WaL day nine ... a much better day!

Friday (26th) we set off from Coven at 8am ...

Passing the Anchor pub where we had an 'ok' meal last night ...

and tug Ferret

40 minutes later we're going under the M54

Into the very narrow cutting

Looking back at Foster's Bridge 68

and under the very low Marsh Bridge

Preparing to drop George off at the bridge to set the lock at ...

Autherley Junction

Taken by George as I make the turn ...

into the stop lock ...

From Nicholson's Waterways Guide No.4 you will see the turn taking What a Lark from the Staffs and Worc Canal onto the Shropshire Union Canal (known as the Shroppie)

Boats coming and going all over the place at the boat hire and services as I wait for the stop lock to rise about 4 inches!

In times long gone when the canals were in private ownership there would be a charge (toll) for boats passing from one canal to another and a stop lock would be placed to ensure that tolls could be collected.

We pulled over for water at the slow tap ... that's not changed at all in the 6 or so years since we've passed this way!

The canal widens as we leave the junction ...

but soon narrows again!

Holding back at Chillington Bridge 9 for a boat coming through ...

and approaching the ornate grade II listed Avenue Bridge designed by Thomas Telford c 1840 which was once part of the drive to Chillington Hall

A great view of Brewood (pronounced Brood) between bridges 12 and 13 where we've often moored in the past but is now too silted up to get into the side so we continued on ...

and moored up at 2pm in the cutting before Brewood Bridge 14 ...

where the parapet is being repaired.

Not the best place to be moored as it's a bit dark with the overhanging trees especially with rain due later today and tomorrow

There's a music festival on this weekend at the Bridge Inn, hope the rain won't be a problem for them.

Brewood is also taking part in South Staffordshire's Best Kept Village competition

Speedwell Castle a mid18th century red-brick building in the Gothic style reputably built by a William Rock with the proceeds of a bet on a horse called Speedwell, now converted to apartments.

Working boat Tench, apart from the two registration numbers does not match up with Tench on the Historic Boat Club register.

In the days of horse-drawn boats these metal posts were fixed to bridge edges to prevent wear on the boat ropes and the stone bridges ... how many years of use did it take to create these hollows I wonder.

What a Lark moored at Brewood.