It was warm over night and I could hear the drone of the M6 as what wind there was was blowing our way. How ever it didn't keep me awake for more than about 10 mins.
In the morning, after the normal duties assigned me, I set to sanding the primer from yesterday and the washed the hull ready for painting. It didn't take too long and it dried very quickly, so I then covered the grey primer with a coat of raddle black. Whilst that was drying we got in our glad rags and headed for Middleton Hall for some thing to eat and a poke around the shops there.
The walk is through a RSPB reserve with lakes in old gravel pits and woods. You also walk past this abandoned farm, New House Farm. It has a courtyard in there somewhere.
A little further on is Middleton Hall which is moated and is a very old estate as it is recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086
This is the courtyard building that has the cafe and some niche shops and beauty establishments. We just went to the cafe, needless to say.
Middleton was given to the Knights Templers at one stage and then was owned by the Willoughby's from 1493 until the early 1800's. Queen Elizabeth visited here and Knighted the incumbent Willoughby at the time. By 1980 it was empty and was part of the gravel quarries that surrounded it. When the quarry finished the Middleton Hall Trust was set up to restore and look after the buildings and the 42 acres.
To the right could be a French Chateau and to the left an old timber framed building. We didn't have time to visit the house but it is £7:50 each.
After our lunch and the walk back I set to with putting a coat of raddle black on the port side, and it looks pretty smart, for now, other than a few insects stuck to it too. Lets hope that it doesn't get marked on the way up the Curdworth Locks as not long after I had finished we set off.
This swing bridge to nowhere is being left to rot a way which is a bit of a shame. As I was waiting for Helen to drop the lock for me to enter a lady came up from 'Forget Me Not' that was moored at the bottom of the locks. She said that she read the blog and she was the lady who 'knitted' the mooring pin caps out of the Sainsbury's orange bags! She also told me that 'What a Lark'blog team were heading up ahead of us. It must have been them that passed us just as I was getting ready to leave, and that is why we had to change every lock too! It was great to actually meet somebody who reads this blog. I was thinking that it was just my Mother in Law that kept hitting the read key!
We stopped at the Bodymoor Heath services for water and to dump the gash. I think this is the first green recycle bin that I have seen, certainly this year. However in the general waste there was still stuff that really could have gone in the green bin.
The st'bd side already has a bad rash of primer, but there is much more to do along the rest of the hull. Maybe we will be able to get it done later on on the trip. We topped up with water too.
Helen took over the driving after the Dog and Doublet, where I was surprised nobody was moored. The harvesting has started in this part of the world as they have already cut the wheat near where the HS2 route crosses the canal and the M6.
This is where the railway will cross over the canal and the M6 which is to the cameras's right.
Two Hours 45 minutes later we were at the top of the Curdworth locks, including a stop for water and rubbish disposal. Not too bad really seeing as we had to drop every lock to enter.
Approaching Curdworth Tunnel it looked like the moorings were free. We wouldn't normally stop here as it is a bit dark and no sky for the solar panels and the trees drip, and so do the birds that sit in the trees, but we are awaiting the arrival of our No.1 daughter later tonight so this is a convenient spot. Long day tomorrow so an extra hand is welcome.
No comments:
Post a Comment