Beers, Boats and Boozers, 2018. No. 46

We left Braunston on another lovely day and headed onwards towards Hill Morton

There was a bit of a hold up at the top lock and the boat waiting there managed to come astern into us as we came alongside astern of him. No damage done. Helen took her down through the locks and with the double locks, (not all operating though), and with traffic coming up we soon sped downwards.

We were tempted to stop at the moorings by Newbold Tunnel, but kept going through the tunnel.

We stopped just before All Oaks Wood and the footpath to Brinklow. The photo looks like it was a misty morning shot, but actually it was the smoke from a bonfire in the house next to us.

The next day we pushed on once more and reached the end of the Oxford Canal at Hawkwsbury Junction. It was all very quiet and I was even able to risk a snap as I rounded the tight bend from the lock on to the Coventry Canal.

The hawthorn berries were ripening on the surprisingly rural stretch of canal passing Bedworth. Especially surprising when you think that it was a very busy coal mining area in its day

We stopped for water at the lovely Harts Hill Yard. It was very quiet with little traffic, but we still decided to continue on a little further. We stopped for the night near Rawn Hill overlooking  with woods all round a field and watched as a mother buzzard teaching her two young to hunt.

Yet another nice day and we were off to make the short dash to the top of Atherstone Locks. It was quiet, but the volunteer keepers were there and helped us down a few locks before leaving us to complete the rest. Always a pleasant flight to run through, even more so on a lovely day.

We continued through Polesworth and Alvecote before arriving at the Glascote Locks by Tamworth.  Here we are crossing the Tame Aqueduct close to Fazeley.

C&RT Offices at  Peel's Wharf have been sold off and the services closed. Another place lost for rubbish disposal etc. The tap by the junction is still working though.

Wew continued on through Hopwas and called it a day at Whittington, close to the spot where there is the above plaque and a marker stone to bear witness to the spot where the Birmingham and Fazeley Canal met the Coventry Canal in 1790, forming the through route.

We had shore leave and  went to look for a pub. The Dog (I think it was) in the village was closed for refurbishment so we found our way to the Bell Inn. It is a lovely old building with plenty of rooms and much exposed brick and beams! The original the house became a shop and beer house in 1834. Over the next few years the nextdoor properties were purchased and in 1854 the pub was named in directories as the Bell Inn. In 1884 a death and debts meant the the pub was mortgaged to the Lichfield Brewery, and 1898 they bought it outright. Just before the war it was the base for the Loyal Peel's Pride Lodge of the Oddfellows. By1959 Lichfield Brewery became part of Ind Coope. The pub is very atmospheric and has been used as a TV location several times. In 1990's it was used for a series called 'Chancer' and also 'Soldier Soldier'. Again in 2004 it featured in 'Dalziel and Pascoe'.

I choose a pint from St Austell's Brewery from the not too extensive range of draft beers on the bar. St Austells was set up by a local man in the town of that name in 1851 and remains a family run independent brewery. In 2016 they bought Bath Ales to try to move away from the lack of sales in Cornwall in the winter months. They built a new brewery and bottling plant in Bath. Tribute is there most famous beer and is about 80% 0f their sales.

There wasn't Tribute but there was 'Proper Job' so I had a pint! At 4.5% it is lower than the original recipe but still maintains the taste. It uses spring water and Marris Otter Barley to make the IPA that has a golden colour and a thin white head. The smell is grapefruity and the taste has a hoppy, pine taste that is very clean on the palate. The beer was created in 2006 and has become, apparently, Britain's best selling bottle conditioned beer. In the bottle they have maintained the SG at 5.5%. It is a good pint that was especially welcome on a warm evening after a walk to the pub. One to look out for.