Canal Holiday: Avon Ring

6 June 2006, Day 4: Preston Bagot to Welford-on-Avon

The Avon Ring today took us down the remainder of the Stratford Canal and onto the River Avon at Stratford.

Soon after we set off on Tuesday morning, we pass under one of the split bridges that are so typical of the Stratford Canal. The black and white parts are iron cantilevers which do not quite meet in the middle (or at least didn't when built), to allow the tow rope to pass through the bridge, thus avoiding the need to build the towpath under the bridge and reducing the cost of the bridge. They are also among the narrowest bridges on the canal network, requiring a good deal of caution from the steerer.

After yesterday's miniature aqueduct at Yarningale, a bigger one at Wootton Wawen, across the A3400 road.

Alan, Jane, Helen and Stephen at the rear of the boat as we make our way through a shallow cutting.

At Odd Lock, the opportunity is taken for a group photo of crew number 1. Once across Edstone Aqueduct Merry is going to leave us for a day and a half to go to a concert in Bristol. In the seven days of the holiday we ended up with 5 different crews as people came and went!

Edstone Aqueduct (also known as Bearley Aqueduct) - Merry walks along the towpath ahead of the boat

The aqueduct is 28 feet high and 475 feet long, its iron trough supported by 13 tapering brick piers.

The valley it crosses includes a minor road, a tributary of the River Alne and the railway line from Birmingham to Stratford.

With the towpath railing hardly above the water level, it gives an odd view of a boat flying across the road.

Plenty of water in the canal - one of the overflow weirs at the Wilmcote Locks

Jane and Sheila close the bottom gate of one of the Wilmcote Locks as Lucy steers Elsa towards the next one.1

After an ice-cream stop at Wilmcote and a quick view of Mary Arden's House, we say goodbye to Jane too. We then reach Stratford, and somewhat nervously make the turn under bridge 55 and into Bancroft Basin, with boats and spectators on all sides.

Deliberately slow progress is made by the boat as we wait for the boat ahead of us to clear the lock and then our crew to set the lock for Elsa.

Being a Tuesday, there aren't too many people about, but we still have a fair audience.
 

Alan and Sheila with a lock gate.

Safely through the lock and from the narrow canal onto the hugely wide River Avon spanned by Tramway Bridge.

We moored at Binton Bridge north of Welford-on-Avon. Mooring for 70-foot boats is in short supply on the river, but we moored overlapping with another boat at the Four Alls pub, having sought permission. Unfortunately, the boat we'd blocked in wanted to leave at 8pm just as we were sitting down for dinner in the pub and ran aground trying to get out, but with a bit of loosening of ropes Stephen managed to let them out while the others were enjoying their starters! The meal at the Four Alls was excellent, with high quality ingredients well prepared.

Total today on the Avon Ring: 13½ miles and 21 locks.