Thursday 27 August 2015

As I opened my eyes this morning I could hear sheep barring!  We pulled pins at 9.15am and it was nice and sunny.  We went over Edstone Aqueduct – we had been told that it was quite scary and as we were approaching couldn’t understand why but suddenly you are half way across – it is 145 metres long and must be about 35 metres high – you pass over a road and a railway but the aqueduct itself is a narrow cast iron trough only about a foot wider than the boat!  Steve is not too good with heights and it was at the half way point that he got what was meant by it being a bit scary!  Thankfully today the wind wasn’t blowing too hard otherwise there is a good chance that we would have made the whole journey bouncing off one side and into the other.

We are still very much in Narrowland – I wonder whether all the bridges and locks are this small for the rest of this canal.  It means that only one boat can go through a lock at a time and mostly we have been following another boat so have to empty the lock before we can carry on.  We have both had a couple of crashes today and I am pleased to say that the prize for the biggest one goes to Steve – I was inside at the time and it nearly knocked me off my feet!

We have passed over two more but much smaller aqueducts and through 11 locks as well as a pit stop at Anglo-Welsh boatyard for four new domestic batteries and a top up of diesel while we were there.

After leaving the boatyard we had two heavy downpours of rain (even though none was forecast!) and got soaked both times!  At 5pm we decided to stop so we are moored up in the middle of nowhere just north of a village called Lowsonford.  Now the sun has come out – typical!

Good morning - so you thought it was time for us to get up did you?

One thing about having narrow locks and bridges - it means that you never see a widebeam or cruiser - just narrowboats!

Approaching Edstone Aqueduct - it doesn't look much from here does it?

1816 - hard to believe that this has been here for nearly 200 years.

Not a lot of room between us and the road below!

ok Steve you can breath again, we are nearly at the other side!

Zooming in on the boat behind us - gives you an idea of just how narrow it is.




Comparing notes - she was in the boat behind us crossing the aqueduct.

How sad - a field of dead trees.

Heading for the second of three aqueducts.

and it is just as narrow!

Even older.

Don't look down Steve, although this one isn't as high as the last.

Our new batteries waiting to come on board!

Even the benches talk to you on this wonderful canal!

Cute bridges

 

Stand still mum - I'm hungry!

And the third aqueduct - I took this photo standing at the side, rather than from the boat - this one carried us across a stream below.

Iron man - this was a bit disconcerting - looking down at me from the edge of the lock - amazing that they have got the stance exactly right.

A barrel cottage - I wanted to take the photo when I was next to it but there was a family sitting in the window playing cards and I thought it was a bit rude - you can just see mum as we left the lock!

Second soaking of the day!

Christmas trees!