Canal Cruising - Stourport Ring Days 3 & 4

Day 3.
Tuesday arrived with more sunshine, though not as warm in the morning. We set off from Netherwich Basin up the Droitwich Barge Canal heading for Ladywood locks. There are 8 sets of locks before the River Severn, these are wide-beam locks and can take 2 narrow boats at a time.
The channel was very reedy and narrow, this is deliberate attempt to satisfy the green brigade as a habitat for wildlife. Makes a picturesque scene but difficult for boaters to pass each other with poor visibility on corners.

Narrow channel and blind corners.

We had company through the wide-beam locks with a very nice boat that was out for a couple of months, lucky them!

Leaving one of the 8 Ladywood locks.

More of the Reed lined channel.

Before the final locks a new bridge, Hawford Bridge, has had to be built under the A449 dual carriageway which was built over the canal. As an engineer I found the following site interesting which shows the work completed. http://www.leepd60.net63.net/DEIcanal301.htm
After Hawford Bridge we locked down onto the River Severn.

Waiting for the lock into the River Severn to be readied.

The River Severn is still quite wide this high up after Worcester, a few weeks ago it was a raging torrent but is now nice and tranquil. We passed a few narrowboats and cruisers as we headed up river to the first large lock at Holt.

Passing a nice Dutch Barge as we headed up the Severn.

After 4 miles and approx 1 hour we reached Holt Fleet and the first of 2 lock keeper operated locks.

Holt Fleet Bridge with Holt Lock behond.

The lock gates where closed and we had to slow down to allow for the lock keeper to empty the lock and open the gates, all done automatically whilst he sat in his cabin, the traffic light then changes to green to allow entry to the lock.

Green light calling us in to lock.

The gates are shut, you feed your mooring ropes around metal rods inset into lock walls to hold the boat as the lock rises, this is all done very smoothly and quickly with little turbulence or current, then the top gates open and away you go, really easy.
We had one more automated lock to do, Lincomb lock, another 3 miles away before we reached Stourport, the head of navigation for narrowboats on the Severn. Smaller cruisers can navigate further up the river.

Stourport is created entirely around the junction of the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal and River Severn. The canal was dug to carry coal from the Cannock Coalfields to the River Severn, then on down to Worcester and Gloucester. Where the canal met the Severn a small town was created around the wharves and basins. There are 2 sets of locks from the Severn, the first, the barge locks are only used by larger vessels and is at an angle to the river for easy access, narrowboats have to use the next set, 2 pairs of staircase locks accessed through a bridge at nearly a right angle to the river.

Entrance to the wide barge locks, Tontine Hotel in background.

Narrow lock entrance below bridge.

I had to drop the crew off on the landing stage to the right, then wait in the river for the lock to be opened, with no real flow on the river getting in to the lock was not a problem, I would not want to try it when the river is flowing after rain.

Lining up for the lock.

In the first staircase, with no overflow weirs the
excess water goes over the end gates.

View from narrow locks to lower barge lock.

In second staircase locks, looking back to river.

After finishing the locks we filled the water tank and moored in the upper basin, another early finish so we had a look around Stourport, a couple of quick drinks in town, then a spot of fishing in the basin, plenty of small roach about. Later we had dinner on board followed by more fishing.

Upper Basin mooring with Stourport yacht club in background.

14 locks only today.
Day 4.
Wednesday we awoke to yet another sunny morning, already quite warm after breakfast.

Sunny Morning in Stourport.

We left the upper basin around 9-30am and headed up the Staffs and Worcs Canal through York Street lock, there are some nicely situated locks along this length, under small red sandstone cliffs which provide pretty views.

Caldwell Lock.

Kidderminster is the next town, there used to be large carpet works alongside the canal however most of these have been demolished, one however has been taken over by Debenhams, which has saved the mill but the extension they have put on does not blend too successfully.

Carpet mill converted into Debenhams store with glass extension.

Me doing the hard work at Kidderminster Lock. 

After Kidderminster the canal continues along fringed by more cliffs of Triassic rock, near Wolverley the canal is quite narrow in places meaning care has to be taken rounding bends, locks are fairly evenly spaced as we climb out of Worcestershire into Staffordshire. We pass through Cookley where once 20 pudding furnaces made wrought iron, part of Cookley village is perched on a small tunnel.

