Fazeley Junction

Here I am Rune

Distance 0.5 miles

Total 525 Locks 17 Tunnels

Running total mileage 796.8 miles

Another lazy day, just travelled from our first Tamworth mooring near to the Thame Aqueduct down to another mooring about half a mile away close to the Canal and River Trust office (where we took the opportunity to empty the cassettes in the Elsan point!). Intention remains to nose around Tamworth for another couple of days before doing a bit of travelling.

Fazeley Junction

Tamworth

Here I am Rune

Distance 5.1 miles

Total 525 Locks 17 Tunnels

Running total mileage 796.3 miles

And finally we reach Tamworth, it seems a fairly pleasant sort of place, good selection of shops, castle, country park, it is to be our home for a little while although we may make a few ‘sorties’ down the Birmingham and Fazeley canal but not through any locks. Might also make a short trip up the Coventry canal up towards Fradley Junction, but again not going through any locks, just enough to push our mileage over 800 miles. Since it is now twelve months since we first set out on this trip, by my reckoning 800miles/365 days = about 2.2 miles a day, this trip around the entire system may take some time!

Polesworth

Here I am Rune

Distance 2.9 miles

Total 523 Locks 17 Tunnels

Running total mileage 791.2 miles

OK we didn’t really put in the effort today, 2.9miles took us as far as Polesworth which is where we decided to moor up for the day. Having checked the town out it does have a butcher so may be able to get the weekend meat from there and if we remain for tomorrow night we may be able to get either a Chinese meal or fish and chip for Saturday night’s meal, so it is possible we may be here for tomorrow as well, we’ll have to see.

Grendon

Here I am Rune

Distance 5.6 miles

Total 523 Locks 17 Tunnels

Running total mileage 788.3 miles

Another scorching day as the hot spell continues, wish we could ‘bank’ some of this in preparation for winter!! Back into the habit of doing locks, these on this section are single locks so no doubling up with anyone to halve the work, although in fairness the Atherstone Locks do have a volunteer working on them. Now that we are back on the Coventry Canal it does seem to have a bit more depth than we had on the Ashby Canal which does make progress slightly quicker. All we have to do now is work out where we need to be for the weekend, suspect that it will turn out to be Tamworth.

Our first lock for nearly a fortnight!

Hartshill

Here I am Rune

Distance 7.4 miles

Total 512 Locks 17 Tunnels

Running total mileage 782.7 miles

Even hotter today, but no complaints from here! We have now rejoined the Coventry Canal and travelled about 4½ miles along towards Tamworth. Stopped off at Nuneaton to stock up on shopping at Sainsbury’s so, not counting the weekend meat/fish we now have nearly enough food stocked to get us to Tamworth.  Again we are moored pretty much in the middle of nowhere so the best I can give as a heading for the page is Hartshill that being about the nearest place. Tomorrow we should be back into the habit of doing locks again, will be a strain since we haven’t been through on for over a week now.

Burton Hastings

Here I am Rune

Distance 10.2 miles

Total 512 Locks 17 Tunnels

Running total mileage 775.3 miles

The scorching weather continues, and no sign of thunderstorms (yet!!). We have moored for the night slightly south-west of Burton Hastings opposite a load of permanent moorings. Again a fairly dramaless sort of day but am enjoying the rural nature of this canal, will almost be sorry to be back onto the Coventry Canal tomorrow, our guide tells us that we should be back on it in about an hour (2.8 miles).  Once back onto the Coventry Canal it will still be over 8 miles before we encounter our old favourites, a lock.