13 locks, 7600+ steps, 3.3 miles & 52 minutes of exercise and all before breakfast!

Saturday 21st April 2018
Cambrian Wharf to Wiggins Hill Bridge, Curdworth
27 locks, 7.75 miles

06:30 and the alarm sounded.  Despite the noise from the pub we had both slept well and were up  & raring to go.  Well to be honest it was probably more a factor of necessity rather than 'raring'.

We first did today's route in 2008, but then we were on a hire boat called 'Barrovian Passion'

with two friends

and after the first thirteen locks we picked up their son who was in his 20's, so many hands really did make light work.

We certainly got a lot further then than we did today, but there were more of us and we were 10 years younger than we are now!

We knew we were in for a challenging day to allow us to get far enough away from the city centre to find an acceptable mooring, but more importantly a safe one.  Also it was going to be hot again, so the sooner we set off the better.  After a quick wash & brush up,  a cup of tea and Monty's bodily needs seen to, at 07:23 we were off and heading for the first lock just a quick reverse and a few yards from where we were moored.

We soon got into a good rhythm with Chris shutting the top gates and opening a paddle on the bottom gates whilst I walked ahead to get the next lock ready.  Every one of the 27 we were to do today was empty, so needed filling before we could enter.

Monty was eager and sitting up to perform his supervisory role, although I think he was wondering where all the grass had gone.

The bridge at the bottom of lock 4 is called Saturday Bridge

why you may wonder?

At lock 6 there is a museum that is on our wish list to visit one day.

Lock 9 goes into the bowels of the earth - well it is dark enough under the building to seem that way

Things get a little brighter when you get to lock 10 after which you emerge from under the buildings.  I found it quite a surreal experience, even though we have done it before.

Suddenly at lock 11 the lock beam is on the non towpath side of the canal

as the towpath is just too narrow - please note that Monty is still sitting up on the job

The Post Office Tower dominates as you look back for quite a long time

Pretty it isn't, but there are points of interest just the same - this building for instance.  I would love to know who the two faces are?  I had picked out the male image at the time, but it was not until I looked at the photo that I made out a female image as well.  Chris who was closer did not pick them out at all - it is all in the angle and very cleverly done.

This sign gives some light relief to the endless graffiti

At the end of the 13 locks of the Farmer's Bridge flight you get a 17 minute reprieve before the Aston flight of 11.  Time enough to have a cuppa and a bit of breakfast before starting all over again!

This is the first of the Aston flight where

things do start to get a bit greener 

About half way down this flight Monty conceded defeat and was performing his supervisory role from a prone position - one he rarely adopts!

One bit of light relief for the visual senses was passing this rather attractive set of new apartments

On the Aston flight is this former lock cottage is

sadly defaced with graffiti

which was not in evidence in 2008.  The red paint has certainly lasted well, or it has been recently repainted.  It must be heartbreaking to have your home that is obviously loved and cared for defaced.

Shortly after the Aston flight (by this time I had clocked up 12,000 steps and walked 5.6 miles) we stopped to off load rubbish and 'yellow water'.  I hope Pip from nb Oleana does not mind me using her terminology - so much more refined than emptying the wee pot!!  Sadly this is where things went wrong for me - I was intending going up the back steps to the stern with the things to be disposed of in my hands, but I missed my footing and went flying.  Thankfully there is a good tight fitting lid on the yellow water container!  I think I was just too tired and lost my concentration.  The result was that Chris did disposal duties whilst I sat on the back deck moaning and groaning and not daring to look at my shins, both of which hurt a lot.  When I did pluck up the courage to look it was just the left one that had sustained a nasty graze, despite both being very sore.  It is three years since I ended up with a leg abscess just below the site of the new wound, so we both have everything crossed that this will heal without too much trouble.  We had about an hour of cruising to do before the next lock, so I went to have a shower to try to ensure the wound was clean before I applied antiseptic cream and a would dressing.   I also had a sore left shoulder and index finger on my left hand.  Tomorrow morning might be interesting!

Just three locks to go and we came across the first moving boat of the day - a single-hander going our way.  Having emptied 24 locks already, 3 more was hardly going to be a problem. 

As you arrive at Minworth you are rewarded with the welcome site of a lovely home and garden

and green open spaces with our first sighting of oil seed rape this year.

We staggered on until just past Wiggins Hill Bridge and The Cuttle Inn, which I think used to be called The Beehive Inn.  It was 14:23 when we moored - exactly 6 hours since we set off.

We were both exhausted and hungry - we kept putting off having lunch as the lure of a sandwich and a pint in the pub was just too great.  There was, however, one thing that needed to be done before we went for lunch - a trip down the weed hatch that produced a good haul! Now safely bagged up ready to be disposed of properly at the next refuse point.

It was 15:10 when we left for the Cuttle Inn

where we ended up having a meal - fish and chips for Chris and scampi and chips for me.  It meant we could just relax and not have to worry about cooking in the evening.  We were both so hungry we would have appreciated anything on offer, but even better than making do - both meals were excellent.

We returned to the boat to relax and unwind when we had a visitor

 I was dispatched to escort it off the premises.  To Monty this was a very unwelcome intruder - he had taken himself as far forward as he could and curled up in the corner to hide.

There was a little noise from the pub in the evening and mooring a bit further along would have been better, but once we had stopped we were not going anywhere else and I think we were both tired enough to sleep through an earthquake!

This was certainly not our finest day on the boat, but there was a sense of achievement to go along with the exhaustion.  As far as summing up the day, ignoring the obvious exertions I would say it was 

Construction

Rubbish

Grafitti

and finally evidence of some of the homeless folks in this country which made me all the more grateful for what we have.  Tomorrow is another day and it will be shorter and hopefully accident free.