end.
Forty-five minutes later, we emerged into city suburbs. Next day's return through the same tunnel took only 35 minutes, which shows just how much skill and confidence you can gain with only a few hours at the tiller. The urban section of the journey contrasted somewhat with the pretty Worcestershire countryside we had left behind, but there were some notable features to pass through.
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After taking a right-hand turn at King's Norton Junction onto the Stratford-on-Avon Canal, we travelled under the King's Norton Stop Lock - a fascinating guillotine-like structure with two gates mounted in iron frames, balanced by chains and counterweights. The gates are now left permanently open, but stop locks were once used as a mechanism for controlling water flow in the days of the private canal companies.
Now heading eastwards towards Stratford, through an easily negotiated 352-yard tunnel at Brandwood, we were soon travelling through a deep cutting, lined with mature trees.
Before leaving the urban landscape behind altogether there was the opening and closing of the electrically-operated Shirley Draw Bridge in a responsible fashion to be done without incurring the wrath of the waiting traffic. That accomplished, we were then rewarded with some lovely rural scenery on our approach to our journey's turning point and next night's mooring near the picturesque settlement of Lapworth.
This was a good stage to consider that travelling the canals isn't necessarily all about being afloat. A well-planned journey that allows time for walking and visiting places of interest along the way always makes a holiday more memorable. You could, for instance, comfortably spend a couple of days either end of the Lapworth locks, taking in the nearby National Trust properties of Packwood House and Baddesley Clinton, both within walking distance of the canal.
Would we do it again? You bet we would, only next time I think we'll go for a little longer
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