Keeping on to Kinver.

Birthday tea at the navigation was not posh nosh, but pub grub, and as Helen said,'anything that saves me cooking is fine!'. We had a lovely sleep and it was another very quiet mooring.

This is the mill that ended up as a sharpening mill for bladed items. It has been converted to apartments and it looks like each occupies a floor, so will have windows in just about every direction.

By the time we left there had been a couple up and down, but the lock was against us but we were soon heading out of the lock. I love these old horse tunnels and it is noticeable that the their height is very low showing that they weren't huge great cart horses that did the work but mules and ponies. The boaters themselves must have been pretty short too, compared with today.

Just a little further on from Greensforge Lock is Ashwood marina. This was a transhipment basin that was built in 1829 to bring cola and bricks from Pensnett. It was the Shutt End Railway and it had two inclined planes that were worked by the weight of the full wagons, always heading down hill, pulling up the empties. In between the two inclined planes was an almost level section and the wagons were worked by an engine called ' Agenoria' who was the sister engine to the 'Stourbridge Lion' that was the first steam enging in America in 1829. They were both built in Stourbridge. 'Agenoria' worked on the Shutt End Line from 1829 to 1864.

This is whats left of a round house that was similar to the one still standing by Gailey Lock. This one below Gothersley Lock was built by an old wharf that served an Iron works that closed in the 1880's. The round house looks to have been taller than Gailey's but was in a poor state when it fell down in a storm in 1991.

The canal is tree lined with either the Smestow Brook or Dawley Brook running alongside. I love the dappled light when the sun finally came out, but never seem to get it right in a picture.

The River Stour crosses under the canal on an aqueduct. It is quite understated but then is by a lily covered pool just afterwards.

Next is the Stourton Junction where we will be heading in a day or two. These finger posts do make a great feature of the canals and must be very well photographed.

Another thing appearing in many photographs is this octagonal at the Stewponey Lock. The place of Stewponey is actually named after a pub that was knocked down in 2001 after several names. Some say it was a corruption of the name Estapona, where a early landlord had been based, and is wife came from. Others say it was a corruption of  'Stouri Pons' bridge over the River Stour.

We stopped for water before moving down the lock and helen brought 'Holderness' into the lock passed the lovely house/warehouse jut by Stewponey lock.

When does a bridge become a tunnel? Or is it what is on top that qualifies it as a tunnel. Dunsley Tunnel is only 25 yds long and  is not as long as just about all motorway bridges, yet they are not tunnels?

Down to the left was the site of yet another iron works by Hyde Lock. I love the lock gate gates at the cottage and had a nice chat with these ladies who were fascinated by the lock procedure.

As we approached Kinver we heard a loud noise and then, like in a war film, this helicopter rose up from behind some trees and hovered kindly for me to take a picture. It is a quick way of checking the electricity cables and pylons. I think they have a heat detector that can pick up areas where the cables are hotter than normal and that would indicate a problem area. Much quicker than having to swing about up in the wires themselves.

We dropped down through Kinver Lock and tagged on to the end of the visitor moorings. The permit holder only moorings above the lock seem to go on for a 'Golden Nook' mile or so. We had lunch then went into town to prepare for visitors tomorrow.