Wooton Wawen is a lovely village with the canal going over an aquaduct
high above the busy A3400 below.
We moored overnight, following a walk to Yewtree Farm, where the barns and byres had been transformed into a 'contemporary shopping village' (Pearson's guide description). Great idea, some shops were closed but then it was Monday morning! Luckily there was a general store in the village.
A lovely weir in the village allows the river Alne to pass through.
Former paper mill, over the river now converted into flats. The white building on the end was the schoolhouse.
We pushed on to Wilmcote where we would moor overnight again as the weather had started to get quite hot!
That afternoon we jumped on the train and spent the afternoon in Stratford Upon Avon.
Walking around the basin in Stratford (and having a look at the river), we decided that we would not descend the final 16 locks (32 for us!) to Stratford because the basin was quite small and very busy, no place for us to try to turn or moor both boats side by side!
So the return journey began in earnest. This was Edstone Aquaduct, apparently the Stratford Canal's most dramatic engineering feature, boasting 13 brick piers supporting an iron trough to carry the canal water.
As I am no lover of heights, Richard immediately left the motor and opted to walk along the towpath, as I was still on the butty! Ok, so where could the boat go, it's in a trough with sides level with the gunnels, and it's in gear.....nowhere but forward, so I calmed down!
Striking views across the valley. the aquaduct carries the canal over the Birmingham and Nth Warwickshire railway, a byroad and tributory of the river Alne. It is 28 feet high and 475 feet long.
Back to the smaller Wooton Wawen aquaduct, but not stopping this time, as we wanted to be back at the junction at Lapworth for Friday.
The locals were a little over friendly.....as we moored at Preston Bagot. Scooby enjoyed a swim in the shallow river, a local gave us a load of wood he had just cut down in return for a glass of water and we sheltered from the sweltering sun for the evening, surrounded by wild garlic!
The finished rudder....
11 locks the following day got us to within 3 locks of Kingswood junction. We had set off early in the morning to avoid the heat and were blessed with cloudy skies most of it.
And Friday, we completed the hike and moored ready for the weekend at Kingswood Junction, Lapworth.
Former paper mill, over the river now converted into flats. The white building on the end was the schoolhouse.
We pushed on to Wilmcote where we would moor overnight again as the weather had started to get quite hot!
That afternoon we jumped on the train and spent the afternoon in Stratford Upon Avon.
Walking around the basin in Stratford (and having a look at the river), we decided that we would not descend the final 16 locks (32 for us!) to Stratford because the basin was quite small and very busy, no place for us to try to turn or moor both boats side by side!
So the return journey began in earnest. This was Edstone Aquaduct, apparently the Stratford Canal's most dramatic engineering feature, boasting 13 brick piers supporting an iron trough to carry the canal water.
As I am no lover of heights, Richard immediately left the motor and opted to walk along the towpath, as I was still on the butty! Ok, so where could the boat go, it's in a trough with sides level with the gunnels, and it's in gear.....nowhere but forward, so I calmed down!
Striking views across the valley. the aquaduct carries the canal over the Birmingham and Nth Warwickshire railway, a byroad and tributory of the river Alne. It is 28 feet high and 475 feet long.
Back to the smaller Wooton Wawen aquaduct, but not stopping this time, as we wanted to be back at the junction at Lapworth for Friday.
The locals were a little over friendly.....as we moored at Preston Bagot. Scooby enjoyed a swim in the shallow river, a local gave us a load of wood he had just cut down in return for a glass of water and we sheltered from the sweltering sun for the evening, surrounded by wild garlic!
The finished rudder....
11 locks the following day got us to within 3 locks of Kingswood junction. We had set off early in the morning to avoid the heat and were blessed with cloudy skies most of it.
And Friday, we completed the hike and moored ready for the weekend at Kingswood Junction, Lapworth.
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