Fradley to Branston

Monday 8th July 2013

Posted 10th July.  Oh for a decent connection!

Set off before 8.30 today to try and avoid the blistering heat.  We cruised the mile and a half to Fradley Junction with a cool breeze tempering the heat, and were able to go straight in to the third lock of the flight, as a boat was just coming out. We pulled in at the service area to empty a cassette, get rid of rubbish and take on water – it is very nicely kept and there was this lovely old BW van on display;

And here is the info which was pasted on the driver’s window for those who are interested;

We continued on down to Alrewas, passing this rather splendid artwork under the first bridge;

You can see the Olympic rings, so clearly this was done last year – spot the Mobot in this one!

We had a stroll round this most attractive village before going up to the highly recommended butcher and the Co-op, and then went down the first lock to a better mooring for lunch.  We went on in the afternoon towards Burton.  The river section beyond Alrewas was quiet; here is a photo of part of the towpath which is raised high above the current water levels.

The weir was not scary at all;

We were glad to get past the long stretch near Barton Turns which runs alongside the A38 – the noise was almost like a physical battering in the heat.  We moored by 4 pm at Branston Water Park, and went for a shady walk round the lake before wandering down to the pub for a pint and a meal. 

9 locks today.