On Monday (14/06/2021) morning we did a family walk to Costcutter at Stoke Prior. At 11:00 we set off and tackled some more locks on our way to Worcester. We moored up at Hanbury on the junction of the Worcester & Birmingham Canal and the Droitwich Canal.
The Droitwich Canal is a synthesis of two canals in Worcestershire, England; the Droitwich Barge Canal and the Droitwich Junction Canal. The Barge Canal is a broad canal which opened in 1771 linking Droitwich Spa to the River Severn at Hawford Bottom Lock, Claines. The Droitwich Junction Canal is a narrow canal, opened in 1854, which linked Droitwich to the Worcester and Birmingham Canal. Both were built to carry salt, and were abandoned in 1939. They have been the subject of a restoration plan since 1973, and the Barge Canal was officially reopened in 2010, while the Junction Canal reopened in July 2011. Following the opening of the canal, ownership transferred to the newly created Canal and River Trust.
Steve and Vera walked along the tow path passed the first three locks on the Droitwich Junction Canal.
In the evening we walked to the nearby Eagle and Sun pub for a cold bottle of Pinot Grigio.
There was another App (This one was called Round) to download, but the barmaids were happy to take conventional verbal orders.
Steve did an evening run to the pub rubbish compound to do our recycling and ignored cries of “can I help you?” (You shouldn’t be in there) from the barmaids who now seemed to be on the roof terrace of the pub.
On Tuesday (15/06/2021) morning we tackled 12 more locks (making 53 since Sunday morning) and the short 236 yard Dunhampstead Tunnel and chugged into Worcester.
We moored up after bridge 5, not far from the Lea & Perrins Factory.
You wouldn’t have thought that we were in the heart of a city.
Hilary took the shopping trolley for the short walk to M&S, Boots and Holland & Barrett. Steve read “Exposed” by Liza Marklund and listened to The Beatles and The Rolling Stones (on an SD card in the Roberts ZoomBox 2) in the sun on the stern. White fluffy catkins drifted about everywhere and made the field beside us look like it was covered with snow.
Walkers, runners, cyclists and dog walkers passed on tow path. A woman who looked about 80 sped passed on an unpowered scooter, scooting her way to the huge ASDA by bridge 5 where we were moored for the night.
Steve went to the nearby ALDI in the evening to get some aftersun gel. Supper was a splendid meal deal from M&S, chicken Kiev and cauliflower cheese, followed by Salted Pretzel Chocolate from ALDI.
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