There had been a lot of rain over night but by the time we were ready to set off it was down to occasional spitting. There was a hire boat on the water point and another had just come down the lock so we set off ahead of them both. It was quite busy so we had to be a bit careful about turning of the berth and turning for the lock as there are many GRP boats about her in the basin.
There are double locks that are for barges but the expect that narrow boats use the narrow locks, hence the sign post.
Just as we got to the lock there were some C&RT blokes just putting a bridge across the mouth of the lock. After mooring up on the lock pontoon we found that they had work to do on the gate paddle. As there were two of us they moved the bridge and then let the two of us through. We let the hire boat through as it would be easier than shuffling about.
From the basins down to the River Severn there are two sets of two staircase locks. Between the two is a short pund that has a kink in it so it isn't that easy to get a long boat from one staircase into the other.
We were soon out into the river and looking back up the narrow locks.
It isn't far to the first lock at Lincomb. The hire boat had been pootling along so by the time we got there they were just makinbg fast so we slipped in with them. I remember the first time we came down the Severn these locks looked big but after the Aire and Calder they are now quite small!
Leaving Lincombe Lock. The post show how high the river can get.
The next lock was Holt Lock. again we shared the lock. The wind was getting quite strong and there were straights were the breeze really got up. The turn into the Droitwich Barge Canal occurred just where there was a strong blow against the flow of the river, that actually wasn't too strong. There is a sign on the floating pontoon that says that there is no mooring so the hire boat didn't! However there was nowhere else so I landed Helen on it and we were soon into the lock.
The first lock on the Droitwich Barge Canal with the river astern.
This is one of the original bridges built by James Brindley about 1768. It is surprisingly elegant. I would have thought they would have been much more robust.
We went up the eight locks to Droitwich with the 'Whistling Goose' which made things easier. The wind made it more difficult to keep the gates open/closed but all went well. The barge canal is wide but even since 2011 when it re-opend it looks like the reeds have grown back. I expect that it will be an ongoing problem on the canal.
We eventually got to Droitwich and found the basin that has short pontoons all round it. By now the wind was gusting quite heavily. We didn't do too badly getting on to a pontoon stern first and were soon moored up and having a bit to eat. We then went to get out bearings around Droitwich as we have a day here tomorrow. We visited the Hop Pole that is just a short walk away and the explored the town.
This is the Heritage Centre that started out as the Brine Baths in 1880. When the salt making moved on the town became a spa town and this was the bath house.
This was the last commercial brine pumping station in Droitwich.
After a visit to the Gardeners Pub close to the basin we went back home for tea.
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