Sunshine 😊 though the forecast did
say it could rain later – it didn’t!
Last night there were three other boats moored up with us and by the
time I looked out of the window two had gone and the third was just going – why
are we always last?? I know I don’t do
mornings but ………
We stopped at the water point outside Fazeley Mill Marina and then went
into the marina for fuel. It looks to be
a very nice marina but has long pontoons which you would have to reverse into
and there isn’t that much space between boats on either side! If you know Wigrams Turn Marina, then it’s
narrower than that!!
We came across the interesting Drayton footbridge. This unusual Gothic-style footbridge was
probably built in the 1830s by the celebrated architect Sir Robert Smirke,
while constructing nearby Drayton Manor for local MP Sir Robert Peel (later to
become Prime Minister). The manor house was demolished in 1929 and later became
the site of the Drayton Manor Theme Park.
The Grade II listed footbridge is located near to the entrance of the
Drayton Manor theme park and is among the most ornate bridges anywhere on
Britain’s canals.
It was then Fazeley Junction where we turned right. I have really enjoyed the Birmingham and
Fazeley Canal though we only joined it at Salford Junction (11½ miles). It was a bit grotty to start with but very
soon turned into a lovely canal. It
wasn’t dirty and seemed to be well looked after. All being well we will go back along it next
year but the other way and will go to the end at Aston Junction (13½ miles).
We passed this boat – I wonder how easy it is to steer!
The two Glascote Locks were next on the agenda, but we were third in
the queue – queue? First one this
year!! There was only one boat coming
down and I ended up doing each lock twice – once for the boat in front of us
and then for us. Next to the locks is a
housing estate called Scimitar Park which is built where the old Reliant cars
were built. It closed in 1998. The company produced up to two million
vehicles over a 65 year history starting in 1935, and sold its cars in nine
countries. It was the UK's second-largest British-owned car manufacturer from
the 1960s to the 1990s.
Just after the locks we pulled over and I went to the Co-op which is at
bridge 73. I hadn’t been shopping for
ages and almost bought up the shop! It
is a very modern well stocked shop, but they aren’t really geared up to people
doing a large shop as there is no conveyor belts so it all got rather
complicated.
We pulled over in the middle of nowhere – WaterExplorer says we are 0.3
miles from Alvecote Bridge – but we can’t see it! It is a lovely spot.
5.46 Miles
2 Locks
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