At Autherley Junction the Shropshire Union joins the Staffordshire and Worcester Canal which runs 20 1/2 miles to Great Haywood and 25 1/2 to Stourport. We have made a left and cruised to Great Hayward several times in the past now its a right and waters new to Stourport.
We are greeted by a impressive collection of bridges.
The horses of days gone by having their own archway.
Looking back on Aldersley Bridge above.
Thankfully we are not going through this one at Aldersley Junction as beyond lies the Wolverhampton flight of 21 locks
Love the artwork!
Leaving behind the suburbs of Wolverhampton,
we arrive at Compton Lock
which boasts one of the distinctive circular weirs peculiar to this canal.
Smestow Valley Nature Reserve runs along side .
Who would think Wolverhamton is a stones throw away.
We moored at Wightwick
and took a stroll up to Wightwick Manor and Gardens
In 1937 Geoffrey Mander, (Liberal MP) persuaded the National Trust to accept a house that was only 50 years old. His father Theodore had built and furnished a house in the style of the Victorian Aesthetic Movement.
This unique house has survived the changing fashions with all its Kemple Glass, Morris furnishings and De Morgan tiles intact.
Geoffrey added some of the finer items from the Morris catalogue.
This unusually coloured tulip caught my eye.
Its Sunday morning on the Staffs & Worcs
Coalboat....
Plough....
and the first of three fishing matches!!
Despite initial impressions Bratch Locks are not a Staircase.
They are infact three locks telescoped together with an impossibly short pound between the bottom of one lock and the top gate of the next. To operate I raised the red paddles
while the lock keeper raised the blue paddles on the top gate below.
Trev is entering the middle lock
Same again in the middle lock except this time one red paddles is raised and the second more slowly to avoid flooding the bottom lock.
Here we are in the bottom lock.
Exiting the bottom lock.
It's been a fishy sort of a day.....
the one that Arkholme caught!!!!
Our delightful neighbours at Swindon
6 miles, 9 locks and 3hrs 50 mins.
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