The most miles in a day so far.

(Boat Flamingo - posted by Alan)

Wood End Lock, Trent & Mersey Canal

A couple of days ago, when I tried to look at a revised plan of where we might aim to spend each night, I realised that with a couple of long days we might get to  Alvecote Marina, and hence to the Samuel Barlow pub - always a favourite for us to treat ourselves to an evening meal.  However the fact that we started a bit too late yesterday, and had then hit significant hold ups, had left us not as far ahead overnight as this plan really needed.  We were still several miles short of Rugeley, but also food supplies were dwindling, and we needed to make a stop for a serious supermarket shop. (Provided you can find a mooring for a 70 foot boat, Rugeley has a very conveniently located supermarket).

Approaching Fradley

So today we made a much earlier start, and pushed on for the miles needed to get us to the shopping stop. Unusually there was masses of available mooring space, so we were soon tied up and went in the supermarket, although the latter took some time - it's not unusual as you try to find items you need in large stores with unfamiliar layouts.

Our final lock on the T&M before turning on to the Coventry

By the time we were started again the canal planner we use indicated that whilst we probably could get to Alvecote, it was unlikely to be in time for last orders for food - we decided to try anyway - at least we could have a beer.

There are just 5 locks for today's journey -  three before you turn off the Trent and Mersey at Fradley Junction, then nothing until near Alvecote, with two slow filling locks at Glascote.  Between those two sets of locks includes some 11 miles from Fradley junction to Fazeley Junction, the first half of which are somewhat confusingly a detached portion of the Coventry Canal, whereas the second half from Whittington is part of the Birmingham & Fazeley - our route becomes the main Coventry Canal again at Fazeley. You can tell which you are on, because Coventry Canal bridges have numbers, whereas Birmingham and Fazeley bridges have only names, (except for at least one where somebody has stolen both the name plates in recent years!).

Glascote locks on the Coventry canal

Against planner predictions we eventually arrived at Alvecote in plenty of time for a relaxed and excellent meal. With Flamingo on narrow canals we seldom beat the default timings from the planner - it is a big heavy boat that needs to be nursed around the many bends, through tricky bridge holes, often filled with silt, and past lines of moored boats.  Today, however we beat the predicted journey time by well over an hour - quite unusual, but most welcome. We must finally be doing something right!

Trent Aqueduct, near Rugeley to the "Samuel Barlow", Alvecote
Miles 23.2, Locks 5
Total Miles 313.1, Total Locks:334