Well this morning we had a very quick recovery from England's defeat to Croatia with the best antidote: a 6.00am start on the journey toward Birmingham. Today's target: Stoke Prior Visitor Moorings.
The first fur locks were set in our favour and the next four were set against.The unthinkable happened at the next one: it started to rain. We settled on the lock mooring for a bacon and egg breakfast by which time the sun came out and we continued. By this time the canal world, particularly the hire boaters were stirring and we crossed with several boats in the short pounds of the five lock flights that feature on this canal.
The countryside we pass through is lovely and peaceful. We only saw one heron today though but plenty of gulls with their brown speckled offspring.
We were soon at Dunhamptead Visitor Moorings where we though we would stop for a mid morning break. The hire boat we had been following for about half an hour had taken the only available mooring spot and were unloading bikes. The rest of the visitor moorings were taken up by CRT: two hoppers and a tug. They were resurfacing some of the towpath at the bridge with a concrete surface. Obviously a height of summer job! Who needs visitor moorings anyway? We carried on.
We arrived at Stoke Prior just at lunch time. We stopped at the water point and filled the tank. While filling I looked under the bridge at the Visitor mooring to see whether there was any possibility of a 14day mooring. There was no mooring at all! The towpath was barricaded off and the footpath diverted. Where to I have no idea.
We backed up and moored on the waterpoint mooring rings, leaving ten rings for those who need water. I think that was reasonable.
We packed up and went to the The Boat and Railway for a lunch and to catch the bus back to our car in Worcester. The pub is an old fashioned canalside hostelry with a good local clientele. The food was good value and very tasty.
10miles, 18 locks, 7 hours
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