It was nice to wake up with the sound of rain on the roof, knowing that there was no rush to get up! I inevitably we did, and we finally got away just before 10 am. We headed down the cut, and as there was nobody on the water point we stopped and topped up, as is our want. Job done we headed down to the lock. The board was on amber. The river was hi'ish and the flow was faster that we had seen before but nothing too bad.
There is a series of horse bridges over the various branches of the River Trent as it meets the canal.
As you come round the bend of the Trent there is a good view of St.Leonard's Church before you get to the moorings. There is a nice walk from Alrewas to Wychnor and back via the canal.
I love this little warehouse and crane at Wychnor Lock.I hope it survives many more years. With the lock cottage in the background.
I'm not sure why the bridges are so narrow on this section of canal.I assume that it is to save money when originally built but I stand to be corrected.
After Barton Lock, where we met a boat mover who said he had been busy right through the winter the next lock is Tatenhill Lock. There used to be a vintage boat moored here that added to the old world charm of the view of the Lock House. Now it has gone, it is still pretty great.
The are a couple of boundary markers in the garden of the lock house. MR stands for Midland Railway.
It was getting a big black over our Betty's but is is always nice to see the Marston's bridge by Shobnall Basin. We carried on and moored just before Shobnall Fields Park on a wide towpath. After a bite to eat we set out to find our way into Burton.
The Grants Building Offices On Station Street have been converted to apartments but the 1897 building still shows plenty of character. They don't make them like this any more.
I love the fact that this water tower in a brewery has a secondary purpose of offices or stores below. a gabled roof, gorbelling of the brickwork between floors and the decoration of the tank itself. Which states that it was built by Halsham and Co. Engineers of Derby.
We had a visit to Asda and Helen was incensed that Burton had a Marks and Sparks when the one in Hull had been closed! We then went for more of a wander and found the indoor Market. I loved the bull with a ring through its nose above the entrance.
Behind the Market place and memorial garden is the Winery that was part of the old Burton Abbey. It formed part of the infirmary. Most of the abbey was lost after the dissolution, but these bits survived. In 1910 they became a pub and now a restaurant bar.
Andresy Bridge was built in 1884 by Thornhill and Warham of Burton on Trent. It crosses one of the courses of the Trent to one of the many islands in the river. It is quite ornate. The Mayor of the time has managed to get his name up there too, H. Allsopp!
We then went to find a pub, the first was the Olde Royal Oak, followed by The Dog and then to the Coopers Arms. It was great to see a Joules pub in Burton on Trent as when Bass took over Joules there was great ill feeling in Stone as they closed the Joules Brewery down. Joules India Pale Ale was the first and Bass' took over. It is just a little payback that Joules has been resurrected and now is in Burton.
When they went to the Balti Tower and had a great meal before waddling back to the boat. I couldn't believe how full the restaurant was at just gone 6pm. It must be popular.
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