Days 69 - 76: Newbold on Avon to Hawkesbury Junction

On Thursday, we set off from Newbold on Avon, first negotiating the congestion around the pub and water point at the Rugby end of the tunnel.  After the tunnel - a short one at 250 yards - a stop for two bags of coal at Clifton Cruisers since the evenings are getting chilly!

Thursday and Friday nights we moored at Grimes Bridge near the village of Brinklow and on Friday went for a circular walk to the village returning via Stretton Stop.  The canal is built on a 30' high embankment here, the edge level with the tops of trees growing below. At Stretton Stop (a 'stop'
is where commercial boats had to pay a toll to the canal operating company) we found an old dredger dating from 1873, the oldest boat we've seen so far.

Notice on the 1873 'spoon' dredger at Stretton Stop

 The dredger's crane

 The spoon - used to keep the canal clear of silt and debris

Evening at Grimes Bridge

Autumn colours beginning to emerge

On to Hawkesbury Junction, where we meet the canal running up from Coventry.  We will be skirting Coventry and Nuneaton and stopping at the attractive town of Atherstone (a favourite spot) before meeting the northbound Birmingham and Fazeley canal for a short section until we turn east at Fradley Junction (another favourite spot) for the Trent and Mersey canal and home.

Near Ansty the canal passes under the M69 motorway

The stop lock at Hawkesbury Junction

Through the stop lock and turning sharp right in front of the Greyhound Inn, where we later enjoyed  a good lunch

Still turning...

Under the elegant cast iron bridge then we turn right again on the Coventry Canal

Next stop, Atherstone

Before Atherstone, we stopped for a few days at Hawkesbury Junction so that Jan could travel to London.