Hopwood

After a quiet night moored up on the Lapworth Flight, the next day (August 10th) we went up the rest of the flight under cloudy skies. We met another crew coming down the flight at Bridge 32 where there is a difficult turn under the bridge. It necessitated a bit of manoeuvring.


Lapworth Flight


Drawbridge - Shirley


Brandwood Tunnel


The site of the Lifford Lane Bridge which was raised for NB Cressy in 1947

The summit of the North Stratford was quiet; it was also quite shallow. We did, however, manage to moor up for lunch just short of Dicken’s Heath. Most of the afternoon was spent on the summit making our way to the junction with the Worcester & Birmingham Canal at Kings Norton.


Kings Norton Stop Lock

The lack of water made it a slow journey. At the Kings Norton Junction there was a scuffle between youths in the bushes. Just as we got our mobiles ready to call the Police a PCSO arrived and we directed him towards the source of the noise. Hopefully it got sorted out.

Just before Wast Hill tunnel, a group of youngsters launched stones from a bridge. A few landed on Albert luckily not causing significant damage – a couple of stone chips. In Shortwood Tunnel we saw a bat.

We moored up overnight at Hopwood House and had a great pub meal. We moored up near Keeping up with the Joneses who came and had a good chat.