Early morning and we descended Gothersey lock in convoy with Lisa and Judith, the plan being to have four people if needed to shift the recalcitrant top gate. We got through with only moderate effort and Denis stayed behind to help the second boat through.
The most flower bedecked boat we've ever seen - Lisa exiting Gothersley lock
Tiny froglet hitching a ride
Lush trees and bushes north of Kinver
Sweet chestnuts in flower
The canal now follows the river Stour and crosses it here
Impressionist bridge and lake
Turn off east to Birmingham on the Stourbridge Canal - we're continuing south to Stourport
Mooring for the water point at Stewponey
The name refers to the 'stewpons' mediaeval monks used to keep carp.
A gothic novel, 'Bladys of the Stewponey' by the Rev Sabine Baring-Gould was written in 1897 about the area.
A well-upholstered goose
Splendid lock cottage at Stewponey
Leaving Stewponey lock
Two out of our three 'tools of the trade', the long reach and ratchet windlasses...
...and the long handled ratchet windlass which gives extra leverage for use on really tough paddles.
Just north of Kinver, the petite 25 yard Dunsley Tunnel through the red sandstone
Catnap entering the tunnel, towpath alongside
Emerging
Towards Kinver, with red sandstone cliffs and luxuriant greenery
Jan preparing paddles and gate at Hyde lock
Welcome to Kinver
The village of Kinver was, until the 1960s home to the last troglodytes in England. One of the rock houses, Holy Austin, was a hermitage until the Reformation.
Families lived in rock houses carved out of the sandstone cliffs.
Kinver was also known for the making of 'sturdy cloth' and nails; it was also an important stop on the great Irish road between Bristol and the then embarkation point of Chester.
We arrived in Kinver mid-afternoon and stopped for the night at the visitor moorings just outside town.
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