Narrow cuttings near Wolverley

Looking back round the corner you can see why a sharp lookout
is needed for oncoming boats.

Cookley village above small tunnel.

Another Section with overhanging cliffs.

Debdale Lock has a large cave hewn out of the sandstone cliff, entrance
can be seen.

Entering Whittington Lock.

We passed Kinver and Stewponey before turning off the Staffordshire and Worcestershire canal at Stourton Junction onto the Stourbridge canal, heading up through the 4 Stourton locks. When entering the second lock the weather changed with a vengeance, a big thunderstorm hit, Gill and I doing the locks had to take cover under trees until it passed.

Stourton No one lock.

After the rain had cleared we completed the remaining Stourton locks and headed for Stourbridge, passing some nice Staffordshire countryside before the canal becomes urban at Wordsley Junction.

Rhododendron Fringed woods near Amblecote.

Rolling hills.

Wordsley Junction.

We turned of the Stourbridge Canal onto the Stourbridge town arm, passing the site of Dial Glass works and Stourbridge Iron Works before reaching the end of the canal at Stourbridge Town Basin. The basin is run by the Stourbridge Navigation Trust who's headquarters are in the restored Bonded Wharehouse and they provide safe moorings for a donation to the trust.

Stourbridge Bonded Wharehouse.

We spent a pleasant evening having a barbie at the side of the canal accompanied with more cider.
15 Locks only today.

Canal Cruising - Stourport Ring Days 1 & 2

We returned on Jubilee weekend from a hot and sunny week on the narrowboat. We wanted to cruise the Stourport Ring, From Alvechurch, down the Worcester and Birmingham Canal towards Worcester, onto the newly re-opened Droitwich Canals, up the River Severn to the limit of navigation at Stouport and onto the Staffordshire and Worcester Canal. After Kidderminster and Kinver we will take a right turn onto the Stourbridge Canal and into Stourbridge basin, followed by Dudley No 1 Canal near Merry Hill, then the long tunnel to the New Main Line to Birmingham, then back onto the Worcester and Birmingham Canal returning to Alvechurch.
 

Map of Stourport RIng















If you dont like canals look away, cos this is a long one, the route length was a mere sounding 66 miles, however we used 103 locks, 5 tunnels, and 64 litres of diesel.
Day 1
We set of from Alvechurch Marina on the Sunday morning, in glorious hot weather, heading through the 2 Shortwood and Tardebigge tunnels before hitting 36 locks at Tardebigge and Stoke.

Lovely - Sunshine and Blossom.

Light at the end of the 613 yard Shortwood Tunnel.

In the deep Tardebigge Top Lock

There are 30 locks in the Tardebigge flight, dropping the canal 200 feet, the top lock at 14 feet is one of the deepest narrowbeam locks in the country. The Tardebigge flight for boaters is an accomplishment that pales other groups of locks into insignificance. Time to navigate these locks is approx 7 hours, although we had a lunch break half way down.

Midway down the flight.

With locks so closely spaced and with so many to do we equally took turns at steering and locking, we also had a boat in front with a 2 man crew which slowed us a little, no worries on a nice hot sunny day. We caught them up after lunch. With a boat in front going downhill you have to have a routine as every lock needed filling before we could enter. So one of our crew would steer, the second would open the top gate, let the boat in and shut top gate, then as the third crew member began to let water into the lock below they would let water out of the preceding lock, this way the water, approx 50,000 gallons per lock would go into the lock below and not be wasted over the finely balanced overspill weirs which prevent flooding.


Toni letting out the water from the lock above.




















Occasionally an upward bound boat breaks the routine, which gives the lockers a brief respite as the upward bound boat crew help at the lock below and our crew do not have to shut the lock gates above thus allowing upward boat entry to lock.

Passing upward boat traffic.

Nearing the bottom of the Tardebigge flight.



Duck family.

























