Norbury Junction

Tuesday 21st July

We woke unusually late and so it was well after 10 o'cklock before we set off. Half an hour later we arrived at the Tyrley Locks which we passed through in just over 35 minutes - helped a little by a very steady stream of boats coming down. The amount of water coming down the flight made most of the overflow weirs below the locks very difficult to assess.

From here the route was a series of cuttings and embankments, all amazing testimony to the engineering initiative of the original 'navigators'. They are very pretty, even beautiful at times - although nature has now helped by masking the harshness of the original earthworks. In fact, whilst on the huge Sheldon Embankment it is mostly diffiuclt to gain a true impression of its height above the surrounding landscape.



We stopped at a convenient place for lunch and took our time before setting off again. The morning had been both very wet and then quite mild. Mostly, however, it was a very 'wet' drizzle. The high bridge with the old telegraph pole never ceases to be a point of interest. It looks so old that it probably was a 'telegraph' pole rather than a 'telephone' one!

We called at Norbury Junction to use the facilities. Not long after setting off again the rain returned with a vengeance but we had to struggle on for a couple of miles more than we might had wanted as there were no available mooring places through Gnosall, Cowley Tunnel and Cutting. We were quite relieved when we eventually were able to pull in for the night. A 'small' fire seemed an appropriate response!