We bought Catnap in May 2018 - she's 20 years old, 62' and the 84th boat built by Stephen Goldsbrough at Knowle Hall Wharf. She'd been moored at Braunston for many years and when we bought her, needed some updating and repair but we were immediately impressed by the quality of the build and fitout. After a repaint, new canopies and the addition of two 165W solar panels we were keen to take her on a longer trip to explore a part of the network new to us.
Catnap on the way back from the brokerage - looking a bit dishevelled!
Catnap at Knowle in November 2018, freshly painted
The route starts with a mile or two west along the Trent to Shardlow, then follows the Trent & Mersey canal the 40 miles to Great Haywood near Stafford, then turns onto the Staffs & Worcs canal (red route on the map below) which travels almost due south through Wolverhampton and Kidderminster to join the river Severn at Stourport. It continues on the Severn through Tewkesbury and Gloucester. The outward leg of the trip is 135 miles with 74 locks.
The red shows our planned route from the Trent & Mersey south to the river Severn. We start by travelling west from Sawley along the T&M to the turn off at Great Haywood
The Trent & Mersey canal was completed in 1777 as part of James Brindley's plan to link the rivers Trent, Mersey, Severn and Thames with inland waterways. One of the main cargoes was salt, essential for preserving food in the days before fridges.
Leaving our mooring on South Bank, Sawley Marina
An early start on Saturday from Sawley Cut
The plan for the return leg is to return to Tewkesbury and turn right onto the river Avon to Stratford-upon-Avon, then complete the 'Avon Ring' north almost to Birmingham on the Stratford canal and back to Worcester before retracing our route back to Sawley. This is a pretty ambitious project, but we're inspired by our neighbours Pat and Dave on nb Portia who highly recommend the view of the Severn estuary from the Gloucester & Sharpness Canal.
Denis heading from Sawley along the 'Cut' towards the river Trent
On the river Trent, about to turn onto the start of the Trent & Mersey Canal
Approaching the first lock on the T&M at Derwent Mouth
Sharing the lock
Historic warehouses and boats in Shardlow
We like unusual boat names - this means 'the house by the stream' in Scots Gaelic. The grid reference is in Argyll and Bute (we think).
Concentrating on the twists and turns in Shardlow. The old salt warehouse is in the background.
Open countryside as we travel west
The handsome Weston Grange, which adjoins but predates the canal
Waiting to go up Weston lock
Companiably with nb Penny from Heaven coming up Stenson lock, carefully considering the massive fall of 12' 4".
Stenson often attracts an audience!
Canada geese
As we were tying up to the bollards to ascend the lock, a 'helper' (NOT one of the very efficient CRT volunteers) suddenly and without warning opened the bottom paddles to empty the lock. The force of water coming through the gates swung Catnap over to the opposite bank and we had rather a job - she weighs 16 tonnes - to pull her back in!
At the end of Day 2 we moored up just before Mercia Marina at Willington, planning to cross the footbridge into the excellent Chandlery in the morning to pick up some vital supplies.