After Tardebigge we completed the 6 locks of the Stoke flight before calling it a day at Stoke Prior where welcome cold ciders awaited, not the first of the day!
Stoke Prior was until the 1970's the site of the largest Saltworks in the world, 200,000 tons of salt a year was produced by pumping water into the ground salt deposits and extracting as brine, then drying out to produce salt. Little remains of the works and the area is landscaped.

Day 2
Monday was again hot and sunny. After the obligatory fry up, we set of heading for the 6 Astwood locks before turning off the Worcester and Birmingham Canal on to the newly restored Droitwich Junction Canal. This was originally abandoned in the 30's.


Waiting for Top lock of Hanbury flight to fill.




















The first 3 locks have side ponds to conserve water supplies and are equipped with their own side operating paddles, again going downhill, the lock is filled from the canal, the boat is motored into lock and top gates shut, half a lock full of water is emptied into the side pond by opening the side paddles, the paddles are then closed trapping half a lock full of water in the sidepond, the bottom gate paddles are then opened allowing remainder of water from lock into canal below, bottom gates are then opened to allow the boat out. When going up, the boat is let into the empty lock and the bottom gates are shut, the side pond paddles are opened allowing the saved half lock of water back into the lock, the paddles are again shut then the top gate paddles are opened allowing the rest of the lock to be filled, then the top gates are opened to let the boat out.
Getting this sequence wrong can result in the intervening pond between locks being drained as the side ponds are only designed to hold half a lockful, any more goes over a overspill weir to the pound below.


Filling the sidepond at Hanbury Top Lock.

























After the 3 Hanbury locks the canal heads towards Droitwich, a section of the canal was obliterated during construction of the M5 motorway, the canal has had to be re-cut and diverted in order to use a culvert under the M5 to allow access to Droitwich. This entailed building 4 new locks, 3 to drop down to the level of the M5 culvert (2 connected as staircase locks) then one after the M5 to drop onto the River Salwarpe. Info here for those interested. http://www.leepd60.net63.net/DEIcanal303.htm

In the new staircase lock, new "cut" of diverted canal behond.

In a staircase lock consisting of 2 rises going downhill there are 3 sets of gates, the top rise has to be full to allow the boat in, the bottom rise has to be empty, water is then emptied from the top rise into the bottom rise, the middle gates are then opened, and the boat moves into the bottom rise and middle gates are shut behind it. The water is then released from bottom rise into canal below, bottom gates opened and the boat motors out into lower canal.


Leaving the top rise of the new staircase lock.



Leaving the lower rise of the new staircase lock at lower canal level
. Middle gates behond.




















The next new lock would drop us down to the level of the culvert under the M5, as the canal was disused when the motorway was built they only put in a small culvert to carry drainage water from the canal and not a full sized bridge, luckily it was large enough to allow later passage with the canal level lowered, though it will be a tight squeeze for some boats, we where not sure if we would fit through due to the cratch cover over the cockpit on the front of our boat. The level of the canal can vary here as a brook flows into it which can affect clearance.


Tight clearance at M5 Culvert, just a couple of inches
between cratch and roof.




















The next new lock would drop us on the the river Salwarpe and on into Droitwich.

Leaving the last new lock on the river Salwarpe.



After approx 1/4 mile the river meets the recently restored widebeam Droitwich Barge Canal which was abandoned in the 30's, the old river lock has been restored here, at low water the level difference is only a few inches, but at times of heavy rain this can rise dramatically.

Waiting in the turning basin for the girls to shut the river lock gates.

The restored canal then swings through Vine Park, with 3 swing bridges to be opened before reaching Netherwich Basin where new pontoon moorings have been created in the transhipment basin.

Swing Bridges in Vines Park.





Netherwich Basin.



We arrived and moored up early on Monday afternoon, so we spent some time in Droitwich, quite a nice town centre, dotted with old buildings and Brine pumping houses from when salt was pumped from underground. A lot of the buildings show signs of previous subsidence where the land has collapsed due to brine pumping. Some history here.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/herefordandworcester/hi/people_and_places/religion_and_ethics/newsid_8473000/8473037.stm
Was a pleasant place to moor and the supermarket is near to the canal.

Stressfull Drive Home

The one day that I went out to work in the TR7 without the toolbox in the car is the day you find problems, there was a nasty smell of petrol on the way home, so I pulled over to investigate and found this.

