The boat left the Montgomery Canal on Easter Friday (18th April) and headed down the Llangolen and Shropshire Union Canals to Autherley Junction. We then headed north up the Staffs & Worcester Canal.

I met the boat at Acton Trussell on Easter Monday evening, on the Tuesday we carried onwards, here we are passing through Deptmore Lock.

We were to see a lot of railways over the next few days!

The next lock is Tixall Lock ....

... looking back ...

... and through the bridge.

The cruise was a farewell to Chris as a shareholder of the boat (He's the hairy one on the left, along with his family)

Tixall Wide

Turning right at Great Haywood ...

... onto the Trent and Mersey Canal

Colwich lock

We continued on ...

... to Rugeley where we stopped for lunch, Bob & Lesley left at this point ...

... after having a pint in 'The Yorkshireman' (I think that is what it is called) next to the Trent Valley Station.

Armitage with its opened out tunnel ...

.. and toilet factory !

Turning right at Fradley onto the Coventry Canal.

Looking back towards The Swan PH

We stopped that evening at Huddlesford. The weekend closure of the West Coast Main Line at this point meant it was quiet until about 5.am on the Wednesday morning when the first of the expresses went through!. The pub at Huddlesford (The Plough) is very upmarket with retaurant type food with prices to match but very pleasant for it.

Huddlesford, the junction with the hopefully soon to be restored Lichfield (Wyrley & Essington) Canal

Thanks to the wonders of digital photography - a panoramic view of Huddlesford Junction.

Fazeley, Junction with the Birmingham & Fazeley Canal.

Tame Aqueduct

We had a near nightmare time getting up the Atherstone flight, it was extremely busy and took nearly four hours to do the eleven locks !

Part of the problem was a loaded working pair geting stuck in one of the pounds, we also met a hotel pair further up. We spent the night at Ansty by the Anchor Inn, a pleasant canalside pub.

Passing the Marston Junction the junction with the Ashby Canal. The entrance to the Ashby was closed at the time whilst divers were working in the canal.

We reached Hawkesbury which was deserted, unfortunately we picked up a carpet round the prop ...

... and whilst we were clearing it loads of other boats arrived from all directions which meant we had to wait to use the lock ! We noticed that the pump house was up for sale.

We eventually got round ...

... and carried on down the Oxford Canal towards Rugby, here passing Nettle Hill Bridge.

BW have done a lot of tree pruning along here !

Exiting Newbold Tunnel (It had been raining for quite a while now)

The sun had come out by the time we got to Hillmorton and we left the boat above the top lock for others to pick up at the weekend.