More sunshine first thing, and when I took Macc for his walk at breakfast time we went along past the top lock to the tunnel; the view back past the wharf was lovely. We were ready to set off at about 9. Usually, Macc goes for a nap before we start and is happy to settle down as sleep, but we knew we’d be stopping at the services above the top lock which would probably disturb him. So we put his bed on the rear slide for the first part of the journey — hoping too that this would be another experience to lessen his separation anxiety when one of us is off the boat. Adrian walked up to open the lock while Macc and I brought the boat. Macc wasn’t at all keen on Adrian going off on his own, but spotted him way up on the lock side as we went in.
Tardebigge Top Lock is a deep one — sources vary on the details, so it’s either 11ft or 14ft. 11 seems more likely to me. Either way, it completed our uphill section from Worcester; in total since then we’ve risen just over 129 metres, which is more almost 424 feet. As we left the lock we could see a hire boat coming off the water point and heading our way, which was good because we could leave the gate open, and also not have to drain the lock as the signs request. We moved onto the water point, where there’s also rubbish and an Elsan. By the time we’d filled the tank it was around 10, and Macc had gone to sleep. Just around the corner is Tardebigge Tunnel, not hugely long at 530 metres, which has some brick sections but is pure rock in the middle.
In the second half of the tunnel we had a bat flitting about in front of us. When we got to the far end, it flew straight past me. Next we passed the former Anglo Welsh hire base, which is now Trinity Boats. It looked as though they were building a couple of hire boats for Marine Cruises too. A bit further on there were some lovely fields of barley.
Just before Shortwood Tunnel the towpath has been closed by a fallen tree. But people have moved the barriers out of the way, and a couple of walkers were climbing over the tree as we passed. The approach to the tunnel is in a lush green cutting.
This tunnel is a little longer at 560 metres, but is less interesting inside as it’s all brick lined. A mile or so beyond it is Alvechurch Marina. Moored there were two of the Birmingham trip boats from Sherborne Wharf which went bust a couple of weeks ago. The one moored on the inside is narrow at the water line, but the cabin is wider. It means it can get through the narrows at Worcester Bar in Birmingham, but gives passengers more room.
ABC had well over a dozen hire boats in, some of them being cleaned presumably to go out today. There are also new ones being built round the corner in the workshop section.
We went under the M42 and passed Lower Bittell Reservoir, where there were some fishermen out on small boats. The house at the end appears to have been done up. It’s in effect on a little island, as it has sluices on one side and a feeder on the other.
We carried on to Hopwood, and moored beyond the bridge on the 2 day moorings. It was just gone midday. We were pretty much on our own to start with and we’d only seen two moving boats all morning, but this afternoon quite a few have come along and several have joined us so the moorings are pretty busy.
6 miles, 1 lock. (14 miles, 50 locks)
I have personally measured the rise/fall of all the locks on the Waterway Routes Maps, mostly at least 3 times, and the average of 3 measurements for Tardebigge Top Lock 58 is 3.27m or 10’9″ so neither measurement is strictly correct, although 11′ is good enough for most purposes.