Adderley.

Hi,

For this weeks blog we are moored just a few minutes walk from the little village of Adderley,in Shropshire,near to Bridge No.72,on the Shroppie.There isn’t a lot here but we’ve got some nice views from our windows and we’re stocked up with everything we need,so it’s a good place to be for a couple of days.I’ve also chopped up some more logs so we have plenty of wood for the fire and we’ll be nice and cosy,even though,like everywhere else,it’s pretty Baltic out there.

 

A couple of views of where we are moored below another flight of five locks near the village of Adderley.

Since our last blog we have moved closer to where we hope to be for Easter,which is the canal side village of Audlem.It’s a couple of miles and thirteen locks from here,where there are a few shops and a couple of pubs.I’ve been told the one pub that we were hoping to visit,The Shroppie Fly,is closed at the moment so that means we will have to somehow manage and make do with the others.Life can be so cruel.

We left Norbury Junction on Tuesday and cruised the nine miles or so to Tyrely Locks where we spent a couple of days pottering about,tidying Chyandour and things.There isn’t a lot at Tyrely,but mooring in the middle of nowhere is part of the pleasure of narrowboating.A few minutes walk from the Top lock is a pub called the Four Alls,but we didn’t fancy the walk back so we stayed at home.I don’t know how true it is but the name Four Alls is said to be based on a medieval concept.The King, “ I rule for all”, The Priest, “ I pray for all ”, The Knight “ I fight for all “ and finally,The Peasant, “ I pay for all “. Nothing much appears to have changed over the last few hundred years does it?

 

On the left is the milk processing factory at Knighton.This factory was part of the Cadbury Chocolate production process,it was built in 1911 to manufacture chocolate “crumb” which was taken by narrowboat from here to the Cadbury factory at Bourneville,South of Birmingham.It now produces milk products that we are all familiar with,like Marvel,Angel Delight and Birds Custard powder.On a good day you can smell the aroma of custard as you cruise by.On the right we have some of C&RT workers trimming the trees and hedges at the side of the canal.

 

A couple of the bridges that span Woodseaves Cutting.This is a grim,damp place at the best of times and Lisa is always glad to get through it.Not bad bits of construction though when you think they were built in the 1830’s and this whole cutting was dug through the rock by hand.

On Thursday we went down the Tyrely flight of five locks and then on a bit to the town of Market Drayton where we could stock up on supplies and be safe from the severe weather that was being forecast.Conditions didn’t turn out as bad as some have experienced but we stayed for three days and then,on Sunday,moved here to Adderley.We will probably move on again tomorrow and get to where we can walk down to Audlem to have a look what moorings are vacant.

 

There’s Lisa getting to work on one of the Tyrely Locks and on the right is a view down the flight towards Market Drayton.It doesn’t look too bad weatherwise.It was sunny and not too cold so I had a bet with Lisa that we wouldn’t have the severe weather that was being forecast.I now owe her a Chinese Meal.

 

Market Drayton on Friday morning after the snow,not a lot,but we don’t need anymore do we?On the right is inside the chamber of one of the Adderley Locks as we went down the flight on Sunday afternoon.I was waiting for Lisa as she prepared the next lock down the flight

Well,that’s all for this week I’m afraid.Since our last blog we have done 10 Locks and 15 Miles,giving a grand total of 178 Locks and 218 Miles.Take care everyone.