Archive for the 'Canals' Category

Town and Country

Thursday, September 2nd, 2010

We’ve had a day off today, and went out for a walk: after a bus to Cannock, we walked back via a lane or two and Norton Canes, the Cannock Extension Canal, and a footpath over the fields from Pelsall.

It’s about time for a non-whinging post, so here goes.

As Bob has commented, you can find some lovely countryside so close to home, here in the West Midlands conurbation, especially on the canals. Excuse the slightly duff cameraphone photos.

Today we walked around 8 miles, and by far the majority was in country lanes, woodland, or canal towpath, in the sunshine, just when, like the Bumpkin, I was feeling summer had gone.

The Cannock Extension makes a nice walk- sadly it now terminates at the A5, after it was abandoned further up.

Canal

Cannock Extension Canal, 2/9/2010

Canal Basin

Grove Colliery Basin, 2/9/2010

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A walk up the cut

Sunday, June 27th, 2010

We took advantage of the weather and had a walk up the canal to The Fingerpost, and passing by the Brownhills Canal Festival. If anything, it was actually a little hot for walking, but sitting at a canalside (both at the pub and when we had a break at the festival) was very nice, and I was able to quench my thirst with isotonic Stella.

The festival itself was pretty well attended for something taking place on a match day of that tedious sport known as football, and an F1 race. The weather must have helped.

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Up The Cut

Saturday, May 8th, 2010

Today, thanks my sister-in-law and husband, we’ve had a nice trip up the canal from here to here and back (with a lunch stop here) on a hired narrowboat. Very pleasant it was too.

I like canals, and I’ve walked a good fe miles along them, but have only been on a canal boat once before, over 30 years ago, and I’ve never piloted one before. It’s quite tricky at first, but you get a feel for it after a while. It still needs concentration though, despite the low speed. We managed relatively few collisions though :-) .

It’s a relaxing way to travel, with only the dubious boating skills getting in the way, but don’t plan to go far, we did around 10 miles all day. Photos here.

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Bentley Canal

Sunday, December 20th, 2009

Picked up via the ever vigilant YamYam, there’s a nice bit of local history talking about the Bentley Canal, over here at Captain Ahab’s Watery Tales.

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