The Delightful Atherstone Flight of locks

Bradley Green to Atherstone, Coventry Canal, 3 miles 11 locks

Took the opportunity to wash the ‘other’ side of No Problem today as we passed the services at Bradley Bridge.  For a change the services were on the non towpath side, it’s been a long time since we have had the towpath on the ‘right’!

Had to hurry though, and not such a good job done as a boat wanted to moor to get some water themselves.  Trouble with No Problem is her length, once she is moored up at a water point there is no room for anybody else.  Very quiet this morning, but typical, just as you want to do something a whole load of boats turn up!

Had a very pleasant late morning climbing up the Atherstone flight…

Stopping after just doing four out of the 11 of them.  Two reasons, one was that we were all hungry and secondly there was a boat ahead, so we dived inside out of the cold wind for some lunch letting the other boat get on up the flight.  Ann and Vic worked the locks today while I kept out of that cold wind taking the odd pic as I steered No Problem through the locks..

Lucy as always enjoying locking, and here almost at the top..

Beside No Problem by the actual lock are some white railings.. that is a side pound, an area where water can be stored to fill the lock.  All the locks on this flight have side pounds, but they are not in use these days, and that I find quite amazing as quite often during a dry summer the locks are put on the ‘restrictive use’ list, and I remember one year, oh many years ago now, when the locks were only open on two days of the week because of a shortage of water.. that was during the 70s I think.

It wasn’t long ‘till we reached the top lock.. the lock keeper had no eggs today unfortunately, although he was advertising lock keys (windlasses) for sale.. I guess he fishes those out of the canal with a heavy magnet by the locks when crews drop them in on their way up and down this flight!

Had a nice stroll round the town late this afternoon and also checked on bus times for our trip to Coventry tomorrow.  Luckily a National Express bus leaves here about 8.30am and it gets to Coventry about 20 minutes quicker than the regular bus does, so that will be better. 

I wonder what I will bring back from Ikea!!