Fuel hose into rear float chamber was split, peeing out in a nasty spray, luckily not on exhaust side.
Off course in the small toolbox I normally carry is a spare piece of hose, tape, jubilee clips, etc.
All I had was a first aid box! so I wound bandage round it, followed by a duster tightly tied to hose which stopped it spraying over the distributer and cables, and left it just dripping instead, big drips mind you onto the oil filter and bellhousing.
Managed to limp home, worrying all the way, ditance about 10 miles, luckily without a thermal incident.

MOT fail and pass

Took the car in for an MOT recently, did not pass first time, which is the first time in my 10 year possession, unusual failure, no headlamp beam pattern at all, it was all just hazy in the headlight beam tester with no defined pattern, closer inspection revealed that the silver coating inside of the Halogen conversion sealed beam lamp unit on both Left and Right looked as though it had bubbled, a kind of corrosion effect.
Taking them off revealed that the outside coating of the lens was also corroded. These are Wipac conversions approx 5 years old so yet another failure of replacement parts.
Not wanting to go to the trouble of HID conversion and the wiring headache that this could cause I searched Mini and Landrover forums and found that most where fitting Cibie H180 headlamps with 60/55 watt bulbs so ordered a pair from Minisport, even if using the Lucas or Wipac Quad optics Minisport are so much cheaper than the big 3 TR7 specialists and post and packing are very reasonable.
Now fitted and ticket obtained I need to try them out on a good night drive, then maybe next I will investigate how to fit relays to lights to protect the dash switch and fit the larger 100/80 watt bulbs.

Peak District Tour - Days 3 and 4

Day 3 - Drive it Day
Sunday we awoke to more rain, not heavy but very persistant. After another big breakfast I succumbed to the still noisy rear bearings and jacked the car up, pulled the halfshafts and re-greased the bearings as a precaution whilst someone held a brolley over me. Not a pleasant task.
We had a list of places to visit for drive it day, some opted for a trip to Bakewell and Castleton, some to Crich Tramway Museum, we opted to head for Eyam and Hathersage. Eyam is known as "The Plague Village" In 1665 a village tailor was contaminated by cloth from London carrying the Bubonic Plague. 269 out of 350 residents died of the plague after the local preacher persuaded them to stay in the village to stop the plague spreading to other villages. A good museum tells the story of the plague village.

Eyam Hall - no casulaties of the Plague here as the squire fled at the first
signs of the Plague



Taking directions in the pouring rain at Eyam


We next headed to Hathersage via lonely moorland roads, stopping only for a snack in Hathersage, it was too wet to look at the area which is where Emily Bronte based her novel. We then headed out through Tideswell and Millers Dale before climbing up to the village of Flash, at 1500ft above sea level, the highest village in England.
The rain was fairly steady by now, with only brief dry periods.


Rainy views in the Peaks above Longnor.



Flash, the highest Village in England.


We then headed for Leek in the pouring rain seeking out Petrol, before having a quick Costa coffee in Leek along with another couple of Triumph owners.


Typical rain heading down A53 to Leek.



Triumphs at Leek.


Gill and I then headed into the Churnet Valley, visiting the Churnet Valley Railway and the Caldon Canal at Basford Bridge. We last cruised the pretty Caldon Canal about 8 years ago and hope to add to our list again shortly.


Basford Bridge - Caldon Canal



Cheddleton Station - Not much activity in the way of trains.



Diesels at Churnet Valley Railway - 33102 and 33021 Captain Charles


We then headed back along winding roads to Ipstone, Butterton, and Hulme End for a quick walk on the path of the narrow gauge Leek and Manifold Railway.

Nice house near Ipstones.



Heading into the Manifold Valley near Butterton.



Course of Leek and Manifold Railway.



Hulme End Railway Station - Leek and Manifold Railway


Typically, it been the end of the day the sun came out. We saw very few other Triumphs about on Drive it Day, a lone Dolomite seen in Cheddleton Station car park, a lone dark blue TR7 dhc seen between Hathersage and Hope, and from a distance 3 or 4 Heralds or Vitesse in a pub car park off the A53 near Leek. Biggest contingent we saw where old Citroens seen at a Pub near Flash. Oh and some ignorant MG's in Eyam who did not acknowledge our waves



Triumphs at the Manifold Inn.


