The wrong clothes

We’ve left the Shropshire Union Canal at its southern end in Wolverhampton, and turned right on to the Stafford and Worcester Canal. Tonight we’re tied up below the Bratch Locks.

This is an older canal having been opened in 1771, and the three Bratch Locks are quite a feature. Originally built as a ‘triple staircase’, ie the first lead straight into the second, and second into the third, they were modified to incorporate side pounds a few years later to save water, and speed up passage.  Whilst the instructions as to how to use them are not really complicated, they do have colour coordinated paddle gear, to help you get it right !

There’s a full time lock keeper to help during working hours, however if you arrive late – make sure you read the instructions !  The lock keeper maintains them well, and has a little office at the top in an original toll office..

Looking back from the middle chamber

Later in the afternoon we took the dogs on a five mile walk along a disused railway line, and underneath one of the bridges found some really good ‘graffiti’, each mural around 10ft high :

The artist is apparently a guy who goes by the name Steve Edwards.

The walk started off in nice dry weather, however someone once said “There’s no such thing as bad weather, just the wrong clothes”.  An hour from the boat, in the middle of nowhere, the heavens opened – we had the wrong clothes !