The weather forecast gave rain for much of the day and it was not wrong! However, for the morning it was patchy and relatively light.
We began with the last lock on the Upper Avon. This lock does not have just two names but three! One sign indicates that it was called New Lock when the navigation was first restored but it needed later improvement in the 1980's and was re-named the Colin P Witter Lock to remember a large donation from that person's family. The Avon Navigation Trust now want to revert to Stratford Trinity so yet another name sign!
We passed through the central part of Stratford riverside, with plenty of rowers out in action. As we have never been upstream from here before we decided to do this, even if it is only about a mile and a half before the limit of navigation.
It was a little tight at the final bend, marked in Nicholsons as a winding point, but we managed. Surprisingly there was no sign to warn boaters not to attempt to go further upstream.
Part way along is a ginormous mobile home park, part on each side of the river. At the centre is a large apartment and facility block with a landing stage where water taxis ply a frequent trade into and out of the town centre.
We stopped briefly at the Old bathing Place to use the rubbish and elsan facilities. As we were there one of the launches came upstream with a party of Sikhs who proceeded to dispose of ashes and sprinkle the water with plenty of flowers in what, we assumed, was a traditional ceremony.
Back at Stratford we came up through the river lock (still not too wet for the gongoozlers!) and moored in the basin. At this time of the year there was more than plenty of room and later we saw only one boat on the nearby towpath moorings.
We locked up and went shopping in town. We knew from past experience that the shops are fairly limited. We picked up some items from the small Sainsbury Local and lardy cake from an established specialist shop. This left the main items. Morrisons is to the north of the town, not too far from the canal so, whilst Mike and Christine returned to the boat, Andrew set off to complete the shopping expedition. We arranged to meet after four locks up the canal.
At one of the first few locks, the balance beam is short and cranked as the result of road widening to the adjacent bridge. Christine was setting whilst Mike brought the boat up through the previous lock. She failed to move the bottom lock balance beam - not helped by the fact that this canal has single bottom gates. However, there were two men (probably on a drinking binge) sitting at the top of the lock and they were rather amused to have Christine recruit them as strong men! They were needed again to shut the gate and also to assist at the top.
We met as planned and immediately moored to have lunch. The rain which had cleared temporarily started to return. Andrew had missed a couple of items from Christine's eclectic shopping list so offered to return to Morrisons and meet us after the next lock.
Just after we all met up again and set off to begin the Wilmcote flight of 11 locks really heavy rain arrived. Christine took advantage that we had sufficient crew to allow her to keep the cabin warm!
A plaque set into the wall of one lock is a reminder that the canal was originally managed by the national trust after its restoration before it was handed back to the then British Waterways.
The rain affected Mike's camera and the conditions made photos rather gloomy anyway so we have little to show for the climb up to Wilmcote Top Lock. So you cannot see how soaked we became (well not as bad as we have had in the past!)
Beyond the top lock, after a short run comes Emscote or Bearley Aqueduct. (It is not just Avon Locks that undergo a name change!) As we crossed, a patch of blue sky arrived and the final few minutes before sunset were rather pleasant. We were amused to see our shadow moving over the field below.
We continued just a short distance until we found a mooring spot with a clear view of the tv satellite.
11.3 Miles - 19 Locks
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