Back at the Hotel for our last night we again spent the evening eating and drinking, entertained by the local Brass band who where practicing in the next room, some good old tunes, the Dambusters theme, Ilkley moor b'tat, etc. We retired to bed with ringing heads.
Day 4
After packing in the morning, a big fried breakfast, and settling up the bill Gill and I left, firstly calling in at Hartington to stock up on local cheese. The Dovedale Blue and Hartingdon Bomber is really nice. We then headed into Bakewell for more food shopping, namely a large Bakewell Pudding and a large Bakewell Tart which we are still trying to get through and some smaller ones to take back to our respective work mates, and additionally for me Denby Dale pork pies and savoury eggs.
We then headed down the A6, breifly looking in at Matlock Spa, managing to keep GIll out of Masson Mill retail outlet then heading out to the A50 and back home accross Nottinghamshire, Rutland, Cambridgeshire and back to Norfolk for 3-30pm, some heavy showers on the way back through the Peaks but mainly dry afterwards.
Thoroughly enjoyed this long weekend, we had good company, good food and drink, and despite the weather good driving. Bookings now been made for a trip to Wales next year.
The car ran fine except for noisy diff and noisy rear bearings caused by excessive endfloat, but they survived.
Thanks to Alan and Christine for organising this trip.

Peak District Tour - Day 1 and 2

Day 1
A group of like minded Triumph friends spent a long weekend in the Peak District last week. Although the weather was not good to us, we all had an enjoyable time, travelling round and visiting the Derbyshire and Staffordshire Peaks with no set agenda.
We set off early Friday from Norfolk, having an enjoyable ride through Oakham and Melton Mowbray on the way, arriving in the Peaks at lunch time. Booking in to our secluded hotel in the Manifold Valley we then visited Bakewell indulging in the obligatory Bakewell Puddings and Tarts.

Hartington Station on the Tissington Trail. The Tissington Trail follows
the course of the Ashbourne to Buxton Railway line.

Tissington Trail, great for cycling or walking.

 

 





Bakewell, home of the Tarts and Puddings







River Wye at Bakewell.

After an enjoyable evening meal and drinks we retired hoping for better weather the next day.

Day 2

Thankfully the next day started fine, after a good Breakfast we headed for Castleton and the Hope Valley. Gill and I first visited Speedwell Cavern at the bottom of the Winnat Pass.

At the bottom of Winnats Pass.



In Speedwell Cavern, aboard the boat on the lead miners canal. Trust
us to find a canal!



In Speedwell Cavern, boat approaching the end cavern where
the Bottomless pit can be seen.

After Speedwell we took the trip up Winnats Pass to Blue John Cavern which is on the road that Man Tor "The Shivering Mountain" has made unpassable due to landslides. The trip is very interesting made up of natural caverns where the Lead Miners have cut steps into the caverns.



Gill decending the steps into Blue John Caverns




Seam of Blue John



Under Man Tor

After the Caverns we returned down Winnats Pass to Castleton for lunch and a quick look at the many Blue John jewellers and touristy shops. We then headed down the main road to Hope then along the lovely road to Edale.

Descending Winnats Pass.

Heading for Edale at the end of the Hope Valley




Looking back to Edale and the Hope Valley






Same location in 2004, but better weather.
















We then headed accross to Buxton and back to Hartington and Hulme end in some foul weather for a well deserved spruce up before another great meal with good company.





Halfshaft Endplay - Spacers not good idea.

I had to pull out the 2 x 1.5mm spacers this evening from behind the bearing inner race, dont think it was a good idea, whilst they seemed to cure the endfloat, with 2 up in the 7 and the hood up on the trip to the local CT meeting and back, around 35 miles, the transmitted noise seemed worst than ever from the back end. I cannot see any damage to bearings, looks like I need to keep a can of grease and trolleyjack in my boot!

Not sure what to do now, all I can think is get a real expert to build a guaranteed, smooth, quiet axle, but thats gonna cost:-(