Another good day!

After our planned trip to the shops, which was only partly successful due to the fact that the butchers appear to no longer do their own pies, (or maybe I was remembering wrong) we continued our journey northwards. I'm not sure how they manage it but the general store in Gnosall has cakes and biscuits at about half the price of the major supermarkets. Additional treats were Cadburys Cream Eggs at 6 for £1 and a couple of cream doughnuts. Naughty but nice!

Below is the view looking backwards from last night's mooring. The deep cutting beyond it was meant to be part of the tunnel when the canal was built but there were dangerous faults in the rock so it was opened out into a cutting making a planned 690 yard tunnel into an 81 yard one!


Cowley Tunnel, all 81 yards of it.

 

The reasonable weather continued today so we got about 6 hours cruising done, that will help to make up for the fact that tomorrow and Thursday will probably see no progress at all.

This stretch of the Shroppie is always slow going due to the number of moored boats and the narrowness of some of the cuttings. As with all canals you get an occasional reminder of why the canals were built, like this wharf at Knighton.

When we reached Tyrley Locks there was another boat going down ahead of us which meant every lock was against us but they were very kindly starting to refill the locks as they left them which meant they were half full at least by the time we got there. Five locks in 55 minutes, not bad going when following another boat.

We have moored at Market Drayton with high winds and torrential rain forecast, time to light the fire and batten down the hatches.

Today's journey 14 miles and 5 locks

So far this year we have travelled 246 miles, 143 locks, 5 swing bridges and 6 tunnels



In 2011 we travelled 461.4 miles, 444 locks, 3 swing bridges, 34 lift bridges and 15 tunnels


During 2010 we travelled 740.3 miles, 642 locks, 53 swing bridges, 4 lift bridges and 25 tunnels


Since Ray retired we have travelled 1447.7 miles, 1229 locks, 61 swing bridges, 38 lift bridges and 46 tunnels