Tackling Tardebigge.

Things didn't start well today as when we approached the very first lock at Stoke wharf the engine ground to a halt with something obviously stuck in the propeller and rudder. On inspection, or rather by feel, there was nothing round the propeller. Delving deeper I could feel something stuck between a blade and the rudder. I managed to turn the prop shaft by hand and had another feel. It felt like on of those solid rubber fenders that dangle over the side. Unfortunately it fell away and I couldn't recover it so I hope that somebody else doesn't find it today. We have those type of fenders but we only use them when mooring up. I don't understand why folk travel with any fenders down and in locks as you are bound to lose them at some stage.

Any way it was soon sorted and we penned up. There was a group with some heavy duty film gear. I thought it was something to do with the Black Prince hire base as there were cute kids and blonde Mum's and hirsute Dad's. I thought we were to star coming up the lock, but no, they weren't interested in the boat or lock. They weren't interested in the cute kids and definitely not in the hairy Dad's, just the blonde Mum's running down the tow path!

Th weather this morning was great for lock wheeling, not raining, overcast but warmish. The Stoke locks are in nice country and we only had to turn the first and last so we sped up.

Even Helen was starting to peel off a few layers as the temperature rose.

This is the post mill at Avoncroft Museum of Buildings that is near Stoke Prior. It was built in the early 19th century and was originally from Danzey Green in Warwickshire and was reconstructed in 1971.

Her we are at the bottom of the Tardebigge flight with 6 locks done and 30 still to do. The flight is quite good as the locks aren't too far apart so it easy to walk ahead and set one ready for entering when coming out of the last one.

I love the walls round the lock cottages on this flight. They don't make them like that any more.

The landmark of the reservoir looms ahead as Helen lines up for lock 49. Our method is that I open the top paddles to fill the lock and walk ahead to get the next lock ready. We have been lucky today as the majority have been our way. I then open the gates and walk back. Meanwhile once the lock is full Helen has dropped the offside paddle and opened the gate and set off to the next lock. I walk back and drop the tow path side paddle and shut the gate. By the time I get back to the next lock she is going in and I can close the gates after her and repeat the operation, 36 times!!!

The reservoir was actually built 50 feet lower than the summit pound so water needs to be pumped up to the top. The palce is popular with fishermen and walkers and there has been a steady stream of folk asking about boats etc, and one had just come from buying a share in a boat at Alvechurch Boats and were quite exited about it all.

Here we are at the top of the flight. The top lock is actually quite away further on but all the hard work has been done now and I got a ride to the next one.

There was a nice mooring with a good view and sun for the panels before the top lock so we decided that that was enough for the day and pulled in. This duck wasn't giving up his nice warm spot very easily and didn't want to move. I think I could have picked him up. He only begrudgingly vacated the spot when a dog came sniffing. So we were moored up before 1500. We had a 15 min break on the way up for a sandwich so all in all we did 35 locks today in a very creditable exact 4 hrs 30 mins.

As I suggested yesterday I did keep my eye open for interesting marks on the engineer brick work copings and this was just one of those spotted. Coneygre meant rabbit warren and the Earl of Dudley had coalmines there, just east of Dudley Castle. There was also an iron foundry that continues to this day. One of the Coneygre pit shafts is actually the one that you can go down at the Black Country Living Museum, now named the Racecourse Colliery. They made these blue bricks and as the canal passed very close to the works they are found all over